The Lost Boy and The Gardener's Daughter (20 page)

  The Sellars looked as if they’d jist been kicked in the auld hee-haws, judging by the expressions oan their faces, before they stood up grinning like a bunch ae hyenas who couldnae believe their luck.  They looked across at Riddrie, who wis ignoring them as he wis too busy getting his back slapped by the line ae bowler-hatted buzzards that aw looked as if they’d jist goat the cream aff the tap ae the bottle ae milk.

  Innes looked as if he’d been slapped silly.  He hid a glazed, strained look oan his coupon as he stepped oot intae the efternoon sunshine.  If Paul hidnae been there, he wid probably hiv jist walked oot intae the road, oblivious tae the cars and the horse and carts that wur heiding up and doon the High Street.  Paul looked up at the clock and chose the wan that said five tae three.  He knew there wis a bus tae Ardgay leaving at three o’clock fae ootside Hughie Mackenzie’s Gentlemen’s Outfitters Shoap oan Lamington Street, alang fae the courthoose.  He prayed that he’d picked the right clock as he ushered Innes up the street tae the bus stoap.

  Innes didnae say anything oan the hameward journey other than tae ask fur two single tickets tae Ardgay fae the bus clippie.  He jist looked oot ae the windae at the passing fields and the gulls swooping doon oan the Dornoch Firth.  Efter being drapped aff ootside The Lady Ross in Ardgay, the pair ae them walked in the direction ae Culrain.  Whit made matters worse fur Paul wis that, jist before Gledfield Primary School oan the outskirt’s ae Ardgay, a Landy and another fancy car, driven by The Duke’s man, Riddrie, went whizzing by them as they wur walking back tae the croft.  The Landy in the front, being driven by Sellar senior, wis honking its horn, while George and Cameron hung oot ae the back ae it, gleefully shouting ‘Losers!’ as it sped past them towards the bridge oan the River Carron.  Fur Paul, that wis the lowest moment ae the whole day.  When Innes finally spoke, they wur sitting hivving a breather, listening tae the thundering rapids oan the banks ae the Carron oan the strath side ae the bridge.  Innes slowly took oot his pipe and puffed oan it until he wis satisfied that it wis properly lit.

  “It’s not the size of the fine that’s bothering me, laddie, but how this will affect you,” he
finally said.

  “Ah widnae worry aboot me, Innes.  They kin fucking dae whit they want wae me. Ah won’t let they basturts get me doon,” Paul said, picking up a stane and throwing it at a salmon that hid leapt oot ae the water while attempting tae get up and o’er a massive big boulder that wis blocking it’s way fae getting upstream.

  “If they can take you away, it’ll mean you going back to the hospital where you came from.  That’s not fair.”

  “Well, they’ll need tae be quick, because I’m a free man oan the seventh ae July.  In ma experience, the wheels ae justice turn slowly, so unless Ah’m wrang, Ah’ll be well oan ma way back tae Glesga before then,” Paul said, missing another salmon.

  “It was clearly a set-up today.  If I’m not mistaken, McWhirter is in the hands of The Duke.”

  “Christ, Innes, of course he is.  Why wid he no be?  If ye think this is bad, ye should see whit the Glesga courts get up tae.  Ye’re lucky ye goat a chance tae put in a plea ae guilty.  Where Ah come fae, guys get put in the jail when they kin prove they wurnae even within two miles ae the crime.  Ah’ve never met an honest judge yet, and Ah’ve met quite a few.”

Chapter Twenty Four

  Saba heard the clinking ae the glasses and the loud laughter as she passed the closed doors ae the smoking room.  She hesitated momentarily before walking back tae listen at the door.

  “I would have loved to have been there, but of course, it would have been below my station to attend,” she heard her father say, as the others in the room chorused ‘hear, hear.’

  “It was the look of shock when the judge passed sentence, your Lordship,” John Sellar said, as she heard the glasses clinking together fur another toast.

