“Don’t you bloody dare. If I have to I’ll throw you in a cell for real.”
“Me and Cass are never gonnae be free while Malachi’s free and if this stops him from being free then we’ll be free.”
“Shut it Brodie, you’re only trying to confuse me. Right, that’s one angle to work on. Steven, would you be willing to talk to the newspapers about your experiences? There are others owned by people who aren’t one of Malachi’s minions.”
“I would but not about my reasons for joining in the first place,” replied Steven.
“You’d only tell them what you’re comfortable with. If we can damage Malachi’s reputation it might stop him from gaining new followers.”
“Well, maybe. I’ll think about it.”
“Your maw will be pleased to see you again,” said Brodie.
“My mother?” He frowned. “You mentioned her before and I’ve no idea why. My sister yes but not her.”
“She’s missed you like crazy.”
“Missed me? How can she have missed me? She’s in the church with me.”
“No, she’s not,” said Brodie, thinking his recent experiences had damaged his mind. “She hired me to find you. She said you’d been indoctrinated into the church and she wanted me to get you out.”
“Susan Silvers,” said Mason. “I interviewed her and published the article in the paper. So you’re Steven, her son then?”
Steven looked from Brodie to Mason in confusion. “Yes but you’ve both got the wrong end of the sick. My maw’s an important member of the church, one of Malachi’s top people. She runs the Office of Correction. She couldn’t have come to see you.”
“Are your sister and stepdad in the church too?” said Cass.
“No, they refused to join. It was just me and my maw who were sucked in.”
“What does she look like?” said Brodie.
“Light brown hair in a bob, her eyes are just like mine. She has this funny sort of high, faraway voice.”
Brodie’s heart skipped a beat. “Malachi set me and Mason up.”
“What?”
“He used us to find Elaine. Jesus Christ, I led him straight to her.”
“What are you talking about now you daftie?” said Pete.
“Susan went to Mason with a sob story to get him to publish an article on her, which encouraged Elaine to come forward to try to help, as she knew she would because that was Elaine’s new mission - help everyone who was still stuck in the church. Then Susan came to me asking me to find her son. But why would she need me to do that? She knew where he was - in the church with her. She told me to speak to Elaine, who wouldn’t meet with her, she’d only talk on the phone. But she was willing to meet me. Malachi must have had me followed. I led them straight to her.”
“But that doesn’t make sense,” said Mason. “I interviewed Susan, she came across as completely legitimate.”
“Aye, she did to me too and I can sniff out a lie a mile off.”
“Malachi must have programmed her with what to say,” said Steven. “If she’d believed what she was saying she would have been convincing.”
“People can’t programme other people,” said Gardner. He’d been so quiet everyone had forgotten he was there. “That’s for the realms of fiction only.”
“Not if she was willing to be programmed,” said Steven. “She’d do anything for Malachi.”
“What did you think I was talking about at the Kelvingrove?” Brodie told Steven. “You never said a word.”
“How could I with the other church members around? And at first I thought it was another of Malachi’s loyalty tests. It was only after you were abducted and the others broke into the compound that I knew you were the real deal.”
“Malachi does a lot of loyalty tests, does he?” said Cass.
“Yes. Not personally but he gets his lieutenants to do them. If you fail then you’re sent for adjustment.”
“The shock therapy?”
“Only for the worst offenders. Sometimes it can be a beating by Cain or Abel, that pair enjoy it. Or they’ll lock you in The Breach, or get you to do the repetitive actions over and over again until you lose your mind, forcibly injecting you with drugs and making you listen to Malachi repeatedly…” Steven failed to notice everyone glance Brodie’s way at that statement. “When you left me that day at the Kelvingrove,” continued Steven. “One of the members I was preaching with was my supervisor. He said he was going to report me for not converting any new members for a while. The bastard did as well. Then you lot broke into the compound and everyone seemed to forget about me.”
It was a consolation to Brodie that what had happened to him had prevented something equally hideous from being done to Steven. He could cling onto that whenever he thought about being turned into an unfeeling robot.
“When I was in The Breach,” said Cass. “I found a man who’d had his head shaved with stitches in the side of his scalp. He wasn’t in his right mind.”
“God it’s true then,” breathed Steven.
“What’s true?”
“I heard whispers that some of the worst offenders have holes drilled into their heads so the devils possessing them could be released. I never saw anything with my own eyes confirming it but that must have been what happened to that poor soul.”
“Oh God,” said Cass, feeling a bit sick.
“We have to get that proof in the Treasurer’s office,” said Brodie. “It’s the only thing we’ve got that could finally topple Malachi.”
“Maybe but you’re no’ getting it by breaking in there,” said Pete. “We need to find another way to gain access to the compound.”
“I’ve been thinking,” said Cass. “At that hotel in Edinburgh, Malachi and Eve looked pretty cosy, like they’re a couple.”
“I knew they were shagging,” spat Steven. “Malachi was always telling us that we’re going to hell for having sex outside marriage when all the time he was riding the beast with two backs with that cow.”
