Run Johnboy Run: The Glasgow Chronicles 2 (14 page)

  “Did any ae youse hear that him and two ae the Murphys ended up in The Royal wae suspected typhoid or dysentery?  Seemingly, somewan shat in a steak pie that they’d scoffed,” Ralph said, causing everywan tae burst oot laughing.

  “Christ, pity the poor butcher, eh?” Daddy slung in, as everywan jist aboot pished themsels again.

  “Aye, well, when challenged oan haunin o’er the dookit as a freebie, Molloy claimed that he didnae want tae haun it o’er tae the competition,” Bobby Mack confirmed efter the merriment hid died doon.

  “Sounds fair enough tae me,” The Chief murmured.

   “Aye, bit then in the next breath, he announced he wis oot ae the doo-breeding  business,” Colin chipped in, startling everywan.

  Silence.

  “Ah picked up that rumour, bit Ah’ve still no been able tae confirm it,” Ralph Toner eventually said, breaking the silence. “Hiv any ae youse?” he asked, looking aboot the table, as he wet the tip ae his finger and used it tae pick up wee biscuit crumbs fae the surface ae the table before popping them intae his gub.

  “There’s nae way he’d gie up the doo business.  He’s goat a monopoly oan the business aw across the city.  Everywan knows that.  Why the hell wid he dae something like that?  There’s nae competition and never his been o’er the past ten tae fifteen years.  Him and the Murphys wiped oot hauf the doo men o’er in Partick jist last year.  When challenged, Shaun Murphy seemingly said that ye need a cull every noo and again tae keep everywan oan their toes,” Daddy Jackson informed them.

  “Whit dis that mean?”

  “It means, he decides who and how many people ur allowed tae operate.  Wance the number goes up above a certain point, The Big Man and the Murphys move in and put the poor eejits oot ae business.  It’s usually the wans that ur starting tae expand their set-ups that they go fur.”

  “Molloy claimed that as aw the tenement buildings ur coming doon soon, and everywan in the Toonheid knows that, he widnae hiv goat anything fur the cabin even if he did try tae sell it.  He says he knew the boys wur intae their doos, especially the wee wan that goat roasted, and that he wis a good pal ae the Kelly boy’s da back in the fifties, before he went doo-lally,” Bobby Mack informed everywan.

  “Sounds plausible enough,” The Chief said, watching Colin’s facial expression closely.

  “Aye, well, there’s two factors that ur nibbling away in that heid ae mine.  Firstly, Liam Thompson’s hid a few wee run-ins wae The Big Man o’er the past few months.  It aw started o’er the heid ae Liam and Big Jim Stewart pulling Blind Bill Campbell oot ae the boot ae wan ae Molloy’s cars up in the dipping yard oan Grafton Street.”

  “Ah widnae hiv wanted tae be the wan that cleaned his pants, eh?” Mickey Sherlock said tae loud guffaws ae laughter.

  “Anyway, that wis the start ae it,” Colin continued. “Molloy then found oot that Liam wis getting wee bits ae info fae that wee fat canary boy oan whit he wis up tae and demanded a name.  Liam telt him tae fuck aff and fae there oan in, everything went doonhill.”

  “And the other factor, Colin?” asked The Chief.

  “Oor wee fat Tweety Bird telt us that The Big Man’s other dookit set-up, the loft above the Murphys’ tap flair hoose oan Ronald Street, wis tanned the night before the cabin burned doon.  Seemingly, whoever done it cleaned the place oot.”

  Silence.

  “And how long hiv ye known aboot this, Colin?” Bobby Mack demanded, clearly well pissed-aff.

  “Ah jist found oot late last night before Ah finished ma shift.”

  “Well, there’s oor motive fur the cabin then,” Mickey retorted, looking across at The Chief.

  “So, ye’re saying that it wis the Murphys that burnt the cabin doon efter aw, Colin?” The Chief asked, ignoring Mickey.

  “In revenge fur that wee manky mob screwing the loft,” Mickey stated wae a smile at Bobby, who jist shrugged his shoulders and scowled across at Colin.

  “Case closed then.  Ye should be happy, Bobby,” Daddy said tae Mr Murder, acknowledging the nods ae agreement fae the others roond the table.

  “Murdering basturts!”

  “Whit’s the matter, Colin?” The Chief asked him, frowning.

  Aw heids swung back tae Colin.

  “Ah’m no convinced.”

