KILL ME IF YOU CAN (Dave Cunane Book 8) by Frank Lean

-dancer, Tammy has expectations and sees Clint as an obstacle in her path to matrimony. However, I sense her intended has doubts. Bob wonders if he’d pass on Clint’s handicap to children of his own. I’ve begun to think that he uses Clint as an excuse for delay. He’s heard the relevant medical advice often enough.
    I overheard a whispered consultation and then he came on.
    ‘Dave, me old fruit and nut cake, what’s troubling you at this hour when an honest businessman such as yourself ought to be clocking up the zeds?’
    ‘So you’re admitting that you’re a dishonest businessman are you?’ I asked.
    ‘What do you mean, dishonest? These are my office hours, besides I’m paying so much tax these days I sometimes think I’m keeping the Royal Navy afloat on my own.’
    ‘Yeah, you are since HMRC caught up with you and what’s the Navy these days. Down to their last few cockle boats, aren’t they?’
    ‘OK, OK, Sarcasm Boy, what’s the prob?’
    ‘The prob, Bob, is that I’m stuck on my tod without wheels. I’m in a call box at the end of Deansgate and I’ve just had a home visit from some rather nasty gentlemen who wanted to incinerate me.’
    There was no sharp intake of breath. That’s one of the things I like about Bob.
    ‘Anybody dead?’
    ‘One hurt, one of the opposition that is.’
    ‘And the family?’
    ‘They’re all well and now heading for the hills at high speed in my only vehicle. The other’s damaged. That’s why I need transport that can’t be traced to me.’
    ‘You know I only asked if there were any dead first because I trust you to protect your family. I’m looking forward to being Baby Cunane’s godfather.’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Christ, Dave, I don’t know what to say. Do I know any of your playmates?’
    ‘They’re definitely not our local scallywags. I’ve never seen them before. One was burned with his own firebomb.’
    ‘Badly burned?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘How sad, I’ll put the word out round the local hospitals. They do burns at Wythenshawe don’t they?’
    ‘They do but he could be anywhere.’
    ‘So Janine, has she done a moody? I know she doesn’t go for the rough stuff.’
    ‘Our separation’s only temporary while I get this bother sorted.’
    ‘ Bother he says. I like it. Someone firebombs your house and its bother. Wheels aren’t much of a problem, Dave, but there must be something more I can do.’
    ‘Actually Bob …’
    ‘Spit it out!’
    ‘I don’t know who these people are at all. I have nothing on them, zilch.’
    A vision of Lew’s notebook sitting in my safe not half a mile away flashed before my eyes. Could I use it to bargain with them?
    ‘So, what’s the plan?’
    ‘Find out who they are, I suppose. Well, it’s a bit more complicated than that because if I do identify these bastards they’ll have no option but to slot me. Janine has this idea that if I convince them that I know nothing and have no hostile intentions they’ll lay off.’
    ‘Hmmm, that doesn’t sound too likely if they’re already trying to wipe your clock. Dave, with you things are always too far gone to be settled with a friendly chat over a cup of tea.’
    ‘Yeah, lovely isn’t it? There’s more and it gets worse. I believe they’ve killed a relative of mine and when the police find out they’ll be all over the landscape in their size eleven boots.’
    ‘Will they find out?’
    ‘I’ve already tipped them off.’
    ‘So you’d like somewhere to hide your weary head while you work out if the firebombing was just a friendly warning, like?’
    He sounded perplexed.
    ‘Something like that, yes.’
    ‘I can do that for you Dave but make damn sure the house I send you to doesn’t get burned down. I’ve spent a fortune on it and Tammy loves the place.’
    ‘I don’t get into these things by choice.’
    ‘This relative, it isn’t old Paddy?’
    ‘No.’
    I could have said more but there was no point in passing on information which could be