Body Art

By Liam Leddy

Body Art is my 3rd in the Lassiter Glasgow crime fiction series. Together with Lassiter , Dawson and Galbraith Body Art sees both Hagan and Horner the now familiar Glasgow crime lords bound for England. All have reason to head for the beautiful seaside resort of Whitby.
Inspector Hegarty has disappeared suddenly and it would seem there is a strong possibility that when last heard of that is where Hegarty might head for. Why? As usual there multiple reasons why and multiple reasons why all the others are headed there also.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Liam Leddy
• Release date: Apr 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463157886

Liam Leddy

See my website www.liamleddy.comThe two novels Body Language and Bad Form I have written to date are Glasgow sixties crime fiction. Raw , uncompromising Glasgow sreet crime , warts and all. Twists, turns, surprises and violence abound. In conjunction with my numerous short story collections both sell very well indeed in bookstores and to libraries and of course my readers in general.This month alone, December 2012, I have been filmed by Scottish Television re my work. This will be screened by STV mid January. I have also done telephone interviews for television companies about my work in December together with Library presentations. Looking for more exposure as always particularly to Scottish ex-pats the world over. I believe thoughts will always stray to the land of your birth. Or city of your birth. In this case Glasgow. Beautiful, generous, humour filled and lovable. Also, on occasion, dark and very, very scary.My latest short story collection "Tales of Dedication" is now available on Smashwords together with all my usual outlets. I have always been of the opinion that the short story form is sadly neglected in favour of the novel. Short stories are not short novels and vice versa. How many times have I heard the words he/she has "only written" when applied to the short story author. Not true in my case. And certainly not true with the vast majority of world famous authors. I love to read and write short stories and believe that all libraries are missing out if they do not have a separate section for short story collections and anthologies Just updating my new all smiling photo of me on Smashwords because that`s the one I use on my fabulous brand new website. This new site is so user friendly it confuses me. Not a hard thing to do granted.My first novel Body Language is being re-formatted by my new publisher Authorhouse and will very shortly be available in all major print outlets globallyAs of now Tuesday 23/06/15 my books are available in on request from either Amazon Createspace Authorhouse Barnes & Noble Abe Books Books a Million.... In short almost anywhere globally. My books sell in USA UK Germany Canada Italy and surprisingly enough - to me at any rate - Brazil. Now seeking Scottish expat readers globally and book readers in general who may or may not be familiar with Scotland and particularly Glasgow. Watch my videos on Youtube Stage 32 and VimeoMost readers- because of my neglect in updating my Smashwords bio for so long- will be unaware of how many five star reviews my work is receiving at present. Check them out on my author pages at both Amazon and Authorsden. Then buy them wherever you choose. Smashwords for example. The same books are all here!Check my books out. Recently had six accepted for Premium Catalog. Note the entire Lassiter series to date is now in Premium

Book preview

LASSITER THREE

BODY ART

WRITTEN BY

LIAM LEDDY

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2017, Aug. 6 by Liam Leddy

All rights reserved.

The word . foolproof was not enough to describe the perfection of the plan. One could prove anything to a fool after all. Her previous business dealings were testament to that. But straightforward business dealings had their constrictions. They seldom made provision for violence. Very necessary the violence . Patience. Planning Procedure. Simply pull all the correct strings.

And all the puppets will dance to the tune. Notes had to be kept however and constantly referred to. Both for personal satisfaction and for records for future use by herself and others.

She closed the leatherbound journal and replaced the top on her fountain pen.

CHAPTER ONE

NUMBER ONE

A KILLING

The method now. What was important was that prior notice to the police of the killing was given So a very public place then. An appropriate venue. The word venue deliberate. Prior warning of the forthcoming entertainment. The idea of not using modern technology to announce the killing appealed to her. On with the old. Out with the new. She permitted herself a tight little smile.

Yes. New media. Old media. Back to the old Very apt . The letter would arrive the day before it happened. From a source that no one could trace back to her. Because the posted letter about the murder would be anonymous and in cut and pasted newsprint lettering.

CHAPTER TWO

CONCERNS

His name is Bobby Harker. Aged sixty four and well known locally. Amputee. Lost an arm and a leg in a motor bike accident when young. He`d been a newspaper vendor near Glasgow Central for years and well known and liked.

Not any more then. said Dawson. Who found him?

The female constable though young was efficient.

A passerby at about 4.30 a.m. Been on a boozy night out with his mates. A young man by the name of, she consulted her notes, Ronald Dearie. Tried to buy a newspaper from Harker. Constable Farmer took him to the station to make his statement sir.

Right. Cause of death?

His throat was cut with something very sharp and jagged indeed sir

What?

It`s not clear at present sir.

