Free The Mattress: The Glasgow Chronicles 4 by Ian Todd Page A

verbal abuse in any shape or form, that my client is free to terminate this interview at any time, if he so wishes and that my client will be free to leave this police station unhindered.” Portoy said, looking across at The Stalker.
      The Stalker felt his hackles go up.  Gucci sat there expressionless, letting his brief dae the talking.  The Stalker knew Tony Gucci better than he knew some ae his ain family.  He’d been chasing Gucci’s arse since Gucci wis a twelve-year-auld.  Whenever he’d caught up wae him, it hid usually ended up wae somewan getting a sore face.  Gucci wis a walking crime wave then and things hid goat worse as he’d goat aulder.  The Stalker and Bumper hid only been in the Toonheid wan day when they’d hid their first run-in wae him and that wee crew ae his.  The Stalker hid watched them gaun roond the vehicles in the Montrose Street multi-storey car park, siphoning petrol oot ae the cars.  Insteid ae nabbing them when they’d hid the chance, him and Bumper hid decided tae follow them tae see who they wur selling the stuff tae.  They wur running a wee rat-line.  Gucci and his pal, Johnboy Taylor, wur sucking the petrol oot ae the tanks intae jerry cans and then shifting them up tae a closemooth oan Stirling Road.  Two ae their pals, Paul McBride and Joe McManus, wur then uplifting them up tae an auld air raid shelter in a back court up oan Parson Street where they wur emptying the petrol intae auld tin baths.  By the time Gucci and Taylor wid arrive wae two mair full cans, two empty wans wid be sitting waiting fur them tae take back doon tae the car park.  By the time The Stalker and Bumper hid goat oan their case, the wee toe-rags must’ve made aboot two dozen journeys.  There couldnae hiv been a car in the car park that wisnae sitting wae an empty tank.  Bumper hid fucked up, as usual, by gaun in aw heavy-haunded and leaving the starting block too soon.  When they’d gied chase, the boys hid dispersed and disappeared through the myriad ae back closes that covered the whole area.  By the time Bumper and him hid heided back tae the air raid shelter tae retrieve the petrol and confiscate the tin baths as evidence, the fire brigade hid awready arrived.  He’d heard later that it hid been Joe McManus that hid fucked aff back and put a burning tea towel soaked in petrol tae the stored fuel.  The fire boys hid decided that it wis too dangerous tae go intae the shelter as it meant hivving tae work their way roond the blast walls efter they went in through the entrance.  They said it wid be better jist tae let the fire burn itsel oot.  Three hours later, The Mankys managed tae dae whit the Luftwaffe hidnae managed and the concrete roof hid caved in oan tae the tin baths, obliterating the evidence that the shelter wis being used tae store the stolen petrol.  They wid’ve needed a crane tae lift the concrete slab roof aff ae the cans and tin baths.
      “Ah kin confirm that yer client is under nae suspicion fur the death ae Joseph McManus and that we’re appreciative ae yer client gieing up his time tae come and talk wae us, tae...er, fill in a few wee blanks regarding his, er, whereaboots oan the night ae Joseph McManus’s untimely death.  Yer client is free tae leave at any time he wants, although we cannae guarantee that we wullnae want tae talk wae him in the future, should the investigation require his assistance again,” Bobby replied, breaking intae The Stalker’s thoughts.
      “Can I confirm that it will be yourself that will be questioning my client?”
      “That’s right.”
      “Can I ask why we have the company of Sergeant McPhee?  I wasn’t aware that he would be present today.”
      “Sergeant McPhee is wan ae the local sergeants covering the Springburn area, and Gourlay Street in particular.”
      “So, Sergeant McPhee is one of the investigating officers then?”
      “Sergeant McPhee is assisting the investigation team, as are aw polis