Dumfries (63 page)

  “Bit Haufwit goat the story mixed up by saying that it wis you that plugged Shaun Murphy,” Pat reminded Johnboy.  “Where did that come fae?”

  “Exactly,” Tony exclaimed, taking the lead again, and looking aroond, before continuing.  “Let’s say that there wur whispers aboot who wis involved in getting rid ae Shaun Murphy.  That could only hiv come fae somewan really close tae Wan-bob or Charlie Hastie…bit clearly no too close, because they didnae get the full story aboot the changing circumstances at the very last minute.  Wee Eck could’ve picked up a whisper that Johnboy wis in there somewhere…at least at the start…bit he obviously widnae hiv been privy tae whit eventually happened.  That turns Haufwit’s babbling intae jist gossip. It means no matter how much the bizzies tried, they’d never come up wae anything substantial tae prove Johnboy hid anything tae dae wae Shaun Murphy’s disappearance.  And another thing…Danny Murphy wid know fine well that Johnboy hid nothing tae dae wae his brother’s disappearance. That’s why we’re still staunin here, talking aboot it.  Think aboot it?  Danny did a lot ae sniffing aboot the day efter Shaun didnae appear hame.  Danny wis satisfied that he knew exactly where every wan ae us wis that night…especially Johnboy.  If he didnae, despite us being in jail, dae ye really think that any ae us wid’ve been left staunin?  Somehow Ah don’t think so.”

  “So, whit’s your thoughts, Silent?” Johnboy asked, instantly regretting hivving asked him.

  “Ah think Senga and her pal ur in serious bother and there’s nothing we kin dae aboot it, wae us being in here,” Silent replied.

  “Oh Fanny, that wis amazing, so it wis,” Senga cooed, picking up a dish towel and taking the wet soapy plate fae Alison’s haun at the sink.  “Whit wis it called again?”

  “Lasagne.  It’s Italian.  Jardine worked in Italy for a couple of years before I met him and he showed me how to make it.  It’s actually quite easy,” Fanny replied, taking the dried plate fae Senga and stacking it in the cupboard.  “He makes great pizzas too.”

  “He dis not?  Ye mean real pizzas?  The wans that come fae Italy?  Christ, ye’ll need tae tell me where tae find somewan like him.  Ah honestly don’t think ma da knows whit a cooker is.  He probably thinks it’s goat something tae dae wae the plumbing.  Don’t tell me that man ae yers is a dab-haun at the cooking as well, Alison?”  Senga asked her, as Alison nodded, smiling.

  “Have you never been to an Italian restaurant, Senga?  And you living in Glasgow, as well.”

  “Ah’ve walked passed a few, bit it’s the thought ae eating garlic that puts me aff, although hivving said that, they Atalian waiters aw look quite tasty,” Senga replied, laughing.

  “So you don’t like garlic then?”

  “Yuk!” Senga replied, screwing up her face.

  “Oh well, I’m glad I only used three garlic cloves in the bolognaise sauce then,” Fanny confessed smiling, as Alison laughed silently.

  “Fanny, tell me ye’re hivving me oan,” Senga screeched in mock horror, putting the palm ae her haun up in front ae her mooth, breathing oot and sniffing at the same time.  “Ah’ll be reeking fur weeks, so Ah will,” she wailed.

  “It’s supposed to be good for your blood,” the pad said, fae where Alison hid gone back tae sit at the table.

  “So ur veins, bit it disnae mean tae say that Ah’d want tae eat any,” Senga replied, as Fanny held a fresh bottle ae wine up, getting nods ae approval fae the other two.

  “Nice wan, Silent, ya fucking eejit, ye,” Snappy scowled.

  “Is that whit Simon thinks?” Johnboy asked Tony, ignoring whit Silent hid jist come oot wae and trying no tae throw up. “That Senga and her flatmate ur goosed?”

