TWENTY-FOUR

I grabbed Rossie round the back of his baldy ginger head and shouted in his ear: 'We's in business, muckaaaa.' Rossie struggled, said, 'Fuck off.'

I slapped his bald spot. 'Language, Timothy. Get us a brandy, muh man. I'm celebrating.'

Rossie went off to the bar and I slumped into me seat, grinned at Baz. He were rolling a fat stick. Had to hand it to him, he were a fuckin' craftsman when it came to rolling. He smoothed the edges and lit it with his Clipper. The big lad puffed hard, the smell of singed eyebrows and fine Northern Lights high in the air. When Rossie came back from the bar, he looked at Baz like the big lad had just farted loud and smelly.

I downed me brandy and banged me glass on the table. 'I call this meeting to order. Who's up for a fuckin' trip?’

‘Nah, me head's halfway to the shed already, Mo.’

‘Innes. He's gone to Newcastle.'

' Ya gan doon toon,' said Baz. Then he laughed. He sounded like a proper cunt when he laughed; looked like one too.

'You want to go to Newcastle,' said Rossie. He were squinting at us.

'I can't go anywhere. Me dad's got us locked down. And I can't trust Darren fuckin' Walker, can I? Nah, youse two are going to Newcastle. You're gonna keep an eye on the cunt.'

'I don't wanna gan tee Nyow-cassil,' said Baz.

'You got the accent down, Baz,' I said. 'Aye, but — '

'You're going to Newcastle.' I didn't want to hear a fuckin' argument.

'How comes your dad's got you locked down, Mo?' said Rossie. 'You're a grown bloke. You can do owt you want.'

'Aye, but not about this. I need to keep the old man sweet as, else he'll put the kibosh on it.'

'Fuck off the kibosh,' said Baz. His eyes had gone webbed and dark. Fucker was mashed already. 'You want to go to Newcastle, you go your fuckin' self, know what I mean?'

Rossie looked down at the table. Looked right through it.

I stared at Baz until he stopped drawing on the stick. The fucker knew he was in the shite, like. I were going to say summat, but this bloke in a Pringle jumper came over before I got the chance. 'Sorry, lads. Can't do that in here.'

I turned the stare on the Pringle. He had a gold chain around his neck. Hair poked through the links.

'You what?' I said.

'Your mate there. I can't have him smoking that in here.' I frowned. 'You tooting rocks in there, Baz?’

‘Nah, man. Just resin.'

'It's just fuckin' resin,' I said to the Pringle. He weren't happy about this. He were red in the throat, like he'd got burnt.

'It's still illegal,' he said. And if he were sure of anything, it were that little fuckin' nugget of information. 'Give it time.’

‘It's illegal now,' he said.

Baz looked at his spliff like he were shocked to learn that. I had to keep me blood cold to stop from smiling. So I pretended like I were thinking it over, what the Pringle had said. But what I were really thinking about were that five seconds ago I were ready to put me boot in Baz's ringpiece, and now this twat in the sweater were giving us reason to leather the fuck out of him. Choices, fuckin' choices. And just like a pair of cunts to spoil what were turning into a good night. When I'd made up me mind, I said to the Pringle: 'Where's your respect, man?’

‘You what?' he said.

'I said, where's your respect? You come over here, I'm in the middle of a conversation with a couple mates of mine, you don't give a fuck, where's your fuckin' respect?'

The Pringle got balls then. I saw him glance at me finger. Reckoned I weren't much of a threat, obviously. 'He puts that out, or I put you out.'

'Ah, you're threatening now,' I said. 'You're fuckin' threa- tening us.' I kicked me chair back and it crashed to the floor. I were on me feet, in the cunt's face. 'What's your fuckin' problem, you have to come round here starting shit?'

'Put it out,' the Pringle said to Baz. But his voice were wavering.

'You put us out, nobhead,' I said.

'You want to get nicked?'

'You want to get fuckin' cut?'

I reached for me Stanley, then remembered where I'd left it. Felt me heart skip. But it didn't show in me face. Rossie were getting up slow and quiet.

'Maureen, call the police.'

Baz grinned through the sweet smoke, set his spliff down in the ashtray. He reached into his jacket like he were reaching for his wallet, ticked out the blade of his Stanley and slapped the knife hard on the table. 'Fuck off out of it,' he said.

'Maureen — '

Rossie took his pint and broke it over the Pringle's head before he could shout double-knit. The Pringle swayed, but I

went at the cunt's gut before he got his feet. And there weren't a bastard in the place ready to jump for his love. The Pringle hit the floor, brought the table down with him. Rossie lashed at him with his butterfly. The blade cut slight, but the Pringle rolled like he'd been shot. Baz sucked his gut and made it round in time for the Pringle to sway up to his knees. When the Pringle opened his eyes, he had to blink from the light bouncing off Baz's Stanley blade.

I dusted meself down, wiped me nose. 'Cut his fuckin' eyeballs open.'

'Wait a sec,' said the Pringle. And his bladder emptied out onto the carpet. I loved that smell of piss in the air. Smelled like… victory.

'You know me,' I said. 'You know me now.'

Blood ran down the Pringle's face. Glass in his head shone like stars.

'Aye you know me, son.' I pointed at him with me finger- splint. 'I'm Mo Tiernan. And I'll have you buried in less time it takes to have a dump.'

It were fuckin' good to be me sometimes.

TWENTY-FIVE

There's nothing as bright and painful as the morning after sunlight.

The walk to Central Station, and the casino near it, is a long one. My legs aren't happy about it, and neither's my stomach. But I pop into a cafe on the way, sit down with a cup of coffee and a bacon buttie. Smoke a few cigarettes. The owner, a camp guy with a Greek accent, welcomes me with a smile, but as soon as he smells the drink on me, he buttons up.

I don't want small talk. Just food.

The bacon is almost burnt, but I like it that way. The coffee is black and sugared. I drink it slowly and rub my eyes. I shouldn't drink so much. Or I should stay away from the spirits.

The drink-shakes private dick, a walking, talking cliche. I should be shot for crimes against reality. But instead I'm stuck looking for a dealer who may be somewhere in this city. Or I may be chasing up a lead from a Jilted John who'd tell me anything to stop Morris Tiernan coming after him.

I dump my Embassy, push away from the table. Stop your whining and get to work, Cal.

The place on St James Boulevard is new by the looks of it, purpose-built. It looks like a tombstone in a sea of concrete. I arrive at reception, all plate glass and plastic ferns. If they're going for the classy look, they've failed. Mostly because the girl behind the counter has yellow teeth and dead eyes. She smiles at me with her mouth only and it's an ugly sight.

'My name's Callum Innes. I called yesterday.'

She asks for ID and I hand it over. After a quick scan, she gets me to fill out a membership form. I lie about everything apart from my name. She gives me a card which I tuck in my back pocket, and I catch the smile slip from her face as she reaches under the desk. Probably caught the whiff of drink on my breath. Or vomit. Maybe just the stench of failure. You would have thought she'd be used to it by now. Besides, it's better than whatever Avon shite she bathed in this morning. A low buzz as the double doors unlock, and I push through into the casino.

The place is a space-age warehouse. Tables stretch back as far as I can see, most of them unmanned. The room is airy to the point of goose pimples. Looks like only three tables are open: one roulette, one blackjack, one poker. At the card tables, the blackjack dealer stares off into space, the poker dealer has something in his nose. An inspector stands between them.