Free Ride On by Stephen J. Martin Page A

looking at him.
    â€˜What?’
    Jimmy looked around at Garda Ní Mhurchú. She had a nice big frosty head on her now. She glared at Aesop for a minute and then tapped her notepad.
    â€˜You said you were with someone last night?’
    â€˜Eh … yeah. Out in Drimnagh somewhere. Had to get a taxi back.’
    â€˜Okay. But these threats started last week. Did you know this girl before last night? Had you met her before?’
    â€˜Eh … not sure. But it’s fairly unlikely. I’m not really one for swapping numbers afterwards and being mates and all, y’know?’
    â€˜Mr Murray … Aesop … if we were just to take the last few weeks, since the New Year, how many girls’ names would I be able to put in this notebook?’
    â€˜Their names?’ Aesop scratched his head. ‘Jaysis … well, you won’t have to go looking for your pencil parer.’
    â€˜So … a few, just?’
    â€˜No. More than that.’
    â€˜So then … what’s … is it that you can’t remember their names?’
    Aesop sighed.
    â€˜I don’t really like to get attached, Garda. I tend to forget names. You know the way hoors don’t like kissing you on the lips? That’s me with names. Otherwise it gets all personal and you end up with a head full of women and you’re trying to match names with faces and what you said to who and what happened … ah, it makes things very complicated, y’know? If it’ll help I’d say there was probably about a dozen of them. God, that makes them all sound like slappers, doesn’t it? They weren’t though. They were lovely. And one of them was definitely Russian. Or she had that accent anyway. Russian … German … Norwegian … y’know that kind of way? Nice girl. She was wearing this blue yoke.’
    Garda Ní Mhurchú had stopped taking notes now. She was just staring at Aesop.
    â€˜And, just out of interest, the last six months?’
    Aesop frowned off into the distance and started to try and count in his head, his lips and fingers moving for a couple of minutes.
    â€˜Jimmy, when were we in Japan?’ he said eventually.
    â€˜About six months ago Aesop.’
    Jimmy was mortified, his head hanging down. Dónal had already gone to help Sparky in the kitchen.
    â€˜Will I include that?’ said Aesop to Garda Ní Mhurchú. ‘I was a teacher out there for a bit. It’s a deadly way to meet girls, y’know yourself …’
    â€˜No I don’t,’ she said. She’d put down the pad again and was sitting back against the chair just looking at him.
    â€˜Okay, well, sure I’ll add them in too. Right. Now where … ah shite. I’m after losing where I was. Will I use your pad?’
    â€˜Just an estimate is fine. No need to be exact at this point. I’m just trying to get a feel for what we’re up against.’ She looked at her colleague. ‘I think I’m starting to get an idea.’
    â€˜Okay. Eh … and it’s only riding now we’re talking about, right? Not birds I just got talking to down the shops or whatever …’
    Jimmy couldn’t take it any more. He stood up and started walking into the kitchen.
    â€˜I’ll … just see if that kettle is boiled yet.’
    *
    Jimmy showed the Gardaí out. At the door, Garda Ní Mhurchú turned to him.
    â€˜Mr. Collins, I take it you’re the … brains of the operation?’
    Jimmy shrugged and gave a little nod.
    â€˜There’s no reason to panic or anything, but Mr. Murray needs to be vigilant until this is sorted out. I’m not sure he’s … on the same page as everyone else.’
    â€˜He’s not even in the same library.’
    â€˜Right. Well, here’s my number in case he does manage to piece together any of his … encounters. Maybe he’ll be able to give us a bit more