The Silver Arrow (35 page)

Chapter Forty Five

  “Where the fuck’s Senga?” Tony asked, an alarmed look oan his face.

  “Don’t worry, she’s fine.  She’s working the day,” Angelo Dundee, Simon Harper’s nom-de-plume fur getting access tae the jail replied, as Tony plapped that arse ae his doon oan the chair opposite.

  “She’s working?  Whit dae ye mean she’s working?”

  “She’d arranged tae swop a shift wae wan ae her workmates, bit the lassie goat raped recently, so Senga’s hivving tae work the back shift the day.  She widnae be back in time if she’d come doon here.”

  “And Johnboy?  Whit aboot him?”

  “Whit aboot him?”

  “Ah’ve jist left him sitting, waiting tae be called o’er.  He obviously isnae aware that she isnae coming.”

  “Well, she phoned yesterday and again this morning jist tae make sure he’d been telt.  She spoke tae some screw called Hamilton and he assured her that he’d telt Johnboy in person that she wisnae coming,” Angelo said, shrugging.

  “This is beyond a fucking joke, so it is,” Tony growled, shaking his heid, turning and gieing The Tormentor a dirty look, as the basturt sauntered past them wae a smirk oan his face, doon tae the tea table tae get him and the other screws a drink.  “Johnboy will be bloody fizzing, so he will.  It’s a fucking shame.  He wis looking forward tae seeing her.”

  “Well, make sure ye tell him that she definitely phoned tae let him know.”

  “So, ye’ve been busy then?”

  “Ach, ye know whit like.  There wis a bit ae a panic when we thought they basturts, Spotty Hector and Chris Shand, hid goat their grubby mitts oan Senga.  They’d tried tae use auld Bob Montieth’s factor’s key, tae get intae the flat.  By the time we arrived, they wur awready oot ae the closemooth and intae their car efter she nearly wakened the deid wae they screams ae hers.  She goat a fair fright, so she did.  Of course, we didnae know that at the time.  We wurnae too sure if she wis in the boot ae their car or no.  By the time Jake arrived up at her door, it wis still locked up.”

  “He never used oor spare keys, did he?”

  “Naw, he hammered oan the door fur Senga tae let him in.  It took him five minutes tae convince her tae open the door.  Whit a state she wis in though.  She’d clocked the eyes ae wan ae the basturts peeking through the letter box at her.”

  “So, who took oot Spotty and Chick then?”

  “Ben and masel.  Ye should see the wee lane where their car wis parked up.  Baith sides ae the building ur as black as two in the morning as a result ae the fire.  Ah’m surprised the bloody buildings didnae come doon.”

  “And Wan-bob?”

  “Aw quiet oan that front fur the time being.  Ah met up wae Baby.  He said that they’re still no sure if it wis Harding Lennox oan his lonesome or if The McGregors wur involved.  They’ve put oot the feelers.  They’re hoping it wis Harding oan his lonesome,” Angelo replied, smiling.  “He says that they don’t want tae start a war as they kin take care ae Harding withoot The McGregors knowing it wis them, bit they don’t want tae be seen tae be losing face either. Seemingly, aw The McGregors ur gaun aboot their business as per usual.  There’s a fair bit ae tension in the toon bit, so far, we seem tae be in the clear.”

  “And Senga’s flatmate?”

  “Aye, well, there’s a wee twist there, so there is.  We hid tae use Senga as bait tae draw the basturts oot,” he replied, as Tony’s eyes widened.  “Noo, before ye say anything, here’s whit hid tae be done.”

  Taking a deep breath, Angelo went oan tae explain whit The Mankys hid been up tae since his last visit.

  “And ye’re sure there wisnae any other way?” Tony asked him, wance he’d finished explaining.

  “No that Ah could see at the time.  That disnae mean tae say she’s safe.  That’ll be your priority when ye get oot oan Monday.  Ah think we’ve only jist managed tae borrow a wee bit ae time.”

  “So, who’s the bizzy in Possil that’s passing oan the information tae Wan-bob then?”

  “Nae idea, bit ma money is oan wan ae The Gruesome Twosome.”

  “And Graham?  His he mentioned anything aboot us blagging the notebook and taking a copy ae it?”

  “Well, Swansea’s still working fur him, so he cannae be that upset.  If it hidnae been fur Swansea, we’d be up Shit Creek.  Swansea said that the contents ae it ur as bad, or good, depending oan yer point ae view, as anything Graham his ever come across in aw the time he’s been a brief.  He said that if they kin get official access tae it, then he thinks there’s a good possibility that Johnboy will walk.  He also wants a statement fae the Paisley inspector as soon as we kin get it, as he wants tae submit it as part ae the new evidence.  Here, look at ma official ID,” Angelo said chuckling, haunin o’er his stamped precognition form fur Tony tae hiv a wee gander ae.

