Part Sixteen:THE SCATTERING WINDS OF SPRING

After the chip pan fire the house had more people coming and going than had been the case during the whole of the previous decade. Josef's nephew had called to say that the house would be closed while the old man was indisposed and until repairs could be effected.

Officials from the Fire Department were picking over the remains of the kitchen and a couple of police officers had shown up seeking a few words with Buster but he had been unavailable.

One sniff of a police uniform and Driscoll had dropped all thoughts of atonement like the proverbial hot potato. Atonement was all right if the backside was hanging out of your breeks and you had nowhere to go. Let's face it, atonement was mandatory in a situation like that but, if you had options, well then, you had options.

Right now Driscoll's main concern was one of logistics. In short, how was he going to hump all that money around securely? He had only one account which he was sure that the authorities didn't know about but he could not put too much cash into that one at any one time without raising somebody's suspicions.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. If he bought some smart new togs up in town he could he book into that "fancy Dan" hotel at the end of Princes Street and hand them one of those smart leather zipper bags, with the padlocks, stuffed with cash and they'd obligingly bung it in their safe for him, no questions asked, same as they did for all the other toffs. He felt a certain moral justification in the thought that there would be far bigger crooks than him passing through that particular hotel lobby every day of the week.



Buster sat on the bench at the top of the hill in his beloved Botanic Gardens, studying the view in front of him in minute detail. He took in every tree, every bush and bed of flowers in a grand attempt to commit it all to memory.He knew that some day when he was especially blue and life was dealing him more than his share of hardships he would want to remember what he could see before him now. It would be a good protection against hard times.

The world had turned again and there was nothing he could do about it. A few short hours ago he had had nothing to worry about. He had been enjoying the adventure of Spring in a strange city but now everything had changed. He had made a mess of things yet again. He hadn't meant to. He had never intended to hurt anyone.

It didn't matter though. Now people would be angry with him and shout at him if they caught up with him and people in uniform would have a part in it somewhere, you could be sure of that. They might even put him in jail, you just never knew.

Just as Buster trembled at this prospect he was aware of someone watching him. She was about three years old with long, fair and curly hair and she was dressed in a crimson matinee coat. She laughed suddenly and Buster smiled, forgetting his own predicament for a moment. She put her hands over her eyes and peeked out from behind them, first to her right and then to her left.

Buster fumbled in his pocket for a boiled sweet and, purely by chance, pulled out one almost the very colour of her coat. Tickled by this coincidence, he held the sweet out to her.

The child hesitated for a moment with her hand outstretched toward Buster's gift. Then she looked over her shoulder at her approaching mother who, deciding that the little man was harmless, nodded her approval.

As mother and child continued on their way Buster felt cheered again. He took a deep breath, picked up his suitcase and strode off down the hill. He felt brave now and sure that the world would soon turn his way again.



No sooner had Driscoll boarded the London train than it juddered into life. His heart jumped with excitement. A few more minutes and he would have left Auld Reekie behind, hopefully forever. There was nothing here for him now except a certain lengthy incarceration.

He was just about to pull the door shut behind him when his heart jumped again. That fat wee eejit who had nearly set No17 up was running for the train. He was red in the face and looking as if he was about to explode any moment but he did not look as if he was going to give. Not him.

Driscoll's grip on the door handle tightened as Buster drew level and looked up pleadingly. The train started to pick up speed. Buster was covered in sweat. He looked as if he was about to have a heart attack.

"Poor, stupit wee bastard" muttered Driscoll before holding out his hand and, with every last ounce of strength at his disposal, yanking Buster and his suitcase aboard.



It had been a good week for Miss Laird, the first in her new position. The new "arrangement" was working very well.

At five o'clock she shut up shop and headed off in the direction of the "new" New Town flat. She didn't hurry. She wanted the chance to savour the pleasures of her new situation.

Lachlan would probably be out anyway. He was out most nights. She marvelled at the brilliance of his social life. The people he knew!!!!!!! All those elegant and artistic young men. Actors. Antique dealers - all very glamorous.It was obviously what kept him looking so young.

She didn't mind being on her own in the flat. Her end of the flat was more or less self contained anyway and, although it was nice to chat to Lachlan over a coffee on one of the rare occasions when their paths met, she didn't feel lonely when he wasn't there. Besides it was such a lovely flat - an entertainment in itself. And when he was there he always had so much to talk about. He was always fizzing with ideas. He was affectionate and solicitous too. He was a joy really.

The situation was a joy. Her job was a joy and it would all continue to be a joy as long as she was a sensible girl and didn't ask for too much.

She remembered how it was when she was a little girl looking for shells along the beach. She would start out looking for something beautiful and ornate and exotic but, really, she would be happy enough with anything that caught her eye - even a piece of sea worn green glass from some long forgotten gin bottle thrown overboard far away.

She would pick up all these little gems and store them away safely. She knew that none of these small treasures would ever be lost. They would be there whenever she had need of them. In this way she could keep loneliness at bay for ever.