The Silence E-Book

Linda Tweedie

• Herausgeber: Fledgling Press
• Kategorie: Abenteuer, Thriller, Horror
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

The Silence is a gritty novel set in Glasgow at the time of the Ice Cream Wars in the 1980s. A bloody raid on a family celebration leaves Paddy Coyle's only daughter so traumatised she loses the power of speech. Blaming his sworn enemies, the McClellands, Coyle seeks to destroy the family in revenge for his daughter. The McLellands have no alternative but to flee the country and adopt new identities. Almost penniless desperate to support his family, Pete Mack, together with the help of his old friend and mentor, Canon O'Farrell, soon establishes a lucrative but vile trade in human trafficking. A holiday romance between Erin Coyle and Bobby, the son of her father's enemy, sets off a chain of events which no one could have predicted. Kidnapping, drug smuggling and murder ensue in this fast-paced novel.

Leseprobe

The Silence

Linda Tweedie

Kate McGregor

© Linda Tweedie & Kate McGregor 2015

The author asserts the moral right to be identified

as the author of the work in accordance with the

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

All characters appearing in this work are fictitious.

Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead,

is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of:

Fledgling Press Ltd,

7 Lennox St., Edinburgh, EH4 1QB

Published by Fledgling Press 2015

www.fledglingpress.co.uk

Print ISBN 9781905916993

eBook ISBN 9781905916030

Contents

Acknowledgements

The Party

The Raid

The Journey

Background

Revenge

Paddy

Canon Francis O’Farrell

Paddy

The Twins

First Job

Lizzie

Rise to Fame

Love at First Sight

Identify

Consolidation

The Beginning of the End

The Aftermath

Sound of Silence

Like a Virgin

Forever Hold Your Peace

Game Play

Farewell

If it Sounds Too Good

Pregnant Pause

Dianne

Coincidence

The Hunt

Friendship

End of …

The Journey

Evidence

Plan of Action

The Housekeeper

The Return

Capture

The Kidnap

The Breakup

The Call

The Dark

In for the kill

Intervention

Housetrained

The Last Rites

Meet the Wife

Homecoming

Rewards

Confessions

Spain

The Birth

The News

Preview: The Betrayal

Titles by the Same Author

Acknowledgements

This book was written in collaboration with Kate McGregor, without whose input it would have been an entirely different publication (a leaflet maybe!) Because if she couldn’t cross her i’s and dot her t’s, this book would still be languishing somewhere as an untitled Word document, never to be read.

Next it has to be Clare from Fledgling Press, who not only believed in us, but had to put up with two loud, overbearing women, who always know best, even when they don’t, and who send her schedule into the stratosphere.

Thanks to Graeme who always knows what we want, especially as we never know ourselves – now that’s smart.

Finally to my husband, David, who has the nous to keep out of the way, not to ask stupid questions and has learned after all these years how to work the dishwasher and washing machine. Shame he doesn’t know which is which . . .

Well done and thanks.

Linda and Kate

CATHIE MCGREGOR 1938 – 2014

This one’s for you.

The little girl in the white dress was crying. She

was crying for her da and the white dress was

turning red, blood red.

The Party

The music could be heard three streets away; no-one could remember there ever being a street party like this. You had to hand it to Big Paddy. By God, he did things in style. Enough booze to sink the Titanic and table upon table of magnificent food, all probably supplied free gratis to the Big Man. Very few shopkeepers would fail to take the opportunity of impressing Big Paddy Coyle and getting into his good books. What was a bit of food or a few bottles, compared to being in favour or showing respect? No, you wouldn’t want to be out of favour with the Coyles. Let’s face it, the recipients of his generosity couldn’t give a shit whether it was paid for or not, as long as it was free to them.

Paddy’s mother Lizzie was dressed to the nines and not from the Barra’s either − straight from Marks and Spencer in Argyle Street no less. She was over the moon that he and Bridget had decided to hold the celebration here in the family home, and not over at that posh gaff, as she called their beautiful villa on the outskirts of the city. She was in her element, holding court on the strip of grass she lovingly called her garden; home to a few scrawny geraniums and an old, chipped, garishly-painted gnome. She was queen of all she surveyed thanks to her boys, especially her eldest, Patrick Joseph Coyle, but it hadn’t always been that way.

