by Todd, Ian
“Whit makes ye think Ah’m no scared ae yer da, like everywan else aboot here?”
“Are you?”
“Naw.”
“So, you’ll do it. You’ll help me escape from this place?”
“While Ah’m no scared ae that da ae yours, there’s other people aboot me that him and they country yokel henchmen ae his, could dae permanent damage tae though.”
“Oh, like who?”
“Ah live wae an auld couple, who’ve been really good tae me and hiv helped me a lot wae a few wee problems Ah’ve hid recently. They’ve fed me and gied me a bed tae kip in. Ah’m no sure Ah’d want tae bring trouble tae their door, particularly fae somewan like yer da. They’ve goat plenty ae experience ae whit happens tae people who cross him.”
“I see,” Saba murmured, clearly disappointed.
“Somehow, Ah don’t think ye dae. Ask yersel this…ye don’t know me fae Adam, other than Ah’m wan ae yer da’s tenant’s lodgers. Ah come tae you and ask ye tae dae whit ye’ve jist asked me. Whit wid yer response be tae me?”
Silence.
“Aye, Ah thought so. And as fur you, Morven. Ah’m well-pissed aff wae ye fur trying tae get me involved in this. You know fine well whit wid happen tae Whitey and Innes if Ah wis caught up in something like this. Where else wid they go if they wur cleared aff the croft? Hiv ye even stoapped and gied a thought tae that? Thanks a bundle,” Paul said, staunin up and looking at them fur a few seconds before turning and walking quickly away, expecting the Sellars tae jump oot at him at any second.
“Paul, wait!” Morven shouted, bit he wis awready entering the trees and disappearing withoot looking back.
Chapter Twenty Two
“Are we all set, Riddrie?” The Duke asked.
“Everything has been concluded, as per your instructions, m’lord.”
“And McWhirter, down in Tain? Has he received my deposition?”
“I understand that Mr Sellar hand-delivered it, in person, yesterday morning, m’lord.”
“Did he now? And the response?”
“Sheriff McWhirter initially said that it was Mackay that was on trial and not the delinquent ruffian from Glasgow, m’lord. He said that it would be stretching it for him to bring the boy’s past misdeeds into the trial as part of the prosecution evidence.”
“What? But that’s preposterous! Did Sellar not inform him that we have a vicious two-legged rabid fox running about up here in the strath, with a history of robbery and violence towards communities, not to mention a history of being confined to a lunatic asylum?” The Duke exclaimed, pacing back and forth in the smoking room.
“I believe a carbon copy, detailing the extensive previous crimes committed and convicted by this…this vagabond, McBride, which was sent to us by Sir Frank Owen, was included in your correspondence, m’lord.”
“But if he’s still in custody, what the hell is he doing tramping about my estate?”
“McWhirter stated that the terms of reference regarding custodial responsibility for the boy, as highlighted in Sir Frank’s report, make it clear that the responsibility for the supervision and welfare of the youth has been passed from the judiciary to the health authorities. They in turn have passed this responsibility, via the local social work department, onto the MacKays, who are acting in loco parentis. He therefore is unable to recommend a recall supervision order to return the boy back to an approved school, as advised by Sir Frank, m’lord.”
“This is outrageous. Sellar has already informed me that between the two of them, they’ll soon clear anything that moves on the southern part of the estate. I will not sit back and let this happen. How many outings has McWhirter had this year, Riddrie?”
“I believe he’s been shooting three times, as well as fished for salmon on the Carron and sea trout on the Kyle, m’lord.”
“And he’s been made fully aware of my concerns?”
“Your correspondence subtly highlighted that what hath been given, can be withdrawn, m’lord.”
“And?”
“After deliberation, McWhirter believes that a successful outcome to your problem can be achieved. However, it may take a little longer to resolve than the time available to the court today, m’lord.”
“And?”
“McWhirter believes he can curtail the activities of both Mackay and the boy in such a manner that will ultimately guarantee not only financial hardship for the MacKay’s, but will ensure eventual custody for the both of them, m’lord.”
“Really?”
“Having studied his solution to your problem, m’lord, I believe McWhirter may have put a hole below MacKay’s waterline.”
