by Ian Todd
“Thanks fur helping me escape Glenda, hen,” Peggy panted. “This his been the best day ae ma miserable ten-year career so far, bar none, so it his,” she said, backed up by a big happy smile.
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.