  “Yes, well, if this doesn’t put paid to old Innes and his young fox, then I don’t know what will.  He’ll never put together seventy five pounds in thirty days, so it’ll be the stocks for him,” her father said, gleefully.

  “Well, he won’t be able to sell that car of his, that’s for sure.  Not with his wheels sitting in the stable block,” George Sellar chipped in, tae the sound ae mair hilarity.

  “According to Sheriff McWhirter, the lost boy will be sent back to the lunatic asylum, where he belongs.  He’s going to recommend that an internal investigation be carried out regarding the alleged assault of young George and Cameron here.  Given the circumstances, if suspicion of an assault can be confirmed, then court of law evidence is not required and withdrawal of freedom is a requisite for someone under the mental health act,” Riddrie informed everywan.

  “That young fox is smart, Riddrie.  Let’s get this done cleanly and efficiently.  I have a feeling that that young thug is capable of causing me…us all…a lot of serious harm.  The quicker we deal with him, and Mackay, the better we’ll all be.  Now, Riddrie, you fill these heroes’ glasses with more malt and I’ll get a fresh box of cigars from my study,” The Duke declared, as Saba turned oan her heels and made it up the stairs before she heard the smoking room doors being thrown wide open.

  Morven wis trying oan a black and white striped Biba mini dress belonging tae Saba in front ae the full length mirror as Saba walked intae the bedroom.

  “Oh Saba, this is fantastic.”

  “It’s yours,” Saba replied, strolling across tae her bed, stretching oot oan her tummy, looking at Morven’s reflection in the mirror.

  “What’s wrong?” Morven asked turning and staring at her.

  “I’m not sure.  I just heard a strange conversation from outside my father’s smoking room,” she replied.

  “What have I told you, Saba?  You’ll only pick up snatches of conversation whose meaning will turn out totally different to what you’ve imagined has been said.  And you wonder why Paul calls you The Gardener’s Daughter, creeping about the place, listening at doors,” Morven said, disapprovingly, turning back tae her reflection.

  “Well, it was a strange group that was in there congratulating each other.  When have you ever known my father to be handing out his best cigars and fine malt to estate keepers?”

  “Your father was socialising with the paid help?”

  “Yes and not any old help either.  John Sellar and his two sons were in there with Riddrie, slurping whisky and puffing away.  I think your lover boy is in trouble.”

  “What?  Paul?  They were talking about Paul?”

  “Not only Paul, but Mr Mackay, the old chap he’s staying with,” Saba said, relating whit
she’d heard.

  “Innes Mackay was appearing in court today after he was caught taking a salmon from the River Shin earlier in the year.  Are you sure he said seventy five pounds, Saba?  I’ve never heard of anyone being fined that much.  I think the record about here is twenty pounds and that was for a deer taken by Malcolm Ross last year, over in Lairg.”

  “And what about your Paul? They said that they had a fool proof plan to send him back to a lunatic asylum.  What does that mean?  They said that they were setting up some sort of investigation to get him put back for assaulting young George and Cameron.  I thought the only fight they had took place in the boxing ring at the games recently?”

  “Seemingly Paul had a nervous breakdown and is staying with Innes and Whitey as part of his recovery.  He’d been in some sort of detention centre for disturbed young people when he had his breakdown.  He said that he would be officially released once he turned fifteen if his recovery was sustained...and he stayed out of trouble during that time,” Morven replied.

  “And when is his birthday?”

  “I’m not sure.  Soon, I think.” 

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know.  You saw his reaction when we met him up at the burn the other day.  I’ll still continue to go up at seven o’clock each evening for the next few days in case he decides to turn up, although I wouldn’t bet on it,” Morven said, sitting doon oan the bed, drawing her knees up tae her chest.

  “Poor Morven, if there’s anything I can do to help, I will,” Saba said, sitting up and gieing Morven a cuddle as the sounds ae the Rolling Stones singing ‘Honky Tonk Wummin’ wis announced through the radio by Tony Prince oan Radio Luxembourg.