  “Aye, something like that,” Tony nodded. “That goes fur Ben, Jake and Peter as well.  Simon says they’re aw amazed at the fluke that allowed Senga’s flatmate no tae be exposed.  He reckons that Wan-bob must’ve been operating aff the original staff list, insteid ae the amended wan that wid’ve included Senga’s flatmate’s name.”

  “Bit if Wan-bob believes it’s aw done and dusted, he’s no gonnae be sniffing aboot, is he?” Johnboy retorted in desperation, looking aboot at the faces.

  “The problem is The Stalker.  He’s no gonnae let it rest if he knows who the fuck wis involved in the wipe-oot job ae The Simpsons.  It wid prove he wis right aw alang and if that stupid prick knows, then probably hauf the toon will know soon enough,” Snappy volunteered.

  “Aye, bit wid he know they goat the wrang nurse?” Johnboy challenged them.

  Silence.

  “Look, Ah know ye don’t want tae hear this, bit Ah think we hiv tae be realistic here, Johnboy…” Tony started tae say, before being interrupted.

  “Ah fucking swear tae God, Tony, if any ae they basturts lay a single finger oan wan hair ae her heid, Ah’ll bloody-well spend ma whole waking life trying tae escape fae here and Ah’ll skin that fucking Wan-bob Broon alive and any other basturt that stauns in ma way…see if Ah don’t,” Johnboy snarled at them helplessly, feeling the panic well-up inside his stomach, as everywan except Silent and Tony averted their eyes.

  “Look, Johnboy, we’re aw wae ye here…ye don’t hiv tae convince us aboot how upset ye ur, bit we’ve goat tae keep cool heids aboot us.  We need tae work something oot fur ma visit wae Simon the morra.  We’ve only goat until nine o’clock tae work something oot, before we’re back up the stairs tae oor cells.  You letting aff steam is fine, bit it’s taking up precious time that we don’t really hiv.  Noo, Ah know…we aw know…that Senga is very special tae ye.  Christ, she’s oor mate as well, bit you sitting there raving and ranting at the people who’re trying tae work something oot isnae gonnae help anywan.  We need tae be able tae say whit we want, free tae explore how the fuck we’re gonnae find a solution tae this.  Ah realise it’s hard, bit we hiv tae look at everything…aw the angles here…including the possibility that Senga might…er, possibly, get hurt at the end ae the day,” Tony soothed quietly.

  “Ye mean wasted,” Johnboy groaned, looking away, feeling dizzy, helpless, close tae tears, waves ae panic rushing up through his body and taking o’er his senses.

  “Maybe,” Tony agreed, nodding that heid ae his oan behauf ae everywan.

  “You seemed upset today, Senga.  Is everything alright?” the pad asked, as they sat curled up oan the two sofas facing each other in the living room, sipping wine, wae logs crackling in the grate.

  “Aye, bit Ah must admit, it wis extremely emotional seeing him again.  Ah feel pretty bad aboot it noo,” Senga admitted, smiling wanly.

  “It must have been painful for you…both of you,” Fanny said, reaching o’er and touching Senga’s erm fae her end ae the couch.

  “Ah jist don’t know whit came o’er me.  He made me so angry that Ah jist flipped and hit him wae a moothful ae verbal.  Christ, ye wid’ve thought it wis me that wis daeing time, insteid ae him,” Senga groaned, shaking her heid as she looked at them.

  “So, it wasn’t anything he said?” Fanny asked, looking across at Alison.

  “Johnboy?  Naw…well, aye…bit no in the way ye’re suggesting.  It’s that detached attitude ae his that seems tae set me aff.  Ah still cannae read where he’s coming fae, if ye know whit Ah mean?  It’s difficult, even efter aw this time, tae know whit’s gaun roond in that heid ae his.  He’s goat an uncanny habit ae pressing a button and setting me aff.  Ah don’t quite understaun how he manages it.  Ah never see it coming.  Ah’m still no sure if he knows he’s daeing it, bit then again, Ah think tae masel, hing oan a minute, there isnae much he dis withoot first weighing up whit the consequences will be.  Maybe he’s jist a glutton fur punishment, eh?” Senga rambled, laughing.

