The Mattress: The Glasgow Chronicles 4 (29 page)

Efter being nodded past the front ae the queue withoot being frisked or asked tae pay at the door, tae the sound ae ‘Spirit In The Sky’ being blasted doon the stairs, they’d
followed a group ae hot-pants-clad lassies up the narrow stairs.  It hidnae exactly been Creedence, bit then again, it wis a dance joint, so they hidnae been that bothered.  The place hid been hoaching wae lovely-looking talent, everywhere they turned.

  “Thank fuck they’ve goat strobe lights in here or Ah’d end up getting masel arrested fur a breach ae the peace,” Joe hid shouted in Johnboy’s lug efter they’d grabbed a pint ae Tennents each and stood up at the back, hivving a good swatch ae who wis coming and gaun.

  “Breach ae the peace…fur whit?”

  “Fur whit Ah’m thinking aboot wae aw the talent oan the go.  Christ, check that oot,” Joe hid said, taking a sip ae his beer and nodding at a pair ae tits and an arse, encased in a tight pair ae hot pants, floating by them.

  The place hid been packed and Johnboy hid recognised some guys fae various parts ae the city, that he’d known in the jail.  The Mankys always took five or ten minutes tae check oot whit wis happening, who wis aboot, who they knew...that kind ae thing...when entering a dance ae any kind in Glesga…especially a place they hidnae been in before.  Taking that wee bit ae precaution could make the difference between wan ae them walking hame unscathed or heiding tae the mortuary doon beside the High Court, full ae stab wounds.  It wis an instinctive thing and probably hauf the guys in Glesga took the same steps if they wanted tae live till they goat auld.

  “Hellorerr, ya pair ae fannies, ye,” a well-known voice hid shouted across tae them.

  “Ah might’ve fucking known,” Joe hid groaned as Tottie, Patsy and Freckles, fresh fae the fight up the road, swaggered across, getting wee nervous looks fae some ae the guys staunin oan either side ae Johnboy and Joe.

  “Whit ur youse up tae then?” Patsy hid asked, feeling a lassie’s arse as she walked by wae her big strapping boyfriend.

  “Trying tae avoid knobs like youse,” Joe hid answered.

  “Haw, haw.  See you, Joe, ye jist crack me up, so ye dae,” Patsy hid shouted oot, laughing and gieing Joe a playful slap oan that heid ae his.

  “So, how many people’s happiness hiv ye spoiled the night then, Patsy?” Johnboy remembered asking him, pleased tae see them, as Tony, Joe and Johnboy didnae hiv much contact wae them other than when they came across each other in the jail.

  “See, whit did Ah tell youse?  Ever since they’ve moved their manky arses up tae Springburn, they’ve goat even funnier,” Patsy hid dribbled tae Tottie and Freckles, before asking a guy who wis built like ae a wrestler, who happened tae be walking past wae his mate, who the fuck he wis looking at.

  “See whit we hiv tae put up wae?  Ye widnae hiv a wee vacancy in that manky mob ae yours up in Springburn that Patsy could fill, wid youse?” Freckles hid shouted, laughing.

  “Freckles, Ah know we might look glaikit, bit gie us a break, eh?” Joe hid shouted back, smiling.

   It hid been while Joe hid been chewing the cud wae Freckles and Patsy o’er the noise ae the music and Johnboy hid been hivving a chin-wag wae Tottie, that Johnboy hid first clapped they eyes ae his oan her and her pal.  Efter that, he hidnae even bothered tae try and listen tae whit Tottie wis saying, although oan reflection, maybe it wid’ve been better aw roond if he hid.   Johnboy remembered shouting across tae Joe and nodding towards the lassies.  While it hid always been good tae meet up wae the Garngad crowd, even though it meant that the chances ae getting oot ae any place, withoot being involved in a fight wur slim, they wurnae there that night tae hing aboot wae anywan else.

  “Ah’m trying tae tell that daft pal ae yours that that pair ur pure jailbait, so they ur.  That’s non-touchable…trouble wae a capital T…personas non gratis…death beetles…bit he wullnae listen, so he wullnae,” Freckles hid shouted intae Johnboy’s lug, bit baith him and Joe hidnae been listening.

