by Ian Todd
“Christ, here we go, full circle. Ah wis wondering when we wur gonnae get back tae Tam Simpson’s shooting up in High Possil.”
“Paddy McPhee might be everything we’re painting him to be, Chief Superintendent, but he knew that The Mankys were responsible for Thomas Simpson’s murder long before anyone else was prepared to accept that possibility,” Murdina reminded him. “I believe, if we want to find out who murdered Honest John McCaffrey, we should be focussing on The Mankys and Simon Epstein, in particular. I agree, that if we separate McCaffrey’s from Inspector Dougan’s and the Black Butcher murders, it’ll allow the investigating teams to focus more on the core suspects.”
Silence.
“Dae we hiv anywan in mind tae lead the investigation?” Mackerel asked.
“Let’s put Wilma Thain on the job. She’s thorough. She’ll soon establish whether there’s a connection. If it becomes a blind alley, then we’ll re-focus our attention back to the overall investigation.”
“Look, sir, if Ah’m honest, Ah don’t think the boys oan the ground will be too happy wae mair than wan master. Nae offence, Murdina,” Mackerel said tae her.
“Murdina won’t be interfering in day-tae-day operational matters, Bob. Her role will be mair ae an overseeing function, piecing thegither matches that the separate investigating teams may overlook. She’ll still be reporting tae you baith…us. Oor main function will be tae try and pick up oan any loose strands. Ah realise that whit’s currently gaun oan is complicated, bit if we find any evidence that The McGregors ur attempting tae take o’er the city, then we’re aw in big trouble. This could set aff a set ae circumstances that’ll engulf everywan. Wae Wan-bob Broon and that right haun man ae his languishing up in Barlinnie fur up tae three months, oot ae circulation, the city’s underworld is up fur grabs, so it is. If this gets oot ae control, then we may as well put oan oor jaickets and go hame. Ah’m gonnae dae everything in ma power tae ensure that isnae gonnae happen. So, oan that miserable note, Ah’ve goat a meeting wae the chief constable and then wae oor favourite cooncillor, Barbara Allan, who wis oan the news this morning demanding your heids oan a plate, by the way," the assistant chief constable said, a wee wry smile breaking oot oan that face ae his, as he stood up and gathered up his file before heiding tae the door, wae Wee Peggy McAvoy hurrying tae catch up wae him.
Chapter Seventeen
“Well, well, wid ye look whit the cat’s jist dragged in,” Donna The Prima Donna announced tae Wee Mary, who turned roond in her seat and smiled at the newcomers. “It’s two ae ma favourite wee handsome boys, coming tae grace ma humble wee office wae their presence.”
“Aye, aye, Donna,” Tony said, smiling, grabbing a chair.
“Ah hope ye’re no filling that wee lassie’s heid full ae nonsense noo, Donna. She’s special, this wan, so she is,” Simon said, winking across at Wee Mary, grabbing a pew and moving across tae beside Tony.
“Did ye know Ah used tae wipe that nose ae his when he wis a wee manky-arsed wean, Mary Doll?” Donna laughed, nodding across at Tony. “Even then, Ah still made sure Ah hid ma fingers wrapped roond that purse ae mine. Wid steal the eyes oot ae a blind nun’s heid, that wan, so he wid.”
“Aye, ye taught me everything Ah know and mair, Donna,” Tony laughed.
“Congratulations oan becoming the business wummin ae the year, by the way…that must’ve cost ye a few bob,” Simon said.
“Listen, Ah’ll hiv ye know that wis awarded, based oan honest hard work and merit…wae a wee haun fae that pug-ugly chair ae the Glesga Business Association. The things us wummin hiv tae put up wae tae get by these days. Is that no right, Mary Doll, hen?”
“Oh, aye, Donna,” Wee Mary laughed.
“So, whit kin a poor wee soul like me dae fur youse gorgeous up-and-comers?”
“Er, should you no be away aff up the road back tae The Albert, Mary?” Simon asked.
“Oh,” Wee Mary said, taking the hint and staunin up.
“Hoi, and where dae ye think your gaun, Mary Doll? Ah’m the wan that gies the orders aboot here. Jist you sit back doon where ye wur, hen. Tell him, Mary.”
“Ah’ve left school.”
“Christmas isnae till next month. Ye’ve jumped the gun.”
“Aye, Ah know, bit Ah decided tae leave early, so Ah did.”
“Dis that ma ae yers know?” Tony asked, amused.
“Er, well…”
“Listen, Ah tried tae tell Issie, bit ye know whit like she is. Widnae bloody listen tae a word Ah said. And anyway, whit she disnae know, Ah’m sure won’t hurt her, eh? Is that no right, Mary, hen?”
“Aye.”
“See?” Donna said, sticking a fag in her fancy wee fag-holder.