  “Or he’s just a man?” the pad replied.

  “Aye, that probably explains it,” Senga agreed, as the three ae them chortled knowingly.

  “So, was there a particular reason for your visit today, Senga?  You’re the first visitor Johnboy has had since he’s been in Dumfries,” Fanny asked, taking Senga by surprise.

  “Oh…er…well, it’s…er…difficult fur me tae explain, so it is,” Senga replied, gieing Fanny a quick, nervous glance oot ae the side ae her eye, as Alison’s haun started writing furiously.

  “Look, we’re all professionals. We probably shouldn’t be sitting here in the first place, although I’m not sure what rules, if any, we’re breaking.  Why don’t we agree that what’s said here tonight stays here, within these walls?” the pad suggested tae Senga and Fanny.

  “Look, Ah don’t feel Ah’m daeing anything wrang either.  It’s jist youse Ah’m thinking ae…and Johnboy.  Ah don’t want tae get anywan intae trouble.  In fact, it might be better if Ah go,” Senga announced, swinging her feet fae under her legs.

  “Senga, please, stay,” Fanny pleaded. “You don’t have to say anything you don’t want to…honestly.  I agree with Alison…some people might disapprove, but it’s my home.  Anything said in here stays in here.”

  “Did you know that Fanny knew Johnboy when he was younger?” the pad asked, changing the subject away fae why Senga wis visiting Johnboy.

  “Did ye?” Senga asked, surprise in her voice, as she turned and looked at Fanny.

  “Yes, he must have only been about twelve or thirteen at the time.  I was the social worker in Thistle Park Approved School in Paisley when Johnboy, Tony Gucci, Joe McBride and Silent Smith were there.  In fact, there were quite a few boys from the Townhead and Roystonhill.  Talk about wild?” Fanny said, smiling.

  “Aye, Ah kin imagine.  Ah never saw them much during that period…they wur always locked up or oan the run.  Ah wid catch a glimpse ae them every noo and again, bit Ah never goat much ae a chance tae say hello because the polis wur usually hard oan their heels.  God, ma heart goes oot tae ye, Fanny,” Senga said, laughing.

  “I must admit, they totally fascinated me at the time.  I was a young social worker…well, a lot younger than I am now…in my first real job after qualifying.  When I say they were wild, I think feral would be a more accurate description.  At the time, I actually believed, despite opposition from the majority of the staff, that I could turn them around with their offending,” Fanny confessed, smiling, wryly.  “It was only relatively recently that I admitted to myself that they were just too challenging for me to have had any impact on.”

  “So, who else wis there fae the Toonheid then?  Kin ye remember?” Senga asked her.

  “Oh, let me see…Joseph O’Hara?”

  “Baby Huey.  He’s noo working as a bouncer-come-face-breaker fur wan ae the biggest gangsters in the city, so he is,” Senga said, nodding.

  “Thomas O’Malley?”

  “Tottie. Still oan the go…still a violent thug.”

  “Partick McSwiggan?”

  “Patsy…a mirror image ae Tottie.  Patsy’s favourite pastime wis wandering aboot punching people fur hivving the cheek tae look at him.  He walked aboot wae a permanent rain cloud above that heid ae his, even in the summer. Lives in a perpetual bad mood, so he dis.  Is he no in Dumfries jist noo?”

  “Yes.  He’s serving five years for assault with a deadly weapon,” Fanny acknowledged, a hauf smile oan her face. “Patrick Kelly?”

  “Poor Freckles.  He wis actually a really nice boy, despite being the best ae pals wae Tottie and Patsy.  He ended up getting accidently electrocuted while working in the kitchens in Polmont Borstal in 1971, at the same time as Johnboy and Silent wur there.  Although The Mankys didnae run aboot wae the Royston crowd, or The Uglies, as they called them, oan the ootside, they wur really upset aboot whit hid happened tae Freckles.  Freckles’ uncle, Wan-bob Broon, is probably the biggest gangster in the toon at the minute.  He looks jist like a smart businessman that cannae wait tae be oan the receiving end ae cuddles fae his grandweans when he goes hame at night, bit everywan is petrified ae him, including maist ae the polis.  It wid surprise ye whit ye pick up when ye work in a busy casualty department like The Royal.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear about Freckles, Senga.  He worked in the kitchen in Thistle Park too.”