“Great party, Paddy,” called one of the guests as Paddy passed by.

“Aye, grand, lad,” his neighbour agreed. They were like the two old codgers off the Muppets, thought Paddy, smiling.

Where was she? He scanned the party area, searching for his wife, Bridget. Spying her alongside his ma he made his way across the green, through the crowds of well-wishers, towards them.

They weren’t going to take what he had to tell them well, but he had no choice. The world didn’t stop because Paddy Coyle was throwing a party.

“My God, I’m stuffed,” laughed Teresa, his mother’s neighbour and confidant. “Jesus, you outdid yourself this time, Paddy me boy, it’ll take a large dose of castor oil to shift this lot,” as she patted her distended abdomen and gave rip to an extremely loud fart.

“My God, Teresa, have a bit of decorum,” scolded Lizzie. “Jesus, the priests are just over there.”

“Och, they wouldn’t hear it from way over there,” smirked the culprit.

“No, but they’ll feckin’ well smell it, you rank old biddy,” laughed the matriarch.

“You never change,” said Paddy, “make sure you take a bit of grub away with you, and a drink for himself.” Teresa’s husband, Peter, had been bed-ridden for years after an accident at work. Everyone knew it was for the ‘comp’ and there was sod all wrong with him, he was just a lazy bastard, but Teresa wouldn’t have a word said against him, despite the fact he was the most miserable, cantankerous old git Paddy had ever met. But Teresa was his mother’s best mate and many times over the years the Coyles had been ‘helped out’ and Paddy would never forget that.

“Can I have a word? Excuse us a minute, Teresa. Glad you’re enjoying yourself.”

He led his mother and wife back into the terraced house. The house Lizzie had lived in for the past thirty years. The one in which she’d given birth to her three sons and that she-devil of a daughter, Marie. Who, incidentally, was the only member of the family missing from the celebrations. No doubt the prodigal daughter would come rolling home in last night’s clothes, stinking of last night’s booze and last night’s man.

There was no reasoning with the girl. She went her own way, doing her own thing, regardless of how much shame she brought on her mother and her brothers, and there was plenty of shame at that. The latest being snugly wrapped and fast asleep in the stylish Silver Cross pram, bought, of course, by Paddy, there being no husband or father to stump up. Only the colour of the wee mite gave a clue as to his parentage and neither of those gentlemen were likely to step up to the plate. Coincidentally, they had both been reported missing. Despite that, the house was always a haven for her family, no matter what trouble they might be in.

Oh, she had no illusions about her sons. Under the façade of ‘successful businessmen’ Lizzie knew well what her Patrick and his brothers got up to, and whether she approved or not, they were her boys and she would always stand by them. It was that ‘business’ that kept her in the style she had now become accustomed to. Her sons were good to their mother, nothing but the best, and Lizzie knew that. Marie, too, had a lot to be thankful for, but needless to say she wasn’t.

The first thing that struck a visitor upon entering 28 Lomond Gardens was the sparkle. The place shone like a new pin and always smelled of polish and bleach. Paddy was sure his mother used Pledge as an air freshener, and it wasn’t the first time he’d walked into a cloud of polish and almost choked.

“Okay, what’s up?” queried Lizzie. “Surely whatever it is can wait till tomorrow, lad. Can we not have this day without any shenanigans?”

“I’m sorry, Ma, but I have to leave. There’s a problem at the warehouse and the polis are all over the place. We have to go.”

Although disappointed, Lizzie sighed in agreement, business was business and he had to go. But not so Bridget, she wasn’t having any of it. It was seldom she argued back with Paddy, always giving him his place and honestly, in her heart she knew that he wouldn’t leave Erin’s party unless it was absolutely necessary. But she certainly wasn’t going to make it easy for him

“We have to go?” queried his wife. “And who are this we? Surely, if the boys are going they can handle it without you holding their hands?”

“For fuck’s sake, Bridget, you know the score,” said her exasperated husband. “I’ve no time for this.”

“Make bloody time,” snapped Bridget. “And I know the score alright, but no, Paddy, send the others. This is your only daughter’s first holy communion and nothing, I mean nothing, should interfere with today.”

