Free The Silver Arrow by Ian Todd Page A

friendship…relationship, efter the deathbed confession ae an auld gangster called Haufwit Murray hid confirmed Johnboy’s innocence.  He hidnae telt them that hid been efter she’d extracted a commitment fae him tae gie up a life ae crime and tae turn his back oan The Mankys furever.
      “And she fell fur yer charm and wisdom, did she?  Ah wonder how long it’ll last this time until she finds oot aboot aw the other stuff ye’ve lied tae her aboot,” Snappy hid quipped, smiling.
      “Ah wis fair impressed when Ah clocked the pair ae ye hivving a wee winch at the end ae the visit.  Christ, ye even hid Paula convinced ye wur in love,” Pat hid said, laughing.
      “Look, if a job’s worth daeing right, then it his tae be done tae perfection.  That’s the difference between youse plonkers and Johnboy here,” Tony hid come oot wae, acknowledging that he wis also impressed wae Johnboy’s persuasive performance.
      “Aye, bit tae get her tae dump that auld man ae a boyfriend ae hers in tae the bargain?  Is that no a wee bit too thorough?” Snappy hid persisted. “Fuck, she’ll bloody well take an axe tae that heid ae yers when she finds oot ye wur jist daeing it fur her ain good,” Pat hid laughed, drawing a finger across his throat.
      “Look, we’re trying tae protect her.  We need Senga tae focus aw her energies oan Johnboy, insteid ae fucking aboot wae her lover-boy, prancing aboot aw o’er the toon at night, being clocked by Wan-bob and Charlie Hastie’s boys.  Sometime in the near future, we might hiv tae confront Wan-bob and inform him that Senga is Johnboy’s fiancé and that whitever he’s up tae, she’s oot ae bounds.  And anyway, wance this is aw o’er wae, she kin always get hersel another doctor…Christ, her work is full ae them,” Tony hid said, shrugging they shoulders ae his.
      Wis Johnboy kidding himsel oan?  Wis this really a deception tae try and save Senga Jackson’s life?  Whit wid the reaction hiv been if he’d announced tae everywan that…wis it fuck…he actually did love her and wanted tae settle doon and spend the rest ae his miserable life wae her?  And, as fur Silent?  Where wis he in aw this?  Whit wur his thoughts?  Johnboy knew the reason he wis annoyed at Silent wisnae really because ae any Clint Eastwood film, although the music hid upset him.  It wis the frustration.  He’d been pals wae Silent since they wur ten years auld.  Not wance in aw the years he’d known him, hid Silent stood up and telt Johnboy whit he really felt or thought aboot him.  Aye, Silent hid always covered Johnboy’s back in times ae trouble and strife, bit when Johnboy hid really wanted tae speak tae somewan close, Silent’s World, as Snappy always referred tae Silent’s condition, hid become a convenient barrier.  While the conversation wis being discussed aboot whit tae dae aboot Senga, Johnboy could feel Silent’s eyes oan him. Though silent, wis that brain ae his jist an empty shell?  Johnboy jist wisnae that sure aboot that wan.  He’d shared a flat and done time wae Silent.  Johnboy knew there wur times when there wis a definite pattern tae Silent’s thought process…when it wis obvious…at least tae him…when Silent wis figuring oot whit wis gaun oan roond aboot him.  He tried tae remember the last time Silent hid strung mair than two sentences thegither at the wan time.  It hid been when they wur up in Longriggend eighteen months previously, jist efter they’d been sentenced, when Silent hid wondered how many people ye hid tae bump aff tae be labelled as a spree killer.  It hid been during the Sunday service when Johnboy hid been planning tae attack Jimmy Baxter.  Whit hid been the trigger tae start the conversation, he wondered frustratingly?  Johnboy needed tae speak tae somewan…tae bounce his thoughts aff ae somewan…bit apart fae Silent, that person wisnae in amongst The Mankys. He wid’ve liked tae hiv shared his thoughts wae Tony, bit