The conversation bounced along for the next twenty minutes. Seeing the boys was a balm to my tired, aching body, and when Sarah came to collect them, their hugs gave me the determination to get back to normal as soon as was physically possible.
I’d always been a fighter, and that wasn’t about to change now.
* * * *
Three days later I was home, or at least in Amy’s pretty apartment, and watching the leaves flutter in the breeze. Theancient tree outside her living room window was alive with birds and squirrels and the occasional dragonfly.
Amy had gone to the shop. I needed fresh fish for dinner, she’d said. The protein would do me good.
My phone rang. Andrew.
“Hey, Prof, how’s it going?”
“That’s my question to you. I didn’t take a bullet to the gut. Bloody hell, man, you really did bleed all over the place and in the vehicle.”
“Sorry about that.”
“Don’t apologize, but that was a close call, shook us all up.”
“I’m okay. I’ll be out of action for a while, but don’t think I’m retiring from Galahad. It would take more than a thick-necked asshole with a gun to do that.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I know.” Pause. “What did you tell the police?”
“Not much. Said I was walking to my girlfriend’s, took a shortcut down a back alley, big mistake, and got robbed by some druggies. I know a place where they hang out, so I said it was there, authenticity and all that.”
“Good move.”
“I said it escalated fast when I refused to hand over my wallet and a gun was drawn. Next thing I was shot.”
“And how’d you explain getting to the hospital?”
“I said I’d managed to get to the road, called a cab.”
“And they believed it?”
“Yeah, said they’d be tracking the cab driver down to get a statement, and of course that’s a dead end. I presumed you’d have changed the plates on our vehicle by now, to shake any CCTV at the hospital entrance.”
“Yeah, that’s done.”
“So they can investigate all they like,” I said. “Won’t get very far.”
“That’s good news, we don’t need the cops sniffing around, no offence, mate.”
“None taken.” I huffed. “I don’t remember much after the bullet hit, it’s a bit patchy, you know, but did you find the girls? I remember them running.”
“Finn and Cillian caught up with two of them, but they didn’t want our help. They spoke good English, said they had a place to go. Understandably wary of strange men, can’t blame them. So Finn gave them five hundred quid, cash, and wished them luck.”
“She was a dapper shot, the one who got Beelzebub.”
“No kidding, square between the eyes. Surprised she didn’t keep going and shoot everyone.”
“I’m glad she didn’t. Me or Jamie could have been next, and she wouldn’t have half missed like the fat fucker did.”
Andrew huffed. “Yeah, his belly will have kept the dogs entertained for a while.”
“You threw them over the cage?” I grimaced. That was a bad end, for sure.
“Took a bit of doing, no one volunteered to open the cage door, but yeah, all three bodies. Then we filled their trough with water, checked around, and got out of there. Jamie said he’d do an anonymous message to dog control in a few days, when the evidence will be gone.”