“I have to, Bridget. You know I wouldn’t go if I could help it, but I must.” Paddy had that steel glint in his eye which brooked no arguments and Bridget, angry though she was, knew not to push her luck. “Now, be a good girl and make sure everyone is enjoying themselves and I’ll be as quick as I can. You won’t even notice I’ve gone.”

Bridget was furious. Since the day they were married, at every party, wedding and funeral they had ever attended Paddy had left her on her own at some point, to go and attend to ‘business’. Well, it would be a long time before she let him off with this one.

In fairness to her man, he worked relentlessly for his family and Bridget was well aware that she and Erin came first in Paddy’s life and he would willingly die for them. The only real disappointment in their lives was that there were no brothers or sisters for their precious little girl. For the first few years she had been frantic and the disappointment every month was hard to bear, but as time went on she resigned herself to the situation and channelled all her love and affection on the two most important beings in her life. She kept the magnificent home perfect, tended to her daughter’s and husband’s needs and was on call to any member of the family who needed help. She was a diamond and everybody loved Bridget, none more so than her husband even when she was being a stubborn mare.

The party was in full swing; there were pony rides, courtesy of a couple of traveller boys who Paddy had helped out recently. The kids’ magician, with the expensive coke habit, was busy churning out balloon animals, each one with its own little white moustache, just like the man making them. The DJ was blasting out the latest Madonna hit and the green was awash with little mini brides, all prancing about in their finest, and dozens of not-so-white-clad little lads having a whale of a time. The makeshift bar was three deep and the two volunteers were doing a roaring trade. Free booze was a luxury few, if any, had enjoyed before and there would be a few sair heids in the morning, including the two Fathers.

Father Jack was Craigloch’s parish priest. It was once a thriving community, but like many big housing estates, most of its inhabitants were living way below the poverty line. As the more fortunate families were rehoused and moved away, the empty houses soon became squats and the scheme was riddled with junkies and crackheads.

As far as Father Jack was concerned the Coyles were a good Catholic family and could do no wrong. No matter what rumours or stories circulated, the donations from Paddy and the brothers far outweighed any gossip.

The Coyles were all regular churchgoers, apart from Marie of course, but Lizzie was up and out to first mass most mornings, often accompanied by Patrick. Whether he was on his way to work or coming home was not for Father Jack to speculate, especially as there was always a fifty pound note in the collection plate.

Canon O’Farrell, on the other hand, didn’t share Father Jack’s views on the Coyle family. Lizzie was a good woman, but the others were scum of the earth, devil’s spawn and a few other adjectives to boot. He especially loathed Patrick with a passion. Oh, he would accept his hospitality and all the benefits that came with having such a powerful family in the parish, but it was his God-given mission to destroy the man and destroy him he would. And that day was nigh.

The cut ran deep within the canon and went back many years, to a time when, as a young priest, he first landed in Glasgow. Way before the present turf wars started. The ‘Ice Cream Wars’. He laughed at the absurdity. Only a place like this could come up with such an idiotic name, and he knew, as God would be his judge, that Paddy Coyle was at the centre of the feud and that the ‘Big Man’ would stop at nothing until he controlled the east of the city.

The two priests hated a drink or two − between the pair of them the Fathers had demolished a bottle of single malt whisky, washed down with more than a few pints of the black stuff.

It was perhaps time to make a move back to the parish house before the early evening mass. Not that he expected many of their parishioners to attend, they were all too busy enjoying themselves, courtesy of the Coyles.

“Shite,” muttered Father Jack, knowing full well he would be the one who volunteered to do his duty.

The fly auld bugger did little or no parish work nowadays and conducted even fewer masses. He spent most of his time with the young trainees who had been assigned to St. Jude’s and of late, a less Christian or devout bunch of scoundrels he had yet to meet.

Father Jack had his own views on what was going on in his parish, but better to keep his own counsel, for the moment anyway. So there was no chance, given the amount of booze he’d consumed, that Canon O’Farrell would officiate tonight.

Zig-zagging across the green on their way home, being stopped every couple of yards by either the recipient of the holy sacrament or the parents of such, they eventually reached the end of the avenue just as one of Big Paddy’s ice cream vans came trundling into view, the chimes blaring above the cacophony of the DJ. The ears of every kid in the vicinity pricked up.

