Authors: Ian Todd
“Aye, well, that’s as may be, John, bit that disnae mean tae say Robert Connor murdered Ann Broon, beyond reasonable doubt, dis it?”
Silence.
“And the tapes? How dae Ah go aboot getting a copy ae them then?”
“Ye’re still no taking in anything that Ah’ve been saying, Silas, ur ye?” The QC hid challenged him, smiling grimly. “They tapes ur in the possession ae Britain’s Internal Secret Services…MI5. They’re gone furever, so they ur. Admit the existence ae they tapes and ye expose the fact that the leader ae the NUM in Scotland wis being illegally bugged,” The QC hid reminded him, nodding tae the waiter jist tae put the wine oan the table.
“Bit, this is the murder ae a fourteen-year-auld schoolgirl, fur God’s sake!” he’d hissed under his breath.
“Silas…”
“There must be some way tae access them. How aboot yer pal…this superintendent wan?”
“He’s Special Branch, Silas. They’re the wans that assist the intelligence services…the boys who dae the judiciary legwork that allows the intelligence boys tae remain in the shadows. The only way somewan like you could ever get a whiff ae they tapes wid be tae make such a big song and dance aboot their existence through the media, that they might be forced tae admit tae their existence, bit even then…” The QC hid said, shrugging they shoulders ae his, “Ye’re entering dangerous waters there, Silas. Is it really worth aw the buckets ae grief that’ll come yer way? Why put yersel through aw this fur somewan like Robert Connor? Believe you me, he’s the man behind the disappearance ae Ann Broon, so he is. Ae that, Ah hiv absolutely nae doubt.”
Silas looked oot at the grim, industrial scenery, as the cooling towers ae Ravenscraig Steel Mill in Carluke appeared oan the horizon. He watched them in the distance race towards him before disappearing, as the raindrops loudly battered aff the windaes, clinging oan precariously tae the glass oan the ootside fur a second or two, before being obliterated, leaving a wet ragged trail wae the force ae the slipstream, before another wan took its place and repeated the performance. The fact that somewan, doon in Cardiff, hid deliberately phoned in, informing the authorities that they’d spotted Ann Broon sightseeing wae an aulder man at Cardiff Castle, still didnae let Robert Conner aff the hook. Conner could’ve been working wae somewan else…a partner in crime in the disappearance…who’d consciously raised doubts aboot whether the lassie wis still alive, thus raising doubts aboot Conner’s conviction. Inspector Barron’s officers hid found nae Welsh connections in either Robert Connor’s or his parent’s backgrounds. Whit John Howdy, The QC, couldnae come up wae, wis whit hid become ae the caller wae the rasping Rod Stewart, gravelly voice? Wur there other phone calls? Why hid they stoapped aw ae a sudden efter the 17
th
November 1972? Why hid the calls no continued? It wis aw very dark and mysterious. He wis well aware that anything tae dae wae the intelligence services meant trouble wae a capital T. Maist solicitors that he knew kept well away fae the Loyalist and Republican cases that hid started tae crop up regularly in the West ae Scotland. It wis jist too specialist and time-consuming, wae aw the ducking and diving ae the intelligence services, deliberately muddying the water in the background, tae get involved. Some cases hid taken years and they still wurnae concluded. MI5 wur well-known fur fighting tooth-and-nail tae stay in the shadows, using the Official Secrets Act as a club and smokescreen. The fact that a young lassie hid been murdered and that they might know the identity ae the killer widnae cause any consternation tae the likes ae them. Silas wisnae too sure how he felt aboot his journey doon tae Dumfries tae meet Robert Connor. Oan the wan haun, he felt a sense ae elation, he supposed, as it confirmed whit he’d always believed, regarding Jimmy Baxter’s innocence, bit oan the