   The two ae them hid stood looking doon at the dance flair, ignoring the Garngad crowd, who’d been baiting guys walking past, trying tae mind their ain business, beside the steps that took ye up tae the seating area.  It hid only been later ,when Johnboy hid thought back, that he’d realised that, where there wur lassies hinging aboot, oan their lonesome, fur mair than a few minutes that night, it hidnae taken long fur a couple ae likely lads tae sidle up and ask them fur a dance…bit wae this pair, nowan seemed tae be gaun anywhere near them...that is, until Joe made his move.

  “Right, boys, we’ll catch ye later.  Let’s go, Johnboy,” Joe hid shouted above the din ae the music.

  “Ye’ll be sorry,” Tottie hid sung efter them.

  “Hellorerr, beautiful.  Ah’d ask ye fur a dance, bit Ah’m shite at it.  Ah could buy a drink fur you and that lovely pal ae yers though,” Joe hid said smoothly, jist as The Chiffons ‘Sweet Talking Guy’ opened up and the two honeys looked at each other and burst oot laughing.

  “Er, aye, okay.  We’re baith oan Coca Cola,” she’d said, flashing that beautiful smile ae hers that aw The Mankys came tae know and eventually hate.

  “Will Ah bring it across or dae ye want tae come wae me tae the bar?  We could get a seat away fae aw this racket,” Joe hid said tae them, as Johnboy wis eyeing up the other wan.

  “We’ll come wae ye,” Beautiful Eyes’s pal hid said…the wan Johnboy wis eyeing up…looking relieved that a pair ae eejits hid been stupid enough tae speak tae them.

  “Is that a real haun print stuck oan that arse ae yers then?” Joe hid asked Beautiful Eyes, referring tae the red haun that wis sewed oan tae wan ae the arse cheeks ae her hot pants.

  “Of course, bit the erm that wis attached tae it is lying across in the corner there, wae a slapped face oan the end ae it,” she’d laughed.

  It hid been a good night.  Joe hid danced wae Beautiful Eyes aw night and Johnboy hid tried tae impress her pal.  Johnboy hid realised he wisnae gonnae get far when they’d goat up tae dae a slow smoochie dance tae Percy Sledge singing ‘When a Man Loves A Wummin.’  It hid been like dancing wae an electric eel.  Every time Johnboy hid moved his haun anywhere lower than her waist, she’d grabbed it and pulled it back up.  He’d found oot later that she awready hid a boyfriend and that she’d only been oot wae Beautiful Eyes as a favour tae her brothers.  Seemingly, nowan up in Possil hid the bottle tae ask Beautiful Eyes oot because ae her mad brothers.  That’s whit Tottie hid been trying tae tell them.  Nae basturt in The Wan, Two, Three hid wanted anything tae dae wae her, wance they found oot who her family wur...that is, nowan except Joe McManus.  He couldnae gie a man-jack monkey’s fuck who her family wur.  His brain hid been sizzled by lightning and he’d been blinded by that smile and they sultry beautiful eyes ae hers.

  “Dae ye want me tae walk ye up the road then?” Joe hid asked her efter she’d come back fae getting her jaicket oot ae the cloakroom.

  “Oh, er, that wid be really nice, so it wid,” Kate Simpson hid replied, a big smile oan her face, as Johnboy’s heart sank.

