Billy rubbed on his throat and said, ‘This is where I stay, here in this city. I fear of nobody. The man who makes me leave town is my master.’
‘All right, Billy Whispers, is your life, is not mine. Now what say we go downstairs and drink a drink and soon forget all this unfriendliness?’
The room was now empty of many of its guests, especially Tamberlaine and ‘Nat King’ Cole. But Cranium and one of his boys was still playing on their drums, and Barbara and Dorothy was yap-yap-yapping by the fire. And shooting dice up on the floor was my brother Arthur and Alfy Bongo, and that gilded man Tondapo with who I had not yet had my explanation of his earlier behaviour to me. ‘Give us some tune, Cranium,’ I said. ‘Come, Billy. Forget your suspecting everyone, and pour some drink.’
‘Drink for you who attack me?’ Billy said to Montgomery and to me.
‘Oh, come now, Billy. Don’t spoil this pleasant evening, or, if you like, we have to go.’
So he poured these drinks. Dorothy she came and stood by Billy, hands on hips, looking so very foolish. ‘What’s all this fighting?’ she cried out. ‘What sort of home do you think you’ve given me?’
Billy gave Dorothy no drink. ‘Be careful, now,’ he said. ‘Be careful what you say to me. Be careful what you say to anybody. The one place for your trap is shut.’
Cranium Cuthbertson beat sweetly on, trying, I could see, to give some harmony to everyone’s emotion. Also, he began to sing: a chant like to himself, in his own tongue, about a boy who leave the coast beside the sea and walks all his life right up to Kano, looking for blessings of his ancestors, who came from there. The boys stopped shooting dice, and all began clapping softly to the rhythm, and singing the ‘Ay-yah-ah’ chorus to Cranium’s good song.
But the door came open, and I saw Inspector Purity of the CID and three more of his dicks. Billy had leapt quick under the table, which had a cloth. ‘Stay where you are, everybody,’ this Purity man said. ‘I want a word with Mr Billy Whispers. Where is he?’
No one spoke. Though did I see my brother Arthur smile at Purity and look across the room towards the table?
As feet approached it, Billy did a brave and foolish thing: he rushed and jumped right through the window, glass and everything. Dorothy screamed. Two dicks ran downstairs, one stayed beside the door, and Mr Purity stepped over to the window.
We all stood still, though Cranium beat a note or two upon his drum. Purity shone down a torch. ‘Got him?’ he shouted.
There was a shout up back.
‘What?’ Mr Purity cried out. ‘Well, carry him over to the car. I’ll be right down.’
Dorothy ran up to Inspector Purity and caught hold of his hair. ‘What are you doing to my husband?’ she screamed out.
He pushed her off on to the floor. ‘So he’s your husband, is he?’ said Purity. ‘I think he’s living off your immoral earnings.’
‘Is that the charge? Is that the charge you make?’ said Ronson Lighter.
‘Resisting arrest will be one charge,’ said Purity, ‘and no doubt there’ll be others. Well, let’s take a look at you all and see who we’ve got. Stand up, everyone, with your hands on top of your heads. Come on!’
Everybody stood up except Dorothy, and all put their hands on their heads except Montgomery and myself. Detective Purity walked round inspecting all the party, like a general, and to some he spoke.
‘So you’re here, Alfy,’ he began. ‘One day we’ll have to find a little charge for you. Any suggestions, lad? I’ve got one or two ideas. And you,’ he said to my brother Arthur. ‘You getting tired of life outside the nick? Maybe we could help you back inside again. Dice, eh? That’s gambling. Hullo, Barbara. Aren’t you in need of some care and protection? We’ll introduce you to one of our lady coppers, she’ll see you home to Cardiff. Good evening, Mr Pew, or is it good morning? You keep some strange company, don’t you. And you weren’t altogether frank with me earlier, on about your young friend here … Mr Fortune. How are you, son? Do you know something? We’re going to nick you for peddling weed one day soon, so don’t you think you’d better get aboard a ship? No, don’t bother to turn your