The Mattress: The Glasgow Chronicles 4 (28 page)
“Fuck, there’s nae way he’s gonnae make it. Look…he’s aw o’er the shoap, the twat,” Simon hid shouted oot, laughing, as Bumper staggered forward, wheezing like an auld demented mongrel that hid suddenly found it’s freedom efter being stuck tae a bitch fur a day and a hauf.
“Get the gate, Simon,” Tony hid panted, as he laid punch efter punch intae The Stalker, backing him towards Simon.
Simon hid slid the gate open, jist as Bumper appeared aboot fifteen feet away. Tony hid finally let loose wae a right-haunded sucker punch, straight intae The Stalker’s solar plexus. As he’d doubled up, legs aboot tae gie way, Tony’d stepped back and swiftly booted him full in the face, sending him crashing oot ae the lift, tae land oan his back oan the tap flair gantry landing. Ben hid quickly tossed the polis jaicket, wae the sergeant’s stripes oan the sleeve, through the gate, as Simon slammed the gate shut and Snappy wrenched the lever towards him.
“Paddy? Paddy, ur ye alive?” Bumper hid cried oot in panic, wheezing as he staggered forward, before collapsing oan tap ae The Stalker, as the lift slowly began tae descend.
“Of course, he’s alive, ya stupid prick, ye. We’re no murderers, so we’re no,” Snappy hid shouted gaily.
“Ah’m gonnae fucking get youse, if it’s the last fucking thing Ah dae,” Bumper hid wheezed, taking oot his baton and throwing it towards the lift before throwing up.
He’d clearly been done in, as the baton tumbled forward, falling short by aboot three feet.
“Aye, aye, we’ve heard it aw before, la, la, fucking la. Jist make sure ye bring somewan who kin fight the next time,” Simon hid sang merrily, as Bumper and The Stalker disappeared fae sight.
By the time they’d goat across tae Morrin Street, Billy MacRae, the milk man, hid been sitting waiting fur them and hid been fair disappointed at no making a bit ae dosh oot ae the bush brass deal. Oan the way across the railway lines tae Springburn, Tony hid hung back and spoken tae Johnboy. He’d asked him tae keep an eye oan Ben.
“Why?”
“He’s supposed tae hiv been Simon’s best pal aw the years they went through school and look how he left him in the shite when Simon wis looking fur back-up, back there in the lift.”
“He’s intae being a manky. Ah widnae hiv a go at him fur that. Some things become mair important as ye get aulder,” Johnboy hid said.
“Ah’m glad he backed me, bit where wis the loyalty fur his best mate?”
The Mankys hid goat Billy tae gie them a lift intae the toon centre because Johnboy hid an interview later in the day wae Samson’s, the big furniture shoap at the bottom ae the High Street, plus everywan hid agreed that it made sense fur them aw tae stay oot ae the way fur a few hours.
Efter leaving Johnboy tae go fur his interview, Tony, Simon, Snappy and Ben hid heided back up tae Springburn and within five minutes ae arriving, hid bumped intae Silent. He’d jist been liberated fae approved school that morning. Insteid ae drapping him aff at the train station, a couple ae the teachers hid been heiding oot tae Kilsyth tae pick up somewan who’d been caught oan the run and they’d drapped Silent aff at his granda and granny’s closemooth, oot in Kirkintilloch. He’d only been back a couple ae hours before he’d telt the auld wans that he wis leaving hame. He’d then gone and jumped oan a bus and goat drapped aff at the Fire Station oan Springburn Road, across fae Jonah’s. Within an hour ae him meeting up wae The Mankys, two bizzies called Hope and Glory, alang wae Biscuit Smith and the bulging-eyed bizzy they called Froggie hid been hot oan their tail, chasing them aw o’er Springburn. Poor Silent hid been the wan tae get captured, even though he hidnae been at the square-go between Tony and The Stalker earlier.
