by Todd, Ian
“Wid youse bucks cut the cackle,” Daddy warned them, looking up fae the file he wis reading.
“Wankers!” Shane mumbled under his breath, looking across at The Stalker and Bumper.
“Ah’m warning ye...don’t get me started. Right, Billy, ye kin kick aff the meeting,” Daddy said, scowling across at the sergeants.
Wance they’d aw lit up their fags, everywan turned tae The Chief Inspector at the bottom ae the table, as he picked up a stick ae white chalk fae the wee holder oan the trestle.
“Right, lads, jist tae recap oan where we wur last week. Oan the wan side, we hiv The Simpsons fae Possil and oan the other, we hiv the elusive Pat Molloy, who we hivnae seen oan the surface fur a while, even though we know that Wan-bob Broon his resurfaced. In between aw this, we hiv a brain-damaged ned, who’s noo as deid as a dodo. Then there’s Paddy and Fin’s auld pals, the manky mob, heided up by a young twisted thug called Tony Gucci. Alangside aw this, we hiv Possil gangsters including Frisky Frank McKenna, Jo Jo Robson and Toby Simpson, aw frequenting the boozers across in Springburn, which we aw know tae be wan ae The Big Man, Pat Molloy’s fiefdoms. As if that isnae enough, we hiv an unconscious gangster, namely the aforementioned Frisky Frank, mumbling that he telt nae fucker fuck-aw, aboot something we don’t know aboot, whitever that’s supposed tae mean…and we’re still no sure whit’s gaun oan…at least we didnae this time last Saturday,” Billy announced fae within a cloud ae chalk dust, staunin back and looking at his squiggly chalk haundiwork oan the blackboard.
“So, ye’ve aw hid nearly a week tae check things oot, so who’s gonnae start the baw rolling?” Daddy asked them.
“Ye’ve a name missing, Billy.”
“Oh, aye, and who wid that be then, Shane?”
“Ye better include Harper Harris’s name in the middle there, alang wae the rest ae them.”
“And ye’ll maybe want tae share wae us the reason fur his inclusion?” Billy replied, as aw heids turned tae Shane.
“Well, ye know how Ah said that Ah heard Frisky Frank mumble the names ae Gucci, McManus and Tam Simpson? Well, it wis only efter Ah left here last Saturday that Ah remembered he also mentioned Harper Harris.”
Silence.
“Efter ye left here last Saturday?” Daddy asked suspiciously.
“Er, aye, Daddy. It jist suddenly dawned oan me that that’s whit the missing mumble wis that Ah couldnae make oot at the time...until later.”
“And wis there any reason why this widnae hiv been reported back...wance ye realised yer mistake?” Daddy asked coldly, as everywan fidgeted in their seats.
“Ah did. Ah reported it tae ma inspector,” he replied, as aw eyes shifted tae Duggie Dougan.
“Aye, well...” Duggie said, before he wis quickly interrupted.
“Fuck!” Mickey Sherlock, serious crime and intelligence blurted oot.
“Whit?” Daddy and Billy Liar baith asked thegither, as aw heids swivelled again.
“Ah think Ah’ve jist goat us the connection,” Mickey announced.
“Ye hiv?” Daddy asked.
“The Rat.”
“The Rat?” everywan chorused.
“Aye, that wee crawling misfit that goes aboot, impersonating a journalist. Sammy Elliot, teller ae tall tales and dribbler ae lies. The wee prick is back oan the go, so he is,” Mickey said tae the astonished faces roond the table.
“Since when?” Daddy demanded, face tightening.
“Fuck knows, bit Ah kin assure ye, he’s back oan the go.”
“So, where’s the connection, Mickey?” Chic asked.
“Two days ago, wan ae the pavement pounders approached wan ae ma boys, Casey Jones, saying he’d been approached by a hack looking fur some low grade info. It wis only when Ah wis gied the description ae the journalist, that Ah knew that oor wee favourite rodent wis back oan the go.”
“Whit wis he efter then?”
“He wanted tae know where he could find Harper Harris, whit his last two known addresses wur and if there wis any chance ae getting a mug shot ae him and the low doon oan any previous criminal convictions.”
“Sammy Elliot no only worked fur The Glesga Echo, bit wis well-known fur being in the back pocket ae Pat Molloy,” Billy Liar said, jist in case there wis anywan who hidnae heard ae the rodent, as he wrote The Rat and Harris’s names oan the board.
“So, whit did the pavement pounder say tae him, Mickey?” Daddy asked.
“He said he telt him tae fuck aff.”
“And dae ye believe him?”
“Ah think so, even though the wee prick offered him thirty quid, bit Ah couldnae swear oan it.”
