His pals laughed. Dazza wasn’t deterred, he was loving it.
‘Look, Glasgow is all over the telly, right? London and everything. America, Japan, the lot. Fucking everywhere. No such thing as bad publicity, right?’
‘You’re a fud, Daz.’
‘Should put you in charge of tourism at the council chambers, Dazza.’
‘Telling youse,’ said Dazza with a cackle.
‘Yer baws, man,’ shouted another. ‘Good crack, right enough. Tell you what I heard though…’
He paused for effect.
‘Spit it oot, big man.’
The big man laughed.
‘Well, way I heard it, it’s some mad Tim that’s doing the killings,’ conspired the big man.
‘Ah, for fuck’s sake, big yin. You’re making Daz sound like a genius.’
‘Blacky, I’ve heard it all now, man. A fucking Catholic conspiracy. Yer arse.’
‘Just telling youse what I heard. That lawyer was a Rangers season ticket holder, right? Cops said so. Everybody knows that Tierney worked for Alec Kirkwood an he’s a big Bluenose. And that last guy, Wallace Ogilvie, come on. A Hun name if ever I heard one.’
‘Bollocks. My old man knew that Billy Hutchison and he was a Thistle man. How’s that fit into your theory?’
‘Aye, but who did he really support?’
They all laughed. Funny guys.
‘Here, Neilly. Tell them what you did with wee Janice.’
‘Aw, fuck off, man,’ said Neilly.
‘Spill, ya bam. What did you do?’
Neilly laughed.
‘She was over at mine and I was getting nowhere fast. She was for the off so I started laying it on thick about the Ripper and all that. Didnae actually say she’d get murdered if she walked home but I think she maybe got that impression.’
‘Genius, man.’
‘I was giving it, “Oh the cops have no idea, could strike anywhere at any minute, wisnae safe for someone as nice as her, would hate it if anything happened to her.” She caved, stayed the night at mine and I pumped her rotten.’
‘Sweet. Was she safe walking home the next morning?’
‘Oh aye. Sound as a pound.’
The four of them were still sniggering like halfwits when I dropped them on Bath Street. Talked about nothing except the killer. Said nothing to me except ‘Kushion, driver,’ and ‘Cheers, mate.’
The same night two girls got in. Late twenties maybe. Obviously had a good night. Picked them up outside the Garage on Sauchiehall Street. I was third in the rank when I pulled up and saw the queue shivering in late October chill. Doesn’t matter what time of year it is, Glasgow clubbers wear as little as possible. I got to the front and they tottered over in high heels, holding hands.
It took all of two minutes for the conversation to turn to the serial killer. I seemed to hear the word and read it from the blonde’s lipglossed mouth at the same time. Ripper. The words before it didn’t register but that one did. I heard from that point on.
‘… Ripper, don’t you think?’
‘Nah, he didn’t look like he could rip open a packet of crisps. That creep in the yellow shirt though. Definite candidate.’
‘God, aye. He was a freak. Weird eyes, right stare on him.’
‘I think that might just have been your tits.’
‘Well true, he wasn’t the only one having difficulty looking at my face when he spoke to me. Disnae mean he wasn’t a weirdo though.’
‘Place was full of them the night.’
‘No change there.’
‘Ah know, but I didn’t use to think there was maybe a psycho serial killer among them. Just thought they were chancers and pervy bastards.’
‘Scares the shit out of me, Mel.’
‘Ah know. Didnae think something like that could happen here. It’s no New York.’
‘Has though. Four times. Christ.’
‘Mental.’
‘Ah know. My old man has an Annie Rooney every time ah go out. Would be staying in till this freak’s caught if he had his way.’
‘Right, we’ll get the driver to stop at yours first so you’ll no be left on your own.’
‘Naw, naw, it’s cool. You get dropped off first. I’ll text my dad and he can meet me at the door to the close.’
‘No, I’ll just be worried. Drop you off first. Then I’ll no worry.’
‘Yeah, but then I’ll be worrying.’
‘Well, why don’t we both just get dropped off first and you can stay the night at mine.’
They giggled.
‘Aye, your Raymond would love that.’
‘Aye, he probably would actually.’
They both burst out laughing.
In the end, some sort of sense prevailed. The one whose dad could come down to meet her got off last. Didn’t seem to occur to her that the danger she was so worried about was sitting right in front of her. Not that she was at any risk whatsoever, either of them. Probably safer than any other two girls in the city that night. Safe as houses.
I breathed hard after the second one got out. Their words sticking in my head. Freak. Psycho. Mental.
Sticks and stones. Girls that age, though. Made me think of my own. Some judgements hurt more than others.
It was harder now. Wallace Ogilvie was dealt with and I could feel some of my hatred going with him. But there were still things to do. Still a plan to stick to. Had to go on. Much harder now. Had to be harder to deal with that. Hard as Glasgow. Hard as those who joked to me about a killer that sat in front of them.
They wanted this Ripper to kill football managers, politicians, and celebrities. They seemed sure I’d want him to kill traffic wardens or managers from the roads department. Hard people with ready black humour. People with no understanding. They didn’t know me. They didn’t know why. Never would if things worked out right.
My plan. My daughter.
Didn’t, couldn’t, care for their opinions. Only one thing mattered. Only one person mattered.
Had to shut them out. Had to turn a deaf ear to them again. They weren’t hard, they were stupid. Stupid and dull. Only thing hard was my heart. Hardened against their jokes and fears, their theories and bleatings. They weren’t gallus, they were just in the way.
Fuck Glasgow. Job to do. Job to finish.
CHAPTER 25
The thing with sending out messages is that if they are not received and understood then you have to keep sending them out until they are.
Alec Kirkwood had clipped Jimmy Mac’s finger and dumped him in the street with a hole in his eye. It hadn’t been enough. He had broken the arms of two neds who had acted the big-man when they were asked for info. It hadn’t been enough. He had had a bullet put through Mick Docherty’s front window and it hadn’t been enough. He had put the frighteners on everyone he could and no one had coughed with a name. It wasn’t good enough.
