Dumfries (27 page)

  “I’m sorry,” Fanny whispered.

  “Did ye know that efter Silent wis caught and returned tae Thistle Park, during the time you were there, by the way, six big teachers ripped the clothes aff ae him and held him doon naked, spread-eagled oan a table and thrashed his bare arse wae a quarter inch thick leather belt.  His arse bled fur days and he could hardly sit doon fur o’er a week.  He’d only jist turned thirteen at the time.  Before then, he’d talk ten tae a dozen oan a whole range ae subjects wae his pals…bit look at him noo,” Gucci said quietly.

  Silence.

  “I’m so sorry,” she eventually croaked, before clearing her throat.

  “Don’t be.  Bit, if ye’re gonnae accept collective responsibility fur aw the good things ye’re daeing in yer work, which is understandable, then ye may want tae accept some responsibility fur some ae the failures as well.  Jist don’t go getting yersel aw upset if somewan like Silent disnae want tae talk or communicate wae somewan like you or join in wae yer so-called rehabilitation programmes,” Gucci spat at her.  “Fae where Ah’m sitting, the damage his awready been done long ago, or maybe Ah’ve jist missed the point aboot aw this rehabilitation stuff.  Whit dae ye think yersel?” he asked pleasantly, back tae being Mr Civil himsel.

  “And you?  What about you, Tony?” Fanny retorted, feeling angry and defensive in his company fur the first time.

  “Me?  Whit aboot me?”

  “What about your responsibility?”

  “Ah take ma responsibilities jist as seriously as somewan like you. Ye might think we’re different, bit we’re no as far apart as ye might think when it comes tae looking efter people who fur whitever reason, cannae look efter themsels.  The difference between you and me is that Ah measure success by results and learn no tae make the same mistake twice.  Ah know the difference between success and abject failure.”

  “Is this one of them?  Your successes, I mean?” she taunted, wae a wave ae her haun.

  “This?  Oh, this is jist wan ae the hazards ae the job,” he replied, a wide grin appearing across that face ae his.

  “So, what’s your point, Tony?”

  “Ma point is, Ms Flaw…don’t waste yer time and energy oan people who don’t believe in Santa Claus.”

  “Like Silent?”

  “Like Silent.”

“Hello, Johnboy.  Please take a seat.  My name is Fanny Flaw
and I’m the resident social worker here in Dumfries YOI.  I’m sorry we’ve not met sooner.  Do you need a hand?” Fanny asked, staunin up, as the inmate struggled tae sit doon oan the chair.

  “Naw, naw, Ah’m fine.”

  “What happened?”

  “Ah tripped o’er a bit ae straw and a hen kicked me.”

  Like Gucci and Smith before him, his features hidnae really changed aw that much, other than being taller and hivving transformed fae being a skinny gangly teenager intae whit appeared tae be a fit young man behind the stiffness ae his injuries.  His short red hair and the splash ae freckles across the bridge ae his nose wur as she remembered.  Efter the face-tae-face wae his pal, Gucci, Fanny hid considered cancelling the meeting wae him, bit she’d left it too late.  By the time she’d made up her mind, the security escort officer hid popped his heid roond the door tae tell her he hid Taylor in tow ootside in the corridor.

  “Can I get you anything?  A glass of water perhaps?”

  “Ah’m fine.”

  “I don’t know if you remember, but we met when I worked in Thistle Park.”

  “Aye, Ah remember ye.”

  “Johnboy, I’m here to try and help inmates in any way I can.  That could be anything from contacting their family on their behalf to assisting with letter writing if they have a problem in reading or writing.  I see from your file that your mother, Helen, unfortunately passed away a few years ago, but that your father is still alive.  I also see that you have three sisters and a brother.  Do you still keep in contact with them?”

  “Naw.”

  “Is there any particular reason for that?”

  “No really.”