Keep me informed. I`m going home.

Excuse me sir?

No need to apologise Constable. You`ve done nothing wrong. In fact it would appear you`ve done nothing at all apart from allowing my primary witness -or maybe even suspect- to go before I spoke to him. I said I`m going home until you lot actually have anything to tell me.

*

Dawson! My Office! Now!

Bradford`s intercom announcement was par for the course in the main office so no one made a fuss of it when Dawson decided it was time for a fag.

At the gent`s I think sir answered Galbraith, a fairly new addition to the force , who had already been smitten by Dawson`s easy way with women. "Shall I…

Listen young woman. You can finish his cigarette for him if you wish. You`re as much use out there as you are in here anyway, but get him in here now! Clear!!

Though Bradford`s voice was , as always when using the intercom metallic and slightly comic , Galbraith did not hesitate. She had already been on the receiving end of one of his explosive bursts of temper. She did not wish to experience it again. Ever. She moved quickly to the large glass door of the office. From there she could clearly see Dawson leaning nonchalantly against an outside pillar directing a plume of smoke at an unfortunate passing cat . Dawson hated cats. His reason? The desk sergeant had four cats and he hated the desk sergeant. His day wasn`t the same if he didn`t manage to do something to annoy Bulloch the desk sergeant. The desk sergeant for his part did everything in his power to screw Dawson`s day up in any way he could every day of the week. Bulloch the desk sergeant was also a reformed drinker, smoker, gambler, meat eater and had once had a reputation as a vindictive bullying beat policeman on the streets of Glasgow. Only Dawson knew about the last change of character. That was his trump card which he had so far kept to himself. Because Dawson wasn`t convinced he`d changed that particular character defect at all. His wife had an unfortunate habit of falling it seemed. Nice to cats maybe but perhaps that didn`t extend to the rest of his family.

Bulloch watched with undisguised glee as Galbraith went outside to tell Dawson to put his cigarette out because he was wanted by Chief Superintendent Bradford immediately. He already knew that of course. Very little escaped Bulloch in the day to day occurrences in the office.

*

Dawson entered Bradford`s office expecting the worst. He knew it would be about leaving the previous night`s murder scene early. Dawson thought he had had a good enough reason but awaited the normal near apoplectic burst of anger from his superior and made an apologetic though half hearted attempt at a salute. He didn`t normally salute anyone.

Instead a preoccupied Bradford motioned him closer to his desk

What the hell are you doing Dawson. You`re not a bloody soldier. Now shut up and listen to me. This arrived in my personal mail yesterday. I was in Birmingham yesterday as you know and only opened my mail this morning. Read it.

The cut and pasted newsprint lettering was all in bold, black capitals.

CONGRATULATIONS TO INSPECTOR HEGARTY ON HIS FORTHCOMING RETIREMENT. THE UNFORTUNATE MR. HARKER IS MY GIFT TO HIM. PLEASE PUT IT TOWARDS HIS OFFICE PARTY AND RETIRAL SHEET.

Dawson said nothing at first. Then he reminded Bradford once more why the force needed him despite his idiosyncracies. He was a good cop.

"Knows and hates Hegarty enough to kill because of it. The old fashioned use of newsprint may be significant. Throat slitting`s a very bloody business. Crime scene was covered in blood. Immediate D.N.A. checks on known possible suspects required sir.

Good. What else?

Well nothing`s going to happen to Hegarty now sir. I put too much to his retiral collection sir to let that happen now

Bradford nodded absently. Police humour was important for morale he knew.

"Not as much as me. If you had put in as much as much as I did to Hegarty`s sheet I`d need to investigate where YOU got the money from. You`re only a sergeant after all. She always blamed Hegarty you know. And she`s back in the U.K"

I know sir Hegarty got her mother sent down. Unfit to plead. Balance of mind disturbed Died in confinement after seven years. That certainly wouldn`t help would it sir. Can we find out her whereabouts?

We`re not supposed to be told. But we will be told. Count on it. Although Hegarty arrested her mother and got her convicted he was never really happy about that case. The one and only time I can remember him being unsure that he had arrested the right woman. But even he couldn`t defeat the amount of evidence, the public outcry and a very clever prosecution lawyer. Now Dawson. Why the hell did you leave a murder scene prematurely?

I was trying to contact Hegarty sir.

Right. Dismissed.

