The Mattress: The Glasgow Chronicles 4 (27 page)

Chapter Thirty Five

“Right, so whit hiv youse come up wae?” Tony asked them.

  “The flair’s aw yours, Snappy,” Pat said, smiling, volunteering oan his behauf.

  “Fuck aff.  Look.  Simon looks as if he’s jist aboot tae pish himsel,” Snappy said, as everywan turned tae look at Simon.

  “Ah’m saying fuck-aw until Ah hear whit Snappy his found oot, which is probably sweet FA,” Simon retorted.

  “Fur Christ’s sake, will wan ae youse spill the beans?” Tony growled.

  “Tony, fuck aff.  Whit the hell hiv ye been daeing aw week, eh?” Snappy demanded, as Pat mimicked whit Snappy hid jist said in a wee lassie’s voice.

  “Fuck’s sake, Pat, that sounds jist like him.  How the hell did ye manage tae dae that?”

  “It’s easy, he sounds like ma wee sister when she’s jist pished her pants,” Pat said tae laughter.

  “Hiv we come up wae anything or no?” Tony demanded again.

  “Tam Simpson meets Blaster Mackay in the Balmore Inn every Tuesday and Thursday night aboot nine o’clock.  Blaster disnae hing aboot either.  He’s in and oot in aboot hauf an hour.  No long efter that, Tam heids hame in his big fancy wheels, driven by Jo Jo Robson plus Mad Malky’s usually sitting in the passenger seat,” Snappy eventually volunteered.

  “That maw ae his runs the wee bag-wash shoap oan Saracen Street, bit he disnae seem tae pop in tae see her regularly, so there isnae any set times he’s in and oot, where we could nip him when he’s in tae pick up his shite catchers,” Pat chipped in.

   “Right, here’s a wee juicy wan that might, or might no help us oot.  Ah picked up that he might be dipping that wick ae his in some fancy posh bit ae stuff who’s married,” Simon announced, looking aboot, bit failing tae get the anticipated roond ae applause.  “And wait fur it…it’s a social worker, wid ye believe?”

  “Is he nae awready married?”

  “Of course he’s married,” Simon snorted.  “Whit the fuck his that goat tae dae wae anything?”

  “So, dis that mean he’s perching oan her in some wee quiet, oot ae the way location then, Simon?” Tony asked hopefully.

  “That wife ae his is mental, so she is.  She’s as bad as her brother-in-law.  Pure psycho material, fae whit Ah’ve heard.  Her and Tam hiv been known tae hiv a square-go wae each other in the pub in front ae everywan.  If he’s shagging some floozy and she catches him, he’ll need mair than a social worker tae sort him oot,” Snappy drawled, as everywan laughed.

  “Ah find it hard tae believe that some social worker wid allow somewan like Tam Simpson tae hump her.  Is there no some kind ae law against that...like sleeping wae the enemy or something?” Ben asked.

  “He’s shagging her, no hivving a kip wae her, Ben,” Snapper said.

  “Aw Ah know is whit Blind Bill telt me.  He said that Tam let it slip wan night in the Balmore Inn, when he wis trying tae impress Blaster Mackay, efter Blaster wis boasting that he wis perching oan a social club manager.  He wisnae sure where the social worker works or whit kind ae car she drives.  That’s aw Ah could get oot ae him.  He wis nervous as fuck telling me whit he did.  He kept looking aboot tae make sure nae fucker wis lugging in.  He says he never really sees Tam Simpson nooadays.  It’s always Toby or wan ae the others that comes tae collect their weekly dunt fae him, whether his boys hiv hid a good week or no,” Simon chipped in.

  “He wis looking aboot trying tae clock if anywan wis lugging in?  Ah thought the basturt wis as blind as a bat?” Snappy asked, looking across at Simon.

  “He is, bit he disnae act like wan.  He telt me he’s been offered aw sorts ae things like a white stick and a dug tae help him up the road by the blind asylum people, bit he prefers tae stagger aboot oan his tod.  He says he likes the new buses wae the fancy electric doors oan them.  He says it means he kin hear the doors opening and shutting.  He says it widnae be the first time that he’s stepped aff the back ae the platform and landed oan that arse ae his in the middle ae Saracen Street while the bus wis still moving.”

  “That’s whit Ah cannae understaun aboot people like Blind Bill.  Wae the size ae the team he’s goat, why the fuck wid ye pay oot weekly backhaunders tae somewan like The Simpsons, eh?” Pat mused oot loud, looking aroond at the faces.

