by Ian Todd
Tony smiled. He’d missed the banter fae that pair. They worked well thegither. He looked at his watch. It wis quarter tae ten. They’d sat and watched the museum staff arrive jist before nine. There hidnae appeared tae be any visible evidence ae a threat fae that quarter. Since hauf nine, the public visitors hid started tae arrive in dribs and drabs, either oan foot or in cars. A bus hid arrived and disgorged a squad ae chattering primary school kids. They’d sat smirking, exchanging wan-liners aboot whit they’d like tae dae tae the young female teachers and hid agreed wae wan another that they couldnae remember their teachers being that gorgeous when they wur at school. Wan-bob wis still naewhere tae be seen.
“Ye don’t think he’s gieing us a dizzy, dae ye?” Ben asked, turning roond tae face Tony in the back seat.
“Only if he heard you wur gonnae be here,” Jake murmured, scanning the horizon.
Tony hid been wondering that himsel. He didnae feel comfortable sitting where they wur. Even though Simon wis sitting wae Snappy and Peter alang oan Greenheid Street, keeping an eye open there, he felt too exposed. Wae the cars parked up behind and in front ae them, it widnae take much fur them tae be blocked in by another car if somewan wanted tae dae them a bit ae damage. Ben hid a loaded sawn-aff sitting resting oan his lap, under a folded Glesga Echo, and Jake wis sitting wae two loaded haunguns oan him, wae the safety catches aff. If they wur gonnae get ambushed, it wid be bloody. Efter picking them up at the railway station in Kilmarnock oan the Monday, they’d heided straight intae the toon centre, taking a wee detour via the Clyde Tunnel. Ben hid wanted them tae see the state ae the walls oan the buildings oan either side ae Finnieston Lane. The Cavalier wis long gone, bit the cobbles and the bottom hauf ae the walls ae the buildings wur a greyish ash-white due tae the intensity ae the heat fae the car. Above twelve or thirteen feet, the walls wur black fae the oily soot, up as far as the roof ae the warehooses oan either side ae the lane. It looked as if a bomb hid gone aff. Pat hid been moaning like fuck, saying that he wanted Ben tae drap him aff across at Paula’s, bit Simon hid telt him that he’d hiv tae get Jake tae dae that later oan, as he hid tae go and see a man aboot some carpets.
“Some fucking welcome back, this, eh?” Snappy hid moaned tae Tony and Pat as they wur drapped aff ootside DIRTY JAKE’S BOUTIQUE in Buchanan Street.
“Aye, well, o’er tae you noo, Tony, ya prick, ye. It’s aw yours,” Simon hid said, laughing, as him and Ben drove aff, leaving them staunin there in the middle ae the morning traffic, the three ae them wincing when the car nearly ran o’er a wan-legged pedestrian, who jist managed tae get aff ae the road.
Efter soaking in the surreal madness ae being back in the toon centre again and being pleasantly surprised at the assault oan their ears fae the growl ae traffic and the honking ae horns, the three ae them hid looked at each other, before turning and walking intae the boutique. Wance inside, the three ae them hid clocked a nice-looking wee student-type lassie, staunin behind a glass-topped coonter, no saying a word as she looked at them.
“Is Jake aboot?” Pat hid asked her.
“Ah think he’s in the men’s section,” she’d replied, pointing aff tae their right.
The three ae them hid walked up the set ae stairs thegither.
“Surprise!” everywan hid shouted, laughing.
Aw the lassies and Peter hid been hiding. The pop ae Champagne corks hid reminded Tony ae the sound ae the auld cork guns that ye goat tae shoot the ducks aff ae their perches at the shows oan Glesga Green when he wis a snapper. Kim Sui hid come across and gied him a big kiss and a cuddle before bursting oot greeting as the party goat under way. Simon and Ben hid arrived a few minutes later, efter parking the car.
“Ah knew ye wur up tae something, ya prick, ye,” Snappy hid shouted at Ben.
Efter being ceremonially haunded back his long-lost Sun Tzu book, The Art ae War, before they’d aw decanted tae McCall’s oan Hope Street at five o’clock, he’d managed tae hiv a quick chat wae Senga. She’d looked as gorgeous as ever and hid telt him aboot the ‘Free Johnboy Taylor’ campaign group her and Michelle Hope hid formed wae the rest ae the Springburn lassies.
“Obviously any contacts in the papers that ye know ae wid be a big help. Pearl Campbell is coming doon fae Elgin in a couple ae weeks, so she’s gonnae gie us a few tips oan how tae deal wae the press,” she’d telt him.
“Don’t worry, Senga…anything ye need, ye jist hiv tae ask and it’ll be there…nae questions asked,” he’d reminded her.
