KILL ME IF YOU CAN (Dave Cunane Book 8) Read Online Free Page B

at least. The Right Honourable Sir Lewis Greene has just paid me a visit.’
    ‘My word, what an honour for you,’ Paddy said snidely. ‘You’d better get your feet under the table and have a cup of tea while you tell us what he’s done to ruffle your feathers.’
    Eileen busied herself getting out of her peasant gear while Paddy brewed the tea. Then we all sat down at the kitchen table.
    ‘So what was Lew on about?’ Paddy asked as he poured out the tea.
    I told them about Lew’s strange request, confident that it would go no further. I omitted the details of Lew’s attempted blackmail but did tell them that he’d referred to my violent past.
    Whatever else they are both my parents know how to keep a secret. I sometimes think that I was driven to become an investigator because of the secrecy with which even the most trivial events were shrouded throughout my childhood.
    ‘And he gave you the name?’ Paddy asked.
    ‘I told you. It’s in a notebook in my safe. I haven’t seen it and I don’t want to.’
    They both stared at me for a while, shifting uncomfortably on their chairs. They didn’t seem to have had prior knowledge of Lew’s request. If they had they gave no sign. I’ve never been able to read their faces.
    ‘Do you think it’s a practical joke?’ Eileen asked eventually.
    ‘No, there never was much joviality in the Greene family,’ Paddy retorted. ‘Why, when Lew’s mum came into that inheritance you’d have thought they’d have had a holiday or a bit of a celebration, but not old Ma Greene, and Lew’s just like her. She went straight round to the parish priest and got him to phone that posh school in Yorkshire. Lew and his brother were on their way within the week. Unnatural to send your kids away like, I call it.’
    ‘Go on, Paddy, you old hypocrite. I had to argue you out of sending Dave to the same place,’ Eileen rejoined.
    She underlined her remark with a nudge that nearly knocked his cup out of his hand.
    ‘What? I’ve never heard this before.’
    ‘It was just a passing idea,’ Paddy muttered awkwardly. I’ll swear that he almost blushed. One of his secrets was about to be exposed.
    ‘You sent off for the prospectus and took us for a look round.’
    Dim memories of a sightseeing trip to North Yorkshire that included a visit to gloomy school dormitories came flooding back.
    ‘We could have afforded the fees,’ he snorted, ‘and Dave might have turned out a damn sight better than he has if we’d sent him. He might have been a diplomat or a top civil servant by now.’
    ‘A diplomat,’ I sneered. ‘Gosh, do you think I might have even got into Parliament? Forget about that. I have a successful detective business,’ I said.
    ‘Successful if you don’t count the number of times you’ve been banged up.’
    ‘I’ve never been convicted of anything,’ I said through gritted teeth. ‘But if I do what your dear pal Lew Greene wants I’ll end up doing life!’
    ‘Yeah, I don’t know what Lew’s thinking of,’ Paddy admitted.
    ‘Poor man, he must be at the end of his tether,’ Eileen agreed.
    ‘Poor me, don’t you mean?’
    ‘Be fair, Dave, he is your godfather and he’s an important man,’ Paddy said.
    ‘I hope you’re not suggesting that I do his bidding. I came here in the hope that you could use your influence and get him to see sense.’
    ‘And do what?’
    ‘Why, go to the police or the government, of course. If this mystery man’s so dangerous they could do something.’
    To my surprise Paddy disagreed.
    ‘I don’t know about that. Coppers aren’t like they were in my day,’ he said gloomily. ‘Keeping secrets is the last thing some of these young uns care about. If you ask me, it’s all this form filling and sending emails. Carpal tunnel syndrome’s the major cause of injury on the Force these days. They’re lost if they’ve no one to report to every five minutes. I was only saying to Archie Sinclair the other day, no sooner do they