Blitz

Radnor Bowen was in the dumps after his meeting with Brant. He’d been so hopeful about his role as a snitch, believing it to be lucrative and reasonably safe. His knee still hurt from where Brant had manipulated him. The hope of decent payoff had been blown.

Radnor knew — all his instincts said so — that the cop killer was the case to break. There had to be serious money in it. He’d felt so down he almost didn’t go to meet his contact: the guy from the gym he’d told Brant about, who knew a psycho who’d bragged about ‘dealing with the police’. Radnor went because he had nothing else going and because he couldn’t let go. There had to be an angle somewhere in this.

The guy, part-owner of the gym, was called Jimmy. He’d a bald patch, which he combed over, and a growing beer gut. Radnor thought he was a poor advertisement for his business. Not that he’d ever say so. Rule one of the ‘Snitch’s Handbook’ was be ingratiating. Jimmy must have read his mind. He patted the stomach, said,

‘Sign of prosperity, you know.’

Yeah, right.

They were in the Oval pub just after lunch, when trade hits a lull. So quiet that they could hear from the street:

‘Big Issue, get yer Big Issue, help the homeless.’

Jimmy smiled, said,

‘I’ll have a pint of bitter and a ploughman’s.’

Radnor got these, resenting the cost, cursing himself for this fool’s errand. He had half a shandy, Jimmy dug into his food, said,

‘So you want to know the head-case who near killed the gay guy?’

Radnor tried not to show too much interest lest money be mentioned. Jimmy was chewing with energy, said,

‘I told all this to the copper who came by.’

Radnor knew who that was, nodded and Jimmy continued,

‘A thick bastard, name of Brant. The fuck got a year’s membership and wanted a free tracksuit as well.’

‘What was the bloke’s name who beat up the gay?’

‘All in good time, Radnor. What’s your hurry?’

He had to endure a further half hour listening to the difficulties of running a gym until, finally, Jimmy said:

‘Barry Weiss. Here, I wrote down his address. I haven’t seen him since. Not that I want to, he was definitely off the wall. Gave me the creeps, if you want to know the truth. Always smiling and if I know one thing, it’s that nothing’s that amusing. Our female members were always complaining about him.’

Radnor put the address in his pocket, acting as if it were of no consequence. Jimmy gave him an elbow in the ribs, said,

‘So, you going to join the gym or what?’