  “They’re aw pickpockets and purse thieves.  Aw that crowd ur no intae anything heavy.  At the first whiff ae trouble, they aw shite themsels.  Jist like us, eh?” Simon said tae sniggers.

  “Ah heard that Tam goes across tae The White City every week tae watch the greyhounds.  We could maybe get him there, bit remember whit The Big Man said aboot daeing it in public?” Snappy reminded them.

  “Right, that’s no aw, either.  We’ve goat another problem.  Harper Harris his done a runner,” Pat announced.

  “Eh? Ur ye sure aboot that?” Tony cursed, scowling.

  “Sure Ah’m sure.  Ah widnae say it if Ah wisnae.”

  “Youse ur aw fucking useless, so youse ur.  Aw Ah asked ye tae dae wis tae find Harper Harris and tae get a bit ae info oan Tam Simpson’s movements.  How bloody hard kin that be, eh?”

  “Tony, you try wandering aboot Possil wae aw they wanking Simpsons and their bears oan the go.  It’s no as if we kin jist walk aboot the pubs asking whit Tam Simpson’s next move is or where we kin find Harper Harris, so it isnae,” Snappy snapped.

  “Aye, and then there’s dodging aw they wee psychopathic stabbers who’re aw wandering aboot the streets, looking fur some poor innocent tae stab.  It’s awright getting things fixed oot wae The Peg o’er here in Springburn, bit it disnae cut any ice wae that Possil Fleet bunch ae shitehooses, so it disnae,” Simon said tae nods.

  “Look, we don’t hiv much time, so we don’t.  Wan ae us is gonnae end up copping whit Joe copped, unless we get oor skates oan.  They Simpsons won’t be fucking aboot, the way that we obviously ur.  They’ll be in and oot and before we know it, wan or mair ae us will be joining Joe doon in the mortuary,” Tony impressed upon them.

  “Tony, we’ve aw been oot and aboot fur days noo.  Ah agree wae Pat...Harper’s definitely lying low,” Snappy said.

  “Whit aboot that sister ae his?  The wan that wis hitched tae Hawkeye Campbell before The Simpsons nailed him tae that door, eh?”

  “If she knows where he is, she’s no telling us, though she did tell us that she’d awready telt The Simpsons, the bizzies and some wee horrible rat ae a guy who she hidnae seen before, that she hidnae seen him in weeks,” Simon chipped in.

  “Dae ye believe her?”

  “Of course Ah don’t believe her...she comes fae Possil, so she dis.  They’re aw lying tits o’er there, especially the wummin,” Simon replied.

  “Naw, ya daftie, whit he’s asking ye is, dae ye believe her when she said that the bizzies and The Simpsons ur oan her brother’s trail as well?” Pat asked him.

  “There wisnae any reason fur her tae lie...aboot that anyway, wis there?” Simon replied.

  “Whit dae ye think, Tony?” Ben asked.

  “Ah’m no sure.  And who’s this other guy she wis talking aboot?” Tony asked.

  “She never said.  She might be trying tae put us aff his scent though, by bringing another face intae the picture,” Simon replied.

  “Naw, hauf the toon, or at least, hauf ae Possil ur probably trying tae track him doon.  If the bizzies ur involved, we need tae get oor hauns oan him fast.  He awready knows Ah’ve goat the ring.”

  “Wid ye no be better getting shot ae it then?” Simon asked.

  “Fuck aff, Simon. That thing’s worth a fortune, so it is.  Ah could get shot ae it the day, nae questions asked, so Ah could,” Pat bragged.

  “Look, Snappy’s goat a set ae wheels, so he his.  Who’s wanting tae come fur a wee spin tae see if we kin get a haud ae him?” Simon asked.

  “It’s Christmas day so the streets will be deid,” Pat reminded them.

  “Aw the better tae spot Harper if he’s oot and oan the go then.”

  “Ah’ll come,” Ben volunteered.

  “Anywan else?”

  “Ah’m anchoring here.  Right, Tony, get the cards oot and we’ll hiv a game ae Bella,” Pat
said, staunin up and taking aff his jaicket, turning up the radio as ‘Back Street Luv’ started up.

Chapter Thirty Six

Digger Day Eight

He wis a strange wan, wis Silent.  He never did seem tae hiv too much luck when it came tae being libbed.  Johnboy smiled tae himsel, thinking aboot how Silent hid goat huckled oan the same day as he’d been released fae approved school.  Imagine getting lifted by the bizzies oan yer first day ae liberation, efter spending a third ae yer life in an approved school?  That hidnae been the only first, that day either.  It wis true whit they said aboot everything coming in threes.  Apart fae Silent getting lifted oan his first day ae freedom, that hid been the day that The Mankys’ lives, and in particular, Joe’s life, hid changed furever.  It hid also been the day that Tony hid ended up hivving a square-go wae that creepy prick, The Stalker.  The square-go hid happened earlier in the day, before Silent hid arrived oan the scene.  Wance again, Snappy hid been in there somewhere, letting the cat oot ae the bag.  Snappy and Ben McCalumn hid been o’er in the Cowlairs railway yards the night before.  They’d been sniffing oot goods wagons, bit maist ae the wans they’d come across hid been lying empty.  The wans that hid been full and ready tae roll hid hid security guards and bizzies wae dugs crawling aw o’er them.  Oan the way back across the railway lines, they’d come across a couple ae tons ae bush brass.  The brass wis something tae dae wae the actual railway line itsel, and each piece, black wae soot and grease, weighing aboot twenty tae thirty pounds, wis moulded intae the size ae a brick wae two holes at either end ae them.  There hid been a big pile sitting in a wee shed and Snappy and Ben hid spent hauf the night shifting it fae where they’d found it, across tae wan ae the big engineering sheds that lay empty and unused. 

  Snappy hid sent Ben tae roond up Tony, Johnboy and Simon in the morning, tae gie them a haun tae shift the brass fae the shed tae the hooses across oan Morrin Street.  They’d arranged tae meet Billy MacRae and his milk van, who wis tae be waiting at twelve o’clock tae pick up the brass tae take doon tae Greasy Jake’s oan the Broomielaw beside the Clyde.  They’d been cutting it fine tae meet Billy at bang oan twelve.  They’d been under pressure tae get their skates oan because Billy wid’ve finished his door deliveries and wid be jist aboot tae start delivering crates ae milk across the city tae the wee grocers and corner shoaps.  They’d jist arrived in the big shed and hid aw been staunin aboot, chewing the cud, estimating how much weight there wis and how much they could expect tae get fae Greasy Jake when the two local sergeants, The Stalker and Bumper hid arrived oan the scene.  Talk aboot the blind leading the blind…Johnboy wisnae sure who’d heided in the direction ae the cage lift first, bit whoever it hid been, they’d aw followed him, straight  towards a deid end.

  “In here, quick!” Snappy hid suddenly shouted, daeing a quick left, straight intae a lift that must’ve been built tae take squads ae men and machinery up tae the gantry flairs above.

  They hidnae been too sure where Bumper hid fucked aff tae, bit jist before Simon hid slid the cage door shut and Snappy hid slid the lever forward, The Stalker hid somehow managed tae nip in tae the cage wae them.  It hid been pretty weird at the time.  Johnboy hid never really been that close tae The Stalker, withoot hivving hid they big stalking hauns ae his roond his neck, and there he wis, staunin there, panting like a dug oan heat in the lift in front ae the five ae them, as the lift slowly wound its way up towards the big empty gantry flairs.

  “Right, ya basturts, Ah’ve goat youse noo.  Ye’re aw under arrest, so youse ur,” he’d declared triumphantly.

  Nobody hid said a word.  They’d aw jist stood there staring at him as if he wis a Martian or something.  It hid been Snappy that hid broken the ice. 

  “Is that right?  Go aheid then, ya prick, ye.  See where it gets ye,” he’d scowled, as it suddenly dawned oan them aw whit the situation meant fur them...and The Stalker.

  “Ah’m telling youse, it’ll only get worse fur yersels if youse put up any resistance.  We’ve goat the place surrounded, so we hiv,” The Stalker hid croaked unconvincingly, as they stood watching him wae big grins spreading across their coupons, as he wis looking aboot fur an escape route. 

  Simon hid still been oan the cage door haundle and Snappy’d hid the lever pressed forward, taking them higher.  Tae The Stalker’s right, Johnboy, Tony and Ben hid jist stood staring at the basturt.  Behind Simon, the expanse and the size ae the shed could be seen fur whit it wis.  Johnboy hid never been in an aircraft hanger before, bit he’d seen them oan the telly and in films and he reckoned this wis whit they must’ve been like.  Behind the Stalker, the first ae the gantry flairs hid slowly appeared and then disappeared as everywan looked up in anticipation ae the next wan appearing.

  “Paddy!  Paddy!  Fur Christ’s sake!”  Bumper hid howled in frustration, panic evident in that grumpy voice ae his, fae doon oan the ground flair.

  Everywan hid turned, including The Stalker, tae look doon at Bumper.  He’d appeared oot fae the gantry side ae the shed and wis staunin in the middle ae it, looking up.  Simon hid gied him a wee wave, which hid broken the ice and caused the rest ae them tae laugh.

  “Don’t worry, Fin, Ah’ve goat them,” The Stalker hid shouted, trying tae bluff them intae surrender.

  “Don’t worry, Bumper, we’ve goat him,” Snappy hid shouted doon, mimicking The Stalker’s voice, before turning his attention back tae The Mankys’ number wan hate figure.

  When the lift hid come tae a gentle stoap at the tap ae the building, The Stalker hid made his move.  He’d flown across towards Simon, bit Tony’d managed tae catch him wae a clip oan the right-haun side ae his jaw and he’d hit the deck, before scurrying backwards oan aw fours, like an upside doon crab, until he could go nae further.

  “Ye’re a fucking big man when ye’ve goat aw yer pals roond ye, Gucci,” he’d snarled bravely, bit everywan hid known, including him, that he wis up tae his neck in shite.

  “And that coming fae the man who sets aboot poor defenceless drunks, mob-haunded wae aw his mates up in the cells ae the bizzy shoap, eh?” Ben hid scoffed back at him.

  “Ye’ve nae proof ae that.  Ah don’t take liberties, so Ah don’t,” The Stalker hid snapped back, as they aw burst oot laughing in disbelief.

  Whit hid happened next hid dragged The Stalker’s perilous situation oot fur a minute or two longer, bit hid probably saved him fae getting seriously injured or even killed and them aw fae being put away fur a long time.  It hid been obvious tae everywan, particularly The Stalker, that Simon and Snappy wanted tae weigh in aboot him. 

  “Hing oan, Paddy, Ah’m oan ma way,” Bumper’s echoing voice could be heard shouting fae somewhere oan the other side ae the big shed, before they’d heard the thump ae his boots stomping up the steel stairs.

  “Right, ya prick, ye.  Let’s get this done and dusted wance and fur aw.  You and me…up ye get,” Tony hid snarled at him.

  “Whit?  Dae ye think Ah’m daft or something?” The Stalker hid spat back at him, glancing across at them aw.

  “Aw, fuck aff, Tony.  Ah owe that prick plenty!” Simon hid shouted, clearly no happy wae the turn ae events.

  “Aye, Tony,” Snappy hid chipped in accusingly.

  “Furget them, it’s jist you and me.  They won’t jump in, nae matter who’s getting the better ae the other wan,” Tony hid said, his voice mingling wae the faraway echo ae Bumper’s feet, clump-clumping up they stairs.

  “How dae Ah know that?”

  “Because Ah said so, that’s why,” Tony hid replied, looking across at Simon who wis clearly no too happy.

  “Right, ye’re on, ya wanker, ye,” The Stalker hid said, shrugging, staunin up and taking aff his jaicket.

  In the midst ae The Stalker taking aff his jaicket, Ben hid shot across quickly and snatched the leather strap ae The Stalker’s baton which hid been hinging oot ae his trooser pocket.

  “Ah’ll hiv that,” Ben hid said, moving back quickly.

  It hid been at that point that the first signs ae fear hid appeared oan The Stalker’s face.  It wis obvious that he thought that Ben wis breaking rank and wis jist aboot tae attack him.

  “Right, remember whit Ah’ve jist said…this is jist between us.  Johnboy?  Ben?  If any ae that pair try tae interfere, Ah want youse tae hiv a go at them.  Hiv youse goat that?” Tony hid demanded and the pair ae them hid nodded back.

 
It hid been a tense situation.  While Snappy hid let everywan know how he wis feeling by kicking the sliding caged door, Simon’s face hid turned a wee bit peely-wally as he’d glared across at Tony…and it wisnae wae fear either. Simon wisnae fae the Toonheid.  He hidnae been a Manky fur mair than five minutes and Johnboy hid been picking up a bit ae tension fae Simon, directed at Tony fur making aw the decisions.  He hidnae made any direct challenges, bit hid been coming oot wae wee aff-the-cuff remarks.  Johnboy knew that Tony wid’ve been picking up oan it as well, so hidnae bothered tae mention anything tae Tony, bit the challenge wis noo oot in the open…which wis a good thing, although Simon’s timing could’ve been better.

  “And you?  Are you gaun alang wae aw this shite?” Simon hid snarled at his best pal Ben.

  “Don’t put me tae the test, Simon,” Ben, who’d gone through primary and secondary school wae Simon hid warned him, much tae Simon’s disgust. 

Simon hid looked a wee bit crestfallen at Ben’s reply…bit only fur a second. Fuck knows whit The Stalker must’ve thought ae it aw, bit it hid soon been furgotten aboot as everywan goat back tae the business in haun.  The Stalker hid clearly been getting himsel ready while the wee domestic hid been playing oot.  He’d awready goat intae a semi-crouched, wrestler stance, loosely swinging baith erms fae side tae side.  Whether it hid been tae dae wae the distraction fae Simon or no, Tony hid fallen fur wan ae the auldest tricks in the book.  Who wid’ve thought that The Stalker wid’ve taken advantage, given the situation he’d found himsel in.  He’d suddenly flown across at Tony as Tony’s jaicket wis doon o’er his shoulders.  Tony hid tried tae move tae the side, jist as The Stalker’s fist glanced aff ae the side ae that heid ae his.

  “Paddy! Paddy?  Ah’m jist aboot there, son.  Ah’m coming,” Bumper hid shouted fae three flairs doon and a couple ae hunner yards alang the gantry.

  Tony hid jist managed tae get his jaicket aff, as The Stalker’s boot landed in his guts, while he wis still doubled o’er efter the blow tae his heid.  Gie him his due though…Tony hid hit the deck, rolling away fae The Stalker’s vicious kicks which wur being aimed at his heid and body.  Snappy hid let oot another frustrated roar and kicked the cage door again.  The Stalker hid gone efter Tony, feet flying, trying tae land a blow, bit Tony hid copied The Stalker’s earlier backwards crab crawl, wae a few wee rolls here and there, while kicking back at the same time, fur good measure.  It hidnae looked that good fur Tony, fae where Johnboy hid been staunin.

  “C’mone, Tony, get up!”  Simon hid hauf screamed, hauf pleaded.

  “C’mone Tony, ye kin dae it,” Ben hid shouted, as The Stalker’s feet continued tae kick at Tony and stomp doon blows wae the heel ae his boot oan tae Tony’s legs.

  “Take that, ya basturt!  Ah’ve goat ye noo, ya bloody Atalian shitehoose, ye,” The Stalker hid roared, panting like fuck.

  And then, thank fuck, the tide hid turned.  Wan minute Tony hid been scrambling backwards, trying tae avoid The Stalker’s boots, when aw ae a sudden, he’d let oot a roar ae exertion.  Lifting that Tally arse ae his straight up aff the ground and using his shoulders, the back ae his heid and his two hauns bent behind his neck, he’d flipped forward and upwards, tae land oan his feet.  It wis like something oot ae a James Bond film and The Mankys hid aw let oot a cheer in relief.

  “Thank fuck,” Johnboy remembered muttering, in amongst the sound ae the cheering and Bumper’s still distant echoing flat feet pounding away oan the steel staircase.

  It hid been clear tae everywan in the lift, including The Stalker, that he wis back in Shite Street.  He’d taken his chance, and hid blown it.  Ye could see it written aw o’er that coupon ae his.  He’d lunged forward, trying tae push Tony back oan tae his arse wae the weight ae his charging body, bit Tony hid managed tae grab him by the throat while The Stalker hid managed tae grip him in a bear hug.

  “Hoi, youse basturts!  Ah kin see youse.  Let him go, ya basturts, ye.  That’s serious assault, so it is,” Bumper hid screamed at them, hivving reached a level where he could see whit wis gaun oan. 

  Tony’s feet hid been up aff the flair and The Stalker hid howled like a bear as he crushed Tony’s ribs, while running across the lift.  He crashed the back ae Tony’s heid and body against the grilled gate.  The deafening racket ae the pair ae them crashing aboot in the lift wis ricocheting aw o’er the shed.  Tony hid let oot a painful yelp before sinking his teeth intae the basturt’s nose.  The Stalker hid instantly let oot a painful howl, while easing aff oan his body grip, jist enough tae gie Tony room tae stick the heid oan him and then start pummelling fuck oot ae they eyes ae his wae his fists.  The Stalker hid let go by this time and hid started tae back aff.  Tony hid followed through wae a series ae punches tae his face and ribs.  It hid been obvious that The Stalker hid put too much effort intae trying tae take Tony doon wae his fly-man opening move earlier.  The sergeant hid then gone intae Jack-in-the-box mode, erms flailing wildly, whilst Tony crashed his fists, first intae his ribs, causing him tae double o’er, and then straightening him up wae uppercuts tae his face.

  “Ye’re gonnae hiv tae get a move oan, Tony.  We’ve goat company heiding oor way,” Ben hid warned him, as Simon, Snappy and Johnboy aw turned tae clock Bumper shuffling towards them, sounding as if he’d jist run the three minute mile in twenty seconds.