Graves upon Bones by Chad Alan Gibbs

Author:Chad Alan Gibbs
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798985675719
Publisher: Chad Alan Gibbs

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

I took the train to Millburn Green by myself this time, eyes peeled as I rushed through the alley leading to the North London Youth Centre. Several boys played soccer on the street, using their backpacks for goals. One of them cracked a joke about my Beckham jacket, but I ignored it and went inside. Kids were everywhere, as usual, doing homework and playing board games. Paddy was in the back, helping a girl with her algebra. He glanced up and saw me and shook his head, then motioned for me to meet him in his office.

“Not here to volunteer?” he said, handing me a Coke can and taking a seat across his desk.

“Not today,” I said and thanked him for the drink, then set my phone on the desk to record our conversation.

“I’d wager you’ve come to question me about The Red Lion, but don’t you think someone has already beat you to it?”

“The police have already been here?” I asked.

“Aye, sure, and I told them the same thing I’ll tell you. I do be here that day, like the day before that, and the day before that, and I only have about a hundred witnesses to prove it.”

“And they bought that?” I asked.

Paddy’s eyes narrowed, and not for the last time, I regretted not having six-foot-eight Elton with me. “It do be the truth,” Paddy barked, reaching across his desk to grab my Coke can and toss it in his rubbish bin. “The officers who came by know me. One volunteers here on weekends. He knows I had no reason to kill Brian Taylor, just like I had no reason to kill his brother.”

“No reason,” I said, smiling at Paddy.

“That’s what I said now,” he replied, standing to prematurely end the interrogation.

“But you were a member of the IRA,” I said, “and Davy Taylor was the leader of the Bones Squad. He sent money to Northern Ireland. Guns and ammunition too. He even traveled there with his group of hooligans to cause trouble. That seems like more than enough reason for you to want him dead.”

Paddy Madigan stared at me hard before returning to his chair. “You found out about Davy?”

“I’m friends with his granddaughter, and she let me go through a few boxes of his belongings. Lots of Mongrels memorabilia, an old toaster, and a treasure trove of sectarian shit. You already knew about all that, though, didn’t you?”

Paddy shook his head and sighed. “Aye, I did, sure. The Red Lion was me target, not Tower Bridge, like I told you. But MI5 was on me tail the minute I stepped off the train. Your man I bought explosives from, he was an undercover agent.” Paddy Madigan spun a pencil on his desk and smiled sadly at the memory. “Funny thing is, I’d already decided not to go through with me plan because the night I went scouting a place to plant me bomb, I met Davy’s kids. Down in his office they were, doing homework. Me conscience got the better of me, but a bomb went off anyhow.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.