The Amen Cadence

by J. J. Salkeld

  ‘Where’s the boy?’ said Young, as he approached.

  ‘Just bringing the Merc round, boss.’

  Young started walking fast, but stopped when he reached the tall, glass door.

  ‘Get the fucking door, for me one of you,’ he said.

  When he got outside the car wasn’t there, and he was just about to turn round to Sid when he saw it, nosing out of the junction to the right. And as the car stopped he could see the damage to the nearside rear wing.

  ‘I’m sorry, Dai,’ said Micky, running round from the driver’s side to open the door for Young. ‘I was in a hurry. You know, to come and get you.’

  ‘What did you hit?’

  ‘A bin.’

  ‘A fucking wheely bin did all that damage? Are you taking the piss, son?’

  ‘Not a wheely bin, Dai. It was one of those big catering-sized bastards. Metal, it was.’

  Young didn’t say anything as they drove. His mouth was dry, and the town, his town, suddenly looked small, and mean, and cheap. He’d noticed it when he’d first come back; the crap clothes, the tacky shops, the bad teeth, the lazy eyes, but somehow he’d got used to it all again. And that had been his mistake. Well there’d be some changes now, and he was the man to make them. The poor would pay, and the rich would keep out of his fucking way, or there’d be trouble.

  Micky backed the big car carefully into the parking space in the small underground car park, beneath the flat that Young used as his private HQ when he didn’t want to be in the straight office just round the corner. As the car reversed Young heard the beeping sound, warning of the wall’s proximity, and his anger erupted. He opened his door before the car had stopped, ran round the front of the car, and hauled Micky out. He hit him hard in the stomach, and as the kid folded forwards he hit him twice more, a left cross and then a right, then stood back and watched the boy slide down the front wing.

  ‘Don’t just stand there’, he shouted to Terry, who was only just out of his door, ‘pick the stupid fucker up. Tell him I don’t want to see him again until he’s had it fixed up.’

  ‘But the motor’s insured, boss.’

  ‘Fuck the insurance. What I want is a bit of fucking respect, and obedience. And I’m going to fucking have it, too. You hear me?’

  Young heard his voice echoing around the concrete walls, and he was tempted to give Micky a shoeing. Crack a few ribs, and really give the kid something to think about. But at least the lad was bloody keen, not like those other two fat, useless bastards. So he turned, and walked towards the stairs, hearing Micky coughing weakly as he came round.

  DS Pepper Wilson didn’t need to check the time on her phone to know she was late. She went out for a drink with the station Superintendent once every two or three weeks, and it invariably played out the same way. She was always late, and Mary was already a third of the way through the first bottle by the time she arrived. And it was the same this evening, except that when Pepper had finished apologising, and Mary had poured her a glass of wine, Pepper noticed that the bottle was already down to below the label. She nearly knew Mary well enough to make a joke about it: nearly, but not quite.

  They hadn’t been out together socially since Ben had been approached outside the school gates, and since their usual pattern was to talk shop until the end of the first bottle Pepper expected her son to be the first item on the agenda.

  ‘How’s Ben holding up?’

  ‘He’s fine, really. He’s forgotten all about it, honestly. They had that assembly at school, and some of the kids saw the item on the news about the bloke, but that’s it. He’s completely safe, Mary, honestly he is.’

  ‘I wish you’d let us do more.’

  ‘No, we’ve already done far more than we would have done if Ben was the son of a lorry driver, or a bank a manager. We’ve had a marked car at the school gates every morning and evening, which has done wonders for the parents’ usually shit parking by the way, and Ben’s carrying a couple of trackers, even though he doesn’t know it. And nothing was ever going to happen anyway, Mary. It was just Dai Young playing silly buggers.’

  ‘We don’t know that.’

  ‘I do, Mary, which is what really matters. And he must be getting desperate, panicking like that. What did he really think we’d do, after his bit of amateur theatricals? Even if I was shitting myself and kept quiet about what happened, because I thought he’d actually follow through, does he really think that an acting DI could ever persuade the whole force to give the bastard a free pass, or something? And we all know that his bosses would never countenance the kidnapping of a copper’s kid anyway, would they? He’d be dead meat, would Dai. Like I say, the whole thing meant absolutely nowt.’

