2
A typical day in the life of Tommy Scott. Out of bed about ten o’clock. Used to get up late because he’d been drinking and partying late the night before. These days it’s because he works late. Out of bed and into the shower. Didn’t used to shower every day, but you have to make an effort now. Presentation is important. They taught him that at one of the workshops the job centre made him attend about six months ago. He didn’t care then, didn’t listen. Stuck in a room with a bunch of junkies and no-hopers. Tedious embarrassment. He remembered that advice when Shug’s right-hand man, Fizzy, made a little remark suggesting that he looked like he’d just stumbled out of a tower block. He had. Point was, he needed to look like he hadn’t. So now it’s a shower every day, and a new wardrobe. Nothing fancy, just new and clean. Then breakfast. Then work.
He used to hate his work. Walking the streets, trying to compete with the other peddlers. Hell of a job. The things he had to do. He used to go around the estates on a bicycle to save time. You can’t be credible on a bicycle. On reflection, it was an embarrassment. He understands better now. He’s done with the bike. Done with all the low-grade shit he had to do. All the mistakes of the past will stay in the past. There’s a lot back there. Even at the age of twenty-six he’s managed to drop the ball a good number of times. A victim of the lifestyle. Started out as a teenager who liked to party, then became a teenager who lived to party. Weekends. Then all week long. Did some drugs. Slept around a lot. Had a kid at nineteen that he’s seen twice since it was born. Had another at twenty-one. Never seen that one. Hasn’t seen the mother since she was six months gone. Mistakes of the past. Can’t carry them with you – too much weight. Hasn’t had a girlfriend for a couple of months, too busy with work.
Breakfast time. A bowl of cornflakes with a sprinkling of sugar and some milk that’s on the borderline of whiffy. Gulp it down; he has more important things to do. A meeting. A business meeting. Who would have thought, three months ago when he was pissing about on a bike, selling badly cut coke and any other garbage he could lay his hands on, that Tommy Scott would have a business meeting. Back then, it was house parties through the week, clubs at the weekend. Now it’s work. Just work. Nothing else matters, not until he has what he’s looking for. That’s money, by the way. Real money. Not just enough to live on. Not just enough to see him through a wild weekend and pay the bills. Enough to buy a car. Enough to buy a house. He’s going to get it too, he’s convinced.
It was a fluke, if we’re being honest. But then, it usually is, isn’t it? He’d heard a few stories on the street about Shug Francis. Word was that he was trying to force his way in. Trying to take territory from Peter Jamieson. Tommy had done work for Jamieson before, peddling. Didn’t last. The prick running the network for Jamieson didn’t like Tommy’s lifestyle. Shug was struggling to find anyone to deal for him. Peddlers he could get. Easy to find a halfwit to stand on a street corner and hand out sweeties for money. He needed better people. People further up the chain. Someone who could build and run a network, not just be a part of it. The word going round now is that Jamieson had Lewis Winter rubbed out. There’s a counter-rumour that says it was Winter’s girlfriend and her bit on the side, but that sounds too much fun to be true. Winter’s death scared people away. If that’s what happened to the last guy running a network for Shug. Another guy was beaten senseless before he could even start. They say Nate Colgan did the beating. Scary bastard, that one. A couple of other guys were bought off; they’re both working for Jamieson now.
So Shug’s severely short-handed. Beginning to look like his attempt at muscling in is going to peter out, like so many others. Then Tommy bumps into David ‘Fizzy’ Waters in a petrol station. Completely random. Fizzy was filling up his car; Tommy was buying a lottery ticket. You have to dream, don’t you? Fizzy was on his way out. Tommy abandoned the magic numbers and chased after him. Fizzy had no idea who he was, but Tommy introduced himself. How often will a chance like this come along? He told Fizzy he was interested in helping Shug out. Told him he knew the streets well, which was true. Told him he was connected, which was less true. Gave him his number, told him to call. Couple of weeks went by – nothing. Then the phone call. A couple of crappy, menial jobs peddling and delivering, proving your worth. Then they stepped it up.
Initiative. That’s what they were looking for. Someone who could think for himself. Act without having to run to them all the time. People in charge don’t like you running to them with every little problem. So he did things for himself. He used the clout that working for Shug gave him, to get new contacts. In no time he became the employee he had told Fizzy he already was. Now he’s much more than that. Now he has a list of good contacts to sell to. He has a number of people working for him, too, as peddlers and couriers. He set up the sort of local network in a couple of months that Shug expected to have to build himself. Would have taken Shug six months, easy. And Tommy’s making the money he wants.
