death.
The judge leaves a moment or two of silence, and when he speaks again his voice has dropped a couple of degrees. ‘Your claim that you did not bring to the scene the golf club with which you struck the fatal blows – your assertion that it was produced and waved about by the victim – seems to me fanciful. We heard from police witnesses that the victim owned a full set of golf clubs, none ofwhich matched the make of the driver used to deliver the fatal blows. His fingerprints weren’t on the club. We heard persuasive evidence from the victim’s cousin, Mr Frank Tucker, that he partnered the deceased in regular golfing sessions and the fatal club didn’t belong to the victim. The victim’s father gave similar evidence. This cowardly effort to evade responsibility for your actions speaks volumes.’
From the corner of his eye, Callaghan can see the radiant green of Hannah’s outfit. Despite him asking that she stay away, she’s been here every day. Novak too. Callaghan’s father hasn’t made an appearance.
The judge speeds up as he notes the long record of offences accumulated by Big Brendan Tucker during his 34 years – two hold-ups, a fistful of assaults and one conviction for drug possession for sale or supply. ‘While the victim was undoubtedly a man of questionable character, that doesn’t excuse the defendant’s actions – the cold-blooded decision to seek out Mr Tucker, to bring a golf club as a weapon, the clear intent to do him harm and the ferocity of the assault which resulted in his death.’
Twelve years
.
As Danny Callaghan is taken out of the court, Big Brendan’s cousin, Frank Tucker, holds aloft a fist. ‘Dead man, Callaghan – blood for blood.’ His voice is strained, his face red, his eyes alight.
‘And you want me to—?’
‘Set up a meeting with Frank Tucker.’
Novak raised an eyebrow. ‘I don’t think – Danny, that could—’
‘I’ve been looking over my shoulder since I got out. The last couple of days, maybe you’re right, I’m being spooked by nothing much – but I need to know what’s real. Either I’m a target for Tucker or there’s something else – or there’s nothing.’
‘You go see Frank, maybe you stir things up, things that calmed down over the past eight years.’
Danny Callaghan slumped in the chair, hands in his pockets, long legs stretched out in front. ‘I need to know.’
‘You want me to go see him?’
‘No – I mean, thanks, but—’
Silence while Novak thought it through.
‘Yeah, if it’s going to be done, best you do it yourself.’
‘Yeah.’
‘I’ll call him in the morning. Clear heads in the morning.’
‘Thanks.’
‘Soon as I know, you’ll know.’
Chapter 14
It came to twenty-seven-fifty and the Polish guy gave Walter Bennett a twenty and a ten. Standing on the doorstep, Walter took his time counting out the change –
one, another one, fifty cents
– and when the three coins were laid out on the palm of Walter’s left hand the Pole reached over and took two of them and gave Walter a big smile and said thanks.
Jesus
.
Walter turned and walked away. When the door shut behind him he looked at the euro in his hand and he said aloud, ‘Cheap bastard.’
Up to now he’d done well in tips. Two more stops, all deliveries within a couple of roads from here, then back to Anthony’s place and the way things were going maybe he might offer to work an extra hour. He’d left his mobile number at the pizza place, and Anthony had agreed to call him as soon as Dessie Blue appeared. ‘Believe me, I won’t let him leave until you get back.’
That was if Dessie Blue showed – which Walter by now was reluctantly beginning to accept was more a hope than a belief. At leasthe was clocking up a little extra for Glasgow. As long as he didn’t come across too many of those Polish bastards.
He started up the van.
It wasn’t that Walter had anything against Poles. ‘It’s just that they don’t understand
The judge leaves a moment or two of silence, and when he speaks again his voice has dropped a couple of degrees. ‘Your claim that you did not bring to the scene the golf club with which you struck the fatal blows – your assertion that it was produced and waved about by the victim – seems to me fanciful. We heard from police witnesses that the victim owned a full set of golf clubs, none ofwhich matched the make of the driver used to deliver the fatal blows. His fingerprints weren’t on the club. We heard persuasive evidence from the victim’s cousin, Mr Frank Tucker, that he partnered the deceased in regular golfing sessions and the fatal club didn’t belong to the victim. The victim’s father gave similar evidence. This cowardly effort to evade responsibility for your actions speaks volumes.’
From the corner of his eye, Callaghan can see the radiant green of Hannah’s outfit. Despite him asking that she stay away, she’s been here every day. Novak too. Callaghan’s father hasn’t made an appearance.
The judge speeds up as he notes the long record of offences accumulated by Big Brendan Tucker during his 34 years – two hold-ups, a fistful of assaults and one conviction for drug possession for sale or supply. ‘While the victim was undoubtedly a man of questionable character, that doesn’t excuse the defendant’s actions – the cold-blooded decision to seek out Mr Tucker, to bring a golf club as a weapon, the clear intent to do him harm and the ferocity of the assault which resulted in his death.’
Twelve years
.
As Danny Callaghan is taken out of the court, Big Brendan’s cousin, Frank Tucker, holds aloft a fist. ‘Dead man, Callaghan – blood for blood.’ His voice is strained, his face red, his eyes alight.
‘And you want me to—?’
‘Set up a meeting with Frank Tucker.’
Novak raised an eyebrow. ‘I don’t think – Danny, that could—’
‘I’ve been looking over my shoulder since I got out. The last couple of days, maybe you’re right, I’m being spooked by nothing much – but I need to know what’s real. Either I’m a target for Tucker or there’s something else – or there’s nothing.’
‘You go see Frank, maybe you stir things up, things that calmed down over the past eight years.’
Danny Callaghan slumped in the chair, hands in his pockets, long legs stretched out in front. ‘I need to know.’
‘You want me to go see him?’
‘No – I mean, thanks, but—’
Silence while Novak thought it through.
‘Yeah, if it’s going to be done, best you do it yourself.’
‘Yeah.’
‘I’ll call him in the morning. Clear heads in the morning.’
‘Thanks.’
‘Soon as I know, you’ll know.’
Chapter 14
It came to twenty-seven-fifty and the Polish guy gave Walter Bennett a twenty and a ten. Standing on the doorstep, Walter took his time counting out the change –
one, another one, fifty cents
– and when the three coins were laid out on the palm of Walter’s left hand the Pole reached over and took two of them and gave Walter a big smile and said thanks.
Jesus
.
Walter turned and walked away. When the door shut behind him he looked at the euro in his hand and he said aloud, ‘Cheap bastard.’
Up to now he’d done well in tips. Two more stops, all deliveries within a couple of roads from here, then back to Anthony’s place and the way things were going maybe he might offer to work an extra hour. He’d left his mobile number at the pizza place, and Anthony had agreed to call him as soon as Dessie Blue appeared. ‘Believe me, I won’t let him leave until you get back.’
That was if Dessie Blue showed – which Walter by now was reluctantly beginning to accept was more a hope than a belief. At leasthe was clocking up a little extra for Glasgow. As long as he didn’t come across too many of those Polish bastards.
He started up the van.
It wasn’t that Walter had anything against Poles. ‘It’s just that they don’t understand
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