There’s nothing a kid loves more than ice cream, mused Father Jack. The only thing to top that was free ice cream. Heaven had just arrived, playing Popeye the Sailor Man, and even before the van had stopped there was a healthy queue.

Clinging on to her mother’s skirt, “Please, Mum, please just ask him,” pleaded Erin. “Please. My da would let me, and it’s his van anyway. Go on, Mum, ask him.”

To be fair, Erin Coyle seldom asked for privileges and she was right, her da would have given in immediately. The van was, after all, one of his fleet.

“Okay, since you’ve been such a good girl I’ll ask. Mind, he might say no, health and safety and all that.”

Bridget walked up to the open window and motioned to Jamesie that she wanted a word.

“Jamesie, I won’t be annoyed if you say no, but Erin’s desperate to have a wee go at serving. Would you let her? It’s not as if you’re selling the stuff and Paddy will be good for anything she messes, what do you say?”

Hey! There was no way he would ever be likely to refuse a request from Bridget Coyle. If the girl blew the van up he would still take the blame. Jamesie Flynn had only recently fallen heir to his own van, the previous incumbent having disappeared after the third attempt on his life had proved one attempt too many.

The vans were notorious throughout the country. They were used as cover to sell drugs, carry stolen goods, a depository for weapons. In fact, the vans sold everything except ice cream, or very little. It was a dangerous occupation and the average lifespan of a van man was not long. Not only were they constantly targeted by other outfits, but the filth raided them with such regularity they were known locally as the ‘Serious Chime Squad’. But Jamesie had no such fears − having ridden shotgun on nearly every van in the Coyle fleet he knew the score and what to look out for, or so he thought.

Okay, maybe his wasn’t the most lucrative round on the patch, but it was a start and Jamesie had plans. He was an ambitious young lad and meant to go places, not like most of the other drivers. No way would he shove the profits up his nose. No, as far as he was concerned drugs were for the punters, not him.

He couldn’t believe his luck when the Big Man himself had approached him about taking over the round. He had worked his way up the ranks, quietly and efficiently, getting whatever job done with no fuss and, more to the point, no come-back. So he wouldn’t ever qualify as one of the heavies, but he took shit from no-one and could more than hold his own, he would do alright.

Certainly, bringing free ice cream to Erin Coyle’s party was a stroke of genius and the big man wouldn’t forget such a gesture. More brownie points.

“Of course she can. Come away in, poppet, but mind your dress, this is messy work.”

“Look, ten minutes and I’ll come back for her. That should be long enough for boredom to set in,” smiled Bridget. “Erin, you be a good girl and listen to what Jamesie says. I’ll be over with nanny.”

“Oh Lord, look at what the cat’s dragged in,” Bridget muttered to herself, spying her young sister-in-law, Marie, staggering into the street.

Even in such a state Marie Coyle was a stunner. She had long, dark titian hair, green eyes and the almost translucent skin of the pure Celt, a figure to die for and a mouth like an Irish navvy. Marie, waving furiously to Bridget, turned, pulled her ridiculously short skirt even higher and wiggled her bare arse for all to see.

Bridget almost collapsed with laughter. She loved the mad devil, but she was so thankful that the brothers had gone off on their mission or there would have been murder. Lizzie, on the other hand, looked like a bulldog chewing a wasp, and even in her befuddled state Marie knew to avoid her mother for the moment.

“Hey, kiddo, what are you doing in there? Is your da so skint he’s got you out working to pay for this lot?” she joked with her niece. Marie was great with everyone else’s kids, just not her own.

“Have a cornet, Auntie Marie. Go on, pick any flavour, I can do them all, honest. Sprinkles, flakes, any topping.”

“Surprise me, darling, surprise me.”

Erin was in her element and working the whipped ice machine was just so cool. Of course, her Auntie Marie got the works − toppings and sauces.

As she turned back to the serving window, holding an absolute masterpiece, the youngster was puzzled. Where was her auntie? In Marie’s place there was a man, a man wearing a mask. Was somebody playing a trick? The man had a gun.