They didn’t trust him at first. They didn’t say so, but he’s not daft, he could tell. They thought he was another dimwit from the estates. A peddler and nothing more. Actually, his background has helped him out. His years partying, hanging around in a street gang, throwing time and opportunity away. That’s become useful, because he knows useful people. He’s close enough to one of the street gangs to use them. They’ve carried out a few beatings for drugs. They’ve done some peddling for money. Mostly small-scale, but it helps that people know they’re backing you up. They have to be handled carefully, they’re volatile and untrustworthy, but good PR. Your own little battalion of thugs. Very useful.
Used to be Tommy and his best mate from childhood, Andy McClure. Just the two of them. Tommy and Clueless, to use his unfortunate but accurate nickname. Partying together, working together and, when money trouble dictated, living together. They shared everything. Money, needles, women. They still do. Tommy understands the importance of having someone he can trust. All these new contacts, all these new colleagues, only interested in him because of cash. Same reason he’s interested in Shug. They’d throw him over the first chance they got. Not Andy – he’ll be by his side to the end. You need that. Just someone you know you can turn to. Doesn’t take Clueless to big meetings, though; he has nothing smart to contribute.
He’s thinking about that as he leaves the flat and makes his way out of the building. Clueless is going to be pissed off that this is another meeting he’s not at. He thinks he should be there. He sees himself as the right-hand man, a key player. But he’s not. Not bright enough to be a useful right-hand man. Besides, Tommy isn’t important enough yet to need one. He’s still a low-scale dealer, although he’s rising fast. He has a good number of peddlers; he’s pushing into good areas. He’s sending the right messages. But he’s not a big player. Important to Shug, sure, but not to anyone else. This meeting might help change that. A couple of guys who control the patch on a few large estates in Lanarkshire. Big area with big demand. They’re known, but not important to the big organizations. They have ambitions too. Good to have on board. Men of ambition should stick together.
They’re eyeing him up as he’s walking into the pub. Trying to decide if he’s serious or not. They’ve heard he’s a rising star. They need a new supplier. A rising star with good connections would be ideal. They’re cousins, apparently. Ian and Charlie Allen, although he doesn’t know which is which. They don’t look like family to Tommy as he’s walking over to them. Both middle-aged. One of them’s tall, has a mop of fair hair, pockmarked cheeks. The other one looks short and tubby, with a shaven head and glasses. None of that matters, although the age can be an issue. Tommy’s young, and he looks young. Middle-aged men don’t like that. They want someone with their own experience level. Makes them feel comfortable, thinking they’re working with someone like themselves. But they can live with discomfort, if the deal’s good.
Shaking their hands. Smiling to both. Introducing himself and sitting opposite. Projecting confidence. He’s nervous, but he knows how to hide it now.
‘I’ve heard you’re looking for a new supplier,’ he’s saying quietly, the pleasantries out of the way. People like this don’t play about. Get to the point – they respect that. ‘An operation like yours needs someone reliable, consistent and with good variety. I can offer that. I can match your need.’ He’s been thinking those words over on the way here. They sound good to him. They sound like what the Allens will want to hear.
‘We’ve been let down by our last supplier,’ the chubby one’s saying. He won’t say more than that, no detail. You don’t bad-mouth a supplier publicly, even if he’s let you down. If he finds out you’ve blackened his name, he might choose to do something about it. Suppliers tend to be dangerous men. ‘How big is your operation?’
‘Bigger than you need,’ Tommy’s telling them.
That’s true. Shug has a deal with a major supplier, but the supplier’s getting tetchy. Shug isn’t moving enough gear yet, that’s why a deal like this will impress the boss. Tommy isn’t supposed to know that they’re struggling to shift gear, but it’s obvious. A big supplier doesn’t want someone small on his books. Shug needs to increase deliveries or lose supply.
‘We have everything you need,’ Tommy’s telling them, ‘and then some. We can match your demand with ease. If your demand increases, which I’m sure it will, then we’ll have no trouble with that. We only provide quality product. Your customers will like what we provide.’ It’s good sales patter. Ingratiating. A little bit creepy.
‘Good to know,’ the chubby one’s saying, and nodding. ‘We’ll be in touch in the next couple of days.’ They’re getting up and leaving. Business meeting over.
It went well. They were never going to commit one way or the other just yet. They wanted to meet him, hear what he had to say. See if he was a serious kind of guy. They heard what they wanted to hear. No need to discuss money. Both sides will know what the market price is when the transactions are being done. It’ll vary, deal to deal. Tommy’s convinced they’re going to call and agree to the hook-up. They won’t get a better one. This’ll be a big boost with Shug. Such a rare opportunity. Shug, struggling to get people on board. Tommy could be his most important dealer. He could become senior. Not just have good money, but be truly rich. Powerful too. That’s what he’s thinking as he’s walking back home. Get some lunch. Check on some of the peddlers. Only a couple should be running low. It’s a Wednesday, sluggish demand. Top them all up tomorrow, before the weekend burst. Keep business ticking over nicely. His business.