“Okay, well, Ah’ll rephrase that. Dae ye want tae gie us five minutes, Mary?”
“Oh, er right,” Wee Mary said a second time, staunin up.
“Jist you put that wee innocent arse ae yers back oan tae that fancy chair, Mary. And as fur youse pair? Mary’s under ma tutelage fae noo oan in. Ah’m gonnae teach her the tricks ae the trade. It’s aw aboot succession, so it is. The quicker that wee lassie learns the ropes, the quicker Ah’ll be able tae sit back and put they poor feet ae mine’s up.”
“You? Retiring?” Tony exclaimed, as him and Simon baith laughed.
“Hoi, it’ll happen tae us aw someday, including youse. In the meantime, yours truly will guide Wee Mary here in the ancient art ae making a legal dishonest bob or two. Ah’ve been waiting a good while fur her tae be auld enough tae come intae the business and she hisnae disappointed me either, wae they counting skills ae hers. It’s noo time fur her tae enter the university ae life.”
“Fucking hell, if Ah knew we wur gonnae be getting a sermon, Ah wid’ve arranged tae meet Senga earlier,” Tony hit her wae.
“Aw, Senga. How is she? Ah bet she’s fair chuffed wae that ugly wee Johnboy being set loose. How is he daeing?”
“He’s fine. Jist a bit sore…so’s she… as far as Ah know.”
“Aye, talking aboot the cat that’s goat the cream,” Simon said, as Tony smiled.
“Well, jist don’t go upsetting her noo, Tony. She’s worked hard…aw the lassies hiv. Jist accept the fact that love will always triumph o’er friendship. Look at me.”
“Is loving money no a wee bit different than loving a human, Donna?”
“The principle’s the same. It’s whit the heart is telling ye. Nothing kin come between a broken heart and the need tae mend it. Ye’d be well advised tae accept that. Why cause grief when the inevitable is gonnae happen?”
“Ah don’t know where the hell aw youse ur getting the impression there’s something gaun oan between me and Senga. If she wants tae fuck aff oot ae the toon, good luck tae her. Ah jist don’t see why she needs tae drag Johnboy alang wae her.”
“See, Mary Doll, there’s biology, in aw its rawness. Because men believe they’re the hunter gatherers, they think us poor wummin hiv tae follow them, insteid ae the other way aboot. Thank God fur love. That’s the deal breaker, so it is. It always cracks it in the end, so it dis.”
“Anyway,” Tony reminded her, looking at his sidekick.
“Totally agree wae everything ye’ve jist said, Donna…even if Ah hivnae a bloody clue whit ye’re oan aboot,” Simon said, gieing Tony a slap oan the heid as everywan laughed.
“Right, before we get doon tae business, Ah’ve haunded oor property portfolio across tae Wee Mary here. She’s goat tae start somewhere, so why no oan this juicy wee wan? It means Ah’ll be able tae guide her oan a daily basis, seeing as she’s goat a permanent desk in here beside me.”
“And the finance side ae things?” Simon asked, still sounding a bit uncomfortable.
“Everything…tax, sales and acquisitions.”
“Dis that include…”
“The safety deposit box accounts? Naw, Ah’ll hing oan tae them until such times as Wee Mary here his become mair familiar wae how Ah work,” Donna interjected.
“Fair enough, bit Ah’ll
be watching ye, Mary,” Simon warned her, as Wee Mary laughed.
“So, whit us youse efter then?”
“Acquisitions,” Tony replied. “We want tae start buying up some ae these wee below ground offices here in the toon centre, bit in particular, roond aboot The Candleriggs, where there seems tae be plenty sitting empty.”
“The Merchant City?” Donna asked, sounding surprised. “Why?”
“Is that whit the area is called? We thought it wis jist The Candleriggs.”
“The streets roond aboot there used tae be called that. It wis where they used tae make candles back in the day. There wisnae any tenements oan the go doon there, so it wis safe enough tae make them withoot burning hauf the toon doon. If a wee fire started in a tenement, say alang oan the High Street, and wisnae snuffed oot as soon as, then hauf the bloody street wid go up because ae the cramped conditions. Any business that wis deemed highly inflammable, wisnae allowed tae operate.”
“So, where dis The Merchant City tag come fae then?”
“It wis always called The Trongate. The Merchant City is a label that wis tagged oan tae the area when they started planning the inner ring road back in the early sixties. Fur hundreds ae years, it’s where aw the tobacco barons and tea merchants stored their merchandise. The beauty ae the location is because the Clyde wis deep enough fur the big clipper ships tae come up river and aff load aw their cargoes. The location ae the docks wur an important part ae the trade. There’s nothing doon there noo. Why the hell wid ye want tae buy property doon there?”
