Part 17 (1/2)

'Are they allowed to do that?' a voice asked.

I could barely hear Moses above the rumbles of disgust. The photograph of Alex had been taken this morning.

'It doesn't matter if they're allowed to. They've done it. Brodie? Why didn't you plead not guilty? It looks bad, man.'

'Moses. I was on pet.i.tion. I'm not allowed to enter a plea of not guilty.'

'Sit yourself down,' said Glasgow Joe as he manhandled me into a seat. 'Turn it off now,' he added, 'I think we've all seen enough. Get Brodie a drink.' He indicated to the girl behind the bar that she should execute as many of these demands as possible.

'I don't want a drink, Joe, and I don't need you to be my nursemaid, Moses.'

'Believe me, I'm not,' he answered.

Joe motioned and the music started up again whilst another lardy la.s.s jumped up and grabbed the pole. I knew the Rag Doll wasn't at the top end of the market, but it always looked like a Weight.w.a.tchers meeting in here. This one's thighs were shaking in time and her cellulite held the tune, but I was in no mood to be superior tonight. Anyway, her clients seemed to love her, as usual. I looked across the table towards Moses. His hands were very white, and his nails were immaculate in their black polish as always; even his cuticles stood to attention. His splayed fingers were keeping control of a pile of papers. My mobile rang, and I went to answer it just before he took it out of my hand.

'We need to talk about these,' he said.

I knew what they were.

I'd handed enough of them out in my time.

They were mandates. Instructions from clients written on odd sc.r.a.ps of paper, all of them telling me that I was no longer wanted. They had found a bigger, brighter lawyer, or, at the very least, one who wasn't more likely to end up in jail than they were.

'Look at them, Brodie.'

'I don't want to,' I whinged.

'I know you don't, but we have to deal with it. All of the Dark Angels are going to Bridget Nicholson. I can't understand it. After I sorted out Bruce, they should all be s.h.i.+t-scared of me something bigger must be happening. Is that b.a.s.t.a.r.d Robert Girvan enticing them away?'

'Robert? I know he's planning on working with Bridget and has done a lot for her already, but he's loyal, Moses. I'm not comfortable with him around, but I trust him. To be fair, clients wouldn't take much bribing at the moment they're rightly terrified of you and what you might do to them.'

'True but this just seems like an organised plan of attack on you. The Angels started handing these to me even before the news had hit the papers or the TV. I just wondered who'd told them.'

'Bad news travels fast.'

'It's not that quick unless it's from a text. With you instructing Girvan, Brodie, you've given him credibility. I was surprised by your tactics, but thought you must know what you're doing.' He flapped the mandates as he spoke. 'Now I'm not so sure. Why didn't you instruct Eddie Gibb? He's good, he supports the right team, and I know he wouldn't have stabbed you in the back.'

'You're guessing, Moses. It's all any of us can do just now. Is there anything we can do about the mandates?'

'No. I can't ask them to go back to you. You've given Robert Girvan an endors.e.m.e.nt I never would have. Funny thing is, the only Dark Angel you're still acting for is the Alchemist. I don't know whether he's pleased with you or frightened of me after the Bruce farce.'

'What's happening with that?' I had to ask.

'I handed myself in but Bancho wasn't there. Now we know where he was chasing after you. Anyway, some radge interviewed me. As usual I said nothing, and Bancho is still otherwise occupied. But he's going to come after me. It's just a matter of time.'

'Well, I'm glad I can be of some a.s.sistance, even if it only buys you a few weeks.'

'I'm in no danger even if it went to court no witness is going to turn up. The worrying thing is Bancho thinks he's got a shot at taking me out. He's not answering any messages left in the chat rooms for him and some Mr Big is muscling in on my patch. I think he's got Bancho in his pocket.'

Joe put down a steaming cup of espresso in front of me; he'd made it himself and it was in the nice cups he kept in his flat.

'You're drinking too much coffee, Brodie,' Moses admonished.

'Why do you say that? Are my teeth getting stained?' I rubbed my finger self-consciously over my front teeth.

'No you're wired. You need to calm down.'

'I am knackered; I need every legal stimulant I can get my hands on. I've got to find the man who attacked Cattanach, stop my practice from going down the toilet, and, on top of that, my trousers are getting too tight because I can't find the time to do anything about it. Look ...'

I pulled at a m.u.f.fin top that was just beginning to creep over my trousers.

'I've got things to do, people to see, keep in touch.' Moses got up to leave. He touched me on the cheek as he left it was somewhere between a pinch and a caress.

'Joe,' he said as he went out, 'I'm going. I want an update on that stuff we were talking about. Catch you later.'

Moses swaggered out of the Rag Doll. His presence parted the crowd and the last I saw of him was his full-length leather coat swinging in the wind.

'He's some boy,' said Joe as we both looked out after him.

'He thinks he's a man, Joe.'

'Well, that's where he's wrong, and it's not the first mistake he's made. Mind you, Moses doesn't have a monopoly on being an a.r.s.e.'

'What do you mean?' I asked, waiting for the insult that was surely coming my way.

'Where do I start? You seem to be drawn to people who are going to stab you in the back. Jack Deans how much did he get paid for tipping off the news?'

'It could have been anyone.'

'Grow up, Brodie. He's in the business why do you think he's suddenly so interested in you? It doesn't matter how good Girvan is in court, because if this gets to court then we both know you're f.u.c.ked. Any jury is going to take one look at Alex Cattanach and they want someone to pay the person holding the tab will be the numpty in the dock, and Duncan Bancho is determined that it's going to be you.'

I needed to get out of this conversation. 'Frank's transferring down to Edinburgh he'll be here before the end of next week,' I offered Joe as a diversionary tactic.

'I know. He sent me a text it's the first good news I've heard in a long time.'

'What about your girlfriend?' I said in what I hoped was an offhand manner.

'Who?'

'Your girlfriend.'

'Oh you mean Tricia?'

He coughed as he said her name and it was obvious he wanted to change the subject. I was puzzled by my feelings. It was if my heart had become warmer. Joe's girlfriend couldn't be a great s.h.a.g if a text from Frank was the best thing that had happened to him recently.

'Frank told me about the list as well have you done anything about it?'