  “My George would have been the Assistant Governor in Polmont at the time,” the pad said.

“And then there was Joseph McManus.  Although the Townhead and Roystonhill boys were all very close, he was the closest to Johnboy, Tony and Silent.”

  “Aye, poor Joe.  He ended up getting stabbed tae death by…” Senga said, before her voice trailed aff.

  Senga glanced across at Alison, looking embarrassed.

  “Thomas Simpson?” the pad asked.

  “Actually, it wisnae, it wis that brother ae his, Toby, and some ae his other henchmen,” Senga replied.

  “What happened, Senga?  Joe was as wild as the rest of them, but he always had a cheeky sense of humour,” Fanny asked, getting a reassuring nod fae Alison that she wis okay wae the conversation.

  “Joe made the fatal mistake ae falling in love and gaun oot wae Tam and Toby Simpson’s wee sister, Kate.  Kate wis ages wae masel.  She wis absolutely beautiful and went tae The Royal Academy ae Music and Drama wae Tony’s current girlfriend, Kim Sui’s, twin sister.  Despite warnings fae the rest ae The Mankys, and Tony in particular, tae stay well clear, Joe widnae take a telling.  Tony knew fine well that gaun oot wae somewan like Kate Simpson wid attract the wrath ae the brothers.  Seemingly, Joe hid been Kate’s first real boyfriend.  She wis whit ye wid probably call a beautiful pariah.  Wance other boys found oot who her brothers wur, ye widnae see them fur dust.  It wis a real sin fur poor Joe and Kate.  Despite the risk, Joe continued meeting up wae her, bringing her across tae Springburn tae socialise wae me and the other lassies who wur up at the visit the day.  The sad thing aboot it aw wis that he eventually let it be known tae The Mankys, that he’d decided tae stoap getting intae bother and wis looking at how tae get intae college and maybe learn a trade.  Kate hid an amazing influence oan him.  Anyway, even efter repeated threats and warnings fae Toby, who wis a well-known psycho, by the way, tae stay away fae that wee sister ae his, Joe jist carried oan.  Anytime Toby and his henchmen came across Joe oan the street they’d gie him a severe hiding.  The Mankys soon started tae retaliate and things started tae spiral oot ae control.  Anyway, tae cut a long story short, oan her eighteenth birthday and wae her Ma away doon tae Dunoon tae visit some sick auntie, did the brothers no catch Joe in the hoose in bed wae Kate?  They physically dragged him oot ae the hoose and doon the stairs, kicking and hitting him wae clubs before leaving him fur deid across oan the fitba pitches that separate Springburn fae Possilpark.  He wis in the hospital fur a few months, bit the damage hid awready been done due tae the severity ae the assault.  He wid never recover.  He’d ended up wae permanent brain damage.
Kate still continued tae visit him up in Stobhill Hospital where ma flatmate Lizzie noo works.  Aw the other lassies used tae go up tae see him as well, bit he rarely recognised any ae us, including Kate, his ma and da and young sister, Wee Mary.  Because ae his injuries, his features changed, he put oan weight and ye could hardly recognise him.  He’d get really upset because he wis incontinent.  Anyhow, wance it became clear he wisnae gonnae get well, and him no being able tae register who the hell Kate wis maist ae the time, Kate jist decided tae stay in her bed wan day insteid ae gaun tae college, listening tae the record that Joe hid goat her fur her eighteenth birthday.  When her ma arrived back hame later fae Dunoon, she found her.  Poor Kate hid committed suicide,” Senga said, tears filling her eyes, as Fanny and Alison’s hauns shot up tae their mooths.  “It wis absolutely devastating fur everywan involved.  Efter he goat discharged fae hospital, Joe used tae wander aboot the streets aimlessly, talking tae himsel.  It’s funny, bit no in a laughing way, that while aw the lassies went tae Kate’s funeral, which wis standing room only, Johnboy wis the only wan oot ae aw The Mankys that plucked up the courage tae attend, despite the clear and obvious danger he wis in fae Kate’s brothers and their henchmen.  Efter whit hid happened, and wae Kate being the only lassie in the hoose apart fae Mrs Simpson hersel, the brothers blamed The Mankys and increased their attacks oan them.  Noo, Tony Gucci and the rest ae them might only hiv been in their mid-teens, bit anywan who knew them wid’ve known full well that they widnae let anywan, no matter who they wur, push them aboot withoot pushing back,” Senga said, shrugging her shoulders, looking across at Alison.

  “I never knew much about the Simpson family when I had my affair with Thomas,” Alison wrote.

  “Naw, Ah dare say ye didnae.  None ae us lassies fae across in Springburn knew the full facts or the extent ae whit wis gaun oan either, at the time…we still don’t, Ah suppose.  Anyhow, tensions started reaching boiling point wae the boys, who wur forced tae lie low, keeping their heids doon, apart fae wee skirmishes happening every noo and again, and then the ceiling came crashing doon oan tap ae everywan.  Even though the whole ae Springburn knew fine well that Joe McManus wis severely disabled, Toby and they gorillas ae his continued tae assault him, either in frustration or tae try and bait Tony and The Mankys tae come and show their faces.  Anyway, wan night, Joe McManus wis ambling up Gourlay Street in Springburn oan his ain when a car screeched tae a halt ootside The Princes Bingo Hall.  Three men, consisting ae Toby Simpson, Jo Jo Robson and a right scary character called Frisky Frank McKenna jumped oot and started ladling intae poor Joe, who’d attempted tae escape through the foyer doors.  It wis then that Toby Simpson seemingly withdrew a big knife…a bayonet…fae inside his jaicket and repeatedly stabbed poor Joe tae death in front ae a couple ae auld age pensioners, who wur bingo regulars.”

  “My God!” Fanny gasped, her hauns involuntary gaun up and covering her mooth again.

  “Aye, it wis a terrible time fur everywan, especially fur Tony.  Although he never said, Ah think he always felt guilty fur no being able tae dae mair fur Joe.  It didnae help that him and Joe hid fallen oot jist before he’d been attacked the first time, efter Joe’d refused tae gie up seeing Kate Simpson.”

  “I’m sorry, Senga, it must have been terrible for you, all his friends and his family,” the pad said.

  “Aye, it wis a terrible time fur everywan.  Look at poor Mrs Simpson.  Two sons and a daughter, aw deid within a space ae a year tae fifteen months.  How dis somewan cope wae something like that?”

  “Were you aware that Tony Gucci and his friends were suspected of being behind the shooting of Thomas and me, when you were looking after me in The Royal Infirmary in Glasgow?” the pad asked.

  Alison looked Senga straight in the eye as Fanny shifted uncomfortably oan her end ae the sofa.

  “Despite whit ye might think, Alison, Ah’m no gonnae sit here and attempt tae defend the indefensible…bit the answer is naw…no at the time.  Ah did pick up a whisper a few months later, long efter you’d been discharged and moved oan, that some ae The Mankys hid possibly been involved, although Ah still find that hard tae believe.”

  “Why?” Fanny asked her.