“So,” said Brodie. “If he was having an affair with her when he was married to Samantha…”
“That gives us a nice juicy motive,” smiled Pete. “He topped his poor wife so he could be with Deborah or Eve as she’s now known and start up the church.”
“She’s been with him since the beginning,” said Steven.
“And, because Ray McLure was in charge of the investigation into Samantha’s death,” said Pete. “He was able to hush it up for them.”
“The cheating, murdering, embezzling, self-righteous wee twat,” said Brodie. “While he’s preaching at everyone, telling them how to live their lives and sticking his neb in where it doesnae belong, he’s been breaking the tenets of his own church.”
“Aye he’s a twat,” yelled Steven a little hysterically. “A big, stupid freak of a twat.” He grinned at them all. “This feels so good.”
“You go for it,” said Brodie. “Get it out of your system.
“And he’s got those weird eyes and a big silly head and…and…a stupid haircut.”
“Learn to insult better first pal,” Brodie told him. “You’re embarrassing yourself.”
“If we’re gonnae stop Malachi,” said Pete. “We need you to blow the lid off his church.”
Steven turned white and sank back down on the couch when they all looked his way. “I’m not sure I’ve got the nerve for that.”
“You had the nerve to escape, you can do this too.”
“Professor Gardner here is an exit counsellor,” said Cass, nodding in his direction. “He can help you free yourself mentally from Malachi’s grasp.”
Gardner stepped forward, pleased he had a job to do. “I can do that Steven. Once you’re completely free of Malachi you won’t be afraid of speaking out against him.”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever not be afraid of him,” replied Steven.
“He broke down your defences, made you feel helpless but you’re not. You can get your power back and lay his spectre to rest once an
d for all.”
“Actually, that sounds pretty good.”
“Why don’t we have a nice chat in private?”
Steven nodded. “Alright.”
“Leave the whisky behind,” said Gardner when Steven picked up his glass.
“Oh,” he replied, disappointed, replacing it on the coffee table.
He followed Gardner into one of the back rooms to talk.
“Let’s hope he can get through to him,” said Cass.
“I wouldn’t go pinning any hopes on the jumpy professor,” said Pete.
There was a buzz at the door.
“It’s Donaldson,” said Ross, who was standing beside the security monitor. “He’s alone, so hopefully he’s not here to nick anyone this time.”
“Let him in,” said Brodie.
Donaldson charged in, not looking very happy. “Pete, your Chief Super’s on the warpath. He knows Cass and Brodie aren’t locked up in a cell. I told him they were assisting with your inquiries on another case but he says he wants them at the station immediately.”
“How do you know this? You work out of a different station.”
“He heard I was the arresting officer and he called me. It wasn’t pleasant. He said he’s been calling you but you haven’t picked up.”
“I put my phone on silent because I knew what was coming. No way the Chief Super’s involved with Malachi though. He’s being pressured from above.”
“There’s been a development. Malachi’s submitted footage of you in his compound,” said Donaldson, looking from Brodie to Cass. “He claims you both broke in, damaged security equipment and attacked church members.”
“That’s shite,” exclaimed Brodie. “They fucking kidnapped me.”
“A kidnapping you’ve failed to report. Hey, I believe you,” he added when they all looked furious. “But I’m trying to get you to see it from my colleagues’ point of view.”
“It doesn’t look good, does it?” said Cass.
“No it doesn’t and if you insist on not telling anyone what really happened then you have no defence. They’ve got you both on camera inside the compound.”
“Just the two of us?”
He nodded. “For some reason Malachi’s not bothered about landing the others in it.”
“Probably because we’re not important enough to him,” muttered Ross. “We’re just the grunts.”
“Which is good,” said Brodie. “Because while me and Cass are at the station you three can carry on putting pressure on Malachi.”
“How do we do that?” said Christian.
“Use our contacts to spread gossip through the city. We have access to the biggest gobs in Glasgow.”
“That’s slander,” said Donaldson.
“Not if it’s true, which it will be. I want everyone to know the truth about the bats. That’ll make people think twice about joining them. Now hop to it lads and work on Steven. He has to speak out.”
“Have Cain and Abel been charged for carrying the stun guns?” Cass asked Donaldson.
“No,” he muttered. “They were given a slap on the wrist and released. Malachi started screaming about persecution again. He said his disciples had been forced to protect themselves because the police were failing so badly in their duty. My superiors’ bottle crashed, so they let them go.”
“Can’t say I’m surprised,” she sighed.
Brodie turned to face his best friend. “You ready to go then?”
“I don’t like doing this pal,” replied Pete. “What if Malachi has something up his sleeve that keeps you both inside?”
“Not with our solicitor. He’ll have us out in no time.”
“But Malachi has proof you were both in his compound.”
“Donaldson,” said Brodie. “What does this footage show exactly?”
“No idea, I haven’t seen it.”
“Alright,” said Pete. “I’ll take you both in. We’ll get this sorted out and you’ll be released in no time. And what are you on with Donaldson? Have you spoken to Nervous Neville yet?”
“I’m heading over to the hospital in an hour. His doctor wanted me to wait until after medication time. I’ve also been landed with a violent robbery, so I need to concentrate on that but if there’s anything I can do to help just let me know.”