other haun, he felt dispirited. John Howdy hid been spot-on aboot Robert Connor. He came across as a right cunning basturt. He looked doon at his notes. According tae Robert Connor, he’d been put intae solitary confinement fur some unexplained demeanour, that he couldnae quite recall, the year before. It hid been during the time he wis locked up, that he’d listened in tae a conversation between other inmates who’d been talking tae each other fae their respective cells. Wan ae the inmates, who’d jist arrived in the punishment cell-block, Johnboy Taylor, hid asked another inmate, Tony Gucci, whether Silas’s client, Jimmy Baxter, hid been involved in the bank robbery fur which Taylor hid been convicted. Here noo, fur the first time, wis clear evidence that his client, James Gordon Baxter, hid been telling the truth when he’d said that he wisnae involved in the robbery that hid resulted in two serving polis officers being shot at close range wae a sawn-aff shotgun. Connor hid informed Silas that he wis prepared tae sign a sworn statement, in the presence ae witnesses, repeating whit he’d heard. Silas hidnae been surprised tae learn that there wis a condition attached tae the offer. Connor hid asked if Silas, or another partner fae his firm, wid represent and support him in his endeavours tae gain a retrial against the conviction ae murdering the fourteen-year-auld Stirlingshire schoolgirl, Ann Broon. The other prisoners in the punishment block at that time, other than Taylor and Gucci, hid been Samuel Smith, Taylor’s co-accused in the bank robbery and a Patrick McCabe and William Johnston, baith convicted and serving three years alang wae Gucci fur extorting money fae a third generation Chinese family. Silas hidnae been surprised tae learn the names ae the other youths in the punishment block. Those same youths hid no only been making a bit ae a name fur themsels within the criminal fraternity in the north ae the city o’er the past few years, being the nucleus ae whit some people referred tae as The Mankys, bit they’d been creating a stir within criminal defence circles as well. Whit hid surprised and shocked Silas though, hid been learning that it wis no only his client that wis being declared innocent, bit that Taylor wis as well…if Connor wis tae be believed, that is. Silas hid promised nothing and hid made nae commitments either way. He’d informed Connor that he wid need time tae consider whit hid been divulged, bit irrespective ae that, he’d urged Connor tae look tae his ain conscience and tae consider voluntarily making a statement in good faith. He’d reminded him that if he wis as innocent as he claimed, then he’d understaun how his client, Jimmy Baxter, must be feeling. Connor’s response hid aptly reflected whit John Howdy and the rest ae the good people, in Glesga’s High Court back in January 1973, hid thought ae him.
“Mr Abraham, Ah couldnae gie a monkey’s shit aboot how yer client must be feeling. Ah’m coming forward wae this information because it gies me a chance tae prove ma innocence and tae get hame tae that poor wee ma ae mine. As far as Ah kin make oot, this is ma only hope ae getting me away fae ma tormentors in here,” he’d snarled.
Silas slipped his notes back intae his briefcase. The tenements and new multi-storeys ae the Gorbals oan the south side ae the city, wur awready appearing through the windaes oan baith sides ae the train, as passengers roond aboot him started hauling doon their luggage fae the racks above their heids. He’d be arriving in Central Station in the next few minutes. He’d get the notes ae the interview transcribed. Tomorrow, he’d arrange tae meet up wae Graham Portoy. The naming ae Johnboy Taylor, alang wae Jimmy Baxter, if and when Robert Connor ever signed a statement, could hiv life-changing implications fur baith ae their clients.
“
Good evening. My name is John Turney and these are the news headlines in Scotland tonight.
Well-known Glasgow businessman, Mr John McCaffrey, owner of Honest John’s Kitchen Essentials, one of Glasgow’s most successful independent stores, acknowledged today that he was the luckiest man alive after an unknown gunman discharged two shots from a handgun at point blank range outside his store on Dumbarton Road, last night as he was locking up. Holding up his bright yellow checked trademark jacket and poking his fingers through the two bullet holes, Mr McCaffrey laughed off suggestions by the media that it was an assassination attempt by underworld gangsters trying to muscle into the lucrative domestic appliance market. Mr McCaffrey said that there were easier ways to get a discount at his Dumbarton Road store…just ask most of the housewives in Glasgow …
Police on the south side of the city have uncovered half a ton of cannabis resin in a flat in Harley Street, Cessnock, in a raid in the early hours of this morning. Two people, believed to be a husband and wife, were arrested and taken to Central HQ where they are expected to appear in court tomorrow…
A sack, containing seven pups, was fished out of the Clyde this morning by a passer-by on his way to work. It’s thought that the pups had been dumped in the river a few minutes before they were rescued. Although two had already drowned, five survived. A spokesman for the RSPCA said he was disappointed that this practice of disposing of unwanted animals still existed in Glasgow in this day and age…”
Chapter Thirty Three
It wis inevitable that paths that wance travelled in the opposite direction oan the ootside wid end up crossing at some stage in a wee place like Dumfries. Snappy and Stu Mackay becoming good pals, despite Snappy threatening tae shoot him in the heid oan the night Simon wasted Tibbs McPherson, wis a case in point, bit there wur other examples popping up regularly. Efter studying the make-up ae the groupings in the dining hall, clocking who aw sat thegither or hung aboot wae each other at recreation, Johnboy hid coonted nineteen distinct teams. While the majority ae the YOs who ran aboot oan the ootside continued that association efter they wur jailed, some ae them naturally drifted thegither if they came fae the same or adjoining areas, even if there wis sometimes bad blood between them back hame. Maist ae the incarcerated Glesga YOs belonged tae various gangs and nine times oot ae ten ended up in the jail efter being convicted ae stabbing each other during gang fights o’er invisible boundaries back in the toon. There wur other wee teams that wur mair geographic, like The Abdees, whose common denominator wis that they came fae Aberdeen. There wis a couple ae social groups consisting ae first time offenders and who didnae naturally identify wae the gang members bit who seemed tae drift thegither through natural selection. Another wee group who stood oot like a sore thumb wur the druggie boys, wae wan YO in particular, who Tony hid become quite friendly wae. Dockland Sammy wis the only wan ae the druggie boys that hidnae been caught selling drugs tae their customers in hoosing estate pubs or oan some street corner. He wis daeing five years fur shipping a quarter ae a ton ae hash intae Scotland fae North Africa. Sammy wid sit and talk aboot his exploits tae The Mankys, explaining how it aw worked. He wis always oan the lookoot tae develop partnerships fur when he wis eventually released. Everywan knew fine well that Dockland Sammy hid deliberately targeted them. It wis clear, right fae the start, that he wis trying tae suss oot whether The Mankys wur in a position tae bankroll him in some ae his future enterprises. The other positive thing in his favour wis that he wis actually quite likeable.
“Ah’m telling ye, Tony, it’s true whit they say, things go fucking better wae coke. It’s less bulky, easily concealed and the return makes hash seem like pin money, so it dis. Coke’s the future and the wans who ur in there first, will be the wans who’ll be in control in the future when the demand explodes, which it will. You mark ma words.”