  “Ah’ll need tae be the wan that goes through Wan-bob fur access tae the inspector.  Any other approach will get back tae him.”

  “Aye, well, ye kin dae that oan Wednesday when ye meet up wae him,” Angelo said, grinning.

  “Bit, that’s the day ae Kim Sui and Jake’s show.”

  “Jake said that ye won’t get much chance tae see her until efter the show that night as she’ll be too busy running aboot like a blue-arsed fly.  The meeting will be during the day anyway.”

  “Where?”

  “The People’s Palace, doon oan Glesga Green.”

  “Why there?”

  “Because it’s neutral and we kin clock anywan coming or gaun fae a distance.  Some ae us will be doon there, sitting ootside in the car, fae eight o’clock oanwards.  It’ll only be you and Wan-bob.”

  “Whit aboot Charlie Hastie?”

  “Like us, he kin dae whit the fuck he wants, so long as he isnae seen tae be entering the place.  Wan-bob will be in the Winter Garden part ae it.  It’ll be quieter in there.”

  “We’ll see,” Tony said.

  “Aye, well, if ye don’t turn up they’ll take it as a slight, so Ah’d think carefully aboot that wan.  Ye need tae get the Senga thing sorted oot before it’s too late.”

  “Right, make sure Wan-bob gets a copy ae the photos ae The Stalker’s pocket notebook before the meeting,” Tony instructed, as Angelo’s eyes widened.

  “Look, let’s no fuck aboot here.  We may as well get everything done and dusted rather than piss aboot the bush.  There’s a few other wee things that’ll need tae be sorted oot.  We may as well get hung fur a sheep as fur a lamb,” Tony said and the baith ae them chuckled quietly.

  “Yer new social worker?”

  “Oh, aye?”

  “Right, ye’re no gonnae fucking believe this wan…he’s The Big Man’s brother-in-law,” Angelo said, sitting back in his chair, as the pair ae them broke up cackling and laughing again.

  “Christ, ye couldnae make this up, so ye couldnae.  Ye should’ve been a bloody comedian, Simon…either that or a dug-catcher,” Tony said, wiping a tear fae his eye before cracking up in a fit ae giggles again.

  “Ah’m yelling ye, ye’ve nae idea the shite Ah’ve hid tae put up wae,” Angelo pouted, smiling.

  “Aye, Ah hiv,” Tony reminded them, as they baith broke intae chuckles again.

  “And that Wee Pie?” Tony asked, efter finally managing tae compose himsel.

  “Fuck Wee Pie…he’s no gaun anywhere.  As ye’ve awready mentioned in the past, we kin deal wae him at oor leisure wance ye’re libbed.”

  “Right, listen up.  Ah’m worried aboot Johnboy.  He’ll be shitting oot kittens, worrying aboot whit’s happening, seeing as he hisnae been called across.  Ye better get gaun back up tae the toon.  Thanks fur coming doon, even if it wis jist fur hauf an hour.”

  “Ach, don’t worry, Ah wisnae daeing anything the day.  Ah’m planning tae go oot and burn some rubber the night, so Ah am.”

  “And ye know whit the score is oan Monday and the train time?”

  “Aye, Ah’ll be waiting,” Angelo nodded, taking his jaicket fae the back ae the seat and putting it oan as he stood up.

  Tony looked across at the screws loitering aboot at the door, laughing loudly at something wan ae them hid said, clearly freaking the YOs oot at the tables, leaving everywan wondering if it wis their visitors that wur being the butt ae their jokes.

  “Right, that’s it.  Ah’ve hid enough ae this shite.  Simon, sit back doon fur a minute.  How much money hiv ye goat oan ye?” Tony asked him, efter Dickheid Dick hid arrived oan the scene, saying something in The Tormentor’s ear before the baith ae them burst oot laughing, blatantly looking across at Tony.

  “Ah’m no sure…two or three hunner.  Why?” Angelo replied, sitting doon.

  “Ah need ye tae get in touch wae Jizz oan the way up the road,” Tony said, still looking steady across at Dickheid Dick and The Tormentor, who wur staring straight back across at him.

  “Jizz?”

  “Aye, and don’t say ye don’t know who Ah’m talking aboot,” Tony growled at him, reluctantly tearing his eyes away fae the pair across at the gym door.  “Ye met him in the boozer recently, oan wan ae the times ye wur doon here wae the lassies…remember?  He’s the wan who’s a mechanic in the garage in Lochmaben?”