He hidnae known fur certain whit Johnboy’s decision wis until he’d spoken wae Senga. He wid’ve liked tae hiv heard it fae Johnboy himsel, bit he didnae hate him fur it…in fact, he could totally understaun. There wis Paul, wae his new life in the Highlands, fighting his ain battles wae the local landowners, bringing up his weans oan a crust…he supposed it could be attractive if ye wur that way inclined and hid the right wummin behind ye in yer life. Paul hid a clear purpose and went at it wae relish. The last time Tony hid seen him, he’d hid a black eye where he’d run intae a tree efter copping a load ae buckshot in that arse ae his fae wan ae the local gamekeepers.
“Christ, ye’d be safer running aboot in the toon, Paul,” he’d said tae him laughing, as Paul flashed him his lead peppered-riddled arse.
Tony jist couldnae fathom oot why somewan hid tae move away fae everything and everywan ye cared fur tae be happy though. He supposed that wis the wummin’s influence. Lovely though Senga wis, he knew she widnae be the type tae share her man wae anywan…unless she wis in charge ae the vetting process. There hid been times in Dumfries when he’d clocked Johnboy flagging. Tony hid tried everything he could tae lift his spirits up, bit the impact ae the length ae his sentence and the fact that he’d been convicted fur something he hidnae done, hid obviously been eating away at him. He could understaun that. Getting three years fur extorting money fae Wee Pie and his family hid been a total travesty and the times in the jail he’d kicked himsel silly fur no jist daeing away wae the slanty-eyed wee basturt the first time he’d ripped him aff, hid driven him up the wall at times. It hid been the strength ae Johnboy’s feelings and his need tae protect Senga over everything else that hid taken Tony by surprise though. When he’d found oot that Johnboy hidnae mentioned that The Tormentor hid put his boot through his guitar, Tony’d known fine well whit the score wis. Johnboy wid’ve known that Tony widnae hiv been able tae stoap Snappy fae retaliating against the basturt. It wid’ve been the straw that broke the camel’s back and the chances wur, they’d aw still be back doon in Dumfries, lying in the digger, charged wae aw sorts ae assaults. A few weeks before they’d been released, Snappy hid been gieing Pat a hard time. Johnboy hid interfered, taking Pat’s side ae the argument, even though Tony’d known fine well that Johnboy didnae agree wae whitever it wis that Pat hid been saying. Oan the way up the stairs tae their cells, Pat hid commented tae Tony that Johnboy wis probably the nearest thing they hid tae their ain social worker. Although he’d dismissed whit Pat hid said as a throwaway comment, later oan in bed that night he’d thought aboot it. If any ae The Mankys wur tae staun back and take a serious look at each other, maist wid probably agree that Johnboy hid been the conscience ae the group. He’d always been the wan tae challenge their assumptions, even in the face ae ridicule, if he thought they wur oot ae order or talking shite. While Tony supposed he could understaun Johnboy no wanting Senga harmed in any way, tae choose her o’er everywan else, given his failed track record wae her in the past, hid surprised Tony. He hoped the new Guild guitar he’d goat Simon tae buy oot ae McCormack’s in Bath Street the day before and tae post first class doon tae Dumfries wid ease Johnboy’s situation. He blamed the wee sleekit priest. He should’ve known whit kind ae influence he’d hiv oan somewan like Johnboy…an unsuspecting Proddy. Tony hid repeatedly warned Johnboy aboot getting too close tae the God Man, bit he hidnae fucking listened and noo it looked like it wis too late. The sad thing aboot it wis that Johnboy wid jist be another etched statistic oan the hunchback’s auld
wooden cross. Nae doubt Johnboy’s ma, Helen, wid be turning in her grave at the closeness between that son ae hers and a bloody priest…or wid she? Helen’d hid her ain battles wae the priests, bit being predictable probably widnae hiv been something her enemies in The Corporation or The Sheriff Officers offices wid’ve hid her marked doon as. Whether Johnboy fucked aff somewhere wae Senga or no, efter he eventually goat libbed, wisnae the main issue fur the time being. Tony hid drapped poor Johnboy, his best pal, intae the pail ae shit he wis noo wallowing in, and it wis up tae him tae dae aw he could tae pull Johnboy back oot ae it. He thought back tae the day ae the bank job. Johnboy hid gone aff his heid when Tony hid telt him he wisnae tae be part ae it.
“Why?”
“Because there’s another equally important job needing done elsewhere, which will reward us mair in the long run than whit we’ll ever take fae the bank…that’s why,” he’d informed Johnboy.
“Get somewan else,” Johnboy hid retorted, no even asking whit the other job wis.
