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  He left.

  Ron had kept silent during the discussion. When Ivan was safely out of earshot, he finally spoke. ‘That sounded like a final warning to me. You don’t get a second chance with Ivan. I told you.’

  ‘That’s not what I heard,’ Michael replied. ‘He could have strong-armed us into agreeing, restaurant or no restaurant. Said that if we wanted to be alive in the morning, we needed to agree on the spot. He was sussing us out, to find out how strong we were, whether anyone was protecting us. Behind all that bluster, he’s not as strong as he pretends to be.’

  Ron shook his head in disbelief. ‘Michael, you’re out of your league here. If you don’t want to find yourself floating down the Clyde, say yes to Crazy Ivan. We can still do well on fifty per cent of the business, even if we lose a few clients when word gets out he’s taking over.’

  ‘We’re not going to do that, Ron,’ Michael said softly. ‘Look, I can see you’re uncomfortable. Let’s do this: get word to Ivan that I’m the one saying no, that I need time to think about it. We keep away from our usual haunts. Then I go to see him when I’m ready, on my own, taking all the risk. See if I can make him see reason. If I don’t, I have to deal with the consequences. But if I do, I get the rewards. You want to give him fifty per cent of the operation, so we’d only have twenty-five per cent each. If there’s no Crazy Ivan, you keep thirty-five per cent; I get the other sixty-five. If I fail, you still get thirty-five per cent; I accept fifteen. I take all the risk, and under both scenarios, you get more than is on the table at the moment.’

  Michael gave the satisfied smile of an entrepreneur who had just solved a knotty business problem.

  Ron was not convinced. ‘No one crosses Ivan and lives to tell the tale. You’re not street-savvy enough to get that, Michael. But let me tell you, we don’t have a choice.’

  Michael’s smile faded and died on his lips.

  ‘We do have a choice, Ron. It’s a case of whether we want to make it, that’s all. Do whatever you need to do to make sure Ivan knows this is my idea. But it’s what we’re going to do.’

  Despite his confident words, Michael knew that he needed to act quickly. Any delay and Ivan would start destroying the operation one job at a time, and when it was damaged beyond the point of no return and there was no reason to keep them alive, he and Ron would suffer the final retribution.

  There was only one thing for it. He had to meet with Kenny McGowan again.

  chapter twelve

  They met in the same bar as before. McGowan listened carefully as Michael outlined how his business had grown since their first meeting and the threat that Ivan posed. He asked Michael to describe every detail of the conversation.

  ‘Did he really say capeesh?’

  Michael nodded, and they both smiled.

  McGowan fixed Michael with a piercing stare as he delivered his verdict. ‘You’re a man I’d like to see succeed, my friend,’ he said. ‘You’ve got a smart operation going on there, you’ve got ambition and you’re in a hurry. But what matters to me is you’re doing this with your head, no’ with a chib. Aye, you need Big Jockie around to help keep your troops in order, but I can see he’s a last resort, no’ a first one. I like that.’

  Michael felt a childlike flush of pride, like he’d been praised by a favourite teacher.

  ‘I hate violence,’ he said. ‘He’s my Polaris missile. Threatened, but never used.’

  ‘Good, good. You can’t win respect with fists. And you’ve got good instincts; you see what’s going on. You were right to notice that Ivan gave you time to think about his ultimatum, to realise that was a sign of insecurity. He wants to know if you’ve got a bunch of Glasgow heavies in your pocket, ready to strike if he attacks. But when you meet him next, Ivan will have seen that’s no’ happened, so he’s going to be a lot more confident. He might look like Neil Diamond’s long-lost brother with all that nancyboy get-up; but believe me, he’s one evil bastard. You’ll no’ get to walk away again unless you’ve got a smart way to fight him. The trick is to have him lose, but make him think he’s won. No matter how smart your plan is, if he doesn’t like it, he’d rather have everything destroyed than see someone stand up to him and succeed. Even if it costs him a lot and he gets nothing out of it.’

  ‘I understand,’ Michael said. ‘I need to demonstrate strength without it looking like strength.’ He waited a long minute. ‘Here’s my thinking. I’m going to show him I can switch off this operation, and that I’m prepared to keep it switched off and disappear forever, rather than accept his demands. But I need him to want the operation to start up again, even if it’s not under his control – he has to know that he needs what I’m offering. And he’s got to feel that’s his decision, not something I’ve forced him to do.’

  McGowan looked sceptical. ‘And how are you going to do that? Hypnosis?’

  ‘No, psychology. Dangle the carrot again of agreeing to launder all his money for free, as long as he leaves me alone. It’ll save him a fortune; even Crazy Ivan will be able to work that out. But I also need a stick, a stick that I can’t be seen to wield. The word’s got to get out to the top echelons of the criminal fraternity that the party’s over; there’s to be no more money-laundering service in Glasgow. Maybe start a rumour the guys behind it have shut up shop because they’re scared of someone who is trying to muscle into their organisation. The big boys need to hear about it and get around a table and agree that my operation is off limits to interference. We already have most of them on the books. Ivan will be at that table, and he can either risk the wrath of every gang boss in Glasgow if they find out he’s the one behind the threat, or he can smile quietly to himself that he’s getting a service for free that everyone else is paying through the nose for. He might convince himself he’s come out of this the winner and decide to leave us alone.’

  ‘Smart plan, but it’ll no’ work. You need to get to a lot of top men and get to them quickly, and then have them make the moves you’re looking for. Ron doesn’t have that sort of clout, Michael. He’ll never get to all these chiefs in time.’

  ‘Not Ron, Kenny. You.’

  McGowan gave an exasperated snort and stood up to leave.

  ‘You’re getting on my tits, pal. I’m fucking retired, Michael. How many more times do I have to tell you that? And I’m no’ your messenger boy. It’s a good enough plan, Michael. But you need to do it yourself.’

  Michael sensed that McGowan was tempted.

  ‘Look, I’m not asking you to do anything illegal. Hear me out. You make a few phone calls; they avert the all-out bloodshed that would be inevitable when the recriminations start flying around about who’s screwed up an operation every gang in Glasgow is benefitting from. You’re an elder statesman making a discreet, low-key intervention to avoid carnage. You stop a needless and unnecessary gang war. Only you can do that.’

  McGowan sat down. ‘You’re a persuasive wee bugger, Michael.’ He smiled, and Michael tried not to show his elation. ‘Okay,’ he said. ‘If I’m going to save your skin, the least you can do is buy me another pint.’

  * * *

  Michael called Ron, saying he had a plan and needed to tell him what it was. When they met, Michael’s tone was understated; calm and strong.

  ‘Look, I know we don’t have the muscle to stand up to him. And we can’t watch our backs twenty-four hours a day. We’ve got to strike back in a way that doesn’t try to fight force with force.’

  Ron pleaded again with Michael to give in, hand everything over to Ivan and accept their new role in the organisation.

  Michael shrugged off his concerns. ‘Our clients are becoming used to using our services,’ he insisted, ‘and they like that we take their cash disposal problems off their hands. You need to get to every one of our customers before the end of the day. You’ll find there’s a rumour going around that there is a security threat to the operation. Tell them it’s true
, we’re closing everything down with immediate effect until the threat is lifted. Then you and I do a disappearing act, and I get word to Ivan that we stay gone until he says we can restart the operation with his blessing. He’ll pick up the word on the street that whoever’s causing us problems has got to stop. He’ll know the whole of the Glasgow underworld will hate him if word gets out that he’s the cause of it all. We don’t threaten him with anything; we leave him to figure it out for himself.’

  ‘How do you know about any rumour? What’s going on, Michael – is there something you’re not telling me?’

  ‘Listen, you’re right that things need to change after this. But our deal is I take all the risk, for a bigger share of the rewards if I’m successful. The less you know, the better it is for you if it goes wrong. You need to trust me on this. We agreed I could try my plan. And if I do it, it has to be done my way.’

  ‘Michael, you don’t get it, do you? There’s no reasoning with the likes of Ivan. If you go to him with that proposition, you won’t walk away from the meeting alive.’

  ‘It’s just business, Ron. A strategic solution to an obstacle that needs to be overcome. With the might of the Glasgow underworld behind us, he won’t dare try to terminate our operation.’

  ‘I’ll bring flowers to your funeral. But at least don’t meet him on your own. Take along Big Jockie.’

  ‘That will look like I’m scared of him, unsure of the strength of my position. No, I’ll meet him face to face. In a very public place, in case he gets a little hot-tempered. It’s the only way to make this work. I didn’t go down this road to be some criminal’s lackey. We’ve got twenty-four hours before Ivan’s deadline expires. In that time, you’ve got to make the calls and shut down what’s left of our operation. Then you disappear and stay gone until I tell you otherwise. Only I will know where you are; you tell no one. Understand?’

  Michael met with Charlotte that evening. At her insistence they headed to the Scotia Bar, down by the Clyde, to see Cado Belle, a new Glasgow blue-eyed soul-funk band, perform their debut concert. It wasn’t the ideal location to explain away his sudden departure, so he suggested they go for an after-show drink at the Central Hotel nearby.

  Charlotte was still buzzing after the concert. ‘Was Maggie Reilly’s singing not amazing? And the rest of the band, so tight. Especially the sax. Forget your glam rock and heavy metal nonsense. This is the music of the future.’

  ‘Wonderful,’ agreed Michael. ‘You do have an ear for great new sounds.’

  Normally he would have indulged Charlotte’s enthusiasm for a lot longer, but tonight he had other priorities on his mind.

  ‘My turn,’ he said, ‘to suggest something exciting for us to do. The financial-planning business tends to get a bit quiet in the run-up to Christmas. I thought I’d get away for a day or two, recharge the batteries, come up with some ideas for the new year. There’s a hotel in the Highlands I thought would be perfect. What do you think? Want to come along?’

  ‘I’m not sure, to be honest. It’s mid-November, Michael. Not exactly long country walks weather. Couldn’t we do it another time? Plus, I’ve got my prelims coming up, and—’

  ‘I thought you’d like it. I don’t get much chance for time off and I’ve booked a week. That was a bit impetuous, I suppose. Are you sure you don’t want to come?’

  Charlotte reddened slightly. ‘Honestly? Not really. I should be studying. Would you think it ghastly of me not to come along? I will if you want me too. I feel such a heel.’

  Michael tried to hide his relief. Having Charlotte along would have made it tricky to extend his stay if it took longer than expected to get the message to Ivan. He was planning to stay disappeared until the pressure mounted from the other Glasgow crime bosses for the operation to be restarted.

  He left the next morning, with only Lucifer and Satan for company. Before going, he mailed off a cheque to the charity Kenny McGowan supported that campaigned for penal reform, big enough to ensure that McGowan got to hear about it. McGowan hadn’t asked for any payment for his services in helping Michael out, and Michael wasn’t sure if he should have offered. This way, McGowan would know he was willing if asked.

  Michael spent two weeks at the hotel, keeping himself to himself, walking the dogs on the moor every day, filling his lungs with the mountain air and contemplating the next stage in his life. He called Charlotte every day, from a village payphone so that the pips went after two minutes and he could wind up the call. The only other person he called was Kenny McGowan, who told him that a gangland summit had been called to discuss the cessation of his operation and what could be done about it. And that his donation was noted and appreciated, no further payment required.

  Back in Glasgow, Michael finally contacted Ivan. As he expected, the man was furious at his disappearance. Michael turned Ivan’s anger back on himself, insisting they should meet in as public a place as possible, with the promise that everything would be sorted out once and for all. That appeased him a little. Ron wasn’t mentioned.

  The meeting was set for Monday morning, under the Salvador Dali painting at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Michael arrived early and spent the time wandering around the exhibits. There was hardly anyone there, and as he strolled around the vast, high-ceiling spaces, his footsteps on the marble floor echoing around the halls, he felt a certain foreboding about the hours and days ahead.

  As the time for the meeting approached, Michael slowly climbed the staircase to the first floor, pausing after every step, as he prepared to meet his fate. He walked round the balcony encircling the hall, glancing down to see if there was any sign of Ivan. Finally, he found the meeting spot, stood in front of Dali’s Christ of St John of the Cross and gazed at its God’s-eye view of Jesus’s powerful dignity. It gave him the inner strength he needed.

  Ivan arrived with two muscle-bound minders in pinstriped suits. He saw Michael had come alone and, after checking there was no one with him, gestured for the two men to move out of earshot. They walked in opposite directions, blocking Michael’s only two routes of escape.

  ‘I’ve decided you can have the operation,’ Michael said without any preamble. ‘You win.’

  Ivan gave a relaxed smile. ‘I knew somebody with your brains would make the smart decision. I’ll no’ take the hump at your wee disappearing act. This time. But from now on you don’t take a piss without checking with me first.’ He grabbed a piece of Michael’s cheek in his fingers and squeezed it. ‘Just so we’re clear.’

  Michael’s cheek was still stinging as he spoke. ‘No. I said you can have the operation, but not me. I’m packing it in. I’m too much of a coward to get this close to your business, Ivan. I like a simple life. It’s Ron who deals with customers, and we have Big Jockie keeping our helpers under control. You don’t need me. I’m going back to the straight and narrow.’

  Ivan gave Michael a look of demented astonishment. ‘No fucking way, Michael. Ron and Big Jockie don’t have your savvy to run an operation like this. You come along as well.’

  ‘I’m being honest with you, Ivan.’ Michael’s insides were churning, but he kept his voice level and calm. He gave his ear a scratch. ‘I could say okay, and do a runner, but I’m telling it to you straight. I closed down the operation after our last chat, and I’m finished with it. You can speak to Ron about starting it up whenever you want to after I’m gone.’

  ‘Aye, I heard you’ve closed up shop. The word on the street is that everyone’s going ballistic, wanting to know who the fuck has caused the wheels to come off. If I take over your operation and everyone finds out that’s me, I’ll be persona non-fucking-grata around here. No, you stay put, pal, and you get things back up and running pronto.’

  ‘We both know that if I say yes now, I’m out the minute you figure out how to work things without me. So, I’ve nothing to lose if I say no. If I don’t have your support, you’ll get me sooner or later. T
his way, it’s on my terms.’

  ‘Take a look around you, pal,’ said Ivan, barely above a whisper. ‘Enjoy your last few moments on God’s earth. It won’t be for very long. You’ve signed your death warrant. And it’s going to be a very unpleasant way to go.’

  ‘You don’t think I thought of that?’ Michael replied. He gestured to the other side of the balcony. ‘You might not have noticed, but someone was standing across from us when you arrived. He has been taking photos of us all through our chat, slipped away when I scratched my ear a few minutes ago. He’s well out of the museum by now, off to develop the photos. They’ll be included in a package along with a full statement of what’s been going on here, naming you as my killer. If I disappear again, an envelope will be mailed to the police and the editor of every newspaper in Scotland. As well as some of my customers. You might be able to take me out, but I’ll take you with me.’

  Ivan’s face reddened. The two minders noticed and took a step towards them. Michael looked Ivan in the eye, a look that said there was more to come. Ivan waved them away.

  ‘I’ve got a way out of this. Let me run the operation on my own, no interference. And think of that deal I offered you. You still get the deal that your money is laundered for free, giving you the edge over every other criminal in Glasgow. You let the street know that you’ve tracked down the guy behind the operation and convinced him to start up again, giving him your personal guarantee that you’ll provide the reassurances he needed on his security and any additional muscle whenever he might need it. It’ll make you untouchable by any of the other gangs. We both win. The alternative is me spending the rest of my days waiting for your two art lovers over there to catch up with me, and you incurring the wrath of every Glasgow crook because you screwed up the best money-laundering racket the city’s ever seen. Some people might not be too happy with that.’