Chapter Thirty Seven

  The Big Man sat drumming his fingers oan the ermchair, looking intently across at the young Turk opposite him.  He wis wondering how much information tae divulge.  The young Atalian wis as sharp as a razor and hid the looks tae go wae it.  The Big Man hid known him since he wis in his nappies.  The boy’s da, Antonio, used tae cut his auld man’s and his hair in the fifties and sixties, when he’d hid the barber’s shoap doon in the High Street.  He remembered Antonio as being a proud wee fucker, who’d been as honest as the day wis long.  His son must’ve broken his heart, many a time.  He’d always hid a saft spot fur Tony and his wee manky mob though.  The Big Man hid never ended up hivving weans ae his ain, bit if he’d hid the chance, he wid’ve wanted a boy ae his tae be like the wan staunin in front ae him.  The Big Man’s second-in-command, Shaun Murphy, and they brothers ae his, Danny and the late Mick, couldnae staun the sight ae the manky mob, especially Tony, Johnboy Taylor, Joe McManus and the wan who wis noo living up in the Highlands, Paul McBride.  Shaun wis furever bleating that Gucci and his crowd wid become a problem as they goat aulder, unless they wur put firmly in their place.  The problem wae Shaun and his brothers wis that they didnae see whit The Big Man could see.  He’d always telt Shaun tae back aff fae noising them up, as he knew that they’d be better inside his tent, pishing oot, rather than ootside, pishing in.  They’d come in handy o’er the years and hid always come up wae the goods.  They’d never let him doon, although they’d needed watching like hawks as they wur slippery, undisciplined fuckers.  Ye couldnae turn yer back oan them or take yer eye aff the ball.  He wondered if the time wis approaching when he’d need tae deal wae Tony, wance and fur aw.  There hid been a couple ae times o’er the past eighteen months or so that he’d goat Wan-bob tae sound-oot Gucci aboot working fur him.  Wan-bob hid telt him that he knew that the answer wid be ‘naw’ before Gucci hid even opened his gub.  The Big Man awready knew that, bit he’d been looking fur a way oot ae the constant moaning and jibes fae Shaun Murphy aboot hivving tae deal wae Gucci’s crew, fur aw the trouble they’d been causing them.  It looked like this carry-oan between Gucci and The Simpsons wis starting tae prove Shaun Murphy right.

  “Pat, Ah’m telling ye, that bunch ae cockerels need tae be dealt wae.  They basturts think they’re aw tickets and the longer we leave them tae dae their ain thing, the harder it’ll be tae slap them doon and bring them intae the fold.  There’s no jist a few ae them noo.  They’re starting tae grow in numbers.  We don’t want tae encourage any competition in the future, noo, dae we?” Shaun hid argued persuasively.

  Of course, Shaun wis right, bit there wis jist something aboot them.  The Big Man actually liked them, admired the cheek ae them and wanted them tae dae well fur themsels.  He wis impressed that they’d the baws tae want tae hiv a go at somewan like Toby Simpson, even though The Big Man knew that, withoot his help, they’d get wiped oot in the process.  Tony might think he wis smart, bit between the cunning ae Tam Simpson and the violence ae that brother ae his, Toby, Gucci’s crowd widnae know whit hid hit them.  He’d spent a bit ae time thinking aboot the situation.  The fact that Toby wis wandering aboot, aw o’er Springburn, wisnae really a big problem fur the time being.  The Big Man didnae hiv tae be in Glesga tae sort Toby oot.  It wis The Simpsons moving intae The West End that concerned him mair.  Tam obviously felt confident if he wis daeing something as stupid as that.  The fact that Shaun hid allowed it tae happen showed a weakness that could cause serious problems if it wisnae nipped in the bud.  Tae resolve the immediate problem, The Big Man knew it wid hiv tae be doon tae himsel…wae a wee haun fae Tony Gucci’s manky mob.  Toby Simpson wis an arsehole…a dangerous wan…bit an arsehole aw the same.  He looked across at Tony again.  Wis he gieing the boy and his wee crew too much responsibility in dealing wae Tam?  They hid Wan-bob oan their side, who’d assured him that they wur up tae it.

  “Ach, let the boys deal wae Tam, Pat.  Let’s see whit they’re made ae.  Ah think Tony’s goat the baws and the brain.  If they fuck up, it’ll only come back oan them and we kin always clean up efter them,” he’d argued.

  Wan-bob hid been in total agreement that Toby should be dealt wae by themsels. 

  “We’ll only get wan shot at him and it’ll hiv tae be done and dusted before he knows whit’s hit him.  We couldnae leave that basturt still staunin wance we go fur his big brother.”

  The Big Man continued tae stare intae Tony Gucci’s dark eyes, hoping they’d blink or turn away first, bit they never wavered.  He smiled.

  “Right, Tony, son, hiv ye hid a good Christmas so far then?”

  “Brilliant,” he lied.

  “Thanks fur taking the time tae come back oot here tae pay me a wee visit again, especially seeing it’s Boxing Day.  It’s always good fur auld pals tae get thegither, especially at this time ae the year, eh?”

  “Nae problem, Pat.”

