Not even vaguely.
Turning the phone back the right way, Logan frowned atthe screen. Ooh, look at me: being all confused. ‘Keira still lives at home, doesn’t she?’
‘Nah, man. She’s got her own place in Powis, innit. Sharing with them vegans and shit.’
A nod. ‘Sweet.’ Now all they needed was a last name and an address.
‘Totally.’ His grin pulled that horrible ratty pseudo-beard even further out of shape. ‘Likes to mess with them, cos she brings home, you know leftoversteakfrom the restaurant and leaves it in the fridge for them to freak out about.’ Jericho waved his hands about and put on a hippy voice. ‘“It’s adead animal, man! I’m liketotally shockedandoffended!” Ha!’
‘Yeah. Of course. She works at the...’ Logan scrunched his face up, throwing in a little shake of the head. ‘I always forget the name of the place.’
‘“The Star-Sprinkled Heavens”. Which is well wanky, but you gotta make wedge, right?’
Rennie did a little squint-shouldered pose. ‘You gotthatright, bruv.’ Making devil’s horns with both hands and half-folding his arms so they pointed at forty-five degrees, as he launched into a rap:
‘She’s called Keira, like Knightley,
Cos she’s hot and she’s spicy,
But you treat her politely,
Ask nicely, go lightly,
And her surname is...?’
Oh, for God’s sake.
Jerichostaredat him, as if the daft bastard had just grown an erect penis in the middle of his forehead. Which might have been less embarrassing.
‘Ah, nah.’ Jericho shook his head. ‘Nah, nah, nah.’ Jumpingto his feet and jabbing a finger at Rennie’s stupid face. ‘You bastards isplayingme! Like I is some sort of fuckin’idiot!’
Logan poured on the oil. ‘Forget about him,he’sthe idiot. It’s OK: you and me were just chatting and—’
‘Jericho ain’t no clype!’ The pointing finger swung around to the living-room door. ‘Get yolyingpolice asses out my nan’s crib!’
At which point that very door swung open and in scuffed Mrs McQueen, carrying an ice-filled glass in one hand and a can of off-brand Coke in the other.
She took one look at her grandson, then Rennie, then Logan. ‘What?’
‘It’s nothing.’ Logan stood, making soothing gestures. ‘We’re cool. Everyone just needs to calm down and we can—’
‘Gran, these police wankers is trying to get us to clype on Charlie! I want themgone, like.’
Her mouth pinched – tight as a tourniquet. ‘You heard the boy: out.’
‘Well...how was I supposed to know?’ Rennie stumbled out onto the pavement, courtesy of a not-too-subtle shove.
Logan followed him into the sun-baked street. The glare almost blinding after the brown gloom of the stairwell. ‘Arap? Are you insane?’
‘It’s not...He’s...’ Sulky pout. ‘Wasn’t going to cooperate anyway.’
‘Hewascooperating! Till you did your Slim Shifty impersonation.’ Logan stomped off towards the pool car.
‘At least we found out where MacGarioch’s girlfriend works, right? They’ll give us her last name, and Bob’s your wingwang.’
Idiot.
‘Jericho McQueen’s probably up there, right now, on the phone,warningKeira that we’re looking for her boyfriend!’
