Run Johnboy Run: The Glasgow Chronicles 2 by Ian Todd Page A

mentioned since their run in wae the Murphy brothers earlier.  They jumped aff the lorry, jist before it turned left intae Dobbies Loan, then cut through a closemooth tae take them intae McAslin Street.  They sat in the closemooth beside Sherbet’s, the local grocers shoap.  Nowan spoke.
      “Whit ur we gonnae dae noo?” Johnboy finally asked.
      “Aboot whit?”
      “Aboot Skull and Elvis…it wid’ve been Elvis that wis wae him.”
      Silence.
      “There’s fuck aw we kin dae…at least fur the time being.  It’s obvious they Murphy basturts did it, even though they’re denying it,” Tony finally answered.
      “Even if we knew it wis them, there’s still fuck aw we kin dae,” Joe agreed.
      Silence.
      “Let’s wait until we’re aulder.  We’ll get the basturts then,” Tony said grimly, flicking his fag end at the wheels ae a passing coal lorry.
      “Is that a promise?” Johnboy asked, looking at the baith ae them.
      “Don’t ye bloody worry aboot that, Johnboy.  Ah’m gonnae make sure whoever done this goes up in flames, the same way as Skull and Elvis did,” Joe promised.
      “Aye, bit jist remember, we keep oor traps shut.  We keep this tae oorsels and we don’t mention any ae this tae anywan…especially no tae the bizzies,” Tony warned the other two.
      Tony and Joe heided up McAslin Street and Johnboy heided fur Grafton Street and the way hame.  Johnboy kept looking back every noo and again tae see how far the other two hid goat.  Jist before he disappeared roond the corner at the dairy, he clocked two polis cars suddenly mounting the pavement and nabbing Tony and Joe.  Johnboy nipped in through his auld pal, Frankie Wilson’s close, heided o’er the dykes, came oot oan tae Montrose Street through the side ae the transport lodging hoose at the tap ae the hill and dashed fur hame.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
    Chapter Ten
      It hid been a strange few weeks aw roond, Helen thought tae hersel, as she lit up a fag.  She wondered if she could be arsed wae hivving another glass ae her PLJ lime juice while she wis waiting.  The stuff didnae bloody work anyway…that expanding arse ae hers could testify tae that.  She looked aboot the kitchen and back tae the stack ae overdue bills that wur sitting oan her lap.  The girls wur growing up so fast.  She sighed.  A few days earlier, her and Isabelle’d hid a major run-in efter Isabelle hid went tae the door tae tell wan ae the debt collectors that her ma wisnae in and that she didnae know when she’d be back.  Efter he’d gone, Helen hid tiptoed oot intae the lobby tae ask her whit company he’d been fae.
      “Hiv ye any idea how humiliating this is fur us?”
      “Whit is?”
      “That’s the fourth time this week.  It wis the same man that wis up at the door twice oan Monday.  He says if he disnae get a payment soon, the company’s taking it doon tae the Sheriff officers.”
      “Ach, don’t exaggerate, Isabelle.  They always threaten ye wae that.  And anyway, it wisnae that long ago you and that Anne wan wur fighting o’er who wis gonnae hiv the pleasure ae opening the door tae tell them tae piss aff.  Whit’s changed aw ae a sudden?”
      “Ye jist don’t get it, dae ye?”
      “Get whit?”
      “Arghhhh!” Isabelle hid screeched before stomping past Helen up tae her bedroom.
      Wid they ever get oot ae the bit?  Wis everywan living in the street in the same boat as them or wur Jimmy and her jist different?  When she’d went ben the hoose, next door tae Betty’s, she’d telt Betty aboot her run-in wae Isabelle.
      “And you think that’s bad?  Christ, ye should hear the cheek Ah hiv tae put up wae in here,” Betty hid retorted wae a laugh.
      Helen thought aboot the conversation she’d hid a while back wae Johnboy when she’d confessed that she prayed fur him and the rest ae the family every night before she fell asleep.  When he’d asked her who she