  “Oh aye, Ah remember noo.  Why, whit aboot him?

Chapter Forty Six

  Johnboy hid been bloody furious.  He’d sat wae a horrible, sinking feeling, aw sorts ae worries racing through that heid ae his.  He’d nearly shat himsel when he clocked Tony arrive back fae his two hour visit efter hauf an hour.  He’d feared the worse.

  “Look, don’t look so worried…she’s okay,” Tony hid blurted oot before Johnboy could say anything, quickly explaining whit hid happened aboot Senga’s shifts.

  “So, why the fuck wis Ah no telt then?” he’d snarled accusingly at Ding Dong, the screw that hid escorted Tony back intae the rec hall fae the visitors across at the gym.

  “Look, furget it…whit’s done is done,” Tony hid said tae him, steering Johnboy doon tae the snooker table tae join Pat and Snappy, who wur staunin arguing o’er who wis cheating who.

  “Ah’ve been sitting here like a fucking eejit fur the past three quarters ae an hour and they basturts knew fine well Ah wisnae oan fur a visit.”

  “Aye, well, don’t worry, it’s aw sorted noo.”

  “It’s awright fur you tae say that,” Johnboy hid growled. 

  “Look, Ah’ve telt ye.  It’s aw sorted…it won’t happen again…Ah promise ye,” Tony hid reassured him.

  “Right, Ah’m oan next, so bloody hurry up, ya pair ae wankers,” Tony hid growled at the Quarrel Twins, his way ae letting Johnboy know that he’d moved oan fae being subjected tae his bleating aboot Senga’s no-show.

  And noo the last day wis upon them.  At Chapel, earlier in the morning, Johnboy hid tae tell Father Leonard no tae bother coming o’er and sitting wae them at the table at lunchtime.

  “Why?”

  “The last supper and aw that,” he’d replied, feeling a wee bit embarrassed.

  “The last supper?”

  “Aye…efter lunch, that’ll be them.  Ah won’t see them until Ah’m free.  They’ve been telt tae pack up and get ready tae shift across tae the lib cells this efternoon.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  “Look, it’s nothing tae dae wae me, Father.”

  “Tony?”

  “Naw, they aw made it clear that it’s jist us four.  Ye kin come across and say cheerio, if ye want, bit fur the meal itsel, it’ll jist be us.”

  At the last meal, they’d aw been really nice tae him.

  “Don’t worry aboot a thing, Johnboy, we’ll see that Senga is still in wan piece fur ye when ye get oot,” Snappy hid said in his usual subtle manner.

  “Aye, they will…bit as far as Ah’m concerned, if Ah never see any ae youse pricks fur the rest ae ma life, then that’ll suit me…sorry, that disnae include you Johnboy, by the way,” Pat hid said through a moothful ae mince and totties, as the three ae them laughed.  “Ah’m serious.  Ah’m finished wae youse basturts, so Ah am.”

  “Oh, Ah meant tae say last night, Johnboy.  Efter the shite in the papers last week aboot you being a dirty scummy basturt, aw the lassies hiv started a campaign group oan yer behauf, so they hiv,” Tony hid informed him, gieing wan ae the Garthamlock boys a wee nod who’d shouted across ‘Good luck’ tae him.

  “A campaign group?  Whit’s a campaign group?”

  “Simon said they aw goat talking oan Friday when they wur doon at Dirty Jake’s picking their ootfits fur the show oan Wednesday night.  They wur aw raging aboot whit hid been said in the news and the newspapers aboot ye…”

“Being a scummy, murdering shitehoose and aw that,” Snappy hid added.

  “…so decided there and then, that they’d need tae try and coonter that bias by getting organised.  They wur talking aboot writing tae aw the papers and MPs demanding ye tae be set free,” Tony hid continued, ignoring Snappy’s intrusion.

  “Free Johnboy Taylor…aye, it’s goat a certain ring tae it, so it his,” Pat hid agreed, smiling.

  “Aye, imagine it wis you, Pat?  ‘Keep that big simpleton in the jail and we’ll grant ye three wishes’ campaign…the opposition wid topple like skittles within a week,” Snappy hid said drily, as everywan laughed.

  “Who’s idea wis that?  Senga never mentioned anything in her last letter.”

  “Right, don’t shoot the messenger, bit ye’re no gonnae believe it.”

  “Who?”

  “Ach, furget it,” Tony hid said, noising him up.

  “Fine, Ah couldnae gie a shit,” Johnboy hid replied.

  “Michelle Hope”

  “Michelle Hope?”

  “See, Ah telt ye, ye widnae believe it,” Tony hid said, smiling.

