The Silver Arrow (10 page)

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

  Westclox Scotland, the clock manufacturers, is hosting a Space Seminar at its Dumbarton plant to launch the introduction of ‘Quartz’ time-keeping. Guest of honours will be space astronaut, Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon and British Astronomer, Sir Patrick Moore. Also attending will be…

  Police have raided numerous premises and businesses in the early hours of this morning in the hunt for The Silver Arrow.  Addresses in Uddingston, Bellshill, Motherwell and Wishaw have been targeted, suggesting that police are working on a tip-off. Meanwhile a local Glasgow businessman, Henry Palmer Stuart, one of Scotland’s largest Mercedes Benz showroom owners, who has premises on Great Western Road, has offered one thousand pounds reward to anyone that can lead police to the culprit that is bringing the city unwanted negative publicity throughout Europe.  Mr Palmer Stuart admitted recently that sales in Mercedes Benz in his Glasgow showroom have increased by over two hundred and fifty percent over the past year, but claims this is as a result of the quality of the current models and not the 1930s sports car…

  Two adults are believed to be dead after fire ripped through their tenement block on Dumbarton Road last night.  Seven families had to be led to safety as a precaution by Fire Brigade members and are still not allowed back to their homes tonight.  The couple that died are…”

Chapter Eleven

  “Fur Christ’s sake, whit a bloody heat,” Donna Howie, The Big Man’s wee sister, exclaimed fur the umpteenth time fae the back seat ae the Daimler, as it turned sharp left intae the sweeping drive.

  “Aye, it wis eighty four degrees Fahrenheit at ten o’clock this morning, in the shade, jist before Ah left tae pick youse up fae the airport,” The Goat said fae behind the wheel, as he waited fur the electric gates tae open. 

  “Welcome tae La Hacienda,” a beaming Pat Molloy shouted, erms open wide, fae the tap ae the entrance steps tae the villa.  “Leave yer cases there.  The Goat will bring them in,” he added, as that wee sister ae his squealed and ran up the steps tae gie her big brother a kiss and a cuddle.

  “Aw, Pat, it’s beautiful, so it is,” she beamed, looking back towards Marbella and the boats in the harbour.

  “That’s nothing, hen.  Wait until ye see inside,” The Big Man bragged, shaking his brother-in-law’s haun o’er his sister’s shoulder.

  “Donna, Oh ma God, youse hiv arrived,” The Big Man’s twenty-five-year-auld, bleached-blonde, bikini-clad secretary, Bet, screamed, gieing Donna a hug and dragging her aff fur a tour ae the newly-built villa.

  “Right, Bruce, let’s take advantage and hiv oorsels a wee dram and a chin-wag before the lassies come back, eh?” The Big Man suggested, clamping his erm roond the shoulders ae his brother-in-law and leading him inside.

  “Christ, Pat, this is unbelievable, so it is.  It must’ve cost an erm and a leg, at least.”

  “Ha, ha, it’s funny ye should say that, Bruce,” The Big Man chortled.  “Here, grab yersel a pew and get that doon ye,” he beamed, passing across a large whisky wae a dash ae iced water.

  “Coo-ee, Ah’m jist away aff tae put oan ma bikini, Bruce,” Donna shouted fae the poolside through the open patio doors, as Bet lead her aff by the haun, squealing.

  “Christ, ye couldnae get me a secretary like her, could ye, Pat?” his brother-in-law said, eyes following the pert arse that wis dragging aff his frumpy-made up wife tae get changed.

  “Aye, she’s pretty tasty, isn’t she?  Mind you, she kin hardly spell her ain bloody name, never mind type a bloody letter,” The Big Man cackled, following his brother-in-law’s gaze.

  “So, before Donna comes back, Ah’ve goat a wee present fur ye,” Bruce Howie said, bending o’er and taking a thick broon envelope oot ae his briefcase and haunin it o’er tae that brother-in-law ae his.

  “And whit dae we hiv here, eh?” The Big Man wondered oot loud, plapping that well-tanned arse doon, as he scanned the list ae names.

  “Oan the first page is an alphabetical list ae aw ma offenders that hiv hid any connections wae The McGregors o’er the past three years.  Efter that, ye’ve goat the full statements ae any that hiv either been coerced or hiv voluntarily grassed oan their co-accused or associates tae get aff or receive a mair lenient sentence, when they’ve appeared up in court.”

  “Ah’m impressed,” The Big Man whistled, flicking through the pages.

