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CHAPTER: 7 GETTING TO WORK
Callum woke still exhausted after a restless night of tossing and
turning and vivid dreams of Lindsey, past and present, and also one which
left him in a cold sweat.
This particular dream had been of the present situation with Barry Grant.
Callum had been watching as Barry raped and murdered Lindsey, he had not
been able to do anything and the feeling of helplessness had left him
with a feeling of nausea and sweating.
Sam was there first thing like he said he would be. As he followed Callum
through to the kitchen, where Callum was having his breakfast, he noticed
how pale his friend was looking.
“ Bad night?” Sam asked with a genuine concern.
“ You could say that” Callum sighed, flicking through the pages
of a paper though it was obvious to Sam that he really wasn't interested
in it.
“ What’s our plan then? I know you don't want Lindsey to know
you’re on the scene I can understand that. So what do we do? Watch
Barry and wait to see what his movements are going to be?” Sam really
did want to help Callum and Callum knew this and appreciated it.
“ Well we can't really do much until we know what he’s doing.
What I do want to do though is pay visits to some people and find out
if they know what’s going on. If Barry's looking for someone its
obvious that he’s going to put the word out......” Sam cut in.
“ What if he knows where she is?”
“ Well he'll put the word out anyway because he'll want to know as
much about what she’s up to anyway. He can't just barge up to her
house and hope she’s home, can he?” Sam knew Callum was right
as usual. Callum always was right, he always knew what he was talking
about and was always two steps ahead of his enemy because he was such
an expert at every aspect of his 'business'.
“ Right, we'll get some eyes on Barry, we'll put some ears out and
I'll pay some visits for you” Sam rose thinking that he would be
left to organize things with Callum been in the state he was in.
“ No” Callum looked up at Sam who immediately sat back down,
knowing automatically that he'd said something wrong.
“ What? what’s wrong?”
“ I'll be paying those visits”
“ Well why? Callum you've hardly slept, you've had one slice of toast
since yesterday morning. You're in no fit state” Callum knew Sam
was only concerned for him, but he knew these people and he knew how to
get information from them, whether they liked it or not.
“ Sam I know these people and they know me. That puts me in a good
position to get information from them without having to push too hard.
I only have to be in the room to be able to get a reaction from them,
you can do the rest” Sam knew Callum was right, just the mere presence
of him was enough to intimidate people. Sam remembered well how Callum
only had to look at a person with his dark eyes when he was angry and
they immediately responded.
“ Alright, but you let me ask the questions, you just sit there and
put your evil eyes on them, okay” Callum managed a faint laugh as
Sam mentioned his 'evil eyes', Callum knew what he meant, it was surprising
how he could intimidate people just by looking at them. Lindsey was never
intimidated by such things, or if she was she didn't show it, she always
stood and faced him and never backed down an inch. Callum sighed at the
thought of her.
“ I'll go and get ready” Callum mumbled as he rose from the
table. Sam looked after him with a pitiful look on his face, it was not
right seeing his boss, and his friend, like this. Such emotions had never
seemed to have been part of the Glasgow hardman’s nature, but now
Sam knew how wrong he had been.
Barry Grant rose early, he knew he had a lot of work ahead of him. He
had to find out everything he could about Lindsey and her schedule if
he was to catch her at just the right moment.
He didn't eat any breakfast and set out to see a few of his old friends
before he began to tap Lindsey. His first stop was to be the Backstreet
Club, he knew people in there who knew Lindsey, if she was up to anything
they'd know about it, these people watched everyone who had ever been
into 'the business'.
Callum and Sam's first stop was the garage. Callum hoped that it would
be Lindsey's day off, if she was still working there anyway. Callum walked
in ahead of Sam, despite what had been said he intended to ask the questions
anyway.
“ Good morning” the young man from behind counter greeted them.
It wasn't something he usually did but he was oddly intimidated by this
dark man in the black suit.
“ Morning” Callum replied oddly warm, he knew a friendly start
usually helped what followed, he didn't want to appear suspicious at all,
it was a trick of the trade as he had once put it to Benny. “ I was
wondering if you could help me” Sam sighed, he knew there was no
point in saying anything, Callum was going to do the work and he couldn't
do anything to stop him.
“ If I can sir” the young man replied, he didn't feel anything
dangerous or suspicious about Callum, he saw him as been friendly enough.