“Aye, alright. On you go then.”
“You know,” said Brodie when Donaldson had left. “I’m getting worried about Toni. She should have got wind of what’s going on, she knows everything that goes on in this city. Why hasn’t she come round to stick her oar in?”
“According to our Mancunian friends she’s away at a spa,” said Cass.
“If she is she still would have come here, annoying us or at least called. It’s not like her and I don’t like it.”
“You should be bloody grateful,” replied Pete. “The last thing we need is her storming in and making everything worse.”
“Something’s no’ right.”
“You think she could be a brainwashed bat?”
“Not so long ago I would have said no way but after what happened to me…it’s a possibility.”
Pete patted his shoulder, eyes full of sympathy. “Don’t worry about that curly-heided loon. You’ve got enough on your plate.”
“Aye,” he sighed. “Well let’s go and get this over with then.”
CHAPTER 24
Brodie was given a hero’s welcome when he walked into Pete’s station with Cass. The sergeant on desk duty and a couple of detectives were loitering in reception, chatting. All three had worked under Brodie when he was a DI and they had enormous respect for him. But that fact didn’t stop them from getting gobby with him.
“Well look who it is,” grinned Shug, the duty sergeant. “It seems the whole city wants you.”
“It seems everyone cannae get enough of me,” he grinned.
“More like your gob’s been getting you into trouble again.”
“The Chief Super’s on the warpath Sir,” one of the detectives told Pete as he shook Brodie’s hand. “He’s already making plans to nail your scrotum to his door.”
“He’s trying to make up for the fact that his missus has his hanging from their garden gate.”
“DI McLaren,” said a solemn voice.
Pete gasped with relief when he turned to see DCI Black standing behind him.
“If you’ve quite finished discussing your superior’s genitals we need to talk.”
“Aye I’ve finished Sir.”
“Thank God for that. DS McTaggart, take Mr MacBride and Ms Carlisle through to interview room two.”
“Aye Sir.” He extended a hand. “This way.”
“I know, unless you’ve moved it since I left?” said Brodie as they headed deeper into the station.
“No, it’s still in the same place but it’s had a fresh coat of paint. It’s Chantilly lace now.”
“What an intimidating interview room that is,” said Brodie. “Sit some wee ned doon in it who’s robbed a poor old biddy of her pension, stick the hard look on your face and say, ‘it’s Chantilly lace, you know.’”
McTaggart scowled when Cass laughed. “Just for that I won’t get you a coffee.”
“Good. The coffee in this place is like warmed up shite, unless your coffee machine’s had a makeover too?”
“Nah, still the same ancient clapped-out contraption that steams your eyebrows off whenever you pour yourself a cup.”
“Then we’ll pass. We like our eyebrows.”
“By Christ you’ve still got balls Brodie. You’ve been nicked and you’re still taking the piss. I bet only the grim reaper could stop your gob.”
“And you’ve no’ changed McTaggart, still noticing men’s balls.”
“Just wait in here and shut up,” McTaggart told him, slamming the door shut behind them when they walked in.
“So this is Chantilly lace,” said Brodie, looking around the room.
“AKA magnolia,” commented Cass.
The door opened an
d DCI Black strode in, taking on the aspect of a thundercloud that was ready to unleash its fury and piss all over everyone in the immediate vicinity.
“Right you two,” he barked. “I want the truth and I want it now.”
“Where’s DI McLaren?” said Brodie.
“In his office having a good hard think about his future. It’s only because of my intervention that he still has a job.”
“It’s no’ his fault. We refused to come here.”
“He’s telling the truth,” Cass told Black.
“Aye, course he is. You must think I’m an idiot.”
“Not at all but if anyone asks that’s the story we’re sticking to.”
“You’re lucky I’m the one here talking to you and not the Chief Super. Fortunately for you he’s at the dentist’s. Now sit down the pair of you.”
They took their seats and folded their arms across their chests, glowering at him rebelliously.
“You may well look like that,” said Black as though he were chiding a couple of children. “This is a big mess that once again you two are at the centre of. Now this is how it’s going to work - you’ll tell me the truth and not one word of a lie or I’ll chuck you in a cell and bury the bloody key. In fact I might do that anyway, just for the fun of it.”
Brodie and Cass glanced at each other and nodded before looking back at Black.
“Alright,” said Brodie. “You came through for us when the Creegans were raising holy hell.”
“And you’re hoping I’ll do the same again? Well don’t get carried away. I’m willing to listen because I’m a fair man but don’t think I’ll automatically take your side just because we were comrades once.”
“I don’t expect anything. Well, if you want the truth you’re gonnae get it.”
Black listened in rapt silence as Brodie laid everything before him. The only thing he omitted was the assistance of Jules and Mikey Maguire and Pete’s role in the battle at Rottenrow. Black was so stunned by the tale that he failed to notice he’d missed anything out.
“Well,” Black eventually said when he’d had the chance to digest everything. “I have to give you your due Brodie, you don’t do things by halves.”
“DI McLaren was only trying to do his duty and protect us. He’s not done anything wrong.”
The Devil Inside Page 32