“Who wis the boy oan the beat, Mickey?” Duggie asked.
“Ach, well, Ah wid rather keep that tae masel, if that’s okay wae yersel, Duggie.”
“It bloody better no be wan ae ma boys fae up in Possil,” Duggie replied, scowling at The Gruesome Twosome.
“Thirty quid fur that? Christ, he must be desperate. Ye could get that kind ae info fur a third ae that...at least that’s whit Ah’ve heard,” Dave McGovern blurted oot.
“Duggie?” Daddy asked.
“Well, as Ah wis gonnae say...when Shane telt me that he thought Frisky Frank hid mentioned Harris, rather than get back tae ye oan a hunch, we decided tae dig a wee bit deeper. We hauled Harris’s arse in last week. Bloody shiting bricks, so he wis. He threw up aw o’er the flair when we asked him why his name hid been mentioned in the same breath as Tony Gucci, Joe McManus and Tam Simpson.”
“And?” Daddy asked.
“It wis hard tae get anything oot ae him that made any sense. He swore he didnae hiv a clue why somewan like him wid’ve been mentioned. He telt us that Tam Simpson hid broken his fingers some time ago when he tried tae get a good price fur some shite he wis trying tae sell him. He claimed he’s been oan the straight and narrow ever since. ‘Crime disnae pay,’ wur the words he used.”
“Is that it?”
“He did tell us whit the score wis between Gucci’s crowd and The Simpsons though. Seemingly, Bobby’s corpse…the McManus boy…hid been perching oan The Simpsons’ wee sister at wan time...the only sister ae the three brothers. When Tam and Toby found oot aboot it, they put the squeeze oan McManus tae back aff...or else. McManus, as ye’d expect, telt them tae fuck aff and carried oan, the dirty randy dug that he wis. Well, ye kin imagine how that wid’ve went doon in the Simpson hoosehold, eh?”
“Ah cannae bloody believe ye know aw this and hivnae passed it oan tae me before noo, Duggie, ya two-faced prick, ye. Nae wonder we cannae solve murders in the toon when the bloody polis don’t come forward wae vital info,” Bobby Mack exclaimed in disbelief.
“Aw, Bobby, shut yer hole jist noo till we find oot whit the score is,” Billy Liar growled fae the bottom ae the table. “This time last week ye wur claiming none ae this hid anything tae dae wae the Murder Squad.”
“Did she no croak it because she wis some sort ae junky or something, Duggie?” Billy asked.
“Probably. Who knows whit these vermin get up tae maist ae the time.”
“Ah heard she wis a wee stoater at wan time, so she wis. Hid a pair ae tits and an arse oan her tae die fur,” Mickey volunteered.
“Oh, she wis that awright...bloody lovely, so she wis,” Shane confirmed.
“Aye, well, fae where Ah’m sitting, it sounds as if that’s exactly whit McManus ended up daeing fur her, Mickey,” Bobby said, hivving relaxed, tae sniggers fae roond the table.
“Aye, well, when McManus widnae back aff, seemingly Toby Simpson turned tae Tony Gucci and started putting the squeeze oan him tae intervene, bit Harper thinks Gucci and McManus hid awready parted company, so Gucci wisnae in a position tae dae anything aboot it. Anyway, youse aw know whit a psycho Toby is, and he didnae believe Gucci couldnae sway McManus tae stay well clear. Since then, The Simpsons hiv been trying tae put Ali Baba and The Forty Thieves oot ae business fur nae co-operating,” Duggie said, shrugging his shoulders.
“So, whit wis the reason
behind Gucci and McManus falling oot then, Duggie? It must’ve been serious. They basturts hid been joined at the hip since they wur wee snappers back in the Toonheid,” The Stalker said, pissed aff he never picked up oan the sister connection.
“Harper said he didnae know,” Shane replied, shrugging, lighting up another fag.
“Ah cannae believe that rat wan his resurfaced. Kin we nip him oan attempted bribery charges, Mickey?” Daddy asked.
“Ah doubt it. It wid be his word against the wan bizzy. Kin ye imagine the negative publicity and harassment allegations that the press wid sling at us if we failed tae convict? He’s probably working fur wan ae the papers...ma money wid be oan The Glesga Echo.”
“Aye, it wid be better tae hing back there. At least we know he’s back and oan the make. Whit we need tae figure oot is, why wis he wanting the lowdoon oan somewan like Harper Harris? Ah thought he jist went efter big fish. Harper’s jist a tuppenny tea leaf, so he is,” Dave McGovern volunteered.
“Bit, where’s The Big Man in aw this, Duggie? Did Harper mention him?”