“Because it’ll be cheap, that’s why.”
“And?”
“And it’ll gie us an in tae the toon centre withoot raising too much eyebrows in certain quarters.”
Silence.
“Ah’m listening,” Donna eventually said, hivving gied the response a bit ae thought while lighting up again.
“We…Simon, thinks we could develop the place in the next few years, wance we acquire enough properties efter picking them up fur buttons.”
“Develop?”
“Cafes and restaurants…jist like Gibson Street, wae aw they Indian restaurants. Hiv ye been up there oan a Friday and Saturday night?” Simon asked her.
“Carry oan.”
“There’s French and Atalian café type bars springing up in the toon. Me and Kim Sui use them aw the time, so we dae,” Tony said. “We think we kin corner a market in a specific area…o’er the longer term, that is. This is the opportunity tae get in there and buy up the property. It disnae need tae be underground space either. Wee shoap fronts or offices wid dae roond aboot The Sheriff Court oan George and Glassford Streets. In fact, anywhere between Queen Street and the High Street wid be perfect, so it wid.”
“Café Bars?”
“Think ae Parisian type café bars wae the tables and chairs sitting ootside oan the pavement, where people kin sit and hiv a coffee insteid ae drink…people watching.”
“Although, they’d still be licensed,” Simon added.
“In a place like Glesga?”
“Why no? And the mark up oan the drink and grub is stellar, so it is.”
“We could hiv aw that German beers in bottles. Ah’m telling ye, Donna, this’ll be a licence tae print money, so it will. Wance we move in and open up, you could use yer connections tae encourage other companies tae follow suit.”
“Where am Ah in aw this?”
“Ye kin invest thirty percent ae the initial capital.”
“Which is how much?”
“We’re putting up sixty five grand between us tae start wae.”
“Sixty five K? Fuck, ye’re asking me tae put in thirty odd? Where wid a poor wee business wummin like me come up wae that kind ae money fae?” Donna asked slyly.
“Well, ye kin start wae that ground flair store ae yer man’s oan The Candleriggs fur a kick-aff.”
Silence.
“Ah don’t own that. As ye said yersel, it belongs tae ma man and it widnae come anywhere near that kind ae money. He’d be lucky tae get ten grand fur it,” she replied, as the two ae them laughed.
“Donna, that crumbling derelict hole in the wall isnae worth mair than fifteen hunner, and even then, that’s pushing it.”
“Aw Ah kin see is hassle efter hassle. Dae ye know the hurdles that’ll be put in front ae youse?”
“Why dae ye think we’re sitting here talking tae you?”
Silence.
“Right, if Ah’m in, we need tae go caw-canny and be clear ae how we progress this.”
“We’re listening,” Simon said.
“We’ll need tae set up a separate company tae the flats. If there’s a three-way partnership, then it his tae be standalone. Ah don’t see any problems targeting the derelict properties that ur sitting empty doon there, bit the company needs tae establish a fithold in the mair established parts ae the toon, so as no tae raise suspicion. Ye widnae believe how competitive some ae the basturts ur oot there,” she said wae a flourish ae her haun across tae the windae. “By that, Ah mean up aboot Bath Street, West Regent Street.”
“Bit we don’t want tae be up there. We want tae be doon at The Candleriggs side ae the toon.”
“Aye, Ah know, bit we’re no talking aboot the size ae places like The Burn’s Howff. That wid raise mair than a few eyebrows. Let’s target the wee places. There’s plenty ae wee independent travel agency shoaps that ur gaun tae the wall. We kin take them o’er and let them continue tae run at a loss fur a year or so before we shut them doon. It means we won’t hiv tae change their use until we’re ready, so shouldnae attract too much attention. The rateable values fur these wee premises ur between a thousand and fifteen hunner quid a year, so we’re talking aboot picking them up fur a couple ae grand maximum. Wance we set up the company in Wee Mary’s name, we kin start looking aboot fur suitable premises. Dis that sound like a starter fur ten?” she asked them.
“Where’s the catch?” Tony asked her.
“There isnae wan.”
“Okay, how aboot telling us where the hidden traps ur?”
“Traps? Oh there’s plenty ae them we’ll hiv tae watch oot fur. Ah know a good firm that’ll dae aw the paperwork…Ah’ve used them loads ae time…very discrete. They’re called Rainbow Acquisitions. Aw above board. Ye’re talking five tae seven percent tops, seeing who the clients ur. They’ll dae aw the legal work, before haunin o’er the day-tae-day reins tae Wee Mary here. She’ll be the new company’s managing director, managing the operations oan a day-tae-day basis. Oor biggest problem will be getting a licence fae The Corporation tae operate a drinking establishment.”
“Fur a continental café? We’re no talking aboot pubs here, Donna.”
