He took a bottle of whisky from the paper bag, already opened, some of it missing, and took a swig and handed it to Lynch. Lynch took two cups from under his bed and set them on the mattress and filled both.

‘You better not be driving,’ he said.

‘Amy’s picking me up.’ The officer switched on the TV and lowered the volume and picked up the cards, shuffled, dealt. He looked at Lynch’s battered face and sighed, shaking his head. ‘Just give me their names, lad.’

‘I’ll take care of it.’

The officer stopped dealing and looked at him. ‘When? After they’ve broken your nose again. After they’ve blinded you. You’re police inside, lad. They’ll never leave you alone. Just give me their names and they’ll never touch you again. I’ll make sure they’re tube-fed and pissing blood for the next six months. Not a problem.’

‘I said I’ll take care of it.’ Lynch paused. ‘Listen, I’m sorry, mate. I appreciate everything you’ve done. All this.’ He gestured to the contents of the desk and the whisky. ‘I really do, more than you could know, but this is something you can’t help me with. This is something I’ve got to do on my own.’

They played poker and drank. A spaghetti western on the TV in the background.

‘I haven’t seen Paddy in a while,’ Lynch said.

The officer sipped from his cup and looked at his cards. ‘You’re not going to.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘He’s gone.’199

‘What do you mean, gone? Like a transfer?’ Lynch studied him.

The officer picked up another card. He looked down when he saw Lynch watching him. ‘I’m going as well.’

‘What?’

‘I’m done. I’m finished here.’

‘You’re leaving?’

‘Tonight.’

‘Tonight? What’s going on?’

The officer went quiet again.

‘The suspense is killing me,’ Lynch said.

The officer brought the cup to his lips and spoke into it, his entombed voice small and empty. ‘It’s complicated.’ He drank. Then he said: ‘I can’t say.’

‘You can’t say? You and Paddy have been like brothers to me in here and you can’t tell me why you’re leaving? The shit I’ve told you. Shit I’ve never told anyone.’ Lynch sat back, looking at him. ‘And in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not police any more.’

The officer wiped his mouth and set his cards down on the desk. He couldn’t look at Lynch.

‘You know what, forget it,’ Lynch said. ‘None of my business. Sorry for prying.’

The officer looked up slowly. ‘Listen, not a word of this to anyone, okay?’

‘Of course.’

‘I mean it, lad.’

‘So do I.’

The officer opened the door and checked outside and then locked it and poured more whisky into his cup.