  “Aw, fur Christ’s sake, Colin.  Whit ur ye looking fur?  A fucking picture ae The Big Man and the Murphys staunin wae the petrol can in wan haun and a box ae matches in the other?” Mr Murder demanded.

  “It disnae make sense.  It’s jist too obvious, which means we could end up making an even bigger arse ae oorsels and still get the blame fur the fire.”

  “It’s obvious that wee manky crew screwed the loft and the Murphys burnt the cabin doon as a comeback.  Whit the hell is yer problem, Colin?  Even a jury we hidnae interfered wae wid convict wae evidence as strong as that.  We’ve goat connection, motive and a witness in yer wee fat canary.  It seems aw done and dusted tae me,” Bobby retorted, irritation in his voice. “Christ Ah’ve sent doon maist ae the murderers in the toon in the past year wae less evidence than that.”

  “Whit’s wrang, Colin?” The Chief asked the inspector, who wis looking straight at him.

  “It’s aw circumstantial.  The wee fat canary said he saw oor toasted boy humphing two big egg boxes alang Kennedy Street oan the morning ae the fire.  We know that it’s a well-known fact that aw the doo men use the big egg boxes if they’re transporting mair than a couple ae doos at the wan time.”

  “Exactly.  There’s yer connection wae the boys,” Bobby said.

  “Aye, bit he also said that he’d heard Horsey John, the stable manager, moaning tae that midget sidekick pal ae his aboot how he couldnae believe that The Big Man didnae believe they wee pricks hid tanned the loft and cleaned oot aw his good doos.”

  “Ah’ve known smarter men than Pat Molloy dangle oan the end ae a rope fur less, Colin,” The Chief said tae mair nods.

  “That’s ma point.  Ah’ve known Pat Molloy since we wur wee snappers and believe you me, if he thought fur wan minute that that wee manky mob hid tanned his loft, they’d aw hiv disappeared long before noo, no matter whit age they wur. He’s jist no that stupid.  Ah agree, the evidence aw points tae the boys tanning the loft and him retaliating.  Whit Ah want tae know is where the fuck is the supposed three hunner doos that Ah heard hid been blagged?  They certainly wurnae cooked in the cabin.  If they wur, it wid still be oan fire the noo.  The forensic boys said that other than the boy and the dug, they’d only found the traces ae a couple ae doos, at the maist.  Ah think we hiv tae go oan the basis that he knows something we don’t…like, who tanned his loft and torched the cabin?  We need tae try and get aheid ae him so we kin find oot whit the fuck he’s up tae and get in there first.”

  Silence.

  “Okay,” The Chief finally said, rubbing his chin wae the fingers ae his left haun.  “Ah’d be lying if Ah said Ah wisnae apprehensive or hid ma doubts, bit let’s run wae where Colin’s coming fae fur the time being.  That wanker Molloy will hiv the best ae briefs and QCs in the country parked up ootside oor door if we even try tae sniff that arse ae his withoot any cast iron evidence.  Ah’m no convinced we hiv that yet, despite the obvious.  Colin’s right, Molloy is bound tae know who done this and is probably oan their case, plotting their demise as we speak.  We know that it wisnae us that burnt the dookit doon…unless Colin is mistaken aboot the involvement ae that big glaikit sergeant ae his.  If we move too fast, there’s a danger we’ll blow oor cover and whoever it is that he’s targeting, will walk away fae aw this, laughing at us.  We widnae want that tae happen noo, wid we?  So, ye aw know whit tae dae.  Get the word oot oan tae the streets regarding Molloy’s retirement fae the doo business and see whit comes back.  Gie Colin as much support as he needs in dealing wae that trouble-making bitch.  In the meantime, Ah’ll talk tae oor friends upstairs and let them know where we’re at and whit oor thinking is.”