“And what about this other poacher from Lairg?”
“That will be Ross, m’lord.”
“Guaranteed conviction?”
“McWhirter said he would try his best, m’lord.”
“And you’ll be in attendance this morning, Riddrie?”
“I will be attending as a member of the public in the gallery whilst Mr Sellar and his two sons will be in attendance as prosecution witnesses, m’lord.”
“Excellent. Make sure you take a bottle of thirty-year-old malt with you as an appreciation of McWhirter’s understanding in this matter and inform him that I have invited a few select guests for a grouse shooting party on the twelfth of August and I would be delighted if he could join me. Now, if there is nothing else, breakfast is calling out to me on the terrace.”
Chapter Twenty Three
Paul and Innes wur up at the crack ae dawn and walking doon the strath towards Ardgay by seven thirty oan the Friday morning. Whitey hid been wanting tae go tae court in Tain wae Innes, bit she’d stood oan a rusty nail that hid been sticking through a bit ae wood that Wan-eye hid dragged oot ae the barn and left in the yard the previous day.
“So, whit’s gonnae happen the day, Innes?”
“Och, I expect I’ll get a fine, seeing as I’m a first offender.”
“And the rowing boat?”
“Och, that’ll be confiscated. I’m not bothered about the boat as it needed replaced and was rotten through. It’s a pity about the oars though, they still had a few years left in them.”
“Ye’ve hid a good run if this is the first time ye’ve been caught.”
“Oh, I’ve been caught quite a few times, but never charged. Most of the keepers are just like ourselves in that most of them started out as poachers, so don’t really see taking a rabbit or a salmon every now and again as the crime of the century. I’ve usually talked my way out of trouble by sharing the spoils. I remember one time Packer and I got caught with thirteen salmon by Swein McTavish. We couldn’t believe our luck. Not only did he put them in the back of the police car, but he gave us a lift down to Donald’s shop in Golspie to get rid of them and then gave us a lift back to where we had left our boat. On the way to Golspie, we had to lay down in amongst the salmon in the back of his Landy, covered by a sheet of canvas while he told John Sellar that he had to respond to an emergency down in Golspie and that he would be back in two hours to continue helping in the search for the poachers who were believed to be hiding in amongst the trees.”
“Christ, thirteen salmon. That wis some haul.”
“Och aye, but that’s unusual. Donald had been asked to supply the meat and fish for a banquet that The Duke of Sutherland was throwing for the marriage of one of his daughters over in Dunrobin Castle, just outside Golspie. Donald was chuffed to hear our Duke tell The Duke of Sutherland how impressed he was with the quality of the salmon. We all had a good laugh at the thought of our Duke tucking into his own salmon while giving the credit to someone else.”
“I know you won’t like this, Innes, bit fur the life ae me, Ah jist cannae bring masel tae trust the polis, even if he did gie youse a lift tae sell yer salmon haul. Ma experience is that they’re aw crooks and wid sell their maw fur a penny if it meant getting a leg up the greasy pole.”
“It’s just a job for Swein, Paul.”
“Aye, that’s whit they aw say
.”
The courthoose stood oot like a sore thumb. If ye wur tae ask a blind man whit building wis the courthoose, he wid’ve pointed straight at it. Apart fae a few wee differences, it looked basically like every other courthoose Paul hid been in. It wis bigger than any other building, apart fae maybe the picture hoose that wis doon the street fae it. It wis built wae the same broon sandstone that maist ae the tenements in the Toonheid wur built wae. It hid a big square clock face wae smaller round wans oan the sides ae it. Paul and Innes wur staunin oan the corner ae Tower Street and High Street, in between the picture hoose and The Royal Hotel, looking up the street tae where the entrance ae the courthoose wis. Paul looked up at the clock. The wan facing oot said ten past nine, while the other wan looking doon the street tae their left said twenty past. Whichever wan wis right, they’d definitely goat there by the nine thirty, as stated oan Innes’s summons. The door ae the court hid a wee brass plate ootside it that stated that this wis indeed the Tain Sheriff and Justice ae the Peace Court. They crossed the road tae join the people awready arriving.