Chapter Twenty Five

Things went doonhill quickly efter Paul and Innes returned tae the croft.  Whitey, who wis usually pretty good at smothering her feelings when she wis upset aboot something, looked startled when Innes explained whit hid happened in Tain.

  “What are we going to do, Innes?” she asked, locking and unlocking her fingers and twirling her wedding band roond her ring finger.

  “There’s nothing we can do.  There’s no way we’ll be able to come up with that kind of money in the next thirty days.  I think we need to accept that I’ll be going to jail.  It’s only for sixty days.  It will give me a wee break and time to collect my thoughts,” he said, wae a smile.

  “But surely there’s something we can sell that would raise some of the money?” she asked.

  “Well, the Landy is out of the question unless we can get a set of wheels and a rotor arm, so that isn’t an option.”

  “What about the boat?” she asked.

  “Who would have that kind of money about here?” Innes replied.

  “What about Mr Campbell who drives the wagons up to the Lairg sales from down south each year?  He offered you cash for it last year,” Whitey persisted.

  “We would need to get it from here down to him in Inveraray.  Without the Landy to take it down to Loch Fyne, we’re stuffed.  He owns a boatyard and only drives the wagon when he isn’t busy, which is usually in the winter.”

  “Aye, but you agree that he would be interested in buying it?” Whitey said, as Innes squirmed at the thought ae selling his baby.

  “As I’ve said, Whitey, we’d need to get it down to Robert Campbell, in Inveraray.”

  “Could we not borrow a car from someone about here to tow the boat?  What about Donald?”

  “Donald’s small butcher’s van wouldn’t be able to tow the boat.  The Dignity’s just under twenty five feet long and weighs in about three tons at least.  It would pull the back end of his van off if he tried to hook it up.  And anyway, what’s sixty days?  I’ve heard that prison is more like an army camp than a prison.”

  “Innes McKay, you’re sixty eight years old and even if I have to beg on my hands and knees to The Duke himself, you are not going to prison.  It’ll kill you!”  Whitey growled, staunin up and grabbing her washing basket and heiding ootside.

  This was the first time that Paul hid witnessed Innes and Whitey hivving a row.  He wisnae too sure whit tae dae so he jist sat where he wis wae his trap shut.

  “And that’s my final word on it, Innes McKay,” she shouted fae ootside.

  “There will be no wife of mine going a-begging to The Duke of Kyle while I’m still breathing.  I’d rather be in the jail, or better…in my grave!” he hollered back, lifting up his favourite clay pipe wae the cracks in it, before starting tae puff furiously as the flame fae the match wis sucked doon intae the bowl.

