“Any more news on your friend,” Fanning said. “Mulhall?”

“News?” said Murph. “What do you mean news exactly?”

“Like, what happened?”

“He got offed, didn’t he. That’s the news.”

“I just thought you might have heard something since. Being as you’re in a position to hear things.”

“Meaning?”

“Well he was a friend of yours, you said.”

Murph made a flick of his head.

“There’s friends, and there’s friends,” he said.

Two men were waiting by a metal-clad door propped open at the side of the warehouse. They didn’t seem interested in Fanning’s or Murph’s arrival. While Murph stopped to light another cigarette, Fanning counted seven parked cars, and two vans.

“Hey,” Murph said. “Stop gawking! That scrutinizing. I seen that before.”

Fanning said nothing. The excitement he had felt on the drive here was gone, and in its place was a restlessness that was making him more uneasy as the minutes passed. He was used to Murph’s oscillations between bluster and sly charm.

“So cut it out,” Murph added. “People’ll think you’re a copper.”

“Which reminds me,” said Fanning. “What did he say, your copper, Malone?”

Murph turned on him, blocking his path.

“What? Are you out of your mind? You’re asking me here?”

“Just asking. What’s wrong with that?”

“Don’t even think about stuff like that here. Do you know what’d happen if anyone here heard you? Have you any idea? Jesus!”

“Okay. I get it. “

“You’ve got to start using your head, man. Anyone here got wind of that stuff, they wouldn’t even ask me about it. They don’t care, you know?”

“I said I get it. Sorry.”

“Sorry? Like that’s going to help? Listen, this isn’t a story here, I keep telling you. Stuff happens in this world, you know. It’s not on a page, or has special effects, or anything like that. The real world, you understand?”