“ I'm looking for someone, you see I just flew in from Portugal last
night and I've tried her old number and apparently its been changed so
I can't get in touch with her” Callum was extremely convincing, it
was something he had perfected over the years. He had had to find a way
to overcome his dark demeanor as it usually put people off, so he had
become expert at projecting a friendly, honest and harmless image.
“ Who is it you're looking for?” the young man asked, believing
Callum's story.
“ Lindsey Corkhill or does she still go by Phelan, she did marry,
but it didn't last, he had an affair” Callum needed to appear a trusted
friend, someone Lindsey spoke to openly.
“ Its Phelan sir”
“ Right, do you have a number or address, just something I could
contact her by?” Callum knew what the answer would be, and it was
the one he wanted.
“ I'm not sure I'm allowed to tell you sir”
“ Its okay I understand. Would you be able to tell me when she’s
at work, so I could come and see her at work, just to get her number?”
“ That would be Thursday evening sir” the young man replied
holding a rota book in front of him.
“ That’s great, thanks” Callum smiled warmly at the young
man and walked out closely followed by Sam. Callum could tell by the way
Sam was walking that he wasn't happy.
“ I can't believe you did that” Sam snapped once they were outside.
“ Did what?” Callum asked turning to face him.
“ We agreed that I'd be asking the questions”
“ I know but it just comes to me automatically, anyway I have a way
of making people trust me, you saw the way that guy reacted, he eyed us
when we walked in, then I started talking and he trusted me. It works,
look I promise you can ask the questions when we go to see Will and Gary,
okay” Callum smiled that old 'trust me' smile, and Sam knew that
he would keep his promise.
Barry pulled up outside the Backstreet Club, he only hoped that Gary would
be there this early. He had bought an N reg. Vauxhall and it had only
cost him £400 from a second hand dealers. As he walked to the double
doors he began to wonder what might be wrong with it, it seemed to be
running smoothly enough. Maybe the guy who sold him needed to pass it
on quickly. Barry wondered if it was stolen.
“ Hey Barry, Gary look who it is!” Gary came out from the back
room and his face immediately became one of suspicion, Barry only ever
came to him when something was wrong.
“ What’s up this time? It can't be Finnegan, he’s dead,
so who've.....” Barry immediately jumped in.
“ Dead! Callum, Callum Finnegan?” Barry was in shock.
“ Aye, went just after his brother and his brothers' wife”
“ Alasdair and Rose too! Christ, I go away for a while and everyone
starts dropping like bloody flies” Barry couldn't believe what he
was hearing.
“ Aye, everyone reckons Callum himself got rid of Alasdair and Rose,
don't know why but thats what everyone thinks anyway. So what brings you
back? You didn't do Callum over did you?” Gary asked sitting down
and signalling for his companion to leave him and Barry alone.
“ No, but I'd like to shake the hand of the man who did” Barry
replied to the latter question.
“ Who says it was a man, that Lindsey of yours had a few grudges
to hold against him didn't she, anyway the way I hear it, he was back
looking for her when he got killed”
“ Is that so now” Barry spoke thoughtfully “ Anyway you
asked why I was back, I'm looking for Lindsey myself, I need to know what
I can about what she’s getting up to lately”
“ Hah I hope you're not planning to revive your relationship with
her” Gary said laughing.
“ Whys that?” Barry asked curiously.
“ Cos she’s gone to the other side” Gary said in a mock
whisper.
“ You're kidding! Not Lindsey she wouldn't!”
“ Oh aye, some lass called Shelley. So you want to know what Lindsey’s
up to. The way I hear it she’s working at a garage on the Parade,
she is at work this Thursday night I believe. I've been keeping an eye
on her since Callum kicked the bucket, I want to know if it was her or
not, in fact there’s a few people would like to know” Gary spoke
in a low voice, he knew there would be people trying to listen in on their
conversation.
“ Right thanks for that, if you find out anything else, you've got
my mobile right” Gary nodded in reply, with that Barry left, he intended
to go and see Will, but that could wait. First of all he wanted to see
the garage Lindsey was working at, he knew which one it was. It was the
only one on the Parade.
CHAPTER: 8 GETTING NASTY
Callum and Sam strolled calmly and casually into the bar which Barry
had visited only yesterday. Callum knew that if anyone Will would be the
first person Barry went to see. Will was harmless enough and tried to
be trustworthy but Callum knew that he'd do anything to save himself.
“ Hey Will how are you?” Callum cried as he walked in, smiling
friendly enough at Will, but Will knew what that smile meant and he could
see the faint mock beneath it.
“ Look Callum, I'm out of business now, so whatever you want know
I don't know it” Will rose his hands as if he were surrendering.
“ Who says I want to know anything? maybe I just stopped by for a
quiet drink” Callum's tone was vaguely mocking as he pulled a chair
out and sat down at a table.
“ We’re not open yet” Will spoke quietly, it was blatantly
obvious that he was worried, he knew about Callum and Barrys' on-going
war with each other, and he knew where Barry was and why he was back.
This knowledge placed him in the firing range.
“ Ah this is true” Callum smiled, then his face changed in a
second, now in the place of the friendly smile was a serious expression,
a deadly serious expression that Will knew all too well. He saw the threatening
glint in Callum's eyes, the danger sign. Callum was angry and he wanted
answers. Will knew he would have to give those answers if he wanted to
live. " Okay I am looking for answers" Callum admitted, a cool,
calm look on his face, but in his eyes the danger sign was still there
" Answers that I know you have" the mock tone was now gone and
Callum's voice was low and threatening.
“ Sit down Will” Sam came forward, his voice every bit as threatening
as Callum's.
“ Okay” Will swallowed hard, his throat was dry. He knew that
he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, a very hard place. He knew
that Callum was the rock, Callum would be impossible to escape from whereas
Barry would be slightly easier to get away from. Barry did not have the
power and influence that Callum had, also he did not have the money Callum
had to buy the influence either, he knew that anything Barry could offer
Callum could always offer more.
“ Right Will” Sam began “ We believe that you know where
Barry Grant is hiding out, now, and trust me on this, it would make your
life a lot easier if you were to tell us where we could find him”
Sam took the softer approach, but Callum did not have the patience for
this, it was Lindsey's life that was hanging in the balance and he was
not going to risk that.
“ Look, and trust me on this, I have no idea where Barry is staying”
Callum sighed as he heard this “ Look I didn't even know he was back
I swear it” Callum jumped forward causing Will to almost topple back
in his chair. Callum leant forward over the table to him.
“ Okay listen to me, everything he just said to you I'm going to
repeat, but I'm going to give you the definitive version, okay?”
Will nodded nervously as Sam sighed, he should've known Callum wouldn't
sit back and watch. “ Okay now Will, we know that you know where
Barry Grant is staying, now, and trust me on this, it would make your
death a lot less painful if you were to tell us where we could find him”
Callum's voice was almost a growl as he said this, whereas Wills' was
almost a whimper as he replied.
“ I swear I don't know......” he was cut short as Callum dove
up and dragged him over the table by his shirt. Will lay on his back on
the table as Callum slowly put a gun to his forehead.
“ Now you're going to listen and you're going to listen very carefully.
This is the life of the woman I love we're talking about here, and if
you don't tell me where I can find Barry” Will tried to wriggle as
his back began to stiffen. Callum jerked him back his original position
and nearly broke his arm in the process “ Now as I was saying, if
I don't find Barry and anything, and I mean anything happens to Lindsey,
I don't care whether it ranges from brain damage to a broken nail, I will
make sure that anyone, anyone who has ever even had a friendly conversation
with Grant will be hunted down, and the closer they were to him the more
painful their death will be” Will was almost crying at this point,
the thought of dying, especially at the hands of someone as ruthless as
Callum Finnegan was too much to bear. Callum crouched down so that he
was close to Will's ear as he whispered “ And the way I hear it you
and him were very, very close”
“ Okay!” Will cried, finally cracking “ He’s staying
at a motel, one of those little drive in things like out of Psycho, I
swear I don't what its called though!”
“ Thank you” Callum smiled, a cold sarcastic smile as he turned
and walked away from the sobbing mess on the table.
“ Asshole” Will muttered once he thought that Callum was out
of earshot, Callum stopped to listen as Will continued to mutter “
I hope he makes the little slut suffer, and I hope you're watching, huh
the 'woman you love'” with that Callum was on him. Driving the butt
of his gun hard into the center of Will's back. Aaaargh! Will cried out
as something cracked. Callum hauled him off the table and threw him against
the wall with a strength and anger that had lifted Will off his feet and
literally sent him through the air until he crashed against the brick
wall. Will crumpled to the floor. Callum grabbed hold of him and dragged
him to his feet. Once Will was up Callum sent him back down with a right
hook to the jaw.
It was this point when Sam seized hold of him and dragged him out. Once
by the car Callum turned on Sam.