Chapter Sixteen

  Efter a couple ae days in The Grove, Johnboy felt like an auld haun.  While things wur looking up fur him, life didnae seem too rosy fur the quiet boy he’d noticed when he’d first arrived in the place though.  Johnboy only hid a week tae go before he wis due tae be liberated so he didnae really gie a toss aboot anything.  It took him a few days tae suss oot that it wisnae only Paul that wis waiting fur a vacancy tae come up at an approved school, bit that Charlie, Bean, Freckles, Chazza, Sammy and Minky wur also waiting tae be shipped oot.  They’d aw originally been oan a three month remand stint before they’d eventually been sentenced.  Paul hid been waiting the longest since being sentenced, so he wis expected tae be shifted oot first.  At ten, Johnboy wis the youngest oot ae everywan.  He’d been surprised tae find oot that Baby wis jist eleven, the same age as the rest ae the Garngad boys in the company.  Baby looked far aulder.  It didnae seem right tae Johnboy tae send any ae the boys aff tae an approved school, fur up tae three years, fur whit they’d been done fur.  A couple ae them, like Paul, hid goat nabbed fur breaking intae shoaps and Bean and Minky hid goat caught stealing lead aff the roof ae The Royal Infirmary during an all-nighter.  They’d nearly gied hauf the patients in a ward a heart attack at three o’clock in the morning when a folded-up sheet ae lead that they’d been carting across the roof hid landed oan the windae sill, jist ootside where the patient’s hid been lying in their sick beds.  Freckles and Chazza hid blagged a Mr Whippy ice cream van while Mr Whippy nipped roond the back ae a closemooth fur a quick pish.  The bizzies hid found the empty van ootside The Big Rock up in Roystonhill, efter Freckles and Chazza hid dished oot aw Mr Whippy’s pokey hats and wafers fur free. Chazza said it wis probably the first time maist ae the local weans hid tasted a real Ninety-Nine.  Freckles wis always ranting that if some thieving basturt hidnae fucked aff wae Mr Whippy’s good set ae wheels and the two plastic pokey hat cones that wur stuck oan the front ae the van above the windscreen, before the polis arrived, they’d only hiv goat twenty eight days detention, insteid ae three years.

  “Aw the costs added up and made the crime worse than whit it really wis,” he’d explained tae Johnboy.

  He’d also said that aw the maws in the area wur blaming him and Chazza fur Mr Whippy no coming roond Roystonhill anymair which meant that if they ran oot ae fags, they’d hiv tae trail aw the way doon tae the shoaps oan Royston Road.  He wis well pissed-aff wae the injustice ae it aw.

  “And you mind and tell aw they maws oot there that Chazza and me hid fuck aw tae dae wae they wheels getting blagged,” he’d say tae the aulder Roystonhill boys who wur getting freed, as if that wis gonnae take the heat aff ae him.

   A week efter being locked up, Johnboy became responsible fur a new addition tae the company.  It hid aw started when he’d trooped intae the gym wae the other boys fur evening recreation.  Slapper, the prick in the tartan tie, hid grabbed him by the shirt collar and slung him back oot the door tae join a bunch ae other boys in the corridor.  Efter aboot ten minutes ae hinging aboot, wondering whit he wis getting the blame fur, Slapper hid appeared back oan the scene, slapping hauns at the ready, telling everywan tae follow him.  They’d heided doon tae the reception end ae the building and up the stairs.  Insteid ae turning left intae the dining rooms, they’d been led intae the right haun corridor and then intae a wee room wae two rows ae tables.

  “Right, this is yer recreation session.  Sit oan yer arses at wan ae they tables,” he’d commanded, haunin oot sheets ae white paper. 

  Slapper hid picked the quiet boy tae start dishing oot wee trays wae roond water paints in them, jars ae water and wee paint brushes.  Everywan hid seemed quite chuffed and hid started tae paint. Johnboy hid been right cheesed-aff because he wis in a five-stane competition and his team wur in the lead fur the first time that week.  If he wisnae there, Baby, Minky and Bean wid get aw the credit.  He’d been jist aboot tae ask if he could go back tae the gym, when he’d clocked the dirty basturt pick oan his gofer.

  “Right, boy, jump up oan that desk and haun me doon some mair paper aff the tap ae that cupboard,” Slapper hid said tae the quiet boy. 