  ‘What if it wasn’t Dai, though? You’ve put a fair few cons away in your time, love. I dare say there’s plenty who wish harm to you and yours.’

  ‘Aye, of course there are. And I’d be pretty pissed off if there weren’t a dozen or two, like. But most of them couldn’t find their arses with both hands, so the chances of them turning up at the right school, and then picking out the correct kid, I’d say they’re about nil. And it was only Ben who was spoken to, remember. No, it was Dai Young who was behind it all right, and in a way I’m glad. It proves that we’ve got the bastard rattled at last, though I’m not right sure why, or how.’

  The first bottle was empty now, so Pepper went to the bar and ordered the second. She was glad of it too, because tradition demanded that shop talk now be abandoned for the evening.

  ‘So how’s your love-life?’ asked Mary, when Pepper returned.

  ‘About the same as my chances of a lottery win. Totally non-existent, but just with that little bit of hope hanging on somewhere in the back of my mind, taunting me. Stupid, really. I only ever meet other cops, and I certainly don’t trust any of those bastards. A bit too keen on the old handcuffs, some of them, and that new film is only bloody encouraging them.’

  ‘Or so you hear.’

  They both smiled. ‘Aye, so I hear. Exactly. So how about you, Mary? How’s your luck?’

  ‘Terrible. All I’m looking for is a millionaire art connoisseur who’s a bloody good listener, and is in touch with his feminine side. Is that too much to ask?’

  ‘Trust me on this, love, because in Carlisle the only blokes who are in touch with their feminine side are the ones who buy their sling-backs in the really big sizes.’

  Mary laughed. ‘But how about that lad, Davey Hood, isn’t it? I thought you’d taken a bit of a shine to him?’

  ‘He’s all right, aye. But it would never work out, me and him, so there’s no point even making a start.’

  ‘You don’t know unless you try, Pepper.’

  ‘No, I do know. He’s a straightforward bloke is Davey, and in his world things are strictly black and white, right or wrong, for him or against him. And if you’re against him, if you’re his enemy, then the law would go straight out the bloody window, every single time. It’s just not relevant, as far as he’d concerned, I just know it. And nothing I could do or say would stop him, once he’d decided on a course of action.’

  ‘But he’s not a criminal, is he? I thought he was grafting away at his haulage business?’

  ‘He was, until Dai Young burnt his depot down, and took both his vans with it. And that act won’t go unanswered, believe you me, love.’

  Mary took a sip of her drink, and looked at Pepper from over the rim of the glass.

  ‘You sound like you almost relish the prospect. A bit too much, maybe?’

  ‘The thought of someone taking Dai Young down for real? Aye, I do relish that. But I’d rather it was us than anyone else, mind. But let’s not bring work into it tonight, Mary.’

  ‘You’re right, of course you are. So young Ben really is OK, is he? You’re sure? Not phased by all the attention?’

  ‘No, he’s loved the whole thing. He told that DCI who came up from HQ that his mum was the best detective in the whole wide world.’

  ‘He�
�s proud of you, that’s all.’

  ‘Aye, he is. I’ve not got a clue why, though. I’m a shit mum, really.’

  ‘Rubbish, love. You’re great with him. I’ve seen you two together, remember.’

  ‘He needs a dad. He keeps asking me about it now. He never used to, but now he never bloody stops. Is it Justin, is it Adam, is it Rex?’

  ‘Rex?’ Mary Clark laughed. ‘Christ, love, the bloke’s only been up here five minutes, and there’s also the little matter of him being…’

  ‘I know, I know. Something tells me that Ben might not grow up to be a copper, given his limited powers of observation. And that might not be a bad thing, all things considered.’

  ‘You don’t mean that. You love the job, Pepper.’

