Laidlaw

43

Having done what was necessary, Minty was slow climbing the steps of the Underground and as he came out into St Enoch’s Square, he rested a minute before tackling the curving hill that led to the pedestrians’ entrance to the car park.

The morality of what he had done wasn’t his concern. All it meant to him was something troublesome and tiring, but worth it.

St Enoch’s Station had been a part of the Glasgow he knew. Now the high, arched, glass roof that had fascinated him as a boy was patched with sky. What had seemed before unimaginably far away now only served to give perspective to the vastness of the distance beyond it. Those squares of starlit sky were a bottomlessness he was falling into. There were acres of macadam where the rails had been — nowhere for him to go from here.

Walking among the pillars, he could see no light or movement among the cars. Then far out beyond the roof, he saw the lights of a car flash on and off. As he walked towards it, the front passenger door swung open.

It was Matt Mason in the driver’s seat. Behind Minty was somebody else but he didn’t bother turning round to find out who it was. He stared at the windscreen in front of him. The car was fogged with breathing. There was a smell of drink that made Minty feel like retching.

‘Well?’

‘The job’s done,’ Minty said.

Minty heard a soft sound which he knew was a smile taking place behind him.

‘How did it go?’

‘Nae problem. Like droonin’ cats. He wis a pathetic boay, that yin.’

‘How did you get to him without him getting the wind up?’

‘Ah knocked at the door.’

There was quiet laughter from the back seat. Mason wasn’t amused.

‘Come on,’ he said.

‘Ah’m tellin’ ye. Ah knocked at the door.’

‘Who did he think it was? Avon calling?’

‘Lennie telt me aboot Harry Rayburn. Ah said Ah wis fae him. Wi’ a message. He couldny get away an’ it was urgent, Ah said. Ah took him up a fish-supper as well. Dae Ah get that aff expenses?’

Mason was staring at him.

‘How did you do it?’

‘Wi’ a bit o’ rope. That way ye don’t need too much pressure. Ah let him eat maist o’ his supper. There wis only a few chips left when Ah gave him it. Ah hope he wisny the kind that keeps the best chips tae the last.’

The other two were impressed in spite of themselves. Their breathing seemed self-consciously loud, as if they were deliberately indulging it.

‘He wis an awfu’ quick eater that boay. Ah saved him fae a terrible case o’ indigestion.’

Mason was the first to recover.

‘How do I know you’ve done it?’

‘Ye want a receipt?’ Minty asked.

He put his hand in the pocket of his coat and dropped something on Mason’s lap. Mason switched on the interior light. He was holding up a pair of yellow lace panties, only slightly torn and hard with dried blood in places. He switched off the light and made to hand them back.

‘They’re yours,’ Minty said. ‘Ah don’t want them. Ah want paid for them. That’s a five-hundred-quid paira knickers ye’ve got there. The dearest drawers on the market.’

Mason thought for a moment and said, ‘If they’re not genuine, they’ll be helluva dear to you.’

He gave Minty the money.

‘Thanks, Mr Mason,’ Minty said. ‘Ah’ll pit in a word for ye wi’ the heid man when Ah get there.’

He got out of the car and walked slowly out of St Enoch’s. Watching him go, Lennie stayed in the shadow of the pillar he was hiding behind. He waited till he saw Matt Mason’s car ease itself out of its berth and check out of the car park. Then he headed for the left-luggage office in Central Station, where his travelling-bag was.

In Argyle Street Minty asked a man at a bus-stop for a light and gave him five hundred pounds for it. Then he made his way towards the nearest police station, which was in St Andrew’s Street.