  Wance the quiet boy wis staunin up oan the desk, stretching up fur the paper, Johnboy hid clocked Slapper slide his haun up the boy’s shorts.  The quiet wan hid instantly frozen, pushed the dirty basturt’s haun away and backed his arse intae the corner, between the wall and the cupboard.  The boy’d hid the look ae a terrified cat oan that face ae his, and hid looked aboot tae see if anywan hid clocked whit wis gaun oan. Baith Slapper and the boy hid looked straight intae Johnboy’s eyes…the only wan in the room who hidnae bothered tae lift up a paintbrush.  The quiet boy hid seen his escape route and taken the opportunity tae jump doon and scurry o’er tae the table in front ae Johnboy.  Oan his way past Slapper, Slapper hid ruffled his fingers across the scared cat’s heid before letting oot a wee friendly laugh as if it hid aw been a joke.  It hid been then that Johnboy hid looked away, embarrassed.  Johnboy hid looked at the back ae the quiet boy’s heid, as he sat in front ae him at the next table.  Johnboy couldnae see his face, bit he could see the paint brush in his haun shaking like fuck as he dipped it intae the jar ae water that wis sitting in the middle ae the table, being shared between him and the other three boys there.  Johnboy hidnae goat a chance tae talk tae the quiet boy before they finished their recreation session.  The alarm bell hid starting tae clang unexpectedly and aw the teachers hid come running in, jostling them oot and up tae their dorms.  Wan ae the San Toi, alang wae wan ae the Carlton Tongs, hid managed tae get oot through wan ae the ootside doors in the corridor, intae the yard and hid fucked aff o’er the wee roof.  By the time the boys hid been escorted back tae their dorms, they’d aw been warned tae shut the fuck up while the teachers patrolled up and doon the corridors fur the rest ae the night. 

  The following morning, Johnboy hid clocked the big prick fae the Memel Toi gieing the quiet boy a scud oan the side ae his heid fur no making his bed up properly at the other end ae the dorm.  Johnboy thought that the quiet boy must’ve goat the diamonds oan each side ae the ugly basturt’s bedspread oot ae sync.

  In the yard later oan, the Royston and Garngad Uglies hid aw been arguing like fuck o’er Baby getting caught cheating.  Johnboy hidnae a clue how anywan could manage tae cheat at five stanes, bit seemingly, Baby hid goat caught bang-tae-rights, judging by the sound ae the howling and accusations that wur flying aboot.  Johnboy hid been too busy watching whit the quiet boy wis up tae, so hid been barred by the others fae being called as a witness tae Baby Huey’s trial.  The quiet boy hid been sitting oan his lonesome, doon by the patched-up door that the two boys hid escaped through the night before.  He’d been playing five stanes oan his ain.  Paul hid ended up gaun aff in the huff wae the fat cheating basturt and hid moved o’er tae join Johnboy, who wis sitting wae his back against the big wall.  Chazza hid taken Paul’s place and the game hid gone back tae its usual friendly competition.

  “Baby, ya fat fucking Friar Tuck, ye.  Ah saw that, ya knob-end, ye.”

  “Beat that, ya bunch ae wet fud pads, ye.”

  “Right, that’s it, Ah’m no gonnae shag that sister ae yers again, Freckles.”

  “Thank fuck, because she’s only three.”

  “No that wan, ya eejit, ye.  The wan that goat crippled in that bus crash while sucking the driver’s knob.”

  “Whit’s wrang, Paul?  Ah widnae hiv thought ye’d hiv a problem wae somewan getting caught cheating?” Johnboy hid asked him, taking his eyes aff ae the quiet boy.

  “Ach, it’s no that.  Ah cannae be arsed listening tae aw they arses moaning, morning, noon and night.”

  “Paul, whit dis CP mean?”

  “How dae ye mean?”

  “In here.”

  “It means ye’re oan Care and Protection.”

  “Right, bit whit dis Care and Protection actually mean then?”

  “It means they put ye in here because ye’ve naewhere else tae go.  Yer ma and da might be deid and there’s nae fucker tae look efter ye or yer ma and da are battering fuck oot ae ye, so ye’re put in here fur yer ain protection.”

  “So, how long dis a CP spend in here then?”

  “They’re in the same boat as us.  They put them in here and like us, they hiv tae wait until they get them a place in an approved school.  Ah think they’re supposed tae get put tae the front ae the queue, bit Ah’ve seen boys come in efter CPs hiv arrived and then get shifted oot long before them.”

  “So, even though they’ve done nothing, they’re treated the same as us?” Johnboy hid asked, noticing Slapper saying something tae the quiet boy doon at the bottom end ae the yard.

  “Aye, life’s shite, isn’t it?”

  “Ah’ll be back in a minute,” Johnboy hid said, suddenly staunin up and heiding doon the yard, jist as Slapper walked away fae the boy tae join wan ae the other teachers. 

  When Johnboy hid reached the quiet boy, he’d looked up at Johnboy, his eyes squinting in the sunlight.