No-one had paid any attention to the car that had pulled up behind the van, not until the three men emerged, all with shotguns, all wearing balaclavas. First there was a shot through the windscreen. Next the back door was blown off its hinges and finally the interior took the remainder of the shots. Only the chimes survived.

Her dress, oh, look at her lovely dress. Had she spilled something on it? The red stain was getting bigger. People were screaming. Where was Auntie Marie? What was wrong with Jamesie? Father Jack had fallen down; everything was strange. She wanted her da. Where was her da?

Canon O’Farrell was the only person not taken by surprise.

The Raid

Although loathe to leave the party, Paddy made off with his twin brothers, Sean and Michael, in one car and wee Davie and Mark in another. The rest of the boys, most of whom had enjoyed the free bar, were scrabbling about looking for lifts.

The Coyles, being a close-knit family, always had each other’s backs. But physically and temperamentally they were as different as chalk and cheese.

Patrick, the eldest, stood at 6’2” and was as broad as he was tall. He was a handsome devil who exuded dominance and no-one ever disputed his authority. He was well named ‘The Big Man’.

‘The Twins’, as they were always referred to, had the stocky build of the typical Glaswegian. At 5’10”, whilst certainly not small, they were dwarfed by their older brother. Like most identical twins they seemed to be joined at the hip.

Michael was the quieter of the two, the thinker. He was a wizard with figures and was the number man of the firm. He could calculate to the nearest pound what any business should be taking, and heaven help the man who said otherwise.

Sean was the party animal; he knew where everything was happening, the latest ‘in-places’ and who was selling what in every club. It seemed like he spent his time chasing skirt and having a good time, but he missed nothing and whatever situations he did get into with irate husbands or boyfriends, he simply blamed them on his brother. Only their mother, sister and Paddy could actually tell them apart. Together, the family ran the East End of Glasgow − pubs, clubs, saunas and vans. They were a force to be reckoned with.

The Coyle boys, like most of their contemporaries, had had a hard upbringing and learned the rules of the street before they could walk. Their father, Seamus, was a handsome genial seaman, often absent for months on end. Money was sporadic and haphazard which meant Lizzie and the boys continually lived on the edge. Eventually, lo and behold, the wanderer would return and it would be the land of milk and honey, but only for a while.

Every night was party night for Seamus; the house was full of food, drink and hangers-on. He would hold court with tales of his adventures which almost always involved being drunk and stuck in foreign prisons. Everyone loved the bones of him. He was great company and would give a body his last penny. But it was hard for Lizzie to watch the stupid arse buy his popularity. The money being squandered could keep her and his sons for months.

The man was generous to a fault, but when Seamus had drunk and gambled what little there was, the wanderlust would once again grab him. Full of promises to send money every week and to sign on for shorter trips, the family waved him off, hearing the same old promises and knowing he had no real thought for his family or how they would cope until his next leave.

On his last trip to the Far East he had simply failed to report for duty and had never been seen or heard of since. The consensus of opinion was that he’d been drunk and fallen overboard or, like one of the tales he spun, he was being held captive in some far-off jail. Either one, without proof, meant the shipping company would not pay out any compensation or insurance money, which meant the family found themselves in an even worse financial crisis than usual and, yet again, left to struggle in the proverbial . . .

Life had been desperate, to say the least. There was no money coming in and a new baby was on the way − a parting gift from Seamus’ last home visit. No food in the house, no coal for a fire and they were reduced to burning what few sticks of furniture they had left. Lizzie had exhausted all channels of help. So, at the tender age of fourteen, it fell to Paddy to feed the family. He took any job he could. He worked from early morning, delivering milk, then on to delivering bags of coal and logs for the local fuel merchant.

Few grown men could carry the hundredweight bags, but these were nothing to the big lad. He would toss them over his shoulder as though they were full of feathers and easily run up four flights of stairs.

To top his week off he acted as a bookie’s runner on a Saturday. It was this job that taught Paddy a valuable lesson, and one he never forgot − gambling was the curse of the working man. In the first few weeks of working for ‘Bent Harry’, the turf accountant, he listened to all the tales of glory. Men who had never had more than a fiver to spare would win hundreds, sometimes thousands, but forgot about the thousands they had lost over the years.