“Naw.”
“According tae oor recent intelligence, Pat Molloy is in Spain. He left here jist o’er a year ago fur a hernia operation in France and then moved oan tae Marbella, in Spain. The Spanish boys telt Interpol that he wis last seen in a restaurant jist o’er a week ago wae a crowd ae undesirables fae London that they’re keeping tabs oan. They said that they think he arrived in early November last year,” Mickey Sherlock volunteered.
“So, there’s the reason fur Toby and company strolling aboot Springburn then,” The Stalker threw in.
“And the brothers Grimm...Shaun and Danny Murphy?”
“As far as we know, Shaun’s running the show jist noo,” Mickey replied.
“So, why the fuck is he allowing The Simpsons tae be running aroond Springburn?”
“Ah don’t know, bit it could be that as long as they don’t interfere wae The Big Man’s business, they’re being allowed a free haun.”
“Ah find that hard tae believe,“ The Stalker said, getting a nod ae agreement fae Bumper.
“So, ye’re saying that it’s business as usual, Mickey?”
“As far as we kin tell. There’s been a few wee rumours and odd things happening, bit nothing that wid ring any alarm bells.”
“Like whit?”
“Woodside Accommodation?”
“Aye?”
“The guy who runs the business, Bob Montieth, turned up at The Western Infirmary recently, wae cuts and bruises aw o’er his coupon. It wis obvious that some basturt hid either put his face through a windae or a windae hid put itsel through his face.”
“And?”
“Well, we happen tae believe that Pat Molloy is the senior sleeping partner in the company.”
“So, whit’s the significance?”
“The significance is...why wid somewan who his the kind ae protection that Bob Montieth his, turn up at The Western wae cuts and bruises oan that face ae his? Who’d be daft enough tae hurt him? If The Big Man is oot ae the game abroad, it’s either Shaun Murphy throwing his weight aboot, or maybe...jist maybe...somewan’s trying tae muscle in,” Mickey Sherlock suggested, leaving that thought hinging in the air, as everywan reached fur their fag packets.
Silence.
“Nah, there wid’ve been bodies lying aw o’er the place. Nowan wid be as stupid as tae dae something like that,” Billy Liar finally said, looking across at Daddy. “Ma money’s oan Shaun Murphy.”
“Mickey?” Daddy asked.
“Naw, Billy’s right. We spoke aboot it back at the office and ruled that oot...although, ye never know. Ah mean, The Big Man isnae here and ye know whit they say aboot turning yer back in a place like Glesga?”
“And whit aboot Blaster Mackay?”
“We hivnae heard anything oot ae Milton fur a while. Ah hivnae picked up anything fae that crowd ae cowboys. None ae Blaster’s boys wur mentioned by Frisky Frank or Harper when we hid him in the station. Whit aboot yersels then, Paddy?” Duggie asked.
“Naw, we hivnae picked up that anywan fae Milton his been oan the scene lately. Ah think Blaster keeps himsel and his boys pretty close tae hame these days. They don’t seem tae wander oot and aboot much.”
“Right, Billy, whit dis that diagram ae yers tell us noo?” Daddy asked him, looking at aw the chalk lines crisscrossing between the names.
“Well, we’ve goat aw the main players linking wae each other…Ah think. We’ve a probable motive fur the McManus boy getting murdered by The Simpsons, although nae definite witnesses, as yet. The Rat being back oan the go gies us a connection that runs fae The Big Man through The Rat himsel tae The Simpsons via Harper Harris. The fact that The Big Man and Wan-bob Broon hiv been oot ae circulation could explain the visibility ae the Possil crowd popping up in Springburn.”
“Where’s Gucci’s manky mob in aw this then?” Chic Thompson wanted tae know.
“The Simpsons, or at least, Toby Simpson, his been trying tae put that wee crowd oot ae business fur a while noo, if we go oan whit Harper Harris his claimed. Fur Toby tae dae that, he probably his tae dae the damage across in Springburn itsel because The Mankys wid probably hiv the sense tae stay within the area and nae go wandering aboot ootside, unless it wis really necessary. Noo, here’s a question fur you and Bumper, Paddy. Fae whit we know ae Gucci...why the fuck wid he sit back and accept abuse, even if it is fae bogeymen as scary as Tam and Toby Simpson? Noo, we know that two ae his wee manky crew ur tucked away oot in Polmont, and that other lanky basturt pal ae his...the wan that ye chased aw o’er Scotland...whit’s his name? Aye...Paul McBride, that’s him...is oot ae the game noo and lives up in the Highlands somewhere. Dae ye think Gucci’s lost his nerve? Whit’s really happening there?” Billy Liar wondered, as aw heids turned tae them.