  “How ur ye daeing?” Johnboy hid asked him, wondering why he wis getting involved.

  “Er, awright.”

  “Dae ye want a game ae five stanes?”

  “Who?  Me?  Er…aye, okay,” he’d said quietly, hesitantly looking aboot, obviously wondering whit wis gaun oan.

  “Right then, follow me,” Johnboy hid said, walking away. 

  Hauf way up the yard, Johnboy hid turned, bit the quiet boy hid still been sitting there, looking at him wae a confused look oan his coupon.

  “Ur ye coming or whit?”

  “Er, aye,” he’d blurted oot, scrambling tae pick up the different sized stanes he’d somehow managed tae obtain, while Johnboy stood waiting fur him.

  “Johnboy, whit the fuck ur ye daeing?” Paul hid growled, when him and his new pal plapped their arses doon beside him.

  “Aye, Johnboy.  Who the fuck gied you permission tae invite a CP up tae oor territory, eh?” Minky hid demanded.

  “Ur ye wanting a game?” Johnboy hid asked Paul, haudin oot his haun wae his evenly-sized five-stanes in it.

  “Who the fuck is he then?” Bean hid demanded loudly.

  “He’s wae me, and his name’s Silent.”

  “So?”

  “So whit?”

  “So, who the fuck invited him tae join us then?”

  “Ah did.”

  “Ye did, did ye?”

  “C’mone, Silent,” Johnboy hid said, starting tae staun up.

  “Where dae ye come fae then, wee man?” Baby hid asked Silent.

  “The Toonheid.”

  “Right, Paul, ya prick ye, shift oot ae ma way,” Baby hid said, shuffling that fat arse ae his o’er beside Silent and Johnboy.  “Ur ye any good at this?”

  “Ah’m jist learning,” Silent hid replied, fear in his eyes.

  “Good, because ye’re in Bean, Johnboy, Minky and Tottie’s team,” he’d said, laughing.

  “Right, Blubber-boy-come-tub-arse, fur that bit ae cheek, get they big tits ae yers oot ae ma way.  Ah’m first,” Minky hid shouted, tossing up his stanes and catching five oan the back ae his haun oan his first shot.

  Later in the efternoon, Silent hid goat called doon tae the door near the reception and hid disappeared.

  “Maybe he’s getting telt whit school he’s gaun tae,” Chazza hid wondered.

  “Naw, it’ll be a while before that happens.”

  “So, how come he’s sitting up here wae us then, Johnboy?” Patsy hid asked him.

  Johnboy hid telt them aboot the ugly fae the Memel Toi who’d hid Silent making up his bed in the dorm in the mornings as well as whit Slapper hid been up tae the night before.

  “Whit, wan ae they Springburn pricks?” Baby hid shouted, exaggerating the slight tae his manhood by turning and glaring at the three Memel Toi boys, who wur sitting alang fae them, and whose eyes aw went shooting aff in the other direction. “And that wanking slapping basturt ae an arse-bandit prick?” Baby hid shouted oot loud fur the whole yard’s benefit.

  Aw the aulder Shamrock boys hid turned roond, glaring doon at Slapper, who twenty seconds later, disappeared through wan ae the bottom doors.

  When Silent hid come back, he’d telt the boys that he’d jist been telt that his granny wis too auld tae be bothered wae looking efter him, so that wis that.  He wis definitely heiding fur an approved school wae the rest ae the Uglies.

  “Auld fucking cow,” Freckles hid said.  “Tell me her address and when Ah escape, Ah’ll heid up and tan her hoose and gas meter.  That’ll teach the auld bat.”

  “Never mind, Silent,” Bean hid said wae a big grin, slapping him oan his back.  “It looks like ye’ll be wae us fur a wee while longer, so whose shot is it?”

  Later oan, jist as the boys wur coming back doon the stairs efter hivving their tea, Baby clocked Slapper gaun intae the wee office that the night watchman sat in, beside the dorm corridors.

  “Johnboy, Minky, keep yer eyes peeled oan whit’s happening alang the corridors.  Quick!”

  Paul and Baby, alang wae Minky’s big brother and three ae the other aulder Shamrock boys, who wur aw in fur mobbing and rioting, nipped intae the office and shut the door behind them.  They’d only been away fur a minute before they came back oot, followed a few seconds later by Slapper, who looked as if he’d jist seen a ghost as he scurried doon the corridor, hauf-running tae the reception area.