not stupid, Colin. You know I meant what I said. Mackie and his pals are off limits to you two. Is that clear?"
Brian sniggered. "I think she fancies you, Colin."
The idea clearly tickled the drunk part of Colin Duff's brain. "Is that right? Well, what do you say, Janice? Why don't you keep me on the straight and narrow? You fancy a night out? I'll show you a good time."
Janice caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and glanced round in time to see Jimmy Lawson draw his truncheon and move toward Colin Duff. She raised a hand to ward him off, but the threat was enough to leave Duff backing away, wide-eyed and apprehensive. "Hey," he protested.
"Wash your mouth out, you sad sack of shite," Lawson said. His face was set and angry. "Don't you ever, ever speak to a police officer like that. Now get out of our sight before I get Constable Hogg to change her mind about locking you two up for a very long time." He spoke savagely, his lips tight against his teeth. Janice bridled. She hated it when male officers thought they had to demonstrate their manhood by defending her honor.
Colin grabbed Brian's arm. "Come on. We've got a pint waiting for us inside." He led his leering brother away before he could cause anymore bother.
Janice turned to Lawson. "There was no call for that, Jimmy."
"No call for it? He was making a pass at you. He's not fit to shine your shoes." His voice was thick with contempt.
"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Jimmy. I've dealt with a lot worse than Colin Duff without you playing the knight in shining armor. Now, let's get this lad home."
Between them, they helped Weird to their car and eased him into the back seat. As Lawson walked round to the driver's door, Janice spoke. "And Jimmy?About that drink? I think I'll pass."
Lawson gave her a long, hard stare. "Please yourself."
They drove back to Fife Park in stony silence. They helped Weird to the front door then headed back to the car. "Look, Janice, I'm sorry if you thought I came on too heavy back there. But Duff was well out of line. You can't talk to a police officer like that," Lawson said.
Janice leaned on the roof of the car. "He was out of line. But you didn't react like that because he was insulting the uniform. You drew your truncheon because somewhere in your head, you'd decided I was your property just because I agreed to go out for a drink with you. And he was stepping on your territory. I'm sorry, Jimmy, I don't need that in my life just now."
"That's not how it was, Janice," Lawson protested.
"Let's leave it, Jimmy. No hard feelings, eh?"
He shrugged, petulant. "Your loss. It's not like I'm stuck for female company." He got into the driver's seat.
Janice shook her head, unable to keep a smile from her face. They were so predictable, men. The first sniff of feminism and they headed straight for the hills.
Inside the house in Fife Park, Ziggy was examining Weird. "I told you it would end in tears," he said, his fingers gently probing the swollen tissue around Weird's ribs and abdomen. "You go out for a bit of light evangelism and you came back looking like an extra from Oh! What a Lovely War. Onward, Christian soldiers."
"It was nothing to do with giving my witness," Weird said, wincing at the effort. "It was Rosie's brothers."
Ziggy stopped what he was doing. "Rosie's brothers did this to you?" he said, a worried frown on his face.
"I was outside the Lammas. Somebody must have told them. They came out and set about me."
"Shit." Ziggy went to the door. "Gilly," he shouted upstairs. Mondo was out, as he had been most evenings since their return. Sometimes he was there for breakfast, but mostly he wasn't.
Alex came thundering downstairs, stopping short at the sight of Weird's ravaged face. "What the fuck happened to you?"
"Rosie's brothers," Ziggy said tersely. He filled a bowl with warm water and started gently cleaning Weird's face with balls of cotton wool.
"They beat you up?" Alex couldn't make sense of this.
"They think we did it," Weird said. "Ow! Can you be a bit more careful?"
"Your nose is broken. You should go to the hospital," Ziggy said.
"I hate hospitals. You fix it."
Ziggy raised his eyebrows. "I don't know what kind of a job I'll make of it. You could