  “You probably won’t know this, but my brother, who was a Church of Scotland minister in Springburn, along with my sister-in-law, Susan, helped out on your mother’s campaign to get her elected as a city councillor.”

  Silence.

  “The sudden death of your mother must have been a terrible shock to you and your family.  I know the whole community was devastated.  They say time heals, but I want you to know that I’m here, should you ever need anyone to talk to or confide in,” Fanny said, taken aback by the sudden look ae horror oan the inmate’s face.  “I’m sorry, but have I said something wrong?”

  “Ah don’t want tae be cheeky, bit ye’re probably the last person Ah’d want tae talk tae,” he replied, sounding genuinely surprised that somewan like her hid the audacity tae offer help tae somewan like him.

  “Oh, er, I’m sorry you feel that way.”

  “Don’t take it personally.”

  “Is there any particular reason why you would not want to talk to, er, someone like me?”

  “Is there any particular reason why Ah wid?”

  “Well, as I’ve said, I’m genuinely interested in trying to help you, or any other inmate, as far as I’m permitted to, whilst they serve their time down here in Dumfries.  You may not need anything just now, but please feel free to contact me should anything come up.”

  “Fine,” he replied, struggling tae his feet.

  Fanny sat staring at the door efter Taylor hobbled oot.  She’d been dreading meeting Tony Gucci, Samuel Smith and Johnboy Taylor…the Thistle Park boys.  The other two, Johnston and McCabe, hid been fine, even pleasant tae her.  She knew it could’ve been worse.  Smith…Silent…the quiet wan, hid left her shaken.  His blond hair and saft baby-face wur misleading and seemed tae her tae be masking something dreadful, although she wisnae entirely sure whit that could be.  When Fanny hid looked intae his grey, sad, wide eyes, they’d appeared totally vacant. They reminded her ae the shocked, bewildered look oan the faces ae the young children who’d been caught up in the shelling or bombing ae the Vietnamese villages that filled the news reports maist nights.  It hid been like peering intae some deep, strange, forbidding void that lead somewhere that nowan hid been before, at least no fur a long time.  She shuddered.  The eyes hidnae come across as being cruel or angry, in fact, jist the opposite.  Whit she thought she saw, fur a fleeting moment, hid gied her a strange sense that a child wis still trapped somewhere, deep inside, struggling, bit failing tae find a way hame.  And whit did he mean when he said that the best feeling wis nae feeling?  She reached across and straightened the files oan her desk, placing her pencil, wae the sharp pointed lead end in a parallel position beside the other two awready sitting there.  She recognised her need tae fuss.  It wis her way ae trying tae collect her thoughts.  She knew Tony Gucci hid let her aff lightly.  He could’ve challenged her mair than he hid.  She wondered why he hidnae pressed hame his advantage.  She wisnae sure if he’d been playing wae her, bit he’d certainly demonstrated and displayed the cunningness that wis amply highlighted throughoot his whole case file.  Gucci hidnae gone oot ae his way tae protect any ae the other three, bit hid made it plain that Samuel Smith wis oot ae bounds.  Why?  Wis he protecting Smith, the way a parent protects a child or wis there something mair sinister?  Surely, even he could see that Samuel Smith wis a very disturbed young man.  Gucci’s analogy, if that’s whit is wis…his use ae words, regarding backing aff fae people who didnae believe in Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, hid thrown her.  It hid only been efter Johnboy Taylor hid vacated the seat in front ae her, that she’d hid a proper chance tae try tae come tae terms wae whit it wis that he wis actually saying.  Gucci clearly believed that any attempt tae rehabilitate inmates, any inmate, wis aboot those in power, people like her, taking advantage ae a prisoner’s supposed naivety and vulnerability by duping them intae believing that if they conformed, they could change their lives fur the better.  