  “If ye wur tae staun back and look at whit wis happening in Glesga at the time.  Two ae the biggest gangster gangs go tae war, vying tae be the tap dugs. According tae the newspapers and whit wis said oan the news at the time, it wis o’er territory.  It also involved big time gangsters fae up in Milton as well.  None ae us lassies that wur hinging aboot wae The Mankys at the time ever heard Milton being mentioned.  Granted, The Mankys hid been hivving trouble wae Toby Simpson, bit Ah think that wid’ve been a sideshow tae whit wis actually happening between the big boys.  The trouble at the time wae Tony Gucci’s crowd wis between them and Toby Simpson.  It wis o’er Kate Simpson winching Joe McManus…pathetic though that may sound.  Ah could be wrang, bit Ah suspect that Tam Simpson widnae even hiv been aware ae whit wis gaun oan between Toby and The Mankys,” Senga said, shrugging, before continuing.  “These people…the real gangsters…ur aw ages wae ma ain ma and da.  Everywan knows that tae be part ae that scene, ye’d need tae hiv proved yersel o’er a long period ae time…tae hiv built up a reputation as a hard man…tae even be in their company. Tony Gucci, at seventeen or eighteen at the time, and the rest ae The Mankys, some ae who wur even younger, wid never hiv been accepted as associates wae the likes ae them.  Granted, The Mankys ur well-known fur being scallywags…everywan knows that…bit planning and carrying oot the murder ae wan ae the biggest gangsters in Glesga?  Somehow, Ah don’t think so.  Think aboot it.  It wis Toby that murdered Joe.  He wis the wan that Tony Gucci and the rest ae the boys hid the bother wae.  Why wid somewan like Tony Gucci bypass Toby and go fur his elder brother, who wis the leader ae The Simpsons?  It jist disnae make sense.  Anywan who thinks they know how Tony Gucci’s brain works wid know fine well that it wid’ve been Toby he wid’ve gone fur, as a comeback fur Joe’s death.  Nowan oan the streets up in Springburn his ever, tae ma knowledge, linked Tony Gucci or any ae the other boys wae Tam Simpson’s murder.  Alison, believe it or no, bit somewan like me and ma pals, don’t hing aboot wae murderers.  Christ, Ah deal wae the eftermath ae violence every single day ae ma working life.  Dae ye think Ah’d leave work tae go and socialise wae the perpetrators responsible fur inflicting it?  There’s an inspector up in Springburn who isnae a very nice person.  Everywan calls him The Stalker.  He used tae be a sergeant in the Toonheid when we wur aw young.  Him and his sergeant partner, a right hard bugger they call Bumper, hiv been hivving run-ins wae Tony Gucci and Johnboy Taylor since they wur weans.  Ah heard that The Stalker hid been spreading it aboot that Tony Gucci hid been involved in your boyfri…er…Tam Simpson’s murder.  Ah also picked up through lugging in tae conversations between the polis at ma work, that none ae his colleagues ever took his allegations seriously, due tae there being a long history ae trouble between The Stalker and the Toonheid boys, or Tony Gucci in particular.  Wan ae the lassies hid brought it up wan night in Jonah’s, the lounge where aw us underage drinkers used tae drink,” Senga confessed, looking at them, as they aw smiled at each other.  “Ah think it wis Helen Birnie, wan ae the lassies that wis doon visiting Silent earlier, who asked Tony aboot it.  Anyway, he replied that despite being challenged fae various quarters, including his ain solicitor and fae the polis themsels, The Stalker could never produce any evidence.  When the press ur looking fur a story, especially when there isnae anything else worth printing, they always refer tae The Stalker’s allegations aboot some young thug who goes by an Atalian name who’s behind every crime known tae mankind in the north ae the city.  It’s funny, because the press always refer tae this inspector as ‘The Stalker’ insteid ae his real name ae Paddy McPhee.  Fur years, they’ve built him up as being the wan that always gets his man, bit in actual fact, the name originated fae the local wummin in the Toonheid, because he wis a well-known pervert, who used tae creep aboot the back courts ae the tenements at night, peeping in the windaes at aw the wummin and young lassies getting dressed and washed at their kitchen sinks, as maist ae the hooses didnae hiv inside bathrooms.  Noo, Ah’m no saying that Ah wid’ve known everything The Mankys wur up tae during the period ye goat injured, Alison, bit putting somewan like Tony Gucci in a league up there wae real big-time gangsters wid be stretching it.  Christ, Alison, ye should know fine well whit the scene is like, in a place like Glesga, you being a senior social worker up in Possil and aw that.”