Parly Road: The Glasgow Chronicles 1 (49 page)

  “Aye, Ah heard he’d wrecked yer place.”

  “Ah wisnae too sure if they wur fae the Murphys’ loft last night, so Ah fucked aff doon tae Paddy’s and traded them in.”

  “They widnae’ve goat them fae oor batch.  The Driving Instructor took away everything we gied him. So, whit did ye get wae the trade-in?”

  “A Blue Barr hen, a wee faded Yellow hen and an Ash Tipped Spanish doo.”

  “Aw, right.”

  “Aye, ur ye wanting a wee squint ae them?”

  “Er…aye, okay. Ah cannae be long as ma da locks up the ootside door early.”

  “Well, let’s go. Ye kin jist nip intae the dookit and Ah’ll be back in a minute wance Ah gie ma maw her fags.”

8.00 P.M.

  “Who said that?” asked The Big Man.

  “That auld nosey cow fae the second flair. Danny, Mick and masel wur jist coming intae the closemooth and there she wis, as usual, elbows oan a pillow, leaning oot ae her windae, taking everything in,” said Shaun.

  “Whit exactly did she say? Tell me her exact words.”

  “She said, ‘Well, did ye see them?’  ‘Who?’ Ah asked. ‘The Polis, who wur sitting ootside here aw last night. They wur even up there banging the hell oot ae yer door at wan point. It’s a wonder it didnae come aff ae it’s hinges.’”

  “Ah cannae fucking believe whit Ah’m hearing. Let me sit doon,” The Big Man spluttered, plapping that arse ae his doon oan the couch, rubbing baith sides ae his face wae his hauns.

  “Aye, and wae them haunin o’er the doos tae Flypast, it aw makes sense noo,” Danny said.

  “There’s nae way Liam Thompson wid dae this…no tae me…surely? Ah thought we hid an understaunin. Ah even sent a bloody gun doon tae Central, tae get him oot ae Shite Street wae they Irish fucker bosses ae his. Ah cannae believe it.”

  “Ah know, bit there ye are. Look at whit happened that time when we wur up in the dipping yard in Grafton Lane. Ah think it aw goes back tae the time him and Big Jim Stewart butted in o’er that big shite-hoose, Blind Bill. He’s hisnae been as friendly tae us since then. When wis the last time ye spoke tae him?”

  “It’s goat tae be some basturt who’s oot tae get me. Who else wid dae a thing like that?”

  “Mad Malky and The Simpsons fae Possil? John The Bishop fae Govan? Hopalong Harry fae Maryhill? Wan Baw Broadie fae Parkheid? None ae these bampots hiv goat strong connections ootside the city though. If they hid, we’d hiv picked up oan it long ago. They’re the only big players worth mentioning. Whoever done this hid the bizzies in their back pockets.”

  “That prick Liam Thompson widnae hiv the baws tae dae this tae me…surely?” The Big Man wondered, looking at them.

  “He squared up tae ye twice, Pat. Wance in the yard and wance in yer ain boozer. Ah widnae be too sure…him and that squinty-eyed monkey widnae hiv been up oan the roof, bit they wur definetly involved. They wur the back-up tae make sure everything went tae plan. Whether this came fae higher up or no, is another matter.”

  “The dirty fucking, thieving, corrupt, backstabbing, double-dealing arseholes. How the fuck did they get a job in the polis in the first place, that’s whit Ah’d like tae know, eh? If ye cannae trust the fucking polis, who kin ye trust?”

  “Aye, Ah know, Pat.”

  “Ma wee doos. Three hunner years ae pure royal blood.  Ah bloody loved them as if they wur ma ain wee weans, and noo they’re gone…gone.  Nicked by some sticky-fingered, fucking thieving basturts who don’t gie a mother’s tit fur them.”

  “Whit aboot JP?” asked Mick.

  “Whit aboot him?”

  “Kin we no hiv a wee word tae see if we kin at least negotiate the Horsemen back? It’s bound tae hiv come fae that Irish brigade. Ye said yersel that Thompson hid said they’d hauled his arse in because JP hid been mumping his gums aboot aw the thieving that wis gaun oan up in the Toonheid.”

  “That wee maggot is up tae his eyes in aw this as well. There’s nae way he widnae hiv known whit wis gaun oan. That fat fucking Christian daughter ae his is married tae Squinty-eyes.”

  “Aye, noo that ye mention it, she wis probably in last night tae keep an eye oan us. She claimed she wis jist in fur the can collection, leaving her every opportunity tae nip ootside if she clocked wan ae us heiding fur the door.  Did any ae youse see her and that Sister Flog go aboot the pub collecting money?  Ah know Ah didnae,” Shaun said tae his brothers.

  “And then there wis the two bizzies staunin ootside the front door aw night, making oot they wur jist lugging in tae the music,” Danny reminded them.

