‘I don’t even know what kind of books you like.’
‘Jesus, anything. I’ll make a list. Novels, history, travel books, I don’t mind. Poetry, anything.’
‘Poetry? In here?’
‘I’ll take my chances.’
Alec wore a navy-blue romper suit — the outfit of a French workman, or indeed that of some little new-wave narcissist at a C.L. & S. screening… It was the sight of him in his issued clothing that made me sense just how far he had fallen. Not too far, don’t take him too far down, I thought. He’ll disappear the other way. Everyone in here, they had all transgressed, they had all sinned against money. And now money was making them pay.
‘That reminds me,’ I said. ‘You haven’t got six thousand quid on you, have you?’
Alec scratched his scalp. His sharp nose twitched. ‘Yes well I’m sorry about that.’
‘What happened?”
‘I gave some of it to Eileen and tried to double the rest at roulette. Brill, I agree. It wasn’t enough anyway. You should have seen me in the dock, man. I was just melting. When that old moron in the wig, when he read out the sentence — oh, I thought, he must be talking about someone else. Who, me? And this is just remand. If things go against me on the ninth, then I go somewhere serious.’
‘Can I do anything?’ I said in a quick voice.
‘No. I’d need — with the guarantee I’d need, I couldn’t even ask you. What did Ella say?’
‘Nothing much. Do you hate her?’
‘Oh, you know. When you’re fighting and hating each other anyway, it must be nice for the chick when she turns out to have the law batting for her. A judge, five hundred filth and Brixton on her side. Instead of throwing an ashtray at you, she throws prison.’
‘Christ, I’d —’
‘It wasn’t her fault. It’s all legal stuff to do with the kids. The irony is,’ said Alec Llewellyn, describing a figure-eight with his neck, ‘the irony is that Andrew — he’s not even mine.’
‘How do you know?’
‘Look at him. Look at his hair. Look at Mandolina. A completely different order of human being.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘The month she conceived we were getting on so badly — I didn’t sleep with her, not that month. She said I fucked her when I was drunk. But if I was too drunk to remember I’d have been too drunk to perform. Anyway. Ella came here the day after I got in and cried her eyes out. She tried to stop it, you know.’
‘Oh yeah?’
‘How’s Selina?’
‘Fine. And as true to me as the day is long.’
‘You dupe. You gull.’
I named his prep school. I named his public school. I named his Cambridge college. ‘And now Brixton,’ I said. ‘Wherever next?’
‘Pentonville.’ He took another cigarette from my fanned pack. ‘Well, it’s the university of life. You learn new things every day. For instance, there’s a contract out on you, pal.’
‘Oh that,’ I said coolly. ‘Yeah, so I’ve heard.’
‘One of the minor villains here told me about it. It’s a pretty minor contract, too. Fifty quid or something.’
‘Who’s taken it out?’
‘That he didn’t know or couldn’t remember. But he remembers the damage.’
‘Fifty quids’ worth,’ I said, feeling oddly hurt or slighted. ‘What is it — a clip round the ear? A Chinese burn?’
‘One blow in the face with a blunt instrument. Now. I’ll make the list. And you fucking get me those books.’
The piece of paper changed hands softly. So did a ten-pound note. It wasn’t prudent for him to have more. There wouldn’t be a great deal to buy, but money has its powers, even here … Soon he was taken away: a uniformed guard simply beckoned to him through the half-open door. Alec Llewellyn nodded seriously at me as he walked off in his blue overalls, Alec, that snappy dresser. I left the way I’d come in. The criminals now embraced and encouraged their women, many of whom were patiently weeping their daily tearfall. The children had been stilled and quietened by fresh apprehensions. I walked through the clearing-house, the bench-lined locker-room, past full trashcans and the rods of old radiators. The next wave of families were gathered in huddles: the next wave of berks, burglars and bunglers was being dredged up from the cells. Shirtsleeved guards moved about with forms—cheerful, overworked. One of the guys at the gate helped me give the Fiasco a push. At many revolutions per second I came down the green slide into ßrixton and beyond. But only when I reached the washed sky of the Thames did I dare to pull over and negotiate my fear.