Chapter Twenty-One

The police were called out in an emergency, as no-one could gain entrance to Craigie’s house and the neighbours had noticed a silence that was very unusual, since the boy’s step-father could hardly be described as a ‘quiet man’. He was drunk more often than not. The police forced the back door entrance and began to look around, but there was no-one on the ground floor and as they climbed the stairs to the bedrooms, they called out if anyone was at home, although with all the banging downstairs, it seemed an illogical if necessary thing to do. However, silence was the only response they got.

“Is there anyone there?” they called as they went into the front bedroom, but again there was no answer. The senior policeman looked at his associate with suspicion in his eye as he put his hand to the handle on the back bedroom door, turning it and opening it quietly except for the creaking sound where the hinges needed some oil. He put his head round the door and he could see the figure of a woman lying across the bed. She appeared to be naked apart from a suspender belt and silk stockings and she lay face downwards with one arm falling to the floor.

“Are you alright, Miss?” he enquired not expecting to get an answer nor did he.

The younger officer looked to the older one for guidance and the latter nodded as they approached the bed, where the senior man turned the woman over on her back and the sight that met him made him feel sick. He turned his head away quickly and ushered his young companion from the room.

“Phone the Station and get an ambulance here quick,” he said.

“Will I tell them she’s dead, Alec?”

“What? What was that you said?”

“If they ask me if she’s dead, what should I say?”

The older policeman mopped his brow with his handkerchief.

“Tell them, He is dead, George. It’s a man in there and he’s had his throat slit from ear to ear.

The police were stunned at the sight they found and there hadn’t been so much excitement for years amongst the neighbours and a murder hunt was started, albeit short lived when three days after the incident, young Craig Daniells’ body was dragged from the river.

***

Willie was broken when he heard the news Broken with guilt as he felt he should have been able to prevent this awful incident if only he had insisted that Craigie stay with him at his house for a longer time. Everywhere he went, he could see the face of Craig Daniells, but the thing that baffled him most was the fact that his friend was always smiling ... The face that he saw in his mind was radiant and his face shone. Craig hadn’t had much happiness in his short life, but somehow Willie felt despite his intense sadness and loss, that Craig was happier now than he had ever been. He wouldn’t need to find anyone to understand him, or someone to listen to him in his dreadful unhappiness at home. He wouldn’t care about his stuttering now either Willie felt that at last, Craig Daniells had found ‘Someone’ ... who would understand everything he ever said or thought and he was sure that his friend was enjoying the peace and joy that should have been his, years ago. But the niggling sense of loss and of sadness wouldn’t leave him as he began to realise that he would never see his friend again.

***

Rita Watts was having a field day of gossip of course, when she was told of the latest news. She had suddenly changed her attitude to the step-father of the poor wee angel, Craigie and he was now a dirty old sod who should have been castrated at birth. She was also sure that the late Mr. Watts would have agreed with her in everything she thought, had he been spared, of course God rest his soul. Someone on the street had guided her back to her own front door when it was discovered that the boy’s body had been recovered from the Clyde and she fainted on the spot ... Wattie, dutifully pulled her clothes down over her knee length knickers as she lay, somewhat dishevelled and with her skirt up around her midriff. He, himself, was always conscious about showing his private parts to anyone and he was sure his Mammy would have appreciated his action.

***

It took some little time for the Gorbals to accept the horrific and unexplained murder, even if they were considered the toughest district in the whole of Scotland. You see, murder in their minds was something to do with gang warfare or crimes of passion not about a young lad having to cut his step-father’s throat. It made large headlines in the newspapers and although the sordid details were omitted, for the most part, the people of the Gorbals always counted two and two to make four ... it never made five.

***

Two days after the funerals, Blake approached Willie shyly with a large floral wreath in his arms.

“Will ye take this tae Craigie’s grave, when ye go there, please?” he asked as he shuffled from one foot to the other.

“I think he would appreciate it more if you took it there yourself. I’m going there this afternoon if you’d like to come with me?”

Willie patted Blackie on the shoulder and they walked down the road together in silence and in peace and there wasn’t the slightest hint or echo of ‘the Billy Song ‘

***

Willie returned to school after the funeral and was met by Trottie as he walked through the large entrance to the playground. She smiled at him.

“Hello there, Squire,” she called out in her usual breezy manner and Willie thought she had a silly smile on her face.

“Hello Miss.”

“Sorry to hear about your friend, Willie. I hope you are feeling alright ... Are you?”

Willie did not want to hear any more. His eyes were brimming with tears but he managed to say Thank you, as he swept past the gym mistress and she pulled on his arm and brought him closer to where she stood. As she looked into his eyes and he into hers .her silly smile had gone.

“Come with me,” she said and guided Willie with easy agility into the gymnasium where she left him alone and retired, closing the door behind her. He could hear the key turn in the lock as he leaned heavily on the vaulting horse. The gymnasium looked empty and bare.

“Craigie Craigie What have ye done,” he called out into the air ...and his voice reverberated in the echo that came back to him across the large, spacious room and a thick warm tear fell heavily from his eye. “I’m hurtin’ for ye ...Ye know that, don’t ye?” he went on as he cried all over the horse and searched in his pocket for his hankie but he couldn’t find it. He pulled his shirt out of his trousers and wiped his tear stained face, remembering that he had given his hankie to Craigie.