Run Johnboy Run: The Glasgow Chronicles 2 (50 page)

  Silence.

  “That’s aw very well, Johnboy, bit that isnae exactly proof is it?  How the fuck wid we know whether he spoke wae Flypast or no?”

  “We could always ask Flypast.”

  “Aye, Ah’ll send him oot a wee note tae come and visit us tae tell us whit happened that night three years ago.  Ah’m sure it’s plastered across his foreheid,” Joe said dismissively, laughing.

  “Why the fuck dae ye think Ah’ve been so desperate tae get oot ae here and get back tae the toon, eh?”

  “Johnboy, kiss ma arse!”

  It wis jist as well that the bell went aff jist then, as Johnboy wis aboot tae fling himsel at Joe.  Even though Joe wid probably hiv goat the better ae him, Johnboy wanted tae kick Joe’s heid in.

  “C’mone, let’s go,” Tony said, staunin up, as the other three trooped efter him, doon the side ae the stage and oot the door.

  The third result fur Johnboy happened that same night roond the snooker table.  Johnboy hidnae spoken tae Joe since their wee pow-wow aboot Skull earlier in the day.  Tae gie him his due, Joe hid avoided noising Johnboy up any mair and Johnboy hid kept oot ae Joe’s way.  They wur aw playing doubles oan the snooker table.  Freckles and Tottie wur supposed tae be playing Patsy and Minky, bit they’d been arguing fur ten minutes before a baw hid even been potted.  Even though Johnboy wis still in the huff, he couldnae help laughing at Patsy dishing oot his advice tae his snooker partner.

  “Right, Minky, ya smelly basturt, blue in the tap left hole, ya wrinkled tit, ye,” Patsy said efter the first red wis pocketed.

  “Ah’m gonnae smash this fucking cue through they ugly buck teeth ae yours, if ye don’t stoap prattling oan tae me every time it’s ma shot.  Ye’re bloody-well putting me aff.”

  “Get oan wae it, Foreskin-Face and stoap dribbling and take yer shot.  We hivnae goat aw bloody night, so we hivnae.”

  Silent wis sitting between Johnboy and Joe oan the flair, watching the antics at the snooker table. Johnboy suspected that this wis tae keep himsel and Joe apart. Tony hid been sitting oan his lonesome maist ae the night, staring oot ae the windae at the thunderstorm that wis in full flow oan the other side ae the glass.  Baby wis dancing up and doon, shaking that floppy belly ae his oan the other side ae the table, trying tae put Minky aff his shot.

  “Baby, c’mere a minute,” Tony said, nodding tae Johnboy, Joe and Silent, efter plapping his arse oan tae the flair beside them.

  “Baby, whit a fat basturt ye ur.  How ur ye gonnae find a big wummin wae a fat arse tae match yours, eh?” Joe asked him pleasantly.

  “Whit?  Did Ah no tell ye, Joe?  The only reason yer sister’s that thin is because Ah’ve been lying oan her fur the past two years before Ah came here.”

  “Sit doon, Baby.  Ah want tae ask ye tae dae me a wee favour,” Tony said, nodding tae the wide gap that he’d left fur Baby when he sat doon.

  “Aye, whit is it?” Baby asked, sitting doon in the circle, looking roond the faces suspiciously.

  “Ye know Flypast who’s goat the dookit oot the back ae Johnboy’s hoose in Montrose Street?”

  “Whit aboot him?”

  “Well, when ye go hame the morra, kin ye nip roond by and have a wee word wae him fur me?”

  “Aboot whit?”

  “Ask him whit happened the night Skull goat toasted in oor cabin.”

  “Whit?  Ye think Flypast wis involved?” Baby asked, blinking as he looked at them.

  “Naw, it wis the bizzies, bit Ah want tae know if he spoke tae Skull before he heided up the road that night.  If he did, ask him whit they spoke aboot and whit time Skull left tae go up the road…if he kin remember, that is.  Hiv ye goat that?”

  “Aye, Ah hear whit ye’re saying, Tony, bit there’s only wan problem though.”

  “Whit?”

  “How Ah’m Ah gonnae get word back tae ye?”

  “How dae ye mean?”

  “Ah’m no planning tae come back.”

  Silence.

  “Aw, fuck you, Baby,” Joe said.

  “Naw, fuck you, Joe.  Ye widnae dae this if it wis me asking any ae youse, wid ye?”

  “Baby, Ah need ye tae come back the morra night.  This is important,” Tony telt him.

  “Tony, don’t say that.  Ah’m sick ae this place.  Ah want a wee break.”

  “Ye’ll only get caught efter a few days anyway, ya fat useless prick.  The bizzies will spot that fat arse ae yours fae hauf a mile away, so stoap fucking aboot,” Joe said helpfully.

  “Ah cannae believe youse ur asking me tae dae this.  Why is it so important, eh?”

  “It jist is.  Will ye dae it?  Jist this wance?”

  Silence.

  “Youse basturts owe me wan fur this and it better be fucking good,” Baby said, jist as Patsy let oot a cheer and started dancing roond the snooker table.

  “Right, get tae fuck, ya pair ae losers,” Patsy sang.  “Right, Gucci, ya Atalian wanker, ye.  Get that bum-boy Joe o’er here, till we whip they manky Toonheid arses ae yers.”

Chapter Eleven

  She’d arrived earlier than she intended.  She didnae want them tae think she wanted tae gloat, bit she wis mair than happy wae the turn ae events.  It hid jist been o’er a month since the agreement tae try and get the hut-boys mair involved in the school regime. At first, she’d been happy and then she’d become suspicious.  It hid jist aw seemed too easy.  Wance Gucci hid gied the others the nod, the baw hid started rolling relatively quickly. That hidnae stopped the resistance fae maist ae the staff in the school, and that resentment still hidnae dissipated as the weeks hid gone by.  There hid been a definite chill fae maist ae them when she’d come across them in the corridors or in the work detail squads.  She’d spent the first couple ae weeks gaun roond the different work parties, talking tae the relevant staff members.  Sandy Button still wisnae convinced, which wis understandable seeing as Taylor and Smith hid burgled his cadet hut and ran aff wae his uniforms, bit she hid felt a slight thawing in that quarter. Efter resigning himsel tae the inevitable, he’d said he’d test the water wae them o’er a period ae a month, which wis jist aboot up.  Other than tae Smith, he hidnae awarded any good work detail ticks tae any ae the other three boys in his charge, despite encouragement fae her fur him tae try and see the bigger picture…bit he hidnae come back complaining tae her either.  Jim Green, who wis in charge ae the greenhooses hid blown a gasket when McSwiggan hid hit the McMaster boy o’er the heid wae a pitch fork.

  “That’s it, Miss Flaw.  Ah knew this wis a daft idea.  Ah want that wee thug oot ae ma greenhoose.  He’ll end up killing somewan and wrecking ma good peach plants tae boot.  Ah caught him eating two ae them the first morning he wis here,” he’d whined.

  “Give me a week, Mr Green, please?  If he doesn’t settle down by then, I’ll get him moved,” she’d pleaded, hating hersel fur fluttering they eyelashes ae hers at him.

  “Well…bit Ah’m warning ye, any mair violence and he’s oot ae here.”

Badger Bailey in the boiler hoose hid been a total different story.  She’d gone roond tae see him when the big loud wan, O’Hara, hid been at his lunch.

  “He’s better than a bloody digger, so he is.  Ah hiv tae tell him when tae hiv a tea break.  Best worker Ah’ve ever hid, and Ah’ve hid some good wans in ma time.  Aye, and he’s no a bad boy either, wance ye get tae know him.  Ah jist don’t understaun whit aw the fuss is aboot.  Mind you, Ah’m stuck doon here, oot ae the way, so Ah don’t get an opportunity tae find oot whit’s gaun oan maist ae the time,” he’d said.

  She looked up as the door opened and they started tae troop in.

  “Aye, ye’re early, Miss Flaw.  Doon tae gloat, ur ye?”  Mr Burns flippantly asked her.

  “No, not at all, Mr Burns.  I was already at this end of the building and didn’t see the point of going back to my office, just to hang about for five minutes,” she said, smiling sweetly.

  “Right, Mr Bick.  What have we got for this month then?” asked The Heidmaster, arriving oan the scene briskly, sitting doon and looking roond the table.

  “Aye, it’s been a quieter month this November.  Nine fights, nae absconders, nine liberations and seven admissions. No a bad month at aw…in fact, it’s the quietest month ae the year, so far,” he said, winking across at Fanny.

  “And I see Miss Flaw is sitting there, preening herself as well, eh? So, how are her group of angels with the dirty faces getting on?” The Heidmaster asked, making Fanny blush.

  “Well, apart fae an assault wae a pitchfork, they’ve aw been as quiet as church mice, so they hiv,” Bick the Prick beamed o’er at her.

  “So, do we believe that Miss Flaw’s rehabilitation experiment is bearing fruit, or is that too premature at this early stage?”

  “Ah’m jist no convinced masel,” Rolled Back Neck harrumphed, wobbling aboot oan his wobbly chair.

  I’ll need to get that chair fixed, The Heidmaster thought tae himsel.

  “Ah wid second that,” chipped in The Grand Master.

  “Oh?  And why is that, Mr Campbell?”

  “They might be settling doon where they’re working, bit they’re still piss…er, mucking aboot in the main building.  Ah’ve yet tae see wan ae them sitting wae his erms folded, and no piss…messing aboot, disrupting the other boys.  That’s why, heidmaster.”

  “Aye, bit Ah see that they’ve been getting some good behaviour ticks, though.  That’s progress,” Alvin Jack, the school administrator, pointed oot.

  “That’s ma point, Alvin.  They’re no getting them fae the hoose staff in the main building.”

  ”There’s a surprise,” mumbled Fanny.

  “Whit?  Whit wis that, Miss Flaw?”

  “Ah said, that shouldn’t come as a surprise, Mr Campbell.  We’ve only started the programme.  It’s early days yet.”

  “See, and that’s another thing…there’s nae consistency here,” whined Rolled Back Neck.

  “Consistency?  How do you mean, Mr Burns?” Fanny asked, looking puzzled and wondering whit wis coming next.

  “It’s the staff oan the work detail that’s gieing them the marks.  It’s making it oot that we don’t support the rehabilitation programme.  Some ae the staff ur ae the opinion that they’re jist behaving themsels oan purpose tae noise us up and tae make us look bad.”

  “What do you think, Mr Wilson?  You haven’t spoken yet,” said The Heidmaster.

  “Ah cannae bit agree wae Mr Burns and Mr Campbell.  Even the other boys in the school feel as if it’s aw a waste ae time.  They’re asking us why they should be sitting there aw quietly wae their erms folded, while that manky crowd ur getting aw the rewards…end ae quote.  So, Ah’m sorry, bit Ah agree wae Mr Burns and Mr Campbell.”

  “Which boys said that, Mr Wilson?” Fanny asked defensively, her voice rising, clearly showing that she wis getting irritated.

  “Aye, well, Ah don’t think it wid be fair fur me tae divulge names here.”

  “Why?  We’re all staff, doing the same job.”

  “Aye, well, some ae us hiv goat harder jobs tae deal wae than others aboot here.”

  “And what is that supposed to mean?” Fanny demanded, feeling her hackles rising further.

  “Gentlemen…Miss Flaw…let’s not fall out over this.  Miss Flaw has three months to turn round the situation with these boys, as an introduction to exploring the whole concept of rehabilitation.  I will not have staff falling out over this.  Do I make myself clear?” The Heidmaster said, looking roond the table.

  “Hear, hear,” chimed in The Grand Master, tapping the table as if he wis at a lodge meeting.

  “It really is quite remarkable, Miss Flaw.  Whitever it is that ye’re daeing, ye’ve goat ma full support,” Alvin, the administrator, said.

  “No wanting tae put a fly in Miss Flaw’s ointment, bit there is wan wee problem though,” The Grand Master added.

  “Oh?” The heidmaster asked, oan behauf ae everywan sitting roond the table.

  “The staff wur a bit shocked, tae say the least, when they heard that wan ae them his been granted hame leave.  Ah mean, don’t get me wrang, bit how far ur we prepared tae go wae this crowd ae shi…er, toe-rags?”

  Fanny felt her hackles go up again.  She wis jist aboot tae jump in wae baith feet, when the heidmaster goat in there first.

  “What?  Is that a problem, Mr Campbell?”

  “Well, Ah’ve yet tae meet a member ae staff…or inmate…who, who actually believes we’ll see the fat wan back here the morra night.”

  “Did he earn his home leave, Mr Campbell?”

  “He goat two ticks fae Badger Bailey, bit whether he earned them, well, that’s no fur me tae judge.”

  “Bit he did get two good ticks?”

  “Aye…”

  “So, whether he comes back tomorrow night is irrelevant.  He’s entitled to the rewards for his good behaviour.  He’s entitled to the same rights and conditions as everyone else.  Would you agree, Mr Campbell?”

  “Oh, don’t get me wrang, heidmaster, Ah’m jist saying...”

  “Yes, well, point taken.”

  “Aye, thank ye, sir.”

  “Right…well done everyone.  You’re all doing a spiffing job.  Keep up the good work.  Miss Flaw?  Can you hang back for a minute?  I’d like a word.”

  “Yes, headmaster.”

  Fanny wisnae too sure if she wis gonnae get telt aff or congratulated.  The meeting hidnae gone the way she’d expected it tae.  She’d known she widnae get a pat oan the back, bit she wis disappointed at the level ae hostility.  She prayed that the plug wisnae gaun tae be pulled.

  “Right, Miss Flaw…I detected quite a bit of dissatisfaction from some of my key housemasters today.  You’re still convinced this programme is on track and will work then?”

  “Oh, more than ever, sir,” she cooed.

  “And the horrible fat joker, what’s his name?”

  “O’Hara, sir.”

  “And you believe in miracles?”

  “Sir?”

  “You actually think O’Hara will return tomorrow evening?”

  “Er, no, sir.”

  “Yes, I thought you might say that.”