Kindle Edition
Category:
Action/Thriller
Price: $5.00 (eBook)
Being Glaswegian here are some Glaswegian Tales. Still got nasty killings, twists, turns and surprises galore in Glasgow too!
A collection of very different tales. Same twists, turns and surprise ends. When one calls a collection Scottish Tales it helps if the writer is Scottish don`t you think? I am. VERY. From Glasgow. You won`t be disappointed.
Excerpt
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"If ye're gonnae get intae this "scrammel" ye better be able tae fight. That big bastart Bell thinks he kin but we'll do him."
Tommy Lassiter turned to see two identical faces staring cooly back at him. He was ten years old and although he'd never seen either of these two before knew with the certainty that children have that he'd just met kindred spirits. Late fifties Drumchapel, the Glasgow housing estate where he lived with his parents and two older brothers and sisters was a perfect place for most people to bring up children then. The Glasgow overspill of population had produced these housing schemes and they had not yet developed the their reputations for violence and gang warfare which developed later.
The identical twins grinning at Lassiter were identically dressed in white tee shirts and black jeans and with their curly black hair and faces tanned by the long hot summer they were having looked vaguely Italian.¬
"That shit's fur weans," grunted Lassiter, nevertheless turning back round for the expected appearance of the bride and her father who would enter the waiting car, wind down the window and scatter a collection of pennies, threepenny bits, tanners and the odd shilling, two-bob bit or half-crown to the jostling, expectant children outside.
Minutes later Tommy and his new found friends emerged from the melee with fag money and money for something else. They also left behind a boy called Bell who had a broken nose and blood streaming from his mouth which the twins had taken turns at kicking. After they bought the cigarettes the twins introduced themselves as Billy and Drew Wilson and suggested to Lassiter that they go for the other very important thing he discovered that day. At the local football pitches Billy spoke to an older relative who produced a large green bottle from his inside jacket pocket. Lassiter was still very naive and assumed it was lemanade or "ginger", which was the collective noun for all soft drinks. From the moment he tasted the cheap wine he loved it. But that was only the rich brown taste. It was the effect of the alcohol that he really enjoyed. All of a sudden he was invincible. He knew it. All three were on their way.
For the next twenty years they were close and went through the Glasgow gang scene together and loved every minute of it. They prided themselves that they were hard men, not "liberty takers" the common expression for those who used unnecessary violence. They shared many experiences good and bad and but as they got older the violent lives they led became more of a necessary requirement for their lifestyle than the excitement they once craved.
The twins were absolutely, physically identical but Lassiter could tell them apart. Billy was violent but Drew's violence bordered on sadism. He had a mad look in his eyes which wasn't in Billy's. Eventually he did kill someone and went to prison on the reduced charge of culpable homicide. Billy went straight and Tommy Lassiter went to Manchester.
Lassiter did alright for himself in Manchester and ended up owning two clubs. He was too busy making money to think much about his old pals but on one of his very rare breaks from the clubs decided to put some of his club contacts to work to trace his old pals. After all Drew should be out of prison now and all three could get together for a drink and a chat about how well Tommy was doing
The phone rang in his luxury flat on the second night of his fortnight's break.
"Good Evening, Mr. Lassiter. My name's Penny and I work at the Gemini club in Glasgow. My boss Mr. Ring asked me to call you on his behalf as he has been laid up in bed for a couple of days with a heavy cold. He's managed to trace the two gentlemen you have been enquiring about and if you let him know the time of your arrival in Glasgow he would be only too pleased to meet you and take you to them. Everbody at the club's been told that this is to be a big surprise for them and not to breathe a word. I love surprises too"
Lassiter chuckled, thanked her and after making the necessary arrangements put the phone down.
Tommy had told the very nice girl at the club that he didn't need anyone to meet him from the train as he still knew Glasow like the back of his hand and the West End in particular.
He strolled into the Gemini club about four-thirty in the afternoon admiring his reflection in the full-length mirror in the foyer. Impeccably dressed as always in his hand made suit, Barker shoes and vicuna coat draped over his arm. The top man was back home he thought as Ring introduced himself and the pretty girl who'd phoned him. She turned out to be his daughter.
The one remarkable thing about Ring was that he wasn't remarkable. Tall, almost bald and thick bi-focal glasses. After introductions and pleasantries Ring explained that the Wilson twins were still in business in Glasgow and as they paid him a monthly visit anyway he had simply asked them to make it a week earlier than normal. After a few drinks expertly served by the lovely Penny Ring suggested that Lassiter secrete himself in the gent's as the surprise was about to be sprung on his two old friends who were due any minute. Again admiring himself in the mirror Tommy thought "monthly visits eh? Obviosly still up to their old tricks. Nothing changes wi' those two bastards. Might be money in this for me."
Lassiter opened the door with a flourish and almost collapsed with the shock. The Wilson twins stood there but they were no longer identical and were surrounded by four very scary, very professional career gangsters. One of them had a huge, livid scar across his throat and the other had no right arm.
Ring stood up and removed his heavy glasses. He spoke and gone was the polite Kelvinside accent to be replaced with one that was pure Drumchapel.
"Look fuckin' scared, daen't they. Ah hid tae cut Drew's erm aff fur killin' ma wee brother an' Billy aye hid a big fuckin' mooth so ah shut it fur him.
‘’Whit dae ah want wi you? Well ye ran aboot wi' them fur years but it's nuthin' tae dae wi' that. Ah rememberr you fur sumthin' else, Lassiter, ya bastirt. You broke ma nose an' burst ma mooth when ah wis only a wean at a church scrammel. Ma real name's Bell ya stupit fucker an' ah thought even an eejit like you widnae walk intae the trap. Ah gave ye enough clues for fuck's sake. Ring fur Bell an' ma daughter's name PENNY which is a' ye left me wi' that day. Ah even named wan ae ma clubs efter thae two tossers. Star sign Gemini, twins, ya fuckin' clown. Noo whit will ah dae wi' ye. See ah needed thae two as a wee rminder tae people no' tae try anythin' smart wi' me. But ah don't need you fur fuck all. You're a nobody.’’
Bell stared insanely at Lassiter.
"If ye're gonnae get intae a scrammel wi this lot ah sincerely hope ye kin fight."
The laughter was insane.
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