  “Jist look oan it as a wee hoosewarming present, eh?  The info at the back is an intelligence report oan the areas ae interest that The McGregor Clan ur involved in, as well as the estimated financial turno’er fur the next three years.  Also, Ah’m getting wan ae The McGregors’ main boys, Big John McGrath, who’s currently up in Peterheid jist noo, as part ae whit they’re calling a pilot project that’s kicking aff soon.  Ah gleaned this oot ae his file.  Ye’ll notice that cannabis is expected tae take a wee tumble tae cocaine next year, although they’re still anticipating that they’ll hiv tae increase the supply year oan year due tae constant demand.”

  “Dis it say how it’s coming in?”

  “They reckon a combination ae Glesga Airport, Mavisbank Quay, Springfield Quay, and Windmillcroft Quay…bit there’s a wee anomaly.  It’s only a couple ae lines at the bottom ae the second last page, bit ye’ll see that it mentions an independent, who’s no attached tae The McGregors, who’s set up a rat line and is supplying wee amounts ae coke tae somewan called Harding Lennox, who Ah assume is wan ae The McGregors.”

  “Aye, Ah know Harding…thick as two short planks, bit as deadly as a croc.”

  “Aye, well, whoever the independent is, it’s either coming in through the Yorkhill Quay’s East Basin or Meadowside Quay, which Ah believe is…er, your side ae the river,” Bruce Howie said, feeling his arse twitch as his brother-in-law’s eyes narrowed.

  “Ah take it nobody back in Glesga his seen this?” The Big Man asked menacingly, haudin up the file and looking across at that social worker brother-in-law ae his.

  “Naw, it’s a collection fae different sources that Ah’ve compiled masel o’er the past week tae ten days.  Ah thought it might be ae use tae ye, particularly seeing as ye gifted me and Donna that lovely detached hoose across in Giffnock as a wedding present.  Ye should see the plants we put in last year…they’re aw up and daeing well.  Thanks fur that, Pat,” the social worker said, wae relief, toasting Pat wae his glass, his gratitude being waved away by The Big Man.

  “She’s the only family Ah’ve goat and she’s lucky tae hiv somewan as respectable as yersel, Bruce,” The Big Man replied, back tae being his genial self.

  “Oh, and there’s something else.  Changes ur afoot.  Ah’m no sure how long Ah’ll still manage tae get access tae info oan they McGregors.  Ah’m being shifted intae the toon centre.  They’ve gied me an office doon in Osborne Street where the auld probation offices used tae be.  Ah’ve been promoted, tae heid up this pilot jail project that The Department in Edinburgh ur pushing, in partnership wae Stirling University.  It’s called The Stirling Pilot Project. Ye hivnae come across a toe-rag Ned by the name ae Anthony Gucci, hiv ye?”

  “Tony Gucci?  Ach, Ah know young Tony well.  A fine wee pain in the arse, if ever there wis wan.  Wid waste ye as soon as look at ye, so he wid.  Why, whit’s he done noo?”

  “Whit’s he done?  Nothing…bit him and the two cronies that goat lifted wae him hiv been picked fur early release as part ae this project.  Ye should see the form oan them.  Christ, they’ve goat as much chance ae staying oot ae trouble as Ah hiv ae getting masel a wee secretary like the wan that’s padding aboot, scantily-dressed, wae Donna oot by the pool.”

  “So, whit dis that mean then?”

  “It means they’re being let oot six months before their release date, which in normal circumstances wid’ve been a non-starter, wae their previous convictions.  The supervision terms oan them will be tough and if they fuck up, they’ll be back tae the clink wae an extra year’s supervision oan tap when they’re finally released.”

  “Ah’m surprised somewan like Tony Gucci his gone fur that.  The jail must be getting tae him.”

  “Aye, well, there ye go.”

  “So, when ur they due tae be getting oot?”

  “Monday the 9th
ae December…jist in time fur Christmas.”

  “Christ, Wan-bob will be mair than pleased tae hear that.  Gucci’s crowd oan the ootside ur causing waves.  They’re the wans that ur behind aw the post office haud-ups and lorry hijackings in the north ae the city o’er the past couple ae years.  They’re getting the blame fur the bizzies gaun oot ermed tae the teeth, efter a few ae the GPO drivers ended up getting shot fur hivving a go insteid ae haunin o’er their dosh.  Ah’ve hid tae put ma fit doon wae Wan-bob.  He says Charlie Hastie his been itching tae kneecap a few ae them because they won’t take a telling, so they wullnae,” The Big Man laughed.  “Hiv they been telt when their release date will be?”

  “Ah doubt it.  The process will take another few weeks, plus nothing will happen until Ah’m back at work.  Wance Ah set up the supervision terms and timetable, Ah’ve tae let The Department in Edinburgh know.”

  “Brilliant.  Look, Bruce, here’s whit Ah want ye tae dae.  When you and Donna go back next week, let Wan-bob know whit’s happening.  Ask him tae get word tae Tony Gucci, informing him ae the release date and tae let him know that Ah’ve been bursting ma baws tae get them this early parole deal.  That wee Atalian will be coming oot making aw sorts ae demands.  If Ah know Tony-boy, he’ll be bleating that we owe him, so this should gie us some brownie points tae start aff wae.  He’ll be a pain in the arse, bit he’ll be able tae tug in the reigns ae some ae they manky-arsed boys ae his.  It’ll be good tae let him think we’ve been beavering away tae get him and that other pair ae bampots that wur jailed wae him oot ae the jail early,” The Big Man telt him, laughing.

  “And the supervision?  Is there anything Ah kin dae tae help ye oot there?”

  “Aye, keep them oan a really tight lease, bit no enough tae get them recalled tae jail.  If Tony and the rest ae his young manky mob start getting uppity, it’ll mean Ah kin get shot ae them fur a wee while at short notice, tae allow the dust tae settle.  Noo, Bruce, let’s get ye intae yer Speedos and Ah’ll gie ye a tour ae La Hacienda,” The Big Man announced, placing The McGregor info intae his safe, hidden behind wan ae the doors ae the sideboard, jist as Bet and Donna accepted a glass ae chilled Sangria fae The Goat, who’d arrived a few seconds earlier, carrying a jug full ae the iced Spanish drink.

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

  IRA bomber, Judith Ward, 25, received a life sentence for each of the twelve people who died when the army coach they were travelling in exploded on the M62 motorway.  The sentences are to run concurrently along with three other sentences of up to 20 years for causing explosions.  It is believed that Ward joined the army on the instructions of the IRA…

  Four weeks after its last outing and a local car dealer recently offering a substantial reward for information leading to his arrest, The Silver Arrow has been out and about once more on Great Western Road, in the early hours of this morning.  This time, amazing footage has been captured on film by the Glasgow Echo’s very own photographer, Tommy Print…known by readers as Slipper.  Those readers woke up to three dramatic pages of photographs of the racing car being pursued by the city’s finest this morning.  In one dramatic shot, it shows the vintage racing car doing a three hundred and sixty degree turn at Knightswood Cross, apparently in excess of eighty miles an hour.  In the photograph, the front two wheels and part of the driver’s helmeted head and goggles disguising his face, can be seen through a cloud of burning wheel smoke, as it attempted to shake off fourteen police squad cars in hot pursuit.  A resident living near the cross reported that the photograph depicting householders in the surrounding area, hanging out of their windows cheering and waving an assortment of Saint Andrews and Lion Rampant flags, whilst cheering on the show being played out on the road below had started about six months earlier.  Another resident, John Glen, claimed that they had heard the powerful engine of the racing car heading in their direction being pursued by the police with their sirens blaring from miles further down the road towards the city centre, giving everyone time to jump out of their beds and dash across to their windows.  Another resident, seventy-two-year-old, Elsie Forbes, claimed that her husband and her have moved their bed to beside the window of the living room of their home to ensure they don’t miss any of the action.

  “It’s all very exciting, especially for all us housebound elderly people,” Mrs Forbes said, before adding, ”Sometimes we have to wait a week or a month, but it’s all worth it.”

The Glasgow Echo said today that it had posted four journalists and photographers on a rota basis at strategic points along Great Western Road for the past month, in the hope of capturing the live action and said that they intended to print more dramatic scenes in tomorrow’s paper.  Police Superintendent John Bowers from the city’s traffic division condemned The Glasgow Echo for printing the photographs, claiming that they were glorifying a dangerous madman who has total disregard for law-abiding pedestrians going about their daily business, despite the fact that the average time that The Silver Arrow takes to the streets is between one and three o’clock in the morning when the roads are practically deserted…

  A thirty-two-year-old electrician died after being electrocuted on a building site in Baillieston Road earlier today.  Work colleagues from other trades who witnessed the accident were allowed home as police and health and safety officials investigated the accident…”