Fanny reached across and teased wan ae the pencil points ever so slightly forward wae the back ae her finger nail.  She peered, satisfied, and rubbed her eyes wae the knuckles ae baith hauns.  Why wur these particular interviews, these inmates, getting under her skin?  She’d been at the receiving end ae much worse since coming tae Dumfries.  In 1968, she’d been sitting oan the same side ae the desk as she’d been today.  Gucci and his little band ae enthusiastic followers hid been well oan the road tae a life ae crime long before she’d met up wae them.  Despite whit Gucci hid claimed, there hid been dedicated people aroond at the time, her included, making a serious attempt tae turn roond the lives ae the young people in their charge.   Re-offending statistics amongst their age group in 1968, although high, still produced some successes, she remembered.  Although she didnae want tae admit it, Gucci’s warped pontificating oan success and failure hid hit hame.  Hid she learned fae her failures?  Hid she failed these boys?  Is that why she wis feeling the way she wis?  It hid only been since Gucci, Smith and Taylor hid appeared in Dumfries that she’d started questioning her ability tae effect positive change in inmates’ lives.  Gucci, Smith and Taylor wur no the only boys in Dumfries that hid been in Thistle Park at the same time that she’d been working there.  The day efter she’d started working in Dumfries, an inmate hid telt her that he remembered her fae Thistle Park, though she couldnae place his face.  She wis sure there wid’ve been others, so why wur these particular YOs any different?  She didnae want tae admit it, bit the biggest disappointment ae the day hid been Johnboy Taylor. She remembered that it wis him that hid bridged the gap between her and Tony Gucci when she’d attempted tae work wae the boys back in Thistle Park.  Back then, Taylor hid come across as chirpy and hid seemed totally oblivious tae the challenges that aw the boys in the school at the time hid faced.  She remembered laughing, alang wae the staff in the common room in Thistle Park, when wan ae them commented that Taylor wis in fur a shock when he woke up and found oot that he wisnae oan his holidays.  She also remembered that it wis his file, oot ae aw the boys fae the Toonheid and the Garngad areas ae Glesga, that hid suggested rehabilitation as a possibility.  She glanced at the names oan the spines ae the neat stack ae files.  Anthony Gucci. An IQ ae wan hunner and forty four.  In percentile terms, he wis in the tap wan percent ae the population who’d qualify as a genius in any other profession if ye took him oot ae the wan he wis currently engaged in.  Doctor Henderson, who’d written the maist recent psychiatrist’s report, interviewing Gucci straight efter he wis convicted, stated that while Gucci easily displayed emotion and charm and could be perceived by some as gifted, charming and charismatic, he wis in fact vicious, manipulative and resentful ae those who he deemed tae be in positions ae power o’er him.   Doctor Henderson also wrote that if Gucci ever felt that he’d been slighted, he wid stoap at nothing tae seek revenge oan that person, irrespective ae who they wur.  The assessment pointed oot that Gucci wis a compulsive risk-taker and wid resort tae violence as a means tae an end, withoot ever questioning his ain or the violent actions ae those aroond aboot him.  Doctor Henderson wrote that Gucci wis a gifted liar and hid demonstrated this oan every subject, however superficial, he’d questioned him oan
.
He’d diagnosed Gucci as being extremely dangerous and displaying aw the hallmarks ae somewan wae Dangerous Severe Antisocial Personality Disorder, lacking any moral compass, a diagnosis and description Fanny hidnae come across before.  Ominously, Doctor Henderson hid written that in the absence ae any compulsory detention orders under the Mental Health Act, prison staff, wherever Gucci wis incarcerated, should be warned and constantly reminded tae take aw necessary precautions wae regard tae no only their ain personal safety, bit tae those inmates in their charge as well. 

William ‘Snappy’ Johnston…IQ ae a hunner and nineteen…above average intelligence.  Similar diagnosis tae Gucci, bit no categorized as being as dangerous as his co-accused.  While Doctor Henderson hid assessed Johnston as prone tae extreme violence tae achieve his ends, coupled wae being a habitual liar who demonstrated a lack ae empathy towards his victims, the difference in the level ae caution and risk regarding Johnston’s behavior and that ae Gucci’s, hid been the emotional aspect.  According tae Doctor Henderson, Gucci’s lack ae empathy while being able tae display emotion marked him doon as far mair dangerous and lethal tae those unfortunate enough tae hiv been perceived tae hiv crossed him or who wurnae part ae his immediate social group and who happened tae unwittingly come intae contact wae him. 

Samuel ‘Silent’ Smith. No recorded IQ scoring.  Efter taking the time tae read through his psychiatric profile a couple ae times, Fanny hid noted that there hid been a range ae diagnoses o’er the years relating tae whit the authorities believed wis wrang wae Samuel Smith.  There appeared tae be nae consensus ae opinion, bit diagnoses by different psychiatrists at different times in his life hid included schizophrenia, psychosis and a Cluster A personality while suffering fae Schizoid Personality Disorder.  The problem fur the authorities, the notes stated, wis that the only time they’d been able tae assess him and attempt tae respond tae his needs, hid been when Smith wis incarcerated fur some offence or other.  Looking at the dates ae the psychiatric assessments, this wid’ve been as a juvenile while in remand homes in the middle ae the 1960s and as he became a teenager in Thistle Park.  The third in-depth assessment, efter Smith hid been liberated fae Thistle park as a fifteen-year-auld in 1970, hid been in March 1971, while serving time wae Johnboy Taylor in borstal as a sixteen-year-auld.  The Cluster A characteristics, evidenced in his psychiatric assessment back then, highlighted nae social skills, restricted emotional attachment and being perceived by his peers as an eccentric loner.  Doctor Henderson hid also noted Gucci’s aggression when Smith’s name hid come intae conversation, she wis comforted tae note.  Smith’s odd behavior and inability tae communicate wae her during her interview wae him hid certainly been visible.  Interestingly, that diagnosis hid been made before Smith’s maist recent assessment by Doctor Henderson, efter Smith hid been sentenced tae five years.  It hid also been Doctor Henderson that hid assessed Smith back in 1971 when him and Taylor hid been in Polmont fur resetting stolen goods.  Doctor Henderson hid noo come up wae a different, mair contemporary assessment.  Smith wis noo diagnosed as hivving whit wis assessed as a ‘Depersonalisation Disorder.’ Doctor Henderson’s assessment stated that Samuel Smith suffered fae recurring depersonalisation where he failed tae connect wae the people and the world he lived in.  It wis as if he wis in a perpetual state ae oot-ae-body existence, detached fae his ain thoughts and emotions, while at the same time gaun through the motions ae everyday activity, bit no being able tae participate in anything gaun oan roond aboot him. This certainly made some sense tae Fanny fae whit she’d been able tae observe in the short space ae time he’d been sitting across fae her.  It also tied in wae whit a few ae the prison officers hid reported back oan Smith in the prison observation book, that wis kept in the gatehoose fur staff starting and finishing their shifts.  Wan ae the officers hid facetiously written that ‘The Mute’s oan another planet tae the rest ae us.’  Oddly, Doctor Henderson hid also stated that he believed that Samuel Smith wis fully aware ae his disorder, bit chose no tae address his symptoms and seek help.  She also noted in the report that the trigger fur Depersonalisation Disorder wis probably caused by an extreme childhood trauma in those that suffered fae it.  Although Doctor Henderson hid admitted that it hid been challenging tae communicate and interact wae Smith, he believed that Smith hid been traumatised as a child, either physically, emotionally or baith, by being abused while being under the care ae others who wur stronger or aulder than him at the time.  If Samuel Smith did hiv a Depersonalisation Disorder, then there appeared tae be nae known medication or psychotherapy that could treat this type ae condition, according tae Doctor Henderson.  Fanny wondered if Doctor Henderson wis aware ae the contradiction regarding Samuel Smith seeking help fur his condition and his statement aboot no known cure.