Chapter Twenty Six

  Sheila McCluskey sat at her desk in the temporary offices that she and her staff hid been sitting in since December nineteen sixty seven, waiting tae move tae the new social work wing at the Town Council buildings.  She’d been heid ae the care and adoption section since nineteen sixty four, when her husband hid been shifted fae Glesga tae Tain by the bank.  The move hid come jist at the right time as she’d become totally disillusioned by the failed attempts ae good people, who wur committed tae making a difference tae the lives ae the clients they wur working wae and those, particularly in the probationary services, who wur undermining and openly hostile tae any changes being introduced by Lord Kilbrandon in his report intae reforming the youth justice system in Scotland. The local people up in the Highlands wur friendly and generous tae a fault.  She’d always been active in the Salvation Army in Glesga and hid continued wae her involvement, even though she’d moved so far north.  Wan ae her proudest achievements wis that she’d facilitated a missionary line between Ross-shire and Glesga, through the local gospel group that she attended wae her husband in The Masonic hall.  So far, in the past four years, she’d supported nine local wummin…aw spinsters…tae spend a year in Glesga, daeing missionary work in the poorest districts ae the city.  Ae the nine, five hid stayed in Glesga tae live and work there when the time hid come fur them tae return north.  Wan ae the nine, in her first batch tae heid south, hid been Anita Bendover.  She smiled, thinking ae the first time Anita hid come tae her hoose and stated that she wanted tae volunteer fur missionary work in the city.  While she believed Anita wid be as capable as any ae the other two who’d also volunteered at that time, her surname caused Sheila some consternation.  She knew that it wid be picked up oan in Glesga by everywan who’d be introduced tae her and she’d been concerned that Anita wid be hurt by the connotations and jokes that people, particularly those she wis there tae help and offer solace tae, wid place oan the name.  She couldnae bring hersel tae raise her concerns wae Anita, so aff she’d gone.  It hid been through Anita that she’d first come across Whitey and Innes McKay up in the Kyle ae Sutherland.  Sheila hid been looking tae place weans fae Glesga, whose parents, and the children themsels, wur in need ae respite.  The scheme hid been successful and untold numbers hid been placed throughoot the Highlands.  Some ae the mair challenging and disturbed weans required mair selective placements.  Anita felt that Whitey and Innes fitted the bill as they lived in a remote croft, away fae the hustle, bustle and interference that a mair urban environment posed fur weans who required solitude.  When Sheila hid first met them she’d been impressed by whit she’d found.  The baith ae them, although no ae the church, hid come across as kind and as doon tae earth as ye’d find anywhere.  Whitey hid been keen, bit Innes hid been a bit mair reserved.  It hid taken a while, bit they’d turned oot tae be the best carers she could’ve possibly hoped fur. Despite the fact that they flatly refused tae accept any expenses and oan further investigation by the department, hid never drawn the state pensions they wur entitled tae, they’d never refused a child.

  “Money?  Now, what good would something like money do about here, lass?” Whitey hid replied in that strange accent ae hers wae a sweep ae her erm, looking at Sheila as if she wis a Martian when she’d explained that there wid be expenses available tae the respite volunteers.

  The majority ae the weans they’d looked efter hid been boys fae Glesga who’d been extremely disturbed and challenging.  The changes in the wee souls, sometimes efter only a week up at the croft, hid been nothing short ae miraculous.  Some ae the boys hid stayed fur a few weeks, while some hid stayed there fur up tae three months. When Sheila or wan ae her staff went up tae pick the weans up when it wis time fur them tae leave, they’d be sent packing wae a box ae fresh vegetables and hauf a dozen jars ae ling honey.

  “But he’s an old rogue, Sheila.  He’s one of the most well-known poachers in the Highlands,” her husband, Tom, hid said at the time.

  “You’re spending too much time listening to gossip from that Rotary crowd of yours,” she’d retorted.

  Sheila never liked Mondays.  Everything seemed tae stack up and multiply due tae the Saturday and Sunday office closure.  There wis always new cases sitting waiting fur staff when they arrived in tae work oan a Monday morning.  This morning hid been nae exception.

  “Here you go, Sheila.  I’ve left the best to last, plus I’ve put the corresponding file at the bottom as well,” Moira, her administrator said gaily, closing the door behind her.

  Sheila re-read the letter fae Sheriff McWhirter.  He wis a well-known pompous auld git and her staff wur furever moaning aboot him interfering in things that shouldnae concern him.  She hid tae admit, she wis impressed by the backgroond documentation he’d sent, tae accompany his correspondence.  She compared her official documentation oan the boy tae his.  His hid been far mair detailed…and opinionated.  She recognised some ae the names in the reports as they’d been colleagues ae hers when she worked in Glesga.  She wondered how McWhirter hid goat the documents.  Aw his paperwork hid official Glesga Corporation letterheids and stamps oan them.  It wis easy tae tell why McWhirter wid want the boy sent back tae where he’d come fae.  His criminal record, even though he wis still only fourteen, wis appalling by Ross-shire standards, although no by whit she’d been used tae back in Glesga.  She’d come across much worse in her time.  She looked doon at the sheath ae papers in front ae her.  It detailed official warnings by the city polis before he wis eight, truancy, probation two days efter his eighth birthday, regular remand and detention stints in Larchgrove Detention and Remand Centre and finally being sent tae St Ninian’s Approved School fur assaulting a polis officer wae a deadly weapon while resisting arrest jist before his twelfth birthday.  Fur much ae his time in detention, he wis either attempting tae abscond, or he wis actually oan the run.  Polis intelligence reports supplied by McWhirter’s file reported that he wis known tae be a member ae a small group ae youths who spent their time thieving and breaking intae shoap premises in the Toonheid district ae the city.  The report went oan tae say that there wis nae known history ae street gang involvement, however, the group he associated wae wur known tae resort tae extreme violence that belied their age tae achieve their ends or, if they believed they wur under threat. There wis nae information as tae who they’d allegedly assaulted. The boy hid been assessed as hivving a fairly high IQ fur his age and wis deemed highly intelligent.

  Sheila picked up the background reports fae St Ninian’s.  They made uncomfortable reading.  In fact, they wur wan ae the worst she’d come across, including during her years ae working wae juvenile offenders back in the city.  He’d knocked oot a member ae staff, a priest, within a few days ae his arrival.  He’d claimed at the time, that the priest hid tried tae sexually assault him.  Whit hid been interesting wis that the school hidnae charged the twelve year auld Paul McBride wae assault, which wis unusual.  It wis standard practice in detention institutions in Scotland tae charge anywan assaulting staff withoot exception.  Insteid, the school hid conducted an internal investigation.  There wis nothing in the file as tae the ootcome. Sheila and maist ae her colleagues in Glesga hid, of course, heard rumours aboot whit went oan in some ae the schools, especially those run by Catholic priests, although claims ae cruelty and sexual assault made by boys hid never been substantiated.  He’d attempted tae abscond within a few days ae his arrival and within six weeks, being oan the run hid become the norm.  The last time he’d been sent back, school staff hid become extremely concerned at his erratic behaviour and mood swings and hid hid tae physically restrain him oan a number ae occasions.  This hid led tae further assaults and threatening behaviour towards staff.  It hid only been when the other boys, inmates within the school, hid expressed similar concern, that the school hid requested psychiatric assistance.  Efter an initial assessment, he’d been sent tae Lennox Castle Hospital, where it hid been established that he hid suffered an acute nervous breakdown as a result ae an incident when he wis eleven years auld, at which time a friend ae his hid been burned tae death in a fire.  His physical state oan arrival at the hospital hid appalled even the maist hardened staff, who’d seen some sights o’er the years.  As well as being acutely malnourished and dehydrated, his body hid been covered in welts, caused by whit the staff hid put doon tae being consistent wae being thrashed wae an electrical cable or something similar.  The boy hid confirmed this by stating that the priests hid tortured him daily and thrashed him fur o’er a week, taking turns, using a length ae electrical wire. St Ninians hid claimed that McManus hid arrived back fae his latest stint ae being oan the run wae the injuries and hid produced a medical log ae their health responses, stating that McManus hid consistently refused tae accept medical attention which hid made if difficult tae gie him the treatment he clearly required.  Efter assessment and wance the physical and mental health issues hid been identified and responded tae, Lennox Castle hid requested that the boy be returned back intae St Ninian’s care.  No only hid St Ninian’s refused tae take him back, bit other approved school establishments, in other parts ae Scotland, hid refused tae accept him also. They’d hid enough ae their ain problems withoot adding tae them.  That hid been when an ex-colleague ae Sheila’s, who wis based in the social work office dealing wae elderly patients, hid suggested tae the hospital management team tae contact her. Alice Cooper, who Sheila hid worked wae in Possil, hid been as appalled as everywan else at the state the boy wis in, baith physically and mentally.  She’d spoken tae him oan a number ae occasions and hid been convinced that the boy she’d spoken tae, wisnae the wan highlighted in the appalling paperwork that hid followed him everywhere since the age ae eight.
 