The druggie boys aw looked like hippies, even withoot the flared troosers and platform shoes which hid been replaced by the blue striped shirts and grey woollen jail uniforms. Also, in amongst this colourful eclectic make-up, wis a few wee band ae desperadoes, whose main purpose in life hid been determined, well before they wur oot ae their shitey nappies, tae steal anything that hidnae been nailed doon. A wee assorted mix ae The Groucho boys fae Carntyne, alang wae a couple ae their pals fae Garthamlock wur wan group in particular, as wis a crowd fae Barlanark who hid a similar outlook oan life tae The Mankys and Carntyne crowd. The Mankys hid known maist ae them since Larchgrove and Thistle Park days and hid bumped intae them at wan time or another oan route through remand homes, approved schools and borstal. Oan the ootside, The Mankys always hid their ears tae the ground, ready tae pick up any wee interesting ditties ae whit the competition wur up tae, oot ae interest, even though their paths rarely crossed. The main motivating factor that these wee teams hid in common wis the intoxicating whiff ae money. Nothing else mattered in life tae them. Ootside, everywan ae them spent their entire waking life running doon the next few sheckles like desperate junkies. If anything or anywan stood in their path, they wur run o’er withoot a backward glance. Within Dumfries, The Mankys wur friendly enough wae everywan, bit there wis always a slight hesitation oan either side in getting too close tae the Carntyne, Garthamlock or Barlanark boys and vice versa. Tony liked tae think The Mankys wur five steps aheid ae anywan else due tae the connection wae Pat Molloy and Wan-bob Broon. Another surprising path that hid eventually crossed tae The Mankys’ side ae the street wis that ae the priest, Father Leonard. The priest and Fanny Flaw wid always say hello if they bumped intae the YOs oan their travels alang the corridors or while they wur being escorted across tae and fae the workshoaps. No matter how much ye ignored them, they’d still hit ye wae a cheery ‘Hello’ if they passed ye. It wis obviously part ae some strategy tae con YOs intae speaking tae them at some stage in their sentence. Tony and Snappy always felt affronted if they heard anywan sticking up fur the priest or the social worker, especially if they thought anywan wis trying tae convince other YOs that they wur okay. As yet, Fanny hidnae plucked up the courage tae plap that arse ae hers doon oan a seat at The Mankys’ table, despite Pat threatening tae invite her across, as a noise-up tae the rest ae the table. The first time that Father Leonard arrived oan the scene wae a tray ae food in they big hauns ae his, everywan hid averted their eyes in an effort no tae be seen tae be encouraging or welcoming him. There hid been a definite hesitation, oan baith sides, until Johnboy hid scraped the legs ae his chair tae wan side tae gie the priest room tae plap that tray ae his doon oan the Formica-topped table. When the priest hid turned roond tae blag an empty chair fae another table, four sets ae disbelieving, accusing eyes, hid bored intae Johnboy’s.
“So, ye’re fine then, Father?” Johnboy hid asked the wee hunchbacked priest efter he’d sat doon.
“I am now,” the priest hid said, spearing a tottie up aff ae his metal tray wae that fork ae his and papping it intae his mooth.
Other than Robert the Beast and his band ae Merry Molesters, Father Leonard wis probably the maist talked-aboot person amongst The Mankys and the rest ae the YOs in Dumfries. It wisnae because he wis a priest. Everywan hid come across wan ae them in their travels, bit the fact that he wis the first hunchbacked priest they’d ever come across, made it difficult no tae take notice ae his presence. Everywhere ye turned, he’d be staunin, talking tae a YO or lounging oan a chair in amongst people in the TV room, laughing his heid aff at Benny Hill, as if he didnae hiv a hame tae go tae. The priest also took aw the photos ae the YOs during the summer sports competitions, which wur held every year doon oan the fitba field oan the other side ae the main perimeter wall. Wance developed, he’d display aw the action shots up oan big display boards in the rec room, ae the YOs taking part in the different activities or collecting their winning medals. Underneath the three hunner odd photos, he’d place a wee number and if any ae the YOs wanted tae order photos tae send hame tae their families, they filled in a wee slip wae the relevant code and a week later a batch ae photos wid be sitting oan the end ae their beds. The screws…aw bluenoses…couldnae staun the sight ae him and went oot ae their way tae make life as difficult as possible fur him and his social work pal, Fanny Flaw. He must’ve been aboot four and a hauf feet tall, in his stocking soles. He sported quite a big heid and a square jaw, wae thinning, slightly tufty hair oan the back and sides and whit looked like a big wart sticking oot ae the side ae his temple. The hunch that he carried oan his back buckled his body so that he walked bent o’er, slightly tae the left. He also wore the biggest Jesus sandals that Johnboy hid ever clapped eyes oan in his entire life oan they big feet ae his. Dressed in Johnny Cash black, wae that white collar ae his, meant he wid always staun oot in a polis line-up like a sore thumb.