  “Dae they think we’re bloody stupid or something? How the fuck did they think we widnae clock oan tae whit wis gaun oan, eh?” The Big Man snarled.

  “Tiny asked that Big Jim and that shitey Jobby wan if they’d any work tae dae insteid ae hinging aboot the door ae the pub aw night. ‘We’re jist listening tae the music,’ that shitey-arsed prick Jobby said. Whit kind ae an excuse is that, eh? Dae they think we’re fucking clowns? Dae they think we came up the Clyde oan a water biscuit, or something?”

  “Right, fae noo oan, there’s a cauld war oan. They basturts get nothing bit grief fae us and the first chance we get, we’ll expose the corrupt thieving basturts fur whit we know them tae be. Let’s see how they get oan then. In the meantime, this stays wae us. Ah don’t want anywan tae know that we’ve been humped up the arse by that Irish Brigade.  Hiv youse goat that?”

  “Aye, Pat.”

  “And another thing, we’re oot ae the doo business fae here oan in. Ah want aw they Horsemen’s ancestry papers burnt…the night.   Withoot the papers, they’re jist three good doos. Noo, where the fuck is ma good McCluskeys’ steak pie, Mick?”

9.10 P.M.

  “Ah knew there wis a Horseman involved wae ma da, bit Ah didnae know there wis a connection wae the wans we nabbed,” Skull said tae Flypast.

  “Skull, ye did well last night…youse aw did. Yer Da wid be proud ae ye, if he only knew whit time ae the day it wis maist ae the time. Ah know that it’s easy fur me tae say, bit don’t be too hard oan him. Be proud ae him…it’s no his fault that he’s the way he is. He wis a game wee man in his day, jist like you ur. There wisnae a thing he didnae know aboot doos. Whit ye did wis sweet revenge fur him…fur me and fur a lot ae other doo men across the city. They won’t know whit the fuck his hit them…which is dangerous in itsel. You wee scallywags took them oan and fucked them up the arse the way nowan else could’ve, and believe you me, a lot ae smarter people than youse hiv tried and failed. Ah think they’ll try tae keep a lid oan this, bit like everything else, it’ll probably come oot in the wash. They’re no as smart and clever as they think they ur and that makes them vulnerable.  People will see that and take them oan. Things hiv changed noo. Believe you me, Ah know whit Ah’m talking aboot.”

  “Christ, whit time is it?” Skull asked, suddenly jumping up.

  “Ah’m no sure…probably aboot nine o’clock.  Why?”

  “Look, Ah need tae get ma skates oan or Ah’ll no get in the night and Ah’ve goat school the morra.”

  “Christ, things hiv changed. Ah widnae hiv thought Ah wid’ve heard that coming fae wan ae youse.”

  “Aye, well, Ah’ll see ye, Flypast.”

  “Awright, wee man, good luck.  Ah hope ye manage tae get in the night when ye get hame.”

9.15 P.M.

  “Ah’ll tell ye wan thing, ye cannae beat a McCluskeys’ steak pie, kin ye?” said The Big Man, smacking they chops ae his.

  “It’s the gravy,” said Mick.

  “Aye, and the way they hing the meat,” Danny added.

  “How dae ye mean?”

  “Well, remember the coo that that wee manky mob goat us?”

  “Aye?”

  “The meat wis okay…nice and fresh…bit if we wur tae hiv hung the thing up fur aboot three weeks, it wid’ve tasted even better.”

  “Naw.”

  “Aye, Ah’m telling ye. Take that pie we’ve jist scoffed. Kin ye no jist get that wee bit ae a tang aff ae it? That’s because they hing it up and leave it. That’s whit makes it aw tender when ye chomp yer laughing gear intae it.”

  “Noo that ye mention it, when Ah goat a whiff ae it through in that kitchen, Ah hid tae check the soles ae ma shoes,” The Big Man said, tae loud laughter fae the brothers.

  “Aw, who the fuck’s that?” Shaun grumbled, as they heard the sound ae knocking oan the ootside door.

  “Ah’ll get it,” said Mick, staunin up and heiding fur the lobby.

  “Sorry tae disturb ye, Mick,” Horsey John apologised.

  “Nae problem, Horsey. Whit kin Ah dae fur ye?”

  “Well, we might hiv a wee bit ae a breakthrough regarding the loft.”

  “Aye?”

  “You tell him, Tiny.”

  “Ah wis speaking tae a wee fat basturt who lives roond in Taylor Street. Ye might’ve seen him aboot. He passes oan information tae me noo and again that he thinks Ah might find interesting…always trying tae wangle himsel in.”

  “Ah get the message, Tiny. Get tae the point.”

  “Well, Ah wis jist shutting up the stable at aboot hauf eight the night and Ah bumped intae him. He says that he clocked that wee baldy basturt…the wan wae the Celtic tammy, carrying a couple ae egg boxes yesterday.”