  ‘Aye, exactly, I do. Far too much, in fact. I reckon I’d be a lot better off if I did a job that I just quite enjoyed. You know what I mean? One that I could just close the door on at six o’clock every night, and then just get on with my life for the rest of the day. Like a normal person.’

  ‘All right, what kind of job would you like, if you weren’t a cop?’

  ‘I don’t know. Wine taster, maybe? Or a road tester for uncomfortable shoes. That way I could stop the bastards selling the ones that totally bugger up your feet, and I’d get to keep the comfy ones that looked good on me. It’d be a win-win, would that.’

  Pepper was on the far side of tipsy as she walked home, and was hoping that her head cleared a bit before she had to face the sitter. Alice was sixteen and serious, so Pepper always got the feeling that she was being judged, and not favourably. The streets were Monday night quiet, but Pepper still didn’t notice her phone ringing, until the volume was loud enough to wake people in the houses she was passing.

  ‘Shhhh’, she said to no-one, reaching into her bag. ‘Hello, it’s Pepper.’

  ‘Pepper, it’s me, Linda.’

  ‘How are you, love?’ Normally Pepper would have been cross, because Linda Taylor was a former informant who’d left her abusive husband and informed on Dai Young’s operation, and was supposed to be starting a new life somewhere else. Pepper didn’t know where, and she didn’t want to.

  ‘Have you been drinking, love?’ said Linda. ‘It’s Monday night.’

  ‘I’m on late turn tomorrow. Don’t have a go at me, love. I’ve got to face Alice in a minute.’

  ‘Alice? Who’s she? Listen, love, are you sober enough to concentrate?’

  ‘I’m as sober as a judge. More sober than quite a few of the old bastards, truth be told. What can I do for you, love?’

  ‘I’ve been spotted, love. Dai Young knows where I am, I’m bloody sure of it.’

  It took a moment, just one sharp intake of cool night air, and then Pepper was sober. She felt as if she’d been slapped in the face. When she spoke again she sounded almost exactly like a cop.

  ‘What makes you think that, love?’

  ‘I’ve seen Vince Boyle.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Aye, pretty certain. Standing at the bus stop, just down from where I’m living. I was coming back from the shops in a cab and I saw him, just sitting on the bench there, like.’

  ‘Is he there now?’

  ‘No. I’ve not seen him again.’

  ‘And has anything else odd happened?’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘Like anything. Anyone hanging around, say?’

  ‘No, not really.’

  Pepper was right outside her own house now. She needed to get off the phone before Alice spotted her.

  ‘All right. Now I’m going to ask you a question, and I need you to be completely honest with me, OK?’

  ‘Aye, OK.’

  ‘Have you told anyone from up here where you are? Anyone at all?’

  ‘No, honest I haven’t. It’s been hard, like, not talking to my mum, but I haven’t.’

  ‘And you’ve been off all the social media, email, everything like that?’

  ‘Aye, of course. You can check if you like.’

  ‘Then you’re all right, love, I’m sure of that. Vince is a right ugly bastard, I’ll give you that, but there are bloody thousands of ugly blokes around, aren’t there? I’m sure you’ve got nowt to worry about. But still, you’re doing the right thing, keeping an eye out.’

  ‘Well….’

  ‘And if you’ve got real concerns, then move again. I’m just sorry I can’t help you anymore, but I’ve got no more cash to give you.’

  ‘Move again? Do you know what you’re bloody saying, Pepper? It took me weeks to do what your mate told me, and get myself a new National Insurance number, and all that shit. The kids are just starting to get a bit settled, although Nathan’s still wetting the bed every single bloody night. I can’t go through all this again, love, I just can’t. I’m all on my own down here.’

  ‘I know, and it’s got to be really hard for you. But think about the alternative, being back up here with Tommy. Things will get better for you love, I promise. Now, get some rest, OK? You sound tired.’

  ‘I am, aye. I miss you, Pepper. I wish it’d been us out on the lash tonight. You know, like the old days.’

  ‘Aye, good times. And I miss you too, love. