The Bad Fire (The Glasgow Novels) by Campbell Armstrong

Author:Campbell Armstrong [Armstrong, Campbell]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781504007115
Publisher: Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller
Published: 2015-02-17T00:00:00+00:00

33

On the phone, Billy McQueen told the nurse he couldn’t come to see his father. It was inconvenient, he had business meetings, he plucked excuses out of the air. The call-girl, Leila, was dead asleep on the floor. She’d passed out here a dozen times.

Thelma said, ‘Look here. He’s your father. Your dad. He was wandering around in his pyjamas in the street. In the street, mind you. That’s serious. God knows what the neighbours are thinking. I’ve given him something to help him relax, but he’s going on about a TV delivery and somebody called Giovanni and I can’t follow him. I strongly suggest you make an appearance, because if you don’t, well, I can’t be responsible if he decides to go walkabout again. I do have other patients, Mr McQueen.’

Billy McQueen thought: I have had better days.

The deal is fucked.

Gurk gets maced.

And now Larry is wandering the streets in his pyjamas. Plus this Giovanni – who the hell was he?

He said, ‘It’s difficult for me, Thelma. I’m up to my neck.’

‘Neck? You’ll be in over your head if you don’t get here, because I’ll phone Social Services and tell them your father needs to be hospitalized for his own safety –’

‘Thelma, I pay you to deal with all this –’

‘I have other patients, Mr McQueen. I’m already late for a Parkinson’s in Bearsden.’

‘Right, right, I’ll be there as soon as I can.’

‘It better be quick,’ she said.

Billy put down the handset. Fuck you, Thelma, he thought. He limped to the window and looked out. Darkness and orange lamps. I don’t want to go out there. I don’t fancy the streets tonight. Climbing in a taxi, take me to Hyndland, no way José. Bloody Larry in his pyjamas.

Leila turned over in her drugged sleep and muttered, ‘On an ocean liner sure.’ Night trips, Billy thought. Seagoing escapes under cover of darkness. He wished he was inside Leila’s dream and the big propellers of a ship were churning. Destination Tahiti, oh aye.

He picked up the cordless, punched in the number of Gurk’s hotel room.

‘Yeah?’ Gurk said.

‘I was wondering … are you all right?’

‘Rinsed my eyes out a few times with Evian,’ Gurk said. ‘Sight has been restored. Lamps working, happy to say.’

‘Glad to hear that … Look, I was curious to know if you wanted to step out, have a bite to eat, a drink, something? I know a nice place in the West End.’

‘Kind of you. Have to decline, sorry.’

It’s not your company I want, Billy thought. It’s the safety of your presence. Be my bodyguard, please. ‘It won’t take long, Tommy. Half an hour mibbe. I’ll send a car down for you.’

‘No can do, me old son. I been talking with some of my people. Options are being discussed. People are openly worried. Money is out there, to say nothing of vanished articles. Makes me wonder about other dimensions, Billy. Can things disappear into alternative realities? Are there diversions along the everyday continuum? Anyway, I’m stuck here waiting for the sodding dog to ring again.

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