Macbeth

‘Yes. He looks a bit... erm downcast. I was wondering about something the captain said to me. He said he was a good engineer. Is that right?’

The first engineer rocked his head from side to side looking at Duff a little uncertainly. ‘He’s good enough.’

‘Perhaps it’d be a good idea to tell him.’

‘Tell him what?’

‘He’s good enough.’

‘Why?’

‘I think he needs to hear it.’

‘I don’t know about that. If you build people up they just want more money and longer breaks.’

‘When you were a young engineer did you have a first engineer who gave you the feeling you were doing a good job?’

‘Yes, but I was.’

‘Try and remember how good you really were then.’

The first engineer stood with his mouth ajar.

At that moment the boat rolled. Screams came from the mess, and there was a loud bang behind Duff.

‘Fuckin’ Ada!’ the steward shouted, and when Duff turned he saw the big soup tureen had fallen on the floor. Duff stared at the thick, green, pea soup oozing out. Without warning his stomach lurched, he felt the nausea in his throat and just managed to grab the doorframe as it spurted from his mouth.

‘Well, rookie,’ said the first engineer, ‘any other good advice?’ He turned and left.

‘Bloody hell, Johnson. Haven’t you finished with all that?’ the steward groaned, handing Duff a kitchen roll.

‘What happened?’ Duff asked, wiping his mouth.

‘Hit a swell,’ the steward said. ‘It happens.’

‘Have a breather. I’ll clean up here.’

When Duff had finished scrubbing the floor, he went into the mess to collect the dirty crockery. Only three guys were sitting at one table, plus Hutch, who hadn’t stirred from his place.

Duff listened to their chit-chat as he piled dishes and glasses on a tray.

‘That breaker must have come from an earthquake or a landslide or something,’ one of them said.

‘Perhaps it was a nuclear test,’ suggested one of the others. ‘The Soviets are supposed to have some shit going on in the Barents Sea and shock waves apparently go all the way round the world.’

‘Any messages about that, Sparks?’

‘No.’ Sparks laughed. ‘The only excitement is a search for a guy with a white scar right across his face.’

Duff stiffened. Kept piling dishes as he listened.

‘Yeah, it’s gonna be good to get ashore tomorrow.’

‘Is it hell. Missus says she’s pregnant again.’

‘Don’t look at me.’

Good-natured laughter around the table.

Duff turned with the tray in his hands. Hutchinson had lifted his head and suddenly sat bolt upright. The few times they had met after their skirmish Hutchinson had looked down and avoided Duff’s face, but now he was staring at Duff with wide-open eyes. Like a vulture that has unexpectedly and happily spotted a helpless, injured animal.

Duff shoved open the door to the galley with his foot and heard it clatter behind him. Put the tray down on the worktop. Damn, damn, damn! Not now, not with less than twenty-hours to land.

‘Not too fast here,’ Caithness said, looking through the windscreen.

The taxi driver took his foot off the accelerator, and they drove slowly past the Obelisk, where people were streaming into the street from the main entrance. Two police cars were parked on the pavement. The blue lights rotated idly.

‘What’s going on?’ Lennox said and thrust his blue face between the two front seats. He was — like Caithness — still wearing his uniform, as the taxi had collected them from outside the church straight after Duncan’s funeral. ‘Has the fire alarm gone off?’

‘The Gambling and Casino Board closed the place today,’ Caithness said. ‘Suspicion of breaching the Casino Act.’

They saw one of the policemen leading out an angrily gesticulating man in a light suit and flowery shirt with impressive sideburns. It looked as if the man was trying to explain something to the policeman, who was obviously turning a deaf ear.

‘Sad,’ the driver said.

‘What’s sad?’ Lennox asked. ‘Law enforcement?’

‘Sometimes. At the Obelisk you could at least have a beer and a game of cards without dressing up and coming home ruined. By the way, do you know that the factory you want to go to is closed?’

‘Yes,’ Caithness answered. Thinking that was all she knew about it. Police Officer Angus had rung that morning and implored her to bring Inspector Lennox from the Anti-Corruption Unit with her to Estex. They would find out the rest when they got there. It was about corruption at the highest level and for the moment they mustn’t mention their meeting to anyone. When she said she didn’t know any Police Officer Angus, he had explained to her that he was the guy in SWAT with the long hair who she smiled at and said hello to in the lift. She remembered him. He was cute. Looked more like an affable, unworldly hippie than a SWAT man.