“Ah’m getting you, Johnboy. You’re the only wan Ah kin trust tae make sure that it’s done right. If Ah could get away wae daeing it masel, Ah’d be in there like a shot, so Ah wid. Noo, stoap fucking moaning,” he’d argued.
Pat Molloy, The Big Man, hid approached him a week earlier oan wan ae his extended trips back fae Spain.
“Ah need Johnboy tae go wae Shaun oot tae Linwood tae pick up a package aff ae a bizzy inspector fae Paisley, so Ah dae,” The Big Man hid said.
“Where the fuck’s Linwood?”
“Ah’ve jist telt ye…oot near Paisley, where they make the cars.”
“Why Johnboy?” he’d stupidly asked, insteid ae staunin up and walking away.
“He’s the only wan that Shaun will trust…that’s why. If it wis anywan else, he’d smell a rat.”
It hid been that last statement that hid set aff the alarm bells.
“A package ye said?”
“Aye, that and another wee job.”
“Ah’m listening.”
“Shaun’s no been happy since Ah replaced him wae Wan-bob. In fact, he’s fucking aboot, daeing wee independent deals here and there wae people Ah widnae piss oan if they wur oan fire.”
“So?”
“So, Shaun drives Johnboy oot tae the Rangers Social Club in Linwood. Johnboy nips in and picks up the package and takes it back tae the car. Shaun then heids fur the Erskine Bridge, which is jist alang the road fae Linwood. Oan the other side ae the bridge, there’s a wee layby tucked away oan the left, surrounded by trees and bushes. Johnboy hauns o’er the package tae a guy called Sammy Elliot…”
“The Rat? The journalist fae The Glesga Echo?”
“Aye, noo stoap fucking interrupting me, especially when Ah’m in full flow. Wance he hauns the package o’er, that’s it.”
“Whit’s whit?”
“When The Rat drives aff, Johnboy plugs Shaun in the heid. Simple.”
“He won’t dae it. Ye don’t know Johnboy,” Tony hid protested.
“He’s the only wan ae youse that Shaun will trust tae be in the same car oan his lonesome wae. Anywan else, and he’ll smell a rat,” The Big Man hid repeated, smiling at his ain joke. “Wance he bumps Shaun, he’s tae walk across the road tae the layby oan the opposite side. Charlie Hastie will be waiting tae take him back intae the toon.”
“Whit aboot prints in the car?”
“Spotty Hector and Chic Shand will be wae Charlie. They’ll take the car, wae Shaun in it and dispose ae it. There won’t be any traces left wance they’re finished wae it.”
“Pat, Ah’m telling ye, Johnboy isnae yer man. Take Simon Epstein or Ben McCalumn…they’d be better.”
“Ah want Johnboy and that’s that.”
“So, whit’s in it fur us then?”
“Ye want intae the property market across in The West End, don’t ye?”
“Aye.”
“And that big glaikit dreep, Goldfinger, or whitever it is he’s called, wants a stake in Papa Fraser’s doon in West Nile Street, Ah hear?”
“Aye.”
“So, ye kin hiv two flats in Vinicombe Street and wan oan Woodlands Road. They’ll need a bit ae work done oan them, bit ye kin hiv them fur forty percent ae their market value, and don’t say Ah’m no good tae ye.”
“And Papa Fraser’s?” he’d asked.
“Wan-bob is the major shareholder there, bit yer boy kin buy up a slice ae Papa’s share at a big discount.”