Although he wis aulder than maist other youngsters that Sheila’s team hid processed and placed, there wis jist something aboot the case that hid drawn her back tae the file that hid been sitting in the ‘Nae further action’ basket in the outer office.  Perhaps it hid been due tae her disillusionment following her failure tae be as effective as she’d wished in Glesga, that hid made her decide tae heid south and assess Paul McBride wae a view tae a placement.  She knew before she met him that she wis probably his last hope.  If she couldnae or wisnae willing tae risk it…and there wis a risk…he’d probably be sectioned and spend the foreseeable future in secure mental institutions.  Efter reading his reports and meeting him at the time, she’d been convinced that he widnae take kindly tae being locked up in an institution, knowing there wis nothing mentally wrang wae him.  Sheila widnae hiv hesitated if she’d felt she couldnae help him, bit she knew within five minutes ae talking tae him that the reports ae his recidivism and violence highlighted wur circumstantial and that the boy himsel wis nae worse than many others that she’d dealt wae in Glesga and who, wae a bit ae support...and luck, could be supported tae lead a normal life.  Where and who to place him wae?  She’d mentioned her dilemma tae Anita Bendover and she hidnae hesitated.

  “Och, he’ll be for Whitey and Innes then,” she’d sung in that Tain accent ae hers.

  Sheila hid spoken tae Whitey regularly since the boy hid been placed wae her and Innes. Whitey hid said that Innes wis like a new man.  It wis like he’d goat the son she’d never being able tae gie him.  The last time she’d spoken tae Whitey, she’d said that baith hersel and Innes wur hoping that the boy wid decide tae stay beyond his fifteenth birthday.

  Sheila read McWhirter’s letter fur the third time.  She couldnae ignore it, though it wis within her power and responsibility, no his, tae decide whit wis right fur the boy or no.  She looked at the calendar.  The boy wis coming up tae his fifteenth birthday.  There wis nae way she wis gaun tae request a further assessment.  She smelled a rat here.  The confidential reports that hid been acquired by McWhirter suggested somewan well placed in authority wis interfering.  She wid need tae remember tae get in touch wae a pal and auld colleague ae hers, Alison Crawford, who wis a senior social worker in Possilpark, tae alert her that somewan wis obviously accessing copies ae confidential documents fae the Toonheid office files.  It widnae hiv surprised her if The Duke himsel wis behind this.  Like maist people locally, she’d heard aboot the boxing match at the Ardgay Highland Games.  Tom said the whole ae the Rotary Club hid been speaking aboot it and the hauf who’d no been there tae witness it, hid bleated that they wished they hid been.  It wid’ve been a lot better aw-roond if the boy hidnae gotten involved and hid kept a low profile, bit whit wis done, wis done.  She wisnae aware that entering the Ardgay boxing competition wis illegal.  However, knocking two ae the local estate keepers oot wid’ve raised a few hackles in certain quarters…ae that she hid nae doubt.  Unfortunately, the concerns and reservations as tae whether Whitey and Innes McKay wur fit tae look efter weans who wur in care, particularly noo that Innes hid been convicted, wur an issue that she couldnae ignore, particularly because McWhirter hid raised them.  Sheila completed the section ae the form that wid deny Whitey and Innes fae getting other weans placed wae them efter McBride moved oan.  She’d go up and explain the situation tae them wance the dust hid settled.  She thought they’d be okay wae it.  Efter aw, they wur noo well intae their sixties.  It wis time tae gie them a rest and let them enjoy whit time they hid left.  If the boy decided tae stay wae them…and Sheila hoped he wid…then fine.  She closed the file and placed it in her oot tray.   She wis glad Monday wis o’er wae.