  “Ye’re hivving me oan, so ye ur.”

  “No only that, bit guess who her new best pal is?”

  “Tony, fuck aff, Senga cannae staun the sight ae her,” he’d scoffed.  “Kin ye believe the shite he speaks?”

  “Ach, well, there ye go.  Ah’m only passing oan whit Simon said.  Seemingly, they’re getting oan like a hoose oan fire since Senga slept o’er at Jake’s and helped her wae her statement fur Graham.”

  “Tony, ye’re such a prick, so ye ur.  Ah’m no listening tae any ae yer shite.”

The last meal hid been like that.  Nothing too serious hid been spoken aboot, apart fae Tony feeding back the pow-wow between Tony, Johnboy and Dockland Sammy the night before.  Everywan liked Dockland Sammy.  He wis a hippy-type drug smuggler who wis daeing five years fur attempting tae smuggle a shitload ae cannabis intae the country oan a leaking boat.  The Mankys hid known fine well that he wid make an approach at some time or another.  Everywan hid been placing bets wae each other oan when he’d make his opening move.  So far, everywan ae them hid been wrang.  Apart fae being a hippy, he wis a right cool basturt tae boot. 

  “Whit kin Ah dae ye fur, Sammy,” Tony hid asked him efter Sammy, at long last, hid made his move in the rec hall.

  “Look, this is nothing personal, Johnboy,” Sammy hid said, apologising in advance, before turning back tae Tony.  “Bit Ah’d rather speak tae ye oan yer lonesome, if that’s okay?”

  “Wid ye?  Well, tough shit.  Ye’ve goat thirty seconds, so ye better start talking before yer time’s up,” Tony hid hit him wae.

  “Ah need somewan that Ah kin trust…ye know…who’ll put up a wee bit ae capital,” Sammy hid said, as the three ae them sat doon cross-legged oan the flair, oan the opposite wall fae the snooker table.

  “So?”

  “So, this is yer lucky day,” Sammy hid replied casually, making oot he wis daeing The Mankys a favour, as baith Tony and Johnboy looked at each other and hauf smiled.

  In anticipation ae being approached, Johnboy hid predicted that Dockland Sammy’s intro wid be that he wanted tae dae The Mankys a favour.

  “Ten seconds, Santa.”

“Ah need between three and five grand, up front, plus back-up people wae cool heids oan their shoulders.”

  “So, why ur ye o’er here, telling us?”

  Silence.

  “C’mone Tony,” Sammy hid appealed, clearly getting irritated, as Tony put him oan the back foot.

  “And how dae we know we kin trust somewan like you?” Tony hid asked him.

  “Ah could get ye references fae people in the know,” Sammy hid replied, his face upturned tae the light, trying tae impersonate an angel.  “Everywan knows me, so they dae.”

  “Dae they?”

  Silence.

  “The reason Ah’m in here daeing three years is because ae some double-dealing hash-heid that Ah thought Ah could trust,” Tony hid continued.

  “Well, ye should’ve spoken tae me in the first place and ye widnae be sitting here bleating at me then, wid ye?” Sammy hid retorted, cool as fuck tae Tony.

  Johnboy hid tried no tae smile. It wid’ve been at this point in the proceedings that Tony wid’ve made up his mind whether tae accept a proposal or an idea or tae send whoever it wis he wis talking tae, packing.  Tony never fucked aboot when business wis being discussed.

  “Sammy, hiv ye any idea who the fuck ye’re dealing wae here?” Tony hid asked him, eyes narrowing.

  “Meaning?”

  “Meaning, if we wur stupid enough tae invest in somewan like you and ye double-crossed us, then ye’d end up being fucking boiled alive in a laundry vat ae boiling water, efter Snappy took an acetylene blowtorch tae they Hee-Haws ae yours.”

  Silence.

  “Tony, Ah didnae approach you or The Mankys wae the intention ae being disrespectful, so Ah’d appreciate a wee bit ae civility back in return.  Granted, ye don’t know me, bit Ah’ve made a few wee discreet enquiries aboot you, so Ah hiv.”

  “Hiv ye?”  Tony hid retorted drily.

  “Aye,” Dockland Sammy hid replied, gieing Johnboy a wee glance, before continuing.  “Some ae the people Ah’ve hid the misfortune ae dealing wae o’er the past few years, hiv been as mad as Jumping Fucking Jack Albinos oan speed, so they hiv.  Whit these basturts threatened me wae, wid put whitever you’d dae tae me tae shame, so it wid.  Noo, the reason Ah’m able tae tell ye this in person, insteid ae pushing up some big dry cactus plant in a desert somewhere, wae fucking bull ants crawling oot ae that arsehole ae mine, is because ma word is ma bond and these murdering psychos trust me, so they dae.  Ah’m wan ae the few honest people you’ll ever meet in yer life, so ye ur.”

