Dumfries (53 page)

  “Oh, so you’re deciding whit happens next, aw ae a sudden, Simon?” Jake challenged him. “Noo, we’re getting somewhere.”

  “Jake, Ah goat everywan thegither so we could come up wae some sort ae fucking plan between noo and the visit, unless ye’ve a better idea?  Naw, Ah didnae think so.”

  “Dae ye think she’ll bite…wae the visit, Ah mean?” Jake asked, ignoring the barbed jibe.

  “Aye, Ah’ll gie ye yer due, Simon…that wis a smart move…trying tae convince her tae heid doon tae Dumfries tae visit Johnboy.  A direct link is important, so it is, fur further doon the track. It still wullnae keep Wan-bob and they bears ae his at bay though,” Peter cautioned.

  “Ah’m no sure she’s gonnae go fur it.  She seemed really funny when Ah suggested it.  Ah didnae want tae spook her any mair than Ah wis awready, so held back a wee bit.  She wis as jumpy as a baby Bambi, so she wis,” Simon hid said doubtfully. 

  “Naw, it wis the smart thing tae dae.  By getting her doon tae the visit, it’ll gie Tony and Johnboy options oan how they want tae play it,” Peter hid said, tae nods fae the others. 

  “Aye, bit the main thing is, how dae we keep Senga and that flatmate ae hers alive until then?  Who the hell will The Stalker let in oan that wee secret ae his, Ah wonder?” Simon hid asked them.

  “Peter?” Jake hid asked.

  “Ben?” Peter hid asked.

  “So, it’s back o’er tae yersel then, Simon,” Ben hid concluded, as the three ae them looked across at him and grinned.

  “
Good evening.  My name is John Turney and these are the news headlines in Scotland tonight.

  Chrysler workers in Linwood have unanimously agreed to call a halt to their strike action and have accepted a four hundred and twenty nine pounds pay rise.  The company has agreed an immediate generous pay deal that will increase workers’ annual wages to two thousand, six hundred and fifty pounds, based on a forty hour week…

  Two police officers were seriously injured after attempting to break up a fight between rival street gangs in Drumchapel last night.  Residents we spoke to said that gangs of youths have been waging war against each other for months now.  Police Inspector Jings Johnston praised his injured officers for their bravery and condemned the thugs who gave little thought to the decent hard-working householders in the area, who just wanted a bit of peace and quiet in their lives…

  A General Post Office was robbed of three and a half thousand pounds in broad daylight in Killearn Street, Possilpark, this morning.  The raiders broke into the premises and waited for staff to arrive before forcing the manager, Mr Bill Wright, to open the safe at gunpoint…

  A widow, out walking her two dogs, set them on a flasher this morning.  Mrs Barbara Ross was out walking with her two Dobermans at seven o’clock, when a man accosted her in front of the gates of Craigton Cemetery in Cardonald.  A thirty-two-year-old chef was later charged with breach of the peace and gross public misconduct, after being released from The Southern General where stitches were inserted in his arms and buttocks…”

Chapter Forty Five

  Johnboy hid initially scurried straight past it, determined tae shut the cell windae, tae stoap the smoke fae belching in, as the cell door behind him wis slammed shut.  He’d then suddenly whirled roond mid-step, ignoring the thick white clouds ae spiralling smoke billowing up fae the auld codger’s garden oan the other side ae the barbed-wire-topped fence.  He stood hesitating, staring at it, ignoring the repetitive slamming ae the cell doors as The Tormentor made his way roond the landing, until finally, a heavy silence hung in the air, apart fae the slow diminishing buzzing in his ears, as they goat used tae the sudden stillness.  It sat there, minus the envelope that hid delivered it, neatly folded in three, shouting oot at him tae pick it up, as his ears kicked in and started picking up the sounds ae different radios being switched oan in the other cells oan the landing. Distracted, he glanced at the bare brick wall tae his right, listening tae the sound ae radio stations being momentarily chosen, before being quickly discarded, as the needle zipped alang the wavelength in search ae something good.  It sounded quite like the intro tae Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish Ye Wur Here.’  He waited, glad ae the distraction. Bob Dalrymple, next door, finally settled oan ‘Superstition’ by Stevie Wonder, Snappy’s all-time favourite, even though it wisnae an auld tune.  Good choice, Johnboy said tae himsel, as he stood, hesitating, finding it hard tae keep his breathing steady, even efter aw this time, recognising her neat haunwriting, as he felt a deep sense ae longing well up inside ae him.  He felt his eyes burning, before he quickly swivelled roond and reaching up, slammed the wee gap in the windae shut.  The distraction hid gied him a few mair seconds tae compose himsel.  In the past eighteen months since being sentenced, he’d received three letters and a card.  The first letter hid been fae Senga, wishing him good luck, before telling him tae fuck aff due tae the fact that she hid a life tae be getting oan wae.  The second letter hid been tae inform him that his application, fur consideration tae appeal against his length ae sentence and conviction, hid been dismissed by the Appeals Court in Edinburgh.  The card hid been fae some faceless lackey oan behauf ae the Secretary ae State, acknowledging receipt ae his petition requesting his time back fur when he’d been
oan remand in Barlinnie.  The third letter hid come fae the same source telling him he wisnae getting his remand time back.  Although he widnae admit it tae anywan, he sometimes felt a bit envious when Tony, Pat, Silent or Snappy announced that they’d jist received a letter fae wan ae the lassies.  Snappy revelled in telling everywan when he goat mair than wan letter fae Frances oan the same day, which wis fair enough, seeing as the lucky basturt wid be oot and aboot soon.  At first, Johnboy wisnae sure why he’d fought the urge tae pick it up, as he blindly manoeuvred that arse ae his backwards, doon oan tae the mattress, withoot taking his eyes aff ae the letter…sitting there, tempting him…whispering tae him…telling him that no matter whit he wis thinking, he wis gonnae pick it up eventually…so why mess aboot, torturing himsel wae self-inflicting doubt?  Bit that’s exactly whit the problem hid been.  Even wae a third aff in remission, he still hid o’er eight years porridge time tae sup.  Despite constantly wondering how she wis daeing, who she wis wae…dreaming aboot her at night in his kip, she wis oan a different galaxy fae the wan he moved aboot in so whit wis the point?  At the end ae the day, did he really want tae be tormented by hearing fae her?  Could that heid ae his cope?

  “Why the fuck is she writing noo, efter aw this bloody time?” he cursed.  

  He hid enough oan his plate, trying tae survive the insanity that wis Dumfries, knowing he wis daeing time fur Snappy’s lack ae discipline.  He wis coping jist fine, and noo this?  Finally, his curiosity goat the better ae him, and he stretched oot they trembling fingers ae his, tae pick up the paper-lined, haun written words that wur seductively beckoning tae him.  He lay back oan the bed, trussing up the pillow behind his heid fur comfort, while at the same time, allowing himsel tae bathe in the scent that hid first hit they senses ae his the moment he’d entered the cell.  Somewan telt him that it wis the perfume fae their wrists that they dabbed oan in the morning or at night before they heided oot the door.  He’d wondered aboot that wan.  Somehow, he couldnae imagine somewan like Senga Jackson sprinkling perfume oan a letter tae somewan like him…no efter aw this time…that wid be sadistic torture.

  ‘Dear Johnboy, I hope this letter finds you well’…well, it did until noo, he girned tae himsel, before continuing, ‘and that you won’t be annoyed that I’ve decided to put pen to paper and write to you after such a long time.’  Something’s wrang, a voice in the back ae his heid shouted.  ‘I spoke to Angelo recently and he told me that some of the girls are coming down to Dumfries next weekend to visit Tony, Snappy, Pat and Silent and I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind me joining them, seeing as there’s transport being laid on?’ 

“Whit the fuck?” Johnboy hauf barked and hauf spluttered oot loud, sitting up, frowning, looking aboot in case this wis a wind-up, before turning back tae the page, no sure if he wis feeling light-heided due tae the perfume or whit he’d jist read.