“Paddy?” Bumper said, looking at his partner.
“Ah find it hard tae believe that Gucci wid roll o’er and bare that arse ae his tae anywan, including The Simpsons. There’s a couple ae things we need tae consider here. Ah know he’s young, bit his track record speaks fur itsel. He’s too smart tae be caught oot in the open. He’d know fine well that if he went fur The Simpsons, it wid start a war in the north ae the city. Pat Molloy wid then hiv tae get involved.”
“Bit Ah thought Gucci and his wee bunch wur independent, Paddy? Whit the fuck wid this hiv tae dae wae The Big Man?” Shane asked.
“Gucci’s nae mug, so he isnae. Masel and Fin sat ootside Gucci’s flat, across in Petershill Road, fur a whole day earlier in the week. Dae ye remember Baby Huey, Billy?”
“That pug ugly fat basturt that’s been working oan the doors ae Molloy’s pubs? Him?”
“Aye, that’s the wan. He paid Gucci a wee visit earlier in the week, so he did. There’s another connection back tae The Big Man.”
“Is Blubber Boy no a bit low level in aw this, Paddy?”
“No as a courier, passing messages back and forth, he isnae. That fat basturt and Gucci go back tae the Toonheid as weans. The Big Man wid know that. It’s also well-known that Shaun Murphy and his brother hate that manky crowd...something tae dae wae Mad Malky being ripped aff back in the sixties o’er fleeing the doos or something. Hiv ye ever come across that fat Baby Huey up in Springburn, Fin?”
“Naw, Ah can’t say Ah hiv,” Bumper replied.
“So, why wid a low-life like Baby Huey appear aw ae a sudden up in Springburn? Gucci knows that if there’s battling gaun oan aw o’er the place, Pat Molloy wid need tae come in and sort it oot and that wid involve Molloy hivving tae square up tae The Simpsons. If that happened and a lot ae blood wis spilt, The Big Man wid take it oot oan Gucci fur starting it aw. If The Big Man’s away, that means that Gucci disnae hiv access tae him, tae get the go-aheid tae retaliate. It could be that he’s been keeping his heid doon, trying tae draw The Simpsons intae Springburn deliberately, playing at being the victim and hoping that Pat Molloy comes back and intervenes...or... if he could get a message tae Molloy somehow, get
the go-aheid tae hiv a go himsel.”
Silence.
“Bumper?” Daddy finally asked, as everywan reached fur their fag packets again.
“Ah agree wae Paddy. Although, Ah think the best thing that could happen wid be Pat Molloy coming back oan the scene. If this wis tae aw suddenly blow up, a lot ae people could get hurt…innocent bystanders fur instance…weans playing in the street...that kind ae thing. Ah think Molloy wid squash something like this in a flash, if he knew whit wis gaun oan. Who the fuck wid want tae get involved in a turf war? Paddy’s right aboot Gucci though. If he’s haudin back fae retaliating o’er the murder ae McManus, and if this his being brewing fur a while noo, then time is probably running oot. Ah’ve known Gucci since he wis aboot twelve or thirteen and there’s nae way he wullnae be planning a comeback, even if he did fall oot wae McManus. That crowd ur well-known fur no letting things pass if they’ve been crossed. And another thing, don’t be misled because Gucci might’ve lost a couple ae his crew who’re oot in Polmont. Some ae that young crowd he’s goat roond aboot him jist noo ur no wee pussycats, believe you me. There ur six ae them in particular that we’d need tae look oot fur and keep tabs oan,” Bumper replied.
“Simon Epstein, Jake McAlpine, Ben McCalumn, Pat McCabe, Peter Paterson and a right wee nippy sweetie called Snappy Johnston. Bumper’s right, Ah don’t think this wee crowd wid back aff fae squaring up tae The Simpsons. They’re too fight-happy and wid be up fur taking them oan, even though they widnae staun a chance. Ah think they’d back Gucci up tae the hilt if he wis tae let loose and go fur Toby,” The Stalker added.
Silence.
“There’s another wee twist in here that Ah hidnae goat aroond tae mentioning before noo. Billy said that fur Toby tae dae any damage tae Gucci’s crowd, him and his bogeymen hiv tae travel across tae Springburn, because that’s where The Mankys hing oot. Well, interestingly enough, Simon Epstein, Pat McCabe and Snappy Johnston hiv aw been clocked popping up across in Possil o’er the last couple ae days…and it gets even better. We’ve picked up whispers, that they wur asking aboot Tam Simpson’s movements,” Duggie said, no being in the least bit surprised at the shock oan the faces roond the table staring back at him.