“ You should've let me kill him!” Callum cried, Sam felt sorry
for him, but still shouted back.
“ You've got to get a grip Callum! God, we're not going to get anywhere
if you keep reacting like this! I know you've got to use force sometimes
but christ you can't kill everyone” Sam sighed and drew a deep breath
“ I know you're upset Callum, and I know how much you're
hurting, believe me I do. But if we're going to stop Grant I need you
fit and good because I can't do this alone, I don't have your experience,
I don't have your professionalism and I don't have you power, influence
and contacts” Sam sighed again “ I need you on this Callum,
I need the cold, heartless, professional gangster. I need Callum Finnegan
the man that everyone fears and respects, not the man that’s standing
before me now” Sam felt the ultimate sorrow for his friend. He understood
what he was going through but everything he had said had been true, he
needed the cool man of ice that never lost his temper or his head.
“ Alright.....alright, you're right” Callum sighed “ Guess
I'd better sort my head out yeah” with that Callum turned and climbed
into his car. Sam slowly followed him and climbed into the passenger seat.
Both were silent as they drove to the Backstreet Club.
As they strode in Callum seemed to be the man of ice that Sam knew him
to be. Their was a confidence in Callum's stride and in his stance that
could dissuade Mike Tyson from fighting with him. Sam drank from this
cool confidence and let it rub off on him. He didn't want to appear nervous
or even fidgety. Callum knew who he was looking for, Gary Davidson. He
was a known friend of Barrys' and he knew everything that was going on
in 'the business' that’s why everyone came to him.
Gary looked up as he heard the door fall shut behind Sam. As he turned
his head his face turned white.
“ Holy Mary, mother of god” Gary stammered “ Callum? Callum
Finnegan? It can't be”
“ It is” Callum smiled “ The one and only” Gary threw
his arms warmly around Callum.
“ I thought you were dead” Gary was laughing now, he was pleased
to see his old friend.
“ Gary, I don't want to spoil the moment, but I think you may be
able to help me” Callum said sitting down. Sam stood behind him defensively.
“ Anything, anything for you” then Gary sighed “ I think
I already know what you're going to ask me”
“ I think you do” Callum nodded “ Barry Grant, he’s
back and I believe he is looking for Lindsey Corkhill”
“ Then you believe right” Gary confirmed.
“ Good” Callum smiled “ So he’s been to see you then
I know that now, so” Callum looked up his smile gone, Gary knew not
to mess Callum about, he knew that this was something serious and that
Callum would get his answers one way or another.
“ Look Callum, I'll tell you everything he told me, he’s looking
for Lindsey Corkhill, he wanted to know where she was working and when.
I told him she'd be in the garage on Thursday night, that’s all.
Now if its Lindsey he’s looking for, I don't see why this is any
worry of yours” Gary spoke honestly, he trusted Callum a lot more
than he trusted Barry, also he feared Callum a lot more.
“ Because my good friend, a lot of things have changed lately, me
and Lindsey we're, well lets just say we don't want to be reading each
others obituaries any more, okay, do you take my point?” Callum's
voice was low and Gary understood what he was telling him, and from the
tone in Callum's voice Gary did not want to cross him at this moment and
he knew merely from the look in his eyes as he said her name that it was
no one night stand.
“ I'm shocked to be honest with you Callum, I never thought you and
Lindsey could stand the sight of each other let alone 'get it together',
to put it one way and then there was the fact that she was....well the
way I heard it she was...you know”
“ Yeah I thought that at one point too, but what do you know, I never
thought it would happen either, but, I love her and if anything were to
happen to her.....” Callum leaned towards Gary, his eyes flashing
with 'the danger sign'. Gary shifted back, the mere presence of Callum
was threatening enough, but his eyes showed an anger and a pain that his
outside form hid well, his eyes could not lie though. He was desperate
to find Barry, he had to find him and stop him before he got to Lindsey
and before Lindsey found Callum.
“ I honestly don't know where he’s staying, but I do have his
mobile” Gary's hand was shaking as he took the piece of paper from
the breast pocket on his shirt.
“ That'll do” Callum stood up, snatching the paper from Gary's
hand “ And if asked, you lost his number, because I'm sure you won't
be given him any helpful phone calls now will you” Callum smiled,
that cold, sarcastic smile that he was so famed for.
“ No I'm sure I won't be” Gary forced a smile back. He liked
Callum, he really did, but he did not like being on the receiving end
of his questions. Especially not under such explosive circumstances.
Continued Next week.......
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