When Tony hid asked Johnboy in the sewing machine shoap doon in Dumfries if he wid’ve put a bullet in Shaun’s heid, he’d admitted that he didnae really know, bit probably no. As it transpired, efter convincing Johnboy tae go alang wae getting shot ae Shaun Murphy, by reminding him ae how far they’d come and aboot the good opportunity it wid create fur them aw, bit fur Pat in particular…bit hivving left oot the bit aboot the property deals in The West End…the whole enterprise hid gone belly up. Shaun Murphy hid pulled oot at the last minute and asked his brother Danny tae take his place. It hid been Danny who’d turned up at Johnboy and Silent’s flat in Heim Street in Springburn tae pick Johnboy up. It hid been Danny that hid been cutting across Maryhill, heiding fur the Clyde Tunnel, when Johnboy’d been clocked jist doon the road, oan the day the bank wis tanned. Two witnesses hid seen him sitting in the passenger seat a couple ae hundred yards fae the bank that hid goat tanned an hour later. When Johnboy hid appeared later oan in Jonah’s Lounge oan Springburn Road and telt them aboot Shaun swopping places wae his brother, Pat hid been sick as a pig. The fuck-ups oan the day hidnae ended there either. While they’d been stashing the dosh intae holdalls in the bank, Snappy hid let loose wae a sawn-aff shotgun efter that prick, Liam Thompson, a sergeant fae back in their Toonheid days, hid arrived wae a young PC tae make a cash withdrawal. When the sergeant hid decided tae become a hero, Snappy hid let him hiv it. Another victim that day hid been Jimmy Baxter, who’d also been staunin innocently in the queue, waiting tae make a cash withdrawal. He’d panicked and fucked aff oot ae the door efter witnessing the two bizzies hitting the deck. Jist three months later, in January 1973…oan Michelle Hope’s eighteenth birthday…there hid been a professional boxing dinner oan at The Ashville Club across in Possil. The Big Man hid been back in the toon and wis haudin court wae a squad ae his pals fae the world ae sport and television and hid gied Tony a rare invite tae join him. Tony hid sent word back that he’d gie the meal a miss, bit wid turn up fur the boxing later. Earlier in the evening, Simon Epstein hid been gieing him a run up the road tae get changed, when they’d spotted Shaun Murphy ladling intae some poor basturt ootside Sherries Bar oan the corner ae Auchentoshan Terrace and Springburn Road. By the time Simon hid pulled o’er, Shaun hid crossed the road and wis staggering doon Springburn Road in the direction ae Sighthill. They’d sat and watched the basturt, praying he’d turn in tae Fountainwell Road…which he hid. Tony and Simon hid heided straight intae Springburn before turning left alang Keppochhill Road. While Simon hid parked the car up across in Carlisle Street, where Johnboy’s ma and da used tae live, Tony hid sauntered across the wee railway footpath bridge that lead intae Sighthill fae Keppochhill Road, tae wait fur Shaun’s arrival. Tony and Simon hid guessed that Shaun wis heiding through the multi-storeys, taking a shortcut through Carlisle Street, past the bowling green and oan tae the Cowlairs fitba pitches, oan route tae Possil. Tony hidnae hid long tae wait. Shaun hid come staggering alang the path, growling at the world and everywan in it. It hid jist goat dark and the orange lights oan the path hid jist came oan when Tony hid first arrived. They’d lit up the path as the shadow in the distance grew larger as it approached. Simon hid slipped Tony a First World War trench knife that he kept under the driver’s seat ae his car fur emergencies. It wis a lethal-looking fucker, aboot twelve inches long, wae a serrated edge doon near the haundle. It also hid a built-in knuckleduster above the grip ae the haundle. Tony hidnae fucked aboot wae any niceties.
“Tony, it’s yersel, ya manky-arsed Atalian prick, ye,” Shaun
hid growled in a rare attempt at being friendly.
That hid been the last words Shaun Murphy hid ever uttered. Using the knuckleduster oan the knife tae reply tae Shaun’s welcome, he’d punched the basturt that hard oan the coupon, that he’d hauf ran and hauf staggered back aboot eight feet, crashing intae the wee crumbling, broken stane-dyke wall that ran the length ae the cemetery. Tony hid been oan tae him in a flash, sinking the trench knife deep intae Shaun’s guts as rapidly and as forcibly as he could muster wae that strength ae his.
“This is fur Skull, ya dirty basturt ye,” he’d wheezed through clenched teeth at Shaun’s disbelieving, shocked, frightened face. “Did ye really think we’d furgotten?”
He could feel the tip ae the blade glancing aff the dyke as he repeatedly plunged the blade back intae Shaun’s guts. He couldnae remember how many times he’d plunged the basturt. Aw he could remember wis Simon dragging him aff, leaving Shaun’s legs tae buckle oan their ain accord, before he slumped, face doon, oan tae the dug shit covered grass, a shocked expression, masked in sheer terror, oan his coupon, as the blood pished oot ae the basturt. Tony hidnae exchanged any words wae Shaun during the attack other than tae remind him that whit he wis getting wis in retaliation fur the death ae their pal, ten-year-auld Skull Kelly. Him and Simon hid quickly dumped the body o’er the wall fur the time being. Simon hid then taken Tony up the road tae get changed. While Tony’d gone across tae the boxing match in Possilpark, Simon and Ben hid disposed ae Shaun’s body, as well as whit Tony hid been wearing, up in the furnace in the boilerhoose ae the swimming baths. When Tony hid arrived later, jist before the second part ae the boxing programme started at hauf ten, he’d telt The Big Man whit hid jist happened. Pat hid loudly ordered up another four big bottles ae champagne tae the awready pished table ae celebrities.
“As far as anywan’s concerned, ye wur here as ma guest the whole night,” he’d laughingly shouted tae Tony, gieing him a big kiss and a slap oan the foreheid.
