I assume I d be right in supposing that your fortunate arrival isn t coincidental, Officer. I congratulate you on your performance the NYPD would be proud of you.

I used to be an actor, Dillon said. But then I discovered the theater of the street had more appeal. Audience guaranteed, you see, especially in Belfast.

Murphy was immediately wary. Ah, that theater of the street? So which side did you play for? You couldn t be IRA, not the both of you.

Why not? Dillon asked.

Well, admittedly you ve got an Ulster accent, but your friend here is English.

Well, I d say you re a Dublin man myself, Dillon told him. And admittedly there s some strange people calling themselves IRA these days, and a world of difference between them. We, for example, are the Provo variety, and Mr. Holley s sainted mother being from Crossmaglen, the heart of what the British Army described as bandit country, his Yorkshire half doesn t count.

Murphy was beginning to look distinctly worried. What do you want?

Dillon smiled amiably. For a start, let s get that piece of shit on his feet. He s a disgrace to the Russian Federation. Putin wouldn t approve of him at all.

Holley pulled Ivan up to stand on the edge of the sewage pit. Following Dillon s lead, he said, Is this where you want him, Dillon? He might fall in, you know.

Dillon ignored him and said to Murphy, I m going to put a question to you. If you tell me the truth, I ll let you live. Of course, if you turn out to have lied, I ll have all the fuss of coming back and killing you, and that will annoy me very much, because I m a busy man.

Murphy laughed uneasily. That s a problem, I can see that, but how will you know?

By proving to you I mean business. He turned to where Ivan stood swaying on the edge of the pit, pulled Holley out of the way, and kicked the Russian s feet out from under him, sending him down with a cry into the fast-flowing sewage, to be swept away.