Extract from The Chinese Girl摘自一位中国女孩 Danny Boy, one of Shooters inner circle, crept up on Heartbreak that morning. Usually Heartbreak would have been off the estate and back home in his house on Newland Avenue by ten oclock, but a cat had got in with Shooters chickens in the night, and hed had to stay behind to clear up, get the birds settled down. If they stop laying, Danny Boy said, Shooters gonna be pissed off. He was leaning against a corner of the shed, paring his finger nails with a curved-blade hunting knife, his face looking as though it had been sprayed with blackheads. And if Shooters pissed off he takes it out on whoevers closest. Might be Cuddles, in which case I dont care. But it might be me, in which case Ill turn up here one night and skin you alive. He sent a poisoned smile across the gap which separated him from Heartbreak, and Heartbreak swallowed it. If he played this right he could be back home in half an hour without any bruises, but if he made a wrong move Danny Boy would nail him to the door. Violence was one of Danny Boys skills, second only to his persistent brown-nosing of the boss. They wont stop laying, he said. Itll be all right. Danny Boy concentrated on his nails. He held the smile on his face, but he didnt reply or look at Heartbreak. When he heard Shooter approaching he ducked inside the shed. Shooter came up to the chicken run with a tall redheaded man. They both ignored Heartbreak. Shooters hair was cropped close to his head. He was scowling, looking like he wanted to hurt someone. Shes a Chink, said the redhead. Maybe half-cast. Dunno. But she must be holed up in the flat. Where? On Spring Bank. Could be dead? said Shooter. He cleared his throat and gobbed through the chicken wire. No, it wasnt that bad. I reckon shes inside the flat, and the guys looking after her. Shooter kicked out at a small blackcurrant bush. Sort it, he said. His lips were a thin line. I want her out of my hair. OK, said the redhead. Piss off, Shooter told him. When the redhead had gone Shooter stood by the wire for a couple of minutes watching a bantam hen scratching in the dirt. Eventually he focussed on Heartbreak. I heard something about a cat, he said. Yeah, got in in the night, Heartbreak told him. Took two birds. Shooter thought about it for a couple of shakes, then he turned towards the house. Without looking back he said, If I dont get me eggs Ill throw you to the fucking dogs. Danny Boys chuckle came from the interior of the shed. He reappeared still paring his finger nails. See what I mean? he said. The bosss keen on his eggs. He looked back towards the house. The redhead is called Harvey, he said. Hes a cop. Heartbreak stuffed a few loose feathers into a sack. He affected not to have registered the information. Knowing too much always led to trouble. He walked into a fence-post, gave himself a black-eye. Couldnt understand why it was he felt as though hed been pushed. When hed finished with the chickens, Heartbreak got his coat from the shed and walked through the garden towards the house. Shooter was with Cuddles in the old-fashioned terrace. Heartbreak slowed down and stood under a maple for a few minutes. Shooter was sitting on a wrought iron chair with his legs spread wide, and he held out his arms towards the girl. Cuddles smiled. She looked as though she was twenty, but some of the guys reckoned she was no more than sixteen. She went over to Shooter and sat on his knee, and Shooter enfolded her in his arms and buried his face in her neck. He was tender with her, as though he was afraid shed break. Shooter groaned and said she felt good, and Cuddles sighed, and then the two of them started sucking face like a couple of teenagers. Heartbreak moved away, started for home. * Later in the day Heartbreak scored a bunch of cut flowers and took them round to Nells house. He held them behind his back until she opened the door, then thrust them towards her and watched the look of amazement on her face. For me? she said. I havent had flowers since . . . I dont know . . . since I was a girl. He pushed them into her arms. Watched as she leant forward and planted a big wet one on his cheek. Come in, she said. Ill find a vase. Oh, Heartbreak, theyre lovely. He followed her into the house, feeling a warm smile spreading itself over his face. Once or twice lately hed called round and offered to clean her car, or weed the garden, and usually shed looked disappointed when she opened the door and saw it was him. But the flowers seemed to have made him more attractive. Heartbreak had been grieving the loss of the love of his life for