“Innes, is it yourself?” a big ruddy-faced giant asked.
“Hello there, Malcolm. Aye, I’m afraid it is,” Innes replied, shaking the shovel that wis put oot tae him.
“This is Paul, who’s come to court today to keep me company.”
“Oh, hello there, Paul. You wouldn’t be the young fellow that boxed the ears of the Sellar boys at the Ardgay games the other week there, eh?”
“Aye, the very same, Malcolm,” Paul replied, getting his haun crushed by the same shovel that hid shaken hauns wae Innes.
“Och, I wish I had been around to see that. You’re the talk of the Highlands, you know. You’ve become famous,” Malcolm smiled kindly.
“I take it this isn’t a social call for you either, Malcolm?” Innes asked, as they trooped inside.
Like the ootside ae the building, the court set-up inside wis standard. An auld strawberry-nosed Sheriff sat up oan the bench, facing the great unwashed, while the dock wis oan the left and the press gallery and witness staun wis oan the right. In the middle ae aw this sat the defence and prosecuting tables wae a few other flunkies hinging aboot, kidding oan they wur entitled tae a wage at the end ae the week.
“Aye, aye,” Innes said, looking across at the press gallery, the best seats in the hoose, as they took their seats.
Sitting in the middle ae the front row ae bowler-hatted buzzards, The Duke’s man, Riddrie, sat stony-faced, wae a sly smirk oan that coupon ae his, as Innes, Malcolm and Paul looked across at him. Morven hid pointed him oot tae Paul at the Highland Games. She said, next tae The Duke, he wis wan ae the most powerful men in the Highlands.
“Who’s the other wans wae him?” Paul asked.
“That’s all the secretaries from the various Highland estates down to make sure that justice is meted out correctly,” Malcolm murmured.
Everywan went quiet as Strawberry Nose banged his gavel.
“Call the first case, Mr Grovel,” Strawberry Nose rasped.
“Fletcher, Fisher and Fraser, m’lord,” Grovel shouted oot, as three wee boys, aw aboot ten years auld, wur hustled through a wee swing gate at the front ae the public gallery by the court usher.
“Charge?” intoned Strawberry Nose, who looked bored shitless before the day hid even started.
“These three little termites were found in possession of a sling shot, a set of snares and a fishing rod on Lord Dunkley’s estate on the thirteenth of February, m’lord.”
“How do they plead, Mr Grovel?”
“Not guilty, m’lord.”
“Fine, that’ll be a two pound fine for each set of parents, to be paid within sixty days of this date. Failure to comply will mean the defaulting father will spend seven days behind bars. Next!” the judge shouted, as wan ae the bowler-hatted buzzards nodded wae satisfaction.
Oan and oan it went, aw through the morning. Paul thought he’d learned a good bit aboot poaching fae Innes, bit this wis like attending poaching college oan day release. Wan ae the funniest bits ae the day came jist before the lunch break.
“Next!” Strawberry Nose rasped.
“Hickory and Dickory, who claim to be travelling salesmen from Dingwall, m’lord,” Grovel shouted, as two wee shifty looking poachers wur pushed forward fae a door o’er tae the left.
They wur obviously attending fae custody, hivving being picked up efter Dickory wis caught wae a ferret doon his left trooser leg up a glen oan Lord McGowan’s estate the day before.
“Are you trying to tell me we have Hickory and Dickory in the dock, Mr Grovel?” Strawberry Nose asked, jist as the big clock oan the tower ootside, struck wan o’clock and the public galleries aw burst intae laughter, before being telt tae be quiet by the judge.
The baith ae them goat fined ten pounds each fur the audacity ae trying tae blag a rabbit or two belonging tae Lord McGowan. The ferret wis ordered tae hiv it’s neck wrung by the court usher during the lunch break.
Efter they’d scoffed the breid and cheese pieces fae the parcel that Whitey hid made up fur them in case they’d tae wait aw day, it wis Malcolm’s turn.
“Who’s first up this afternoon, Mr Grovel?”
“Ross, your honour,” Grovel grovelled.
Malcolm stepped o’er the wee gate before the usher could move forward to open it and lumbered intae the dock.