  “Right, well, Ah’m no gonnae fuck ye aboot and Ah expect ye tae show me the same respect.  It’s the season ae good will tae aw men, so that means we don’t hiv tae start sparring wae each other, wasting precious time, and aw that.”

  “Aye, Ah totally agree, Pat.  So, whit kin Ah dae ye oot ae the day then?” Tony asked, warily, waiting fur the catch.

  “Well, fur a start, ye kin gie me whit’s rightfully mine.”

  “Like whit?”

  “Ye know whit.”

  “Dae Ah?”

  “Aye.  Where’s that good ring ae mine?”

  “Ah telt ye, Ah hivnae goat it.  Ah only used that wan as an excuse so that Ah could get the opportunity tae come and hiv a wee word in yer ear.”

  “Harper Harris?”

  “Whit aboot him?”

  “He tanned the hoose in The West End and he haunded the ring across tae yersel.”

  “Whit makes ye say that?” Tony asked, efter a slight hesitation.

  “Because he wis clocked across in Petershill Road the other day there, efter hivving a couple a pints in The Auld Hoose oan Keppochhill Road, so he wis.  Noo, Ah know Ah kin come across as being a bit slow at times, and Ah’ll admit, Ah’m daeing aw Ah kin tae sort that oot, bit Ah’m no bloody thick tae boot.  Harper Harris, fae Possil, disnae jist end up oan Petershill Road, where Tony Gucci happens tae be living, fur nae reason.  There’s nae such thing as coincidences...unless ye’re calling me a liar, that is?”

  “Pat, Ah swear Ah never spoke tae or clapped eyes oan Harper Harris across in ma flat or oan the street in Petershill Road,” Tony said truthfully.

  “So, ye’re saying ye’ve no goat the ring?”

  “Ah’m saying Ah wisnae aware that Harper Harris wis across oan Petershill Road the other day there.”

  The Big Man decided tae change tack.

  “Ah know who plunged that pal ae yours.”

  “Everywan knows it wis Toby Simpson.”

  “Dae they?  Says who?  Wur they there?”

  “Even a blind man knows who done it.”

  “Aye, bit Ah’ve goat two eye witnesses, who wur there, saw it wae their ain eyes, so they did.  No ifs or buts.”

  Silence.

  “Ah also know where Harper Harris is, right this minute, right noo, so Ah dae,” The Big Man announced, pleased tae clock a wee sleekit tic appearing at the side ae Gucci’s left eye.

  It wis faint, bit it wis there.  The Big Man decided tae change tack again.

  “So, how ur ye getting oan wae yer plans tae take oot ma pal, Tam Simpson?” he asked.

  “We’re oot and aboot trying tae check oot any regular runs he takes in that fancy Merc ae his.”

  “Aye, ye’d need tae be up early in the morning tae catch a snake like Tam Simpson oot, so ye wid.  Is that no right, Bob?”

  “Aye,” Wan-bob agreed fae where he wis staunin, leaning back against the sink wae his erms folded across his chest.

  “The real reason Ah asked ye oot wis tae tell ye that Ah’m heiding back abroad in the early hours ae Thursday morning.  If ye’re telling me that ye still don’t know how ye’re gonnae plug Tam Simpson, then it’ll need tae wait until Ah’m back in circulation in the toon,” The Big Man said, feeling a warm glow inside at the pain that shot across Gucci’s face.

  “And when wid that be, Pat?” he croaked.

  “Ah’m no sure, probably Easter...roond aboot that time.”

  “When is Easter then?”

  “Sometime in April.”

  Silence.

  “So, where’s Harris, Pat?”

  “Where’s ma ring?”

  “Who wis it that actually did the stabbing?”

  “Where’s ma good ring?”

   Silence.

  “Ah want the two hunner and fifty quid that it cost me,” Tony said eventually.

  “Ye’ll get whit Lord Frank Owen ae The Glesga Echo is paying oot fur it’s return.”

  “And how much is that?”

  “Two hunner.”

   Silence.

