Run Johnboy Run: The Glasgow Chronicles 2 by Ian Todd Read Free Book Online Page B

ae the back windaes oan the wee slope-roofed building at the back ae it and climbed in, heiding straight fur the stairs above the front entrance.  When they reached the balcony, they stood oan the back row ae pews, which gied them a bird’s eye view across tae the billboards.  The cabin wis maistly jist a big pile ae black burnt ash and buckled corrugated iron sheets.  Part ae the bottom hauf ae it wis still staunin erect, wae two gaps where the corrugated sheets lay oan their sides nearby.  A white tent hid been set up, practically oan tap ae the pile, and men wur wandering aboot, wearing wellies, polis uniforms and plain clothes.  The cabin itsel wis roped aff and there wis whit looked like wee stickers or sticks at different angles stuck in the ground roond aboot it.
      “Fuck, look at that,” Joe muttered.
      “Whit?”
      “The ladder?”
      “Where?”
      “Ye kin jist see it at this side ae the cabin, nearest us.”
      Whit they could see wis part ae the ladder.  It hid two good steps oan it at the bottom and two black charred wans above them and wis lying oan the ground at the side ae where the door hid been.  The rest ae the ladder wis naewhere tae be seen.
      “Whit dis that mean?” Johnboy asked.
      “It means the ladder must’ve been up against the cabin when it wis burned doon, insteid ae chained tae the railings behind the billboards,” Tony replied.
      “Which means somebody must’ve been inside when the fire started.”
       Silence.
      “Dae ye no think the reason the polis wur up at Skull’s wis tae find oot if it wis him that burnt it doon?” Johnboy asked, breaking the silence.
      “Maybe.”
      “Aw, Christ!”
      “Whit?” Tony and Joe baith asked thegither, turning tae look at him.
      “Ah went tae find Skull’s sister the day at school tae ask where he wis and Ah wis telt the polis hid come and took her oot ae school.”
      Nowan said anything.  They jist stood and looked oot through the dirty windae panes at whit wis gaun oan across the road, lost in their ain thoughts.  Efter aboot five minutes, Tony eventually spoke.
      “Right, the polis ur probably gonnae try and get a haud ae us.”
      “Whit fur?  We hivnae done anything,” Johnboy protested.
      “Naw, bit they’ll want statements tae see who wis using the cabin.  It won’t take them long tae suss oot that we own it noo.”
      “Dae we need tae go and see the Murphys?”
      “It’s probably they pricks that done this as a comeback fur us tanning their loft…the basturts.”
      “How wid they hiv known it wis us?”
      “Who knows?  Maybe we wur clocked by somewan,” Joe said, shrugging as he peeked through the dirty glass again.
      “So, whit dae we say tae the bizzies then?”
      “We jist tell them we goat the cabin aff the Murphys,” Tony replied, still looking oot the windae.
      “They won’t believe we goat it fur nothing though, will they?”
      “We’ll tell them we hivnae came up wae a price yet,” Joe murmured, no taking his eyes away fae whit wis gaun oan across the road.
      “Right, that’s settled then.  Let’s go,” Tony announced, stepping back fae the glass, a pained expression oan his face.
      “Where?”
      “Let’s heid intae the toon centre fur a while till we see whit’s gaun oan.  We’ll need tae avoid the polis and they Murphys.”
      They retraced their steps doon the stairs fae where they’d come hauf an hour earlier.  Efter climbing oot the back windae, they drapped doon oan tae the ground and heided straight fur the nearest closemooth.  They’d only gone a few steps intae it when Shaun Murphy appeared at the front entrance.  When they aboot-turned tae leg it, the two ugly blond-haired twins, Danny and Mick, walked in through the back.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
    Chapter Six
      Liam Thompson, wan ae the local uniformed sergeants who covered the Toonheid district, hid jist arrived tae