Getting nicked and slung intae jail wis jist wan ae they unfortunate twists ae fate ae being a Manky. Nae matter how much care everywan took tae try tae ensure that didnae happen, aw the best laid plans wur never quite a hunner percent guaranteed tae work oot. Wan day, ye wur ambling alang tae the next wee bit ae thievery, and then the next? Well, sitting in the digger in the dark waiting fur a wee moose tae make an appearance wis proof enough that the best laid plans didnae always work oot. Whenever wan ae The Mankys ended up in the jail, there wisnae any letters sent back and forth tae let people know how ye wur daeing. The constant traffic ae people oan the ootside arriving in the nick and the wans leaving, meant that everywan mair or less knew whit wis happening maist ae the time. Wan day they’d be ootside, living it up, and the next, they could be in the clink, locked up. It wis as simple as that. Johnboy and the rest ae The Mankys knew that Silent wid appear back oan the scene sooner or later, although in his case, nowan hid been too sure exactly when that wid be, other than it wid be oan or jist efter his fifteenth birthday. Tony hid been so angry at Silent getting nicked that himsel and Snappy hid gone and goat Silent a brief. Graham Portoy hid been Johnboy’s court-appointed lawyer when he’d been sentenced tae approved school when he wis thirteen. Johnboy remembered Portoy being sherricked by JP Donnelly, the Justice ae the Peace, who sat in The District Court, doon at Central in the Saltmarket. JP hid been the basturt that hid put Johnboy’s ma in the jail fur assaulting a big useless prick ae a
sergeant called Liam Thompson back in the Toonheid, roond aboot the same time as Horsey John, The Big Man’s stable manager and Skull’s murderer, hid croaked it in an accident oan Parly Road. His ma and JP hated the sight ae each other and always averted their eyes whenever they came across each other in the street, which wis often, as JP hid gone and goat involved in helping auld Dick Mulholland tae become the elected cooncillor up in Springburn, straight efter he moved up there fae the Toonheid. Even though he wis an ancient auld crusty basturt, Johnboy’s ma always said that JP wis jist biding his time, waiting fur Dickheid Dick tae pop his clogs, so he could move in and take o’er the patch. JP hid stoapped sitting oan the bench as a judge no long efter he’d eventually found Johnboy’s ma not guilty ae assaulting the sergeant. Her lawyer at the time hid been a famous brief called Harry Portoy. Graham Portoy wis Harry Portoy’s son. Johnboy and the rest ae The Mankys tended tae ask fur Graham Portoy tae defend them anytime they wur due up in court. It wisnae because they thought he wis any good, because at the time, he wis a useless, bumbling basturt, jist starting oot as a defence lawyer. Johnboy’d hid everywan in stitches when he’d telt them aboot the public sherricking JP Donnelly hid dished oot tae the poor basturt at his trial. He’d telt the rest ae The Mankys aboot it, when he’d ended up in Thistle Park Approved School, oot in Paisley, where Tony, Joe and Silent hid been daeing time and efter that, everywan hid wanted tae meet the useless basturt in person, jist tae see how bad he wis fur themsels. That hid been long before he’d started tae get a good reputation fur successfully defending aw the stabbers fae the street gangs that wur scattered aboot Glesga. Johnboy and the other Mankys hid always goat oan great wae him and before too long, they’d aw been oan first name terms wae him. The Silent incident hid been the start ae a new relationship wae Graham. Whereas before, the boys hid used him through legal aid, and still did if they wur up oan charges, hiring him tae represent Silent hid been the best move they’d ever made. He wisnae cheap, bit he wis worth his weight in gold. Tony hid explained tae Graham that Silent hid goat lifted fur nothing as he’d jist arrived oan the scene, fresh fae approved school. The brief hid said that he’d get oan tae it straight away and see if he could get him oot that efternoon. Tony hid then gone oan tae explain aboot the fight earlier wae The Stalker. Tae gie him his due, Graham Portoy hidnae really wanted tae know anything aboot it, especially if they wur confessing tae him aboot breaking the law.
“Look, Tony…if you’re saying that you’re not guilty of committing a crime, I’ll listen to your alibi or your side of the story. It’s on that basis that I’ll defend you. If you inform me that you’re guilty of something, then I would need to reconsider whether it’s right and proper for me to represent you, although I could always recommend a colleague in my place.”
“Bit it wis a square-go, so it wis, Graham. He wis the wan that challenged me. There’s nae way he’s gonnae come and charge me wae assault, even though Bumper saw whit happened. The Stalker’s a right basturt, bit Ah’d be surprised if he went back oan his word oan this occasion. And anyway, there wis five ae us, and only two ae them,” Tony hid said, laughing.
“So, why are you telling me all this?”
“Because it’s clear that we’re always gonnae be targeted and harassed by that pair ae dumplings, even mair than whit we ur the noo. The situation wae Silent is a classic example. Is there anything we kin dae aboot it? Where dae we staun fae a legal point ae view? That’s whit Ah want tae know.”
“As a citizen, you and anyone else in the community are entitled to go about your lawful business. It’s the law of the land. If you’re telling me that you or your friends are being unlawfully harassed by the police, or whoever, then I could represent you by applying to the court for an injunction or a restraining order, ensuring, if granted, that the police cannot come within a certain distance of you without legitimate due cause.”
“See, ye’ve jist talked yersel intae another case. Go fur it,” Tony hid said, and himsel and Snappy hid sauntered back up tae Springburn, feeling like The Untouchables.
Efter that, they’d aw used his services tae keep the polis at bay. None ae The Mankys wid utter a word if they goat lifted until Graham Portoy arrived oan the scene at the cop-shop. Everywan chipped in fur the costs if Portoy’s services wur needed o’er and above Legal Aid entitlements.
Meanwhile, a couple ae days earlier, Johnboy and Joe hid awready arranged tae heid intae the toon centre that night. Joe hid been due up in the Sheriff Court, accused ae splattering battery acid across every panel ae Glenda Metcalf’s brand new Mercedes sports car, in the lane behind Lanarkshire Hoose, jist aff Ingram Street. She wis a notorious prosecuting fiscal, who The Mankys hid been hivving run-ins wae since they wur snappers. She’d accused Joe ae being worse than an animal, despite being found not guilty ae assaulting some guy he’d come across beating up his girlfriend ootside a chip shoap, doon in Dundas Street, across fae the bus station. Snappy hid been wae him at the time. The guy hid ended up in the hospital wae a broken nose and hauf his rib cage caved in efter they’d booted fuck oot ae him in front ae his girlfriend who, despite being battered and bloodied, hid been trying tae save lover-boy by attacking Joe and Snappy. When Joe hid turned up at court, Graham Portoy hid informed him that the charges against him fur the acid attack wur gonnae be drapped so his appearance wis only a formality. Seemingly she’d been raging at the injustice ae losing two cases. Glenda Metcalf wis a stuck-up pain in the arse, who wis furever in the papers, shouting fae the rooftaps aboot how she’d been born in Blackhill and hid gone oan tae become successful, despite her lowly background.
Johnboy and Joe hid arranged tae meet in the Horseshoe Bar in Drury lane before taking it fae there. Nothing hid been planned, bit when they’d heard that a new dancing hid opened up in Buchanan Street called ‘The Wan, Two, Three,’ they’d decided tae check it oot. Oan the way up tae the jigging, they’d heided up Renfield Street as it wis guaranteed tae be busier than heiding the quicker route. Baith sides ae the pavements wur mobbed wae lassies laughing, shouting and screaming and wae guys shouting back, asking them where they wur heiding aff tae. Wae aw the mix ae buses and cars hooting their horns at daft basturts jumping oot in front ae them, there wis always a right party atmosphere. Johnboy loved being in the toon centre at night. They’d decided tae heid up tae The Lunar Seven fur a pint before hitting The Wan, Two, Three. Jist as they wur heiding alang Bath Street, oan the Wan Four Lounge side ae the street, they’d clocked the Garngad uglies and two big doorman, aw kicking fuck oot ae hauf a dozen boys jist ootside the door ae The Lunar Seven, tae the sounds ae The Who’s ‘Magic Bus’ being belted oot fae the speakers inside. Oan the opposite corner, in front ae The Five Ways pub, in full view ae the assault taking place, a big strapping sergeant, wae a PC Shiny Buttons in tow, wis trying tae chat up a group ae young giggly lassies, who’d looked tae Johnboy tae hiv been allowed oot and intae the toon centre fur the first time by their mas and das withoot an escort. Johnboy hid heard that the uglies did some work every noo and again fur The Big Man, like turning up and causing fights or wrecking places in the toon centre, where pub and club owners didnae use The Big Man’s bouncers oan the doors. There wis clearly a right party atmosphere gaun oan and they’d decided tae gie The Lunar Seven a miss and tae heid doon intae Buchanan Street. The queue tae get in the dancing hid snaked aw the way back up tae where Cathedral Street, Bath Street, Buchanan Street and Dundas Place joined each other. This area hid been Johnboy’s playground when he wis a snapper though it seemed smaller than he’d remembered it as a wean. Efter managing tae avoid speaking tae the uglies, they’d bumped in tae Wan-bob Broon and wan ae they giant gorillas him and The Big Man tended tae attract, who Johnboy hid vaguely recognised.
“How’re ye daeing, boys?” Wan-bob hid asked, which in Wan-bob Broon speak meant ‘whit the fuck ur youse up tae?’
“Ach, jist checking oot the jigging…looking at the fanny,” Joe hid replied, nodding across tae the three big brick-shitehooses, staunin oan the doors, deciding who wis getting in and who wisnae.
“Ach well, enjoy yersels,” Wan-bob hid said pleasantly, eye-balling Joe, which again, in gorilla speak, meant ‘stay the fuck oot ae trouble or ye’ll hiv me tae deal wae.’