“If Shenanigan’s Lad had come in at 50:1, I’d have 100K.”

“Put your shirt on Pure Dead Cert, he can’t lose.”

“Got it from the horse’s mouth.”

Three weeks on the trot he went home with nothing. Listening to the get-rich-quick promises, and having gambled all of what he earned, Paddy Coyle never placed another bet in his life.

Between his wages and tips, the young lad probably earned nearly as much as the average man twice his age, and while they were not living in the lap of luxury he managed to keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table, but there was nothing left over for extras.

Even at such a tender age Paddy promised himself that life wouldn’t always be like this. One day he’d make his mark, one day there would be money to spare. He had no idea how he would do it, but he knew it would be so.

He had virtually given up on schooling. It didn’t seem to be acceptable for him to turn up as black as the Earl of Hell’s waistcoat and continually falling asleep in class was not tolerated. Patrick Coyle was not a popular pupil with the teaching staff of St. Jude’s Secondary School. One nun in particular, Sister Mary-Claire, seemed to have it in for the young lad and took demonic delight in drawing attention to his dirty, ragged clothes and embarrassing him in front of his classmates. Paddy hated her.

Between her and Father O’Farrell they made his school life a misery. Any misdemeanours merited outrageous punishment and on many occasions Paddy’s hands were bleeding and cut through excessive use of the cane.

Such treatment was commonplace in the school, but no-one ever dreamed of complaining. Most parents would take the stance that Junior had more than likely done something to merit the punishment. After all, the perpetrators were reckoned to be devoted to doing good. Patrick Coyle would never admit to being in pain, not even to God.

His reputation was passed on to the twins. Although they were devils and spent most of the day disrupting their class, much to the amusement and delight of their classmates, they were just lads full of mischief and certainly didn’t merit the punishments meted out to them. The sins of the brother (not the father) certainly seemed to be visiting them. The fact that they were identical meant no-one was ever sure who had actually carried out the crimes. The solution to this was simply to punish both. School was not a happy place for any of the Coyle boys and they couldn’t wait to get away.

The final straw for Paddy came towards the end of the summer term. The twins, as usual, had been up to some dodge or other and had been sent to ‘The Office’ to be dealt with. There was nothing unusual in that, they were frequent visitors to the Head’s office. However, it wasn’t the genial Canon O’Brian who was in residence that day, but Father O’Farrell, newly arrived from Galway. Determined to tighten up St Jude’s and maintain discipline, Father O’Farrell was a great believer in corporal punishment.

Paddy heard the yells from the other side of the school yard and knew immediately his brothers were in trouble. He crashed his way into the office and was met with the sight of his two eleven-year-old brothers, bare-arsed, being thrashed by this manic priest.

Paddy grabbed the switch from the priest and exacted his own extreme punishment on the quivering coward. The twins and Sister Mary-Claire had to wrestle the cane from him, fearing that Paddy would do serious damage.

Paddy Coyle had just made his first real enemy, as had Father Francis O’Farrell. Standing over the priest, Paddy bent down and whispered into his battered face. “If you ever touch one of mine again, they’ll not be able to stop me. I will send you to your maker, whoever that might be.”

Paddy instantly became an urban legend and Father O’Farrell was hated by every kid in the neighbourhood.

The Journey

Despite the urgency, Michael drove through the city streets sedately, never exceeding the speed limit. No point in drawing attention to themselves or getting a tug for driving like the Dukes of Hazard. As they neared the quayside, expecting to be swamped by flashing blue lights, there was no-one around, only one old codger walking his dog.

“What the fuck’s going on?” yelled Paddy as the 4 x 4 screeched to a halt. The warehouse and loading bay were deserted. The watchman, George, who’d been with the Coyles for years, jumped to attention.

“Afternoon, boys. Don’t often see you on a Sunday,” said the old chap, hurriedly shoving the Sunday papers under the desk.

“What’s happened, George? Where are they all? What did they take?”

“Sorry, who took what, boss?” puzzled the watchman. “I’ve not seen a soul since I came in at six this morning.”

“The polis,” said an irritated Paddy, now surrounded by the most sober of the partygoers.

“You called me, you senile old bastard. You said the place was fucking teeming with filth and they were demanding entry.”