  “Look, Sammy, we’ve goat a lot ae stuff tae sort oot wae Johnboy here before we’re libbed oan Monday, so get tae the point or get tae fuck,” Tony hid telt him, dismissing his good verbal references.

  “There’s a mule…travels aw o’er Europe…the world, even.  North and South America, Sub Sahara Africa…where Ah first picked up oan her, by the way.  At first Ah thought she wis jist a figment ae somewan’s filthy imagination, so Ah did.  She’s a female…a model.  Absolutely stoatingly beautiful, so she is, who never, ever, gets stoapped at airports, bit who jist gets the nod tae sail straight through.  It’s either because ae her stunning beauty or the fact that palms ur well greased in advanced ae her arrival or departure.  She’s a stunning black African babe.”

  “Right, Sammy, goat ye.  So, other than keeping ye gaun oan wanking material since ye’ve been in here, whit dis she carry?” Tony hid interrupted him.

“Pearl…The Black Pearl…that’s whit those in the know, know her as,” Sammy hid sighed in awe, drapping that voice ae his, before suddenly focussing back oan tae Tony and Johnboy.  “Cost me an absolute erm and a leg tae even get that wee bit ae info oan her, so it did.”

  Tony and Johnboy hid jist sat, looking at him, trying no tae piss themsels laughing. 

  “Whit dis she carry, ye ask?  She bloody well carries
coke, Tony…bags and bags ae the stuff, in they suitcases ae hers.  Ah’m no jist talking aboot the wan shoulder bag, either.  Christ, she’s lucky if she’s goat hersel a pair ae knickers tae cover that lovely black arse ae hers.  Other than a few people in the know, nowan knows who she is or where she comes fae,” Sammy hid whispered, looking aboot, drapping back tae imitating Bob Harris fae The Auld Grey Whistle Test.

  “As ye said yersel, Sammy?  How dae we know she’s no jist a figment ae yours or a lot ae other people’s filthy imagination then?” Johnboy hid asked Sammy, chipping in fur the first time since plapping that arse ae his doon oan the lino.

  “Eh?”

  “Ye heard Johnboy, Sammy.  Whit the fuck use is aw this information if we don’t know who the fuck she is…this, this Black Pearl?”

  “Aye, well, ye see, Tony, that’s whit Ah’ve been trying tae tell the pair ae youse before being constantly interrupted,” Sammy hid replied, a happy, white-toothed smile appearing across that happy-go-hippy-face ae his.  “Ah jist happen tae know her name…her real name, that is.”

  The elephant sitting in amongst them at the table at that last meal hid been the fact that they wur getting liberated and Johnboy wis being left behind.  Nowan hid mentioned the Senga situation other than in a light-hearted manner.  Tony hid filled everywan in oan whit hid been happening efter his visit fae Simon.  Johnboy hid accepted Simon’s logic aboot using Senga as the Trojan Horse tae buy them mair time.  Simon and the others wur the wans that wur oot there hivving tae keep wan pace aheid ae Wan-bob and Charlie Hastie.  He knew fine well that the goal posts wid be getting shifted aboot oan a daily basis.  It wis a deadly game ae cat and moose and somewan hid tae take the decisions.  If he wis honest wae himsel, Johnboy wis surprised that Senga and her flatmate hidnae been taken before noo.  Lizzie Mathieson hid mair chance ae survival in the longer term if Simon could get Wan-bob tae pause fur a bit, and tae dae that, Johnboy knew that they’d hid tae shift the focus back oan tae Senga, dangerous though that wis.  Simon hid read the situation well and hid kept the pair alive until Tony and the others goat their liberation.  Simon’s job wis done. Tony wis confident that he’d be able tae get the situation sorted oot when he met up wae Wan-bob oan the coming Wednesday at The People’s Palace doon oan Glesga Green.  By the time Wan-bob found oot that it wis Senga’s flatmate who wis the nurse, it wid aw be o’er, bar the shouting.  They’d either accept that the notebook wis a reality and that, despite the contents, there wisnae really any damning evidence that wid eventually lead tae a conviction regarding the Tam and Toby Simpson murders, or they widnae.  It wis Tony’s job tae convince Wan-bob ae that.  The fact that Johnboy hid been in bed wae Michelle Hope oan the night Shaun Murphy disappeared wis enough tae allay any fears ae a Manky connection or retaliation fae Shaun’s brother, Danny.