  ‘I understand that you would need to send out a visiting pass, in fact, two passes - one for the Saturday and another for the Sunday.’  Angelo? Johnboy smiled.  Simon hid obviously telt Senga if she wis mentioning him, tae make sure and use his nom-de-plume fur getting access tae the jail.  Johnboy still couldnae believe that they daft screws hid fallen for Simon using the name ae Muhammad Ali’s trainer and corner man, Angelo Dundee, tae gain access tae visit Tony, seeing as his previous convictions instantly barred him fae getting access tae the jail. 

  “Simon, whit the fuck ur ye up tae noo?” Johnboy scowled, wondering if it wis Tony who’d put him up tae this.

  Tony and the rest ae The Mankys wur furever chiding him tae start writing and accepting letters fae the lassies ootside before he turned intae an auld, sad, morose cabbage.  Tony, despite knowing whit the response wid be, also kept asking him tae send oot a visiting pass when he wis sending his oot tae Simon.

‘I haven’t been up in Springburn for some time now, as I’m sharing a flat with one of the girls that I trained with and due to the shifts, I don’t get much free time these days, so the trip down would give me a chance to catch up with the girls…and you, of course.  Although Angelo says that he hasn’t seen or spoken to you since you were sentenced, he tells me that he’s heard that you’re keeping fine.  It was Angelo that suggested I come down with the girls, as I had to go around to his work to ask for some advice recently.  Whilst he was extremely helpful and understanding, he thought that you would welcome an opportunity for us to catch up.  It would also give me an opportunity to bring you up to date with what’s been happening in my life recently that I wouldn’t feel comfortable discussing in a letter.’  Advice?  Welcome?  An opportunity tae catch up?  Bring him up tae date oan whit’s been happening in her life?  He stood up and peered oot ae the windae at the auld man failing miserably tae put oot the fire wae whit looked like a grey blanket that hid obviously caught fire itsel, so wis helping tae burn his shed doon.  He glanced doon at the letter and read o’er that first part again fae the beginning, trying tae interpret whit she wisnae saying, as he paced back and forward between the windae and his cell door.  She hidnae said much else apart fae how Johnboy probably widnae recognise the changes happening up in Springburn and how she’d understaun if he didnae want tae see her, bit if he did, then she’d look forward tae the visit.  He went back tae staring oot the windae, appreciating the distraction, as the poor auld codger’s wife appeared, running oot ae the back ae the bungalow in her apron and slippers, clutching an overflowing basin ae spilling water, oot in front ae her, leaving big puddly, wet blotches oan the concrete path in her wake, as she scurried alang it tae help that man ae hers.  Thinking, dreaming and desiring Senga Jackson wis only jist getting tae be bearable efter an eighteen month distance fae when he’d last seen and spoken tae her through toughened glass in the visiting room up in Barlinnie.  Sitting opposite Senga Jackson in the flesh and watching her disappear efter two hours in a Dumfries visiting room where there widnae be a physical barrier between them wis another thing.  He wis well aware ae how subdued Pat and Snappy wur efter their visits.  Wae Silent, it wis a bit mair difficult tae tell, bit he could see how it affected them aw.  According tae Tony, he couldnae hiv Kim Sui doon because ae the conversations he needed tae hiv wae Simon…or so he claimed.  Johnboy hid always suspected that it wis tae dae wae no wanting his heid done in efter hivving tae sit there being tormented by the sight ae a beautiful lassie that he loved and no being able tae dae anything aboot it.  Why noo, efter aw this time?  Christ, she wis the last person he wanted tae see.  Why the fuck could people no keep oot ae his business?  His initial reaction wis tae confront the rest ae The Mankys and warn the basturts tae stoap fucking interfering, bit oan reflection, he knew that wid only gie them the opportunity they wur looking fur, tae noise him up.  Fuck them.  The letter wid join her other wan in the crisp box under his bed.  And, as fur Senga Jackson?  She’d absolutely nae bloody chance ae getting a visiting pass sent oot tae her.  He wisnae gonnae be used as an excuse so that she could hiv a Saturday night oot in Dumfries wae the lassies…the cheeky basturt.  Johnboy sat doon oan the bed and read the letter again, savouring her perfume and haunwriting, knowing that it wis fae her.  He wis jist aboot tae reach doon tae put the letter in the crisp box, when he detected the faint squeak ae shoe leather oan the landing.  He glanced across at the spy-hole, embedded in the studded metal door.  The screws hid been pretty active lately.  Three times in the past two weeks they’d crept up tae his cell, before storming in, hoping tae catch him unawares.