“McCann and Barrow?”
“Who the fuck ur they?”
“Cooncillors. Withoot their go-aheid, then ye kin furget it. You, we, wid be wasting oor dosh. It could be a costly gamble youse ur talking aboot here. That pair ae crooks will hiv their contacts doon in Central investigating everywan attached tae the new company as soon as we apply fur a drinks licence, so they will.”
“Withoot the drinks licence, then there’s nae point in gaun aheid,” Simon admitted.
“Aye, well, there’s another problem…far bigger than that pair ae vultures, so there is.”
“Whit?”
“Wan-bob Broon.”
“Wan-bob?”
“The only way we’re gonnae get a drinks licence is if he agrees.”
“Whit the fuck his this tae dae wae him? It’s no as if we’re daeing anything illegal.”
“Pat Molloy, The Big Man, his hid the toon sewn up since the fifties fur the likes ae people like youse, so he his. That mantle wis left wae Wan-bob efter Pat semi-retired tae Spain. There’s no way anywan wae a background like yours wid get the nod. That’s how they control the toon centre. Wan-bob gets a list ae aw the applications, well in advance ae them gaun tae the licensing committee. If he scores a pencil through an applicant’s address, then there’s no way it’ll be approved.�
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“Fuck!” Simon cursed.
“So, who’s behind this McCann and…and?”
“Barrow?”
“Barrow,” Tony asked.
“Ah’ll let ye hiv wan guess,” Donna replied, chortling, blowing oot a wee thin blue stream ae smoke fae between her pouting lips. “So, withoot the nod fae Wan-bob, him that’s lying up in The Bar-L, oot ae circulation, ye kin furget this wee risky enterprise. There widnae be any point in proceeding. We’d be pouring money doon the drain.”
“Ah hate that fucking miserable basturt, so Ah dae,” Simon cursed again. “Whit dae ye think Tony?”
“Whit kind ae name should we go fur, fur the new company, Donna,” Tony asked, as her and Wee Mary smiled at each other.
“See how special this pair ur, Mary, hen? You jist mind and sit there wae they ears ae yers peeled back and learn,” Donna purred tae her apprentice, sticking a fresh fag intae her fag holder.
“How aboot Merchant City Enterprises? That’s sounds cool,” Tony suggested.
“Too loud…at least at this stage,” she replied, puffing away. “We don’t want tae gie the game away before we get aff the ground.”
“City Centre Leisure?” Simon chipped in.
“Suggests ye’re gaun intae the entertainment industry. Entertaining suggests gambling. Mary Doll?”
“Toon Centre Holdings?”
“Brilliant,” Tony and Simon said thegither, laughing.
“Toon Centre Holdings it is then,” Simon said, nodding, as Donna looked proudly across at her young prodigy.
“Right, then, if there’s nothing mair tae be said, Ah better go and get masel some self-induced indigestion wae a certain nurse,” Tony announced, staunin up.
“Aye, well, you mind and remember whit Ah telt ye earlier, Tony Gucci. That poor wee soul his been through the wringer as it is, so don’t you go upsetting her,” Donna called efter them, as they disappeared through her office door.
Chapter Eighteen
Senga inhaled a deep breath as she followed the maître d’ ae La Tanterna’s, the fancy upmarket Atalian restaurant oan Hope Street, tae the quiet corner table, well away fae the front door. She hesitated slightly, before deciding oan whit chair tae sit doon oan, eventually deciding oan the wan that meant her back wid be tae the windaes facing oan tae the street. There wis no point in noising him up before they’d even started. She knew fine well he widnae be comfortable sitting in the place, unless he could see who wis coming and gaun through the front door. Auld habits died hard and that wisnae wan tae be jiggled aboot wae. Aw the lassies used tae deliberately noise up The Mankys whenever they nipped in fur a bite tae eat in Salty Tony’s chippy or tae the café beside The Princes Bingo Hall oan Gourlay Street when they wur younger. Although they’d only been in their early teens and still at school, Senga and the lassies used tae laugh at them, sitting there looking mair and mair uncomfortable, before they’d staun up and practically throw them aff the chairs they wur sitting oan so they could sit facing the door. The warnings hid become like a stuck record and the boys wid let them know before entering an eatery that they hid first shout ae the sitting arrangements. Even in the classroom at The Albert Secondary, Simon, Snappy, Ben and Peter always sat up at the back ae the classroom, facing the door. When she thought aboot it, this probably summed up the pecking order in the relationship stakes between the boys and the lassies. Business first and everything else second. She looked aboot at the other lunchtime diners, maistly business and office types, and wondered if Tony hid gied her a dizzy or deliberately held back tae see if she’d turn up. Turn up? She’d practically ran aw the way intae the toon centre fae that flat ae hers in Barrington Drive.