*

Dawson had been unable to contact Hegarty because Hegarty had decided a couple of days previously that no one was going to contact him. He was on a weeks leave and he really hadn`t had an uninterrupted couple of days leave for a good number of years now. He was trying to assess how his impending permament retirement would affect him. It had been worrying him recently. He had been a copper for over forty years. How would it feel not to be officially on the force any more? He suspected he knew the answer to that. Lost. Totally lost. He refused to consider anything in the security consultancy line however. Cardboard cops that`s all they were. Besides although not anywhere close to being wealthy he had been prudent enough with his spending over the years. He would be reasonably comfortable when he retired. There would be no real need to supplement his pension. He would not need to look for work. He could just relax with his favourite horror books and ghost story anthologies . He loved reading. He had never had enough time to do that before. He could do more than that. He could travel. He could research what he called spookery A hobby of his. That might work!

*

Lassiter? They can`t locate your best man. Has he been in touch with you recently? called Sarah Lassiter from the kitchen.

Always was an inconsiderate old bugger Hegarty. Been doing things like that ever since I`ve known him answered Lassiter from the bathroom his face covered in shaving soap. He still favoured a wet shave with a shaving brush.

I know. I was hoping he`d do that on the morning we got married answered Sarah mischievously.

Let`s hope he makes it back for the divorce then. Lassiter shouted back cheerfully. He`d only been married six months and had never been happier. Sarah was the love of his life.

He`d better be quick then. Dawson want`s a word with you anyway. Tell him he`s first in line as soon as I`m in the unmarried state again. Wiping his face with a towel Lassiter took the phone from his new wife stealing a kiss at the same time.

What`s this I hear Dawson? You still mislaying policemen all over the place? And an Inspector at that. Bradford must be delighted with you.

Normally I`d be over the moon when the old sod`s not here Lassiter but we have a complication here. I need to talk to you before it becomes a situation. Dawson sounded unusually concerned.

You serious Dawson? Lassiter was frowning now.

Yes. There`s something else going on in addition to this Lassiter

CHAPTER THREE

Hegarty was no different from most people in that the older he got the less time he knew he would have for answers to his constant confusion about life in general. What his old English teacher at school had always referred to as The great imponderables. What was life really all about? What greater purpose was there to it? Or was there any at all? Pro-creation? But why? Who was he? Why was he born? In his own way Hegarty was a deep thinker. It was what had made him a very good policeman. The greatest sadness of his life had been the loss of his wife to cancer fifteen years previously on one unforgettable Christmas Eve. To this day he hated Christmas. Shortly after losing her he had even gone down the spiritualism route and attended one or two meetings. He had been both grief stricken and slightly drunk at both. And the hall was damp. Lassiter had gently suggested he`d be better staying at home with a cup of tea leaves and a bottle of his favourite Scotch. Save getting his cheeks and his feet wet at the same time. He remembered the occasion well. It had been the first laugh he`d had after Molly`s death. As usual Lassiter had been right. It had still taken Hegarty years to adjust to and then eventually accept Molly`s death. He had mellowed over the years but still felt slightly guilty about enjoying the freedom of life on his own. It was daft he knew but he did. One thing he didn`t feel guilty about was his love of everything inexplicable and weird . Reading about strange events both past and present was an addiction both he and Molly had shared. If anything she`d been more obsessed than him. Her mind had been much more open and innocent than his. They`d bounced off each other very well indeed and had also shared a rather morbid sense of humour. His reading material covered both fiction and non-fiction. They`d always talked about about visiting some of the places of supernatural interest to them on what was then his far-off retirement date. And that was exactly what he planned to do with his weeks leave. And he had no intention of having his trip interrupted by anyone now.

*

Sarah had invited Dawson to dinner on his day off. Not many people were prepared to invite Dawson to dinner. He was either fantastic company or withdrawn and uncommunicative depending on his mood. Sarah and Lassiter knew that but never seemed to bother much about which Dawson turned up. Sarah because Lassiter was pretty much from the same mould and she was accustomed to it by now and Lassiter because it didn`t really matter all that much to him. He was used to Dawson`s moods. But this mood was different in that he was both communicative and morose.

It`s just not like him Lassiter. To tell nobody. You, me, Bradford. Anyone at all.

He`ll be out of a job permanently in six weeks time Dawson. It`s his last official weeks leave. Come on Dawson. What would you do? grinned Lassiter. On second thoughts forget I asked you that. Ladies present.

Never bothered him before. said Sarah. Don`t think he`d be believable as our Dawson if he bothered about things like that.

How good`s your memory for books and their authors Lassiter? In particular one non-fiction book and it`s murderous female author?

Not good unless you give me a clue as to what bloody book or author you`re talking about.

The author was a woman called Audrey Ballantyne. She wrote several books amongst them one about the legend of Spring Heeled Jack. answered Dawson .

Saw him in Sauchiehall street did she?

No. I`m only trying to explain that she was a fairly well known author. But she was also fucking nuts Sorry about the language Sarah.

Oh pul-eaze" sergeant. You forgetting who I`m married to? You all swear