“Family is everything. Would you not agree?”
After a moment, Court spoke softly. “I wouldn’t know.”
Campbell surprised Court with a little laugh. “To be fair, neither would I.” But then he added, “But ’ere’s the problem, chief. Twenty years from now, Charlie’s boy, my grandson, might not see it the same as me. Family might be everything to him. So much so that maybe he’ll take it on himself to avenge his father. Just like I did.”
“You’re saying some kid is going to come after me?”
“Might do. Except he won’t be a kid.”
Court understood now. “You’re telling me that if you kill me, you might be saving your grandson’s life in the future?”
“Could be just that, yeah.”
Court dropped his head into his hand. Still holding the phone to his ear, he said, “Fuck, dude. This isn’t the twelfth century.”
“Like hell it isn’t,” Coyle said. “We humans have not progressed; you and I are God’s living proof of that.”
Court now said, “The problem is, you have to know that if you comeafter me now, there’s a chanceIcould killyou. What’s your grandson going to think about that?”
“Doubt he’ll ever know that I was alive.”
“But isn’t there someone who cared about your son who would care that they lost you, as well?”
The pause was brief. “As a matter of fact, no, chief. No man, woman, or animal would care if I died.”
Court sighed.Shit.“Well then, maybe we should just go ahead and get this over with.”
“Pragmatism.That, I can respect. Problem is, I don’t believe you. You give me an address, and you’ll hold all the cards there. We’re going to have to meet out there on the field of battle, won’t we? You’re goin’ through those Gauntlet lads like butter. But I have my own team. When I see you out there, I’m going to—”
Court cut him off. “When you see me, Coyle, it’ll be too late.”
Both men breathed into the phone.
Finally, it was Court who spoke. “I think you are calling because you don’t have anyone else who can understand you, except the man you want to kill.”
“I don’twantto kill you.”
“You could have fooled me.”
It was quiet a moment, and then Coyle said, “What I do, what you do…it’s not about what we want. It’s about what we are.”
“You can decide to do whatever you want, Coyle.”
“Just like you did? Just like you decided to put a knife in my boy? To kill those men in Georgetown?”
Court did not respond.
Coyle said, “Ya know, mate…I’ve a brother in Belfast who has a wee shop, sells school uniforms. An uncle there, he’s dead now, but from cancer, not a bullet. Lived to be sixty, worked his life for the phone company, never missed Sunday church. I’ve an aunt who became a financial advisor. Took in stray kittens. Not a dangerous bone in her body. Not an ounce of her that wanted anything more for her life than peace and love.
“Got a cousin, we’re the same age, he grew up on the same streets as me. He’s a fecking’ florist in Derry. Aflorist.”
Court sighed. “What on earth does this have to—”
“You have siblings?” Coyle asked.
Taken aback, Court responded honestly. “I had a brother.”
“Yeah? Bet he turned out, didn’t he?”
