“Edinburgh, been here six weeks. Just been reading about you in the Scotsman.”
The Special Investigation Branch of the Royal Military Police had an office in Edinburgh Castle: 35 Section. It was a prestigious posting.
“Hardy, I need a favor,” said Strike. “Intel on a couple of guys. D’you remember Noel Brockbank?”
“Hard to forget. Seventh Armoured, if memory serves?”
“That’s him. The other one’s Donald Laing. He was before I knew you. King’s Own Royal Borderers. Knew him in Cyprus.”
“I’ll see what I can do when I get back to the office, mate. I’m in the middle of a plowed field right now.”
A chat about mutual acquaintances was curtailed by the increasing noise of rush-hour traffic. Hardacre promised to ring back once he had had a look at the army records and Strike continued towards the Tube.
He got out at Whitechapel station thirty minutes later to find a text message from the man he was supposed to be meeting.
Sorry Bunsen cant do today ill give you a bell
This was both disappointing and inconvenient, but not a surprise. Considering that Strike was not carrying a consignment of drugs or a large pile of used notes, and that he did not require intimidation or beating, it was a mark of great esteem that Shanker had even condescended to fix a time and place for meeting.
Strike’s knee was complaining after a day on his feet, but there were no seats outside the station. He leaned up against the yellow brick wall beside the entrance and called Shanker’s number.
“Yeah, all right, Bunsen?”
Just as he no longer remembered why Shanker was called Shanker, he had no more idea why Shanker called him Bunsen. They had met when they were seventeen and the connection between them, though profound in its way, bore none of the usual stigmata of teenage friendship. In fact, it had not been a friendship in any usual sense, but more like an enforced brotherhood. Strike was sure that Shanker would mourn his passing were he to die, but he was equally certain that Shanker would rob his body of all valuables if left alone with it. What others might not understand was that Shanker would do so in the belief that Strike would be glad, in whatever afterworld he was dwelling, to think that it was Shanker who had his wallet, rather than some anonymous opportunist.
“You’re busy, Shanker?” asked Strike, lighting a fresh cigarette.
“Yeah, Bunsen, no chance today. Woss ’appening?”
“I’m looking for Whittaker.”
“Gonna finish it, are you?”
The change in Shanker’s tone would have alarmed anyone who had forgotten who Shanker was, what he was. To Shanker and his associates, there was no proper end to a grudge other than killing and, in consequence, he had spent half his adult life behind bars. Strike was surprised Shanker had survived into his midthirties.
“I just want to know where he is,” said Strike repressively.
He doubted that Shanker would have heard about the leg. Shanker lived in a world where news was of strictly personal interest and was conveyed by word of mouth.
“I can ’ave an ask around.”
“Usual rates,” said Strike, who had a standing arrangement with Shanker for useful bits of information. “And—Shanker?”
His old friend had a habit of hanging up without warning when his attention was diverted.
“’S’there more?” said Shanker, his voice moving from distant to close as he spoke; Strike had been right to think he had removed the mobile from his ear, assuming they were done.
“Yeah,” said Strike. “Digger Malley.”
A silence on the end of the line eloquently expressed the fact that, just as Strike never forgot what Shanker was, nor did Shanker ever forget what Strike was.
“Shanker, this is between you and me, no one else. You’ve never discussed me with Malley, have you?”
After a pause, and in his most dangerous voice, Shanker said:
“The fuck would I do that for?”
“Had to ask. I’ll explain when I see you.”
The dangerous silence continued.
“Shanker, when have I ever grassed you up?” asked Strike.
Another, shorter silence, and then Shanker said in what, to Strike, was his normal voice:
“Yeah, all right. Whittaker, huh? See what I can do, Bunsen.”
The line went dead. Shanker did not do good-byes.
Strike sighed and lit up another cigarette. The journey had been pointless. He would get straight back on a train once he had finished his Benson & Hedges.