Glasgow
10-30 a.m.
April 18th
Wheeler avoided the shopping centres and went down market. Cash shops mostly, stacks of jeans, cheap sweaters and cheerful, thick socks and clean pants. He bought a razor, deodorant, soap and a towel in a pound shop and left the assistant thinking that he’d rarely seen anyone more in need of the items.
It was ten thirty when with a handful of plastic bags he got on a bus and headed back to Buchanon bus station. He checked the time and went to the toilets. He put the pants, socks, jeans and the old boots on in a cubicle. It wasn’t an unknown sight for down and outs to wash there. One or two patrons gave him looks as he washed and shaved at the sink. In the last ten minutes he was alone drying himself and putting on the new clothes. His bus was due to leave twenty minutes later.