  They wur always oan the go, turning the place upside doon in search ae contraband.  It wisnae such a big deal fur Johnboy as he hid few possessions worth bothering aboot.  It wis the guys who’d personal mementos like photographs ae their wives, girlfriends or weans that tended tae come aff worst, as the screws deliberately wrecked their cells during a so-called routine search, usually damaging the few prized possessions the YO kept tae keep his sanity in check.  He jist hid time tae tuck the letter under his pillow and sit back oan the bed in preparedness, as the rasping sound ae a key being inserted intae the lock telt him an unplanned visit wis oan.  Johnboy could’ve been daeing withoot the company, bit he didnae feel he could tell Father Leonard tae piss aff, seeing as the poor basturt hid obviously climbed up four flights ae stairs.  He hid a determined look oan that face ae his and wis clutching whit looked like a tape machine in his haun.

  “Ah thought you and yer social worker pal didnae carry keys aboot wae youse?” Johnboy challenged him, as the wheezing priest lay the machine oan Johnboy’s desk before plapping that arse ae his doon oan the only chair.

  “We don’t, but on the odd occasion when it’s required, we can book one out.  It’s hot,” the priest declared, lifting up Ralph Parker’s fancy leather bound, signed, first edition copy ae ‘Wan Day in the Life ae Ivan Denisovich’ that Tony hid loaned him, and started using it as a fan.

  “So, who won the competition then?” Johnboy asked him, smiling, wondering whit the priest wid say if he knew he wis using part ae the haul fae a break-in oan Lord Owen, the owner ae The Glesga Echo’s fancy hoose, across in the West End ae Glesga tae cool himsel doon.

  “I’m not sure.  The Chief, Mr Baker, hasn’t asked for feedback from either me or Fanny.”

  “So, how did yer group dae wae the exercise?”

  “Oh, fine, fine.”

  “Did they come up wae any good answers?”

  “Some.”

  “So, ye’re no prepared tae spill the beans then?”

  “I think Mr Baker, The Chief, is still considering whether or not to declare a winner.  Until then, it’s probably better if I keep quiet until I hear otherwise.”

  “So, he’s gonnae declare the results then?”

  “I’m not sure.  I tried raising it with him, but the increase in tension that’s being growing over the past few weeks in the establishment is distracting him.”

  “That’s self-inflicted, so it is.  He brought this aboot by hivving a go at Wee Mick McGeachy by putting him oan report because he telt him tae keep his shite advice tae himsel…that and the fact that Dickheid Dick and his squinty-eyed pal, The Tormentor, hiv been leading the charge and hivving a go at guys doon in the digger.”     

  “I think there’s blame on both sides.”

  “That pair hiv a sticky end coming tae them someday, Father.  You mark ma words.  Ah don’t know whit the score wis in the past, bit some ae the YOs currently daeing time in here jist won’t accept that kind ae prolonged shite.  If Napoleon The Pig didnae go aboot raising people’s expectations and then end up reneging oan agreements made, the place wid be a lot mair at peace wae itsel,” Johnboy retorted, frowning at the wee tape machine.

  “Something smells nice other than burning leaves,” the priest said, sniffing the air, as the clattering sounds ae a fire engine drawing near could be heard in the distance.

  “Aye, Ah’ve jist received a letter, oot ae the blue, fae a lassie Ah wance knew oan the ootside.  Ah wish Ah knew whit her perfume wis called.  It’s really nice.”

  “Girlfriend?”

  “Well, Ah suppose ye could call her that, bit no the type ye cuddle and try and get aff wae.”

  “Oh?”

  “Aye, she’s mair like a sister…a pal…if ye know whit Ah mean?  That’s no tae say the thought hidnae crossed ma mind oan mair than a few occasions, bit it never worked oot where anything could’ve happened,” he smiled wistfully.