  The Big Man wis starting tae relax and enjoy himsel, though he did feel a wee bit sorry fur the Tally, staunin there in front ae him, trying no tae advertise his true feelings across that coupon ae his.  He knew fine well that the only way young Tony wis gonnae be able tae catch oot somewan like Tam Simpson, wis tae get his haun oan rock solid information…fae somewan close, who’d be in a position tae know ae any regular coming and gauns by Tam and his brother Toby.  That somewan, whose very existence depended oan saving up that kind ae information fur a rainy day, wis Tony’s elephant in the room.  The Big Man wanted tae be solemn and understaunin, bit he couldnae keep the grin aff ae that face ae his, as Tony slipped his haun intae the pocket ae his jeans and pulled oot the ring.  He momentarily gied it a wee glance before letting oot a wee audible sigh.  The Big Man caught the dazzling sparkle ae the lights bouncing aff ae it, as Tony tossed it across tae Wan-bob, who in turn tossed it across tae The Big Man, withoot looking at it.

  “See, that wisnae too bad, noo, wis it, Tony?”

  “Who wis it that done the damage, Pat?”

  “Ye wur right...it wis Toby.  Alex The Manager wis oot delivering the takings tae the all-night safe at the bank oan Springburn Road.  He wis oan his way back when he heard a car screeching tae a halt and saw Toby Simpson, Jo Jo Robson and Frisky Frank McKenna jump oot ae a red Ford Cortina ootside the bingo hall.  They never clocked Alex…nor did they clock Harper Harris crouched doon behind a wee Escort, jist opposite oan Gourlay Street…”

  “Harper Harris?” Tony gasped.

  “Alex said that Harris wid’ve goat a better view ae whit wis happening than whit he did.  He did say that it wis definitely Toby that done the damage though.  He said he used whit looked like a bayonet.”

  “And Harris?  Where is he noo?”

  “Well, it’s funny ye should ask me that, Tony.  Ah only found oot this very morning.  Seemingly, yer boy is holed up in a hoose in Bishopbriggs.”

  “Bishopbriggs?”

  “Aye, and a right fancy wan at that tae.”

  “Whose hoose?”

  “Ah’m no exactly sure.”

  “Bit, Ah take it ye know where the hoose is?”

  “Well, Ah widnae swear Ah knew the exact colour ae the front door, although Ah’ve goat the directions oan how tae get there?”

  “Directions?”

  “He wis clocked coming up aff the railway line oan Colston Road oan Christmas morning by Fast Track Dave, wan ae ma bookies.  He said he nearly ran o’er the tap ae the stupid basturt.”

  “Bit it wis definitely him?”

  “Who, Fast Track?”

  “Naw.  Did Harris recognise that it wis Fast Track behind the wheel?”

  “Ah don’t think so.  Fast Track telt Wan-bob that he jist kept driving oan efter bouncing aff a pavement, before daeing a U-turn at the bend oan Ashgill Road,
at the Milton
end. He then crawled back tae see whit yer man, Harris, wis up tae.  Fast Track awready knew that Wan-bob wis looking fur Harris.  Yer boy turned left oan tae the Kirkintilloch road.  By the time Fast Track turned at the lights, he’d clocked Harris turning intae a wee cul-dae-sac called Coltpark Avenue.  He said that Harris nipped intae some big fancy hoose doon oan the left, at the very bottom.”

  “And he’s sure?  Harper widnae hiv clocked that he wis being tailed?”

  “Fast Track said he hung aboot fur an hour and there wis nae sign ae him coming back oot.  He said that there’s a big metal, spiked fence at the bottom ae the avenue and seeing as it wis daylight, he didnae think anywan could climb o’er that withoot being clocked and the bizzies being called.”

  “It sounds a bit iffy.”

   “Ah’ve never met this knob-end, bit he sounds a right eejit, so he dis.  Ah’ve also been informed, oan good authority, jist the other day there, that the hoose yer boy is in is the same wan he tanned a few years ago and ended up in court fur, charged wae burglary.  Ah even saw his previous conviction charge sheet and sure enough, there it wis, staring oot ae the sheet, hoosebreaking in Coltpark Avenue, Bishopbriggs.  He ended up daeing time fur it as well.  Ye’re no telling me that this is some sort ae coincidence, ur ye?”

  “It sounds tae me as if he’s gone tae ground there, seeing as he knows things that he shouldnae.  If Toby Simpson, or any ae that crowd ae his, even suspect that Harris saw whit happened tae yer pal, he’s as good as deid, so he is,” Wan-bob chipped in.