“Charge?” you know who rasped.
“Ross has been accused of poaching a stag from the estate of The Duke of Kyle, m’lord.”
“How does he plead?”
“Not Guilty, m’lord.”
“There’s a surprise. Go on.”
“On the nineteenth of February of this year, the accused was seen to run off in the possession of a struggling stag, belonging to his Lordship, The Duke of Kyle, m’lord.”
“A struggling stag?”
“Yes m’lord. The accused was seen by three estate keepers, running up the side of Glen Cassley with an adult stag curled round his neck and shoulders and its legs clasped together by the hands of the accused. The stag was displaying signs of great distress, m’lord, and was seen to be struggling to break free.”
“And how do we know that it was the accused that was in possession of the poor beast?”
“He was identified by the three estate keepers, Mr John Sellar and his two sons, George and Cameron, who are present as witnesses today, m’lord.”
“Right, to save on time, bring the three of them in together, Mr Lock,” Strawberry Nose said tae the usher.
Paul watched the three ae them enter the witness stand. He hidnae clocked the brothers since the marquee gala dance in the field in Ardgay. Cameron’s face wis jist aboot healed, bit George’s eyes still looked a bit puffy and the skin roond aboot them wis yellow and streaked wae blue striped bruises. They ignored Innes and Paul as they took their places.
“Now, gentlemen, can you identify the poacher in this courtroom that you claim to have seen running up the side of Glen Cassley with a distressed stag wrapped around his neck?” Grovel asked, as aw three ae them immediately pointed tae the giant who wis staunin opposite them.
“I rest my case, m’lord,” Grovel said, strolling back tae his seat as if he’d jist scored the conviction ae the century against the Bird Man ae Alcatraz.
“And what have you to say in your defence, Ross?” Strawberry Nose asked.
“I believe these gentlemen to be wrong, sir,” Malcolm replied.
“Right, Mr Sellar, seeing as you are the senior here, I’ll address my questions to you. Did you retrieve the said struggling distressed stag?”
“No, your honour. Ross disappeared over the top of the Ben with it.”
“Did you give chase?”
“We did your honour, but he had a head start on us. By the time we turned and went back to our vehicles to head him off on the other side, the stag was gone, your honour.”
“And Ross?”
“We found him at his croft, pretending to be working, your honour
.”
“If Ross had a head start on you, how do you know it was him? I assume he had his back to you and wasn’t running up the mountain backwards where you would have seen his face?”
“There’s only one person I know in the Highlands who would have the strength to run up a mountain with a struggling stag on his back, your honour, and he’s standing in the dock opposite me,” John Sellar replied, wae a smug look oan his coupon.
“So, you didn’t recognise the accused in person but assumed because of his brute strength and size, that it was the accused, Ross?”
“That’s right, your honour.”
“Hmm, I think you will need to do better than that, Mr Sellar. In order to ensure justice is served, I’m going to defer this case for a further six months to ensure that the prosecuting authorities have sufficient time to state their case more precisely. You’re free to go, Ross, but you will have to return to this court in December to respond to this charge,” Strawberry Nose said tae Malcolm, bit was looking across at Riddrie.
Innes wis up next. It wis an open and shut case. Sellar senior wis asked tae exit the witness stand while George and Cameron wur allowed tae take his seat as the charge wis read oot tae Innes and he wis asked how he wanted tae plead.
“Guilty,” Innes declared, obviously wanting tae get this o’er and done wae, tae the disappointment ae the two stooges who wanted tae staun up and point the finger at him.
“Any known previous convictions, Mr Grovel?” Strawberry Nose asked.
“No, m’lord.”
“Right, before I sentence this scoundrel, what are his financial circumstances, Mr Grovel?”
“MacKay is of pensionable age, m’lord, and has a joint old age pension income with his wife. Other income includes fifty two pounds per annum or, one pound sterling a week to be precise, from social services as a result of sheltering vulnerable young people who are in need of care and respite, m’lord.” Grovel declared gleefully.
“Thank you, Mr Grovel. Now, Mackay, have you anything to say before I pass sentence?”
Innes briefly looked confused, bit then shook his heid.