  “Aye? Where aboot?”

  “He wis walking alang Kennedy Street towards Dobbie’s Loan and St James Road.”

  “Hing oan, Ah’ll be back in a minute.”

  “That’s Horsey John and Tiny at the door. They say that a wee fat squealer, who lives oan Taylor Street, clocked that wee baldy wan wae the Celtic tammy heiding alang Kennedy Street towards St James Road wae a couple ae egg boxes yesterday.”

  “He wid’ve been coming fae the cabin. Probably heiding o’er tae Flypast’s,” said Danny.

  “Dae ye think so?”

  “Aye, that’s the route Ah wid take fae the cabin. Straight alang Kennedy Street, nip doon Dobbie’s Loan and across the Parly Road lights oan tae St James Road, right intae McAslin Street, left up Grafton Street tae Grafton Square and then doon intae Montrose Street,” The Big Man said.

  “So, ye don’t think there’s anything we should be daeing?”

  “Naw, if the wee fat grass said he wis seen in Taylor Street or Ronald Street, that’d be a different matter. Naw, the bizzies ur the wans we’re efter. They probably goat some thieving crew up fae Manchester or Newcastle who’ve cut a deal wae them.”

  “Aye, okay, Ah’ll tell them tae furget it. Ah’m still no convinced they wurnae involved though.”

  “That’s no a bad thing, Mick. Thinking that way keeps ye oan yer toes.”

  “Aye, okay, Ah’ll go and tell them,” he said, heiding back through the lobby.

  “The Big Man says tae furget it,” said Mick.

  “Really?” Horsey John and Tiny baith asked, surprised.

  “Aye, we know who done it.  The Big Man wants this tae be kept between us and nowan else. We’ll need time tae plan a comeback, so don’t mention the loft again, especially no in front ae The Big Man.”

  “If that’s whit he wants, Mick. Ah’d be surprised if that wee fucking Tally wan and his pals wurnae involved wae this though.”

  “Aye, Ah know, bit we cannae prove a connection, even wae the egg boxes. Ah’m no convinced masel, mind ye. Ah’ll tell ye whit. Hiv ye goat any petrol roond at the stables?”

  “Aye.”

  “Right, jist tae keep they wee baw-bags oan their toes, nip roond tae their cabin when it’s dark later oan the night and put a match tae it. Ye kin pour the petrol in through the wee cavie windaes at the bottom.  Keep this between us noo, and don’t let any nosey fucker see youse. Ah don’t want The Big Man, Shaun or Danny tae know aboot this.”

  “Aye, nae bother, Mick.  That’ll take they wee harry-hoofters doon a peg or two.”

10.45 P.M.

  Johnboy wis lying in his bed wae the skin oan that napper ae his scraped red raw and his left lug ringing and hinging doon an extra two inches. He gingerly touched his scalp, wincing.  His maw hid broken two plastic bone combs earlier oan, in search ae nits.

  “Johnboy, Ah thought Ah telt ye tae get roond tae that Stow College and let they students loose oan that heid ae yours? Ye’re back tae school the morra and noo it’s too late tae get yer hair cut,” his ma hid grumbled as he sat oan the chair in the middle ae the kitchen being operated oan by the bug butcher.

  “They’d probably hiv refused tae touch it wae the amount ae bugs in it anyway,” Norma hid chipped in, looking up fae her Melody Maker.

  “Ma, tell that Norma wan tae shut up. She’s jist jealous anyway.”

  “Am Ah? Ae whit? That crawling, buggy heid ae yours? Somehow, Ah don’t think so, nitwit.”

  “Fuck aff!”

  “Hoi you, don’t let me hear ye using that language in here,” Ma hid snarled, twisting his lug intae a figure ae eight while trying tae yank it aff the side ae his heid.

  “Yeeaow! That wis sore, so it wis. Tell her tae shut up then,” he’d howled.

  “Norma, shut up or ye’ll be next.”

  Johnboy wis thinking how strange it wis gonnae be, no hivving Tony at school, noo that
he wis heiding
up tae The Big Rock.  He wis happy that that fat finger flickerer, Alex Milne, widnae be aroond either, so he’d nae need tae worry aboot him. It also meant that Johnboy could get back tae being friendly wae Senga withoot Tony hinging aboot looking o’er his shoulder aw the time.  Johnboy hid awready made up his mind that him and Senga Jackson wur gonnae get married and live in a cracking hoose, jist like his ma and da’s, when he grew up, even though he’d telt Tony that he’d dumped her. He wis still sure she liked him, despite the knock-back she’d gied him wae his good Maltesers. He also hoped Skull hid managed tae get intae the hoose before his da locked him oot fur the night. He’d telt Johnboy he’d look oot a good doo book that hid plenty ae pictures in it, wae aw the different breeds, and that he’d bring it intae school the next day.