Stay of Execution

38

‘So what did you think of your first rugby international, Colin?’ Mario asked as they walked from the ground to his car, in the police park.

‘Impressive,’ the American admitted. ‘Some of those guys make our gridiron players look like pussies. It’s fast, it’s continuous. . we have time-outs in our game. . and it is certainly rough. Did you ever play the game?’

‘I played at school, and for a while after I left. I was a prop forward, but I was a bit light for the top class.’

‘You were? Man, you’re a brick shit-house.’

‘Maybe, but in those days my top weight was a hundred kilos. You try shoving against a hundred and twenty kilos for eighty minutes; it does your back in. I did think for a while about switching to the back row, but I was too slow for that.’

As they approached his car, a silver Alfa Romeo sports hatchback, he pressed a remote control to unlock it. They climbed inside and headed for the exit, McGuire flashing his warrant card at the young constable on traffic control to pull rank shamelessly on the civilian vehicles coming from their area.

Soon they were at the Western Corner traffic lights, where he turned left, heading westwards until he came to Clermiston Road. ‘It might seem like we’re going to Glasgow,’ he said, ‘but this’ll get us back quicker, I promise you.’

The journey back to the Malmaison took less than fifteen minutes. ‘If we’d gone the straight way we’d never have got back,’ said McGuire, ‘and that would have been bad news. Paula’s cooking tonight and we do not want to keep her waiting.’

‘Man,’ the American exclaimed, ‘we had lunch at Neil’s already. I can’t let you feed me again.’

‘Do you want to tell her that? ’Cause I sure as hell don’t. Besides, what else are you going to do?’

‘That really is too kind of you both,’ said Mawhinney.

‘Mince,’ McGuire replied amiably, as he pulled up outside the waterfront hotel. ‘You get yourself round to my place for six. We’ll walk up to Paula’s and maybe call in at the Wee Black Dug on the way. I want to check that place over.’