“The River Clyde is beautiful to look at, isn’t it? Everything in Glasgow’s history is tied to the Clyde, the river that snakes through the town. The ship building, the ships coming and going filled with tobacco and sugar, part of the town’s dark history that made some people rich on the backs of others, but…”

Kevin didn’t turn around, but he felt Daniel move inches from his back and felt the muzzle of what he assumed was a gun. His fear made him ache for a hit of heroin. He’d much rather die that way than this.

“It’s a treacherous place. People are lost to the river all the time. There’s vicious currents and whirlpools that pull you into the deep.” Malky turned and smiled at Daniel behind him. “Would be a good place for the Sharkeys to meet their end, since Nikki has that queer nightclub.” Then he nudged Kevin. “Did you know that Nikki and Mack the fucking Knife are dykes?”

Kevin managed a croaky, “Yes.”

“The so-called Queen of the Glasgow Streets is a fucking dyke. That needs to be stopped, and I’m going to get every one of them. I would have been far further forward if you hadn’t fucked up getting Nikki’s wean.”

“I tried to get Isla, but—”

“Shut up. I was good enough to give you another chance to work off the debt with me, but now you’ve lost my merchandise. I think your debt has gone up five grand. That makes your debt fifteen thousand. I take cash, no credit.”

Kevin’s panic overtook him. He brought his hands to his face and said, “Mr. McDade, I can’t pay that much, but please give me a chance. I can be useful. Please, please.”

Malky looked at him with disdain. “Stop being a snivelling wee dick, Kevin.” He took a last drag of his cigarette and flicked it into the water, as if suggesting where Kevin was going next. “You know how many bodies were recovered from the Clyde last year, Kevin?”

Kevin was so scared, his mouth and throat were dry.

“Thirty bodies, Kev. Thirty bodies, that sounds a lot, but that was only people that were reported for falling in, drunks, accidents with kids getting too close to the edge, but then there are the ones no one knows went in. But you know as well as me, Kev, this river has always been a dumping ground for bodies. If they drained this river, it would be littered with the remains of people long gone.”

Malky nodded to Daniel, who said, “Take a step closer.”

The muzzle of the gun pushed into his back. Kevin’s breathing was panicked. Was this it? His toes were now over the edge. “Please, Mr. McDade. Give me one more chance.”

“It depends on what you can do for me.”