“This is Pat, Silent, Snappy and Tony,” Johnboy hid mumbled, nodding towards each ae them in turn.
“Aye, and that’s Mr Friendly. He should’ve become a social worker that wan, so he should’ve,” Snappy hid replied sarcastically, nodding towards Johnboy.
“And you’re all the Springburn boys? Is that right?”
“Well, some ae us ur, bit masel and Johnboy ur originally fae the Toonheid…and Silent? Well, he could be fae anywhere,” Tony hid replied, getting a polite smile fae everywan.
“Aye, Ah used tae go tae Sunday School every week until that pair ae tadger, er, wankers, moved up tae Springburn and infected me wae their false hopes and promises, Father. If it wisnae fur them, Ah’d probably be working in an honest profession, like selling the good book roond the doors tae misguided sinners, insteid ae being in here amongst them aw,” Pat hid come oot wae, getting mair polite smiles fae the table.
“Yes, it must be a heavy burden to carry,” Father Leonard hid said, straight-faced, until everywan’s faces hid burst intae big grins.
“See?” Pat hid said accusingly, applying his best angelic expression fur the priest’s benefit, before scowling at everywan else roond the table.
And that as they say, hid been that. Fae no wanting anything tae dae wae him, The Mankys always looked forward tae the wee man joining them fur a bite tae eat and a cud-chewing session.
“So, Father, whit’s wae aw this immaculate conception Ah’ve been hearing aboot then?” Pat hid asked him the second time he’d joined them.
Before Father Leonard could respond, Snappy hid let him aff the hook.
“Aye, Ah mean, withoot contraception, the world wid be full ae Catholics, so it wid,” Snappy hid said knowledgably and everywan roond the table, including the priest, hid aboot pished themsels laughing.
Jist as the priest hid goat up tae leave efter that second meal thegither, Pat hidnae been able tae contain himsel.
“Remember, Father, the next time ye come and join us, why don’t ye bring a wee bit ae Fanny across wae ye, eh?”
That hid been three months earlier and their paths wur soon tae intertwine even mair. Jimmy Baxter wis in wan ae the cells opposite Johnboy in C-Hall. He’d obviously been playing the guitar longer than Johnboy, due tae the fact that ye could recognise the tunes he wis getting oot ae the instrument. It wis maistly blues stuff wae some Canned heat, Creedence and the odd Barclay James Harvest or Rolling Stones number slung in here and there. His voice wisnae that bad either. At first, the sound ae somewan playing better than him, wae a far better guitar, six feet across the landing, hid put Johnboy aff reaching oot fur his guitar. Then, Johnboy found oot that Baxter hid managed tae hook-up his Ecko Rio Bravo acoustic tae the speaker ae his radio wae a lead and wis producing aw sorts ae fuzz and Jimmy Hendrix riffs. Although it wis loud, this hid suited Johnboy as it meant he could strum away oan his three chord acoustic numbers withoot feeling that Baxter wis sitting there laughing at him. When Johnboy made the mistake ae mentioning his feelings ae inferiority, Snappy hid dived in wae the subtly that he wis fast becoming notorious fur in the joint.
“So, whit the fuck ur ye gonnae dae aboot it then?”
“Whit dae ye mean, whit am Ah gonnae dae aboot it? The guy’s good…that’s it.”
“Well, he won’t be fucking good efter Ah put ma size tens through that banjo ae his, will he?”
“Ach, Snappy, shut yer arse,” Johnboy hid chided him.
Johnboy’s playing hidnae improved much, when three weeks later, a Guild
acoustic guitar, freshly blagged oot ae Drummonds Acoustics in Bath Street, hid arrived at the nick. Efter swopping o’er the guitar and being telt he’d need tae pay the postage oot ae his five bob a week wages, tae send his fish-box-wood Ecko Ranger back tae Simon at Carpet Capers Warehoose, Johnboy hid sat fur ages admiring his new shiny two-hundred-quid guitar, wondering how the hell he wis gonnae make his shite playing sound better. Baxter continued tae noise-up Johnboy when he started playing lead alang tae the songs Johnboy wis strumming. Wance again, Snappy wis in there offering his famous wisdom.
“Ah’m telling ye Johnboy, that prick’s cruising fur a bruising, so he is. If it wis me, Ah wid’ve been in there long before noo. That basturt’s deliberately noising ye up, so he is, and ye’re letting him aff wae it. Noo, if that wis me…”
“Ah actually quite like it. Wae him playing lead riffs in the backgroond, it makes me sound hauf decent, so it dis,” Johnboy hid retorted.
“Johnboy, believe you me, it disnae matter whit ye play, ye’ll always sound shite oan that thing. Mind you, Ah’m mair ae a Chi-Lites soul-man masel,” Tony hid chipped-in, straight-faced, heid doon, running up another bandolier, as The Chi-Lites started up oan the radio.
“Who?” Snappy hid wanted tae know, a quizzical look spread across that coupon ae his, looking fae Tony tae Johnboy, tae see if Tony wis taking the piss.
“Y’know? ‘Homely Girl’…get yer knickers aff and aw that kind ae romantic stuff?” Tony replied, nodding tae the speaker up oan the wall above the office.
“Ur you bloody jesting me or whit? Where the fuck his he been aw these years, eh? That’s whit Ah want tae know. Ah blame you, Taylor,” Snappy hid shouted at Johnboy.
“Me?”
“Aye you, ya bloody fud, ye. If he ends up wearing a denim skirt some day, then you’ll hiv tae be the wan that sits doon and hiv a wee talk tae him, so ye will,” Snappy hid hit them wae, as they aw burst oot laughing.
Johnboy hid tae admit that it hid been weird sitting there oan his bed, rattling aff aw these songs every night while Jim Baxter sat in the cell opposite, playing lead alang tae them. The playing itsel hid been quite enjoyable and it hid egged Johnboy oan tae learn mair fancy chords, like minors and flats and even tae hiv a wee stab at daeing barre chords. It wis the coming and gaun withoot talking aboot it or even acknowledging whit wis happening wance the cell doors wur sprung open that The Mankys thought wis weird. Tony hid telt him that he quite enjoyed lugging intae their sessions. When the proposition fae the wee priest hid come, if that’s whit it wis, it hid put Johnboy oan the back hoof. Every Sunday morning, the Proddy service finished at ten o’clock, and wis followed fifteen minutes later by the Catholic mass. Although there wis a fancy new piano in the church, there wisnae anywan aroond tae play it. Given that it looked like an expensive piece ae kit, there wis nae chance ae any YO getting his manky fingers anywhere near it. Two ae the YOs, Dennis Martin fae Castlemilk and Charlie Fisher fae Drumchapel, hid baith played the guitar throughoot Father Leonard’s service fur the past two years. Unfortunately fur the priest, the baith ae them hid managed tae wangle parole and wur heiding hame two days apart o’er the next few weeks. Even though there wur some other Catholic boys who wur quite good oan the guitar, Father Leonard hidnae been able tae persuade any ae them tae play fur him. Johnboy hid been sitting listening tae radio Mi Amigo, in between teatime and rec starting, when a screw hid arrived at his door and telt him he wis wanted doon in the chapel oan the first flair landing between A and B-hall. Walking doon the stairs between five o’clock and six thirty hid been a bit ae a novelty as everywan wis locked up during this time. When he’d arrived at the vestry, Father Leonard hid been sitting, waiting fur him.