Thursday Murder Club, #2
The Man Who Died Twice
by Richard Osman
Contents
Chapter 62
Overview
Ryan Baird flees to Scotland and hides with his cousin, adopting fake names and resuming drug dealing. Overconfident and complacent, he believes police won’t search so far north. His makeshift plan underscores his recklessness and sets up future consequences as the wider investigation continues closing in.
Summary
Ryan Baird, convinced of his own brilliance and victimhood after a “stitched-up” court case, travels north to Scotland ahead of his hearing. He dodges fares, is twice thrown off trains at Doncaster and Newcastle, then finally reaches a town near Glasgow where his cousin Steven collects him.
Settling into Steven’s flat, Ryan immediately resumes dealing cocaine, echoing his mother’s dictum about always having a trade. He spends the day playing FIFA, smoking, and eating takeout, basking in a false sense of security as local news carries nothing about him.
To avoid detection, Ryan starts calling himself “Kirk,” despite repeatedly slipping and using his real name after drinks. Emboldened, he decides “Pablo” will be his new alias, modeling himself on Escobar while dismissing the risks that led to Escobar’s downfall.
Ryan convinces himself no one will look for him in Scotland and that even if police arrive, locals won’t know the name Ryan Baird. His complacency and careless inconsistencies signal an impending reckoning as he treats the manhunt like a game he’s already won.
Who Appears
- Ryan BairdOn the run in Scotland; deals cocaine, adopts aliases, and grows complacent about being found.
- StevenRyan’s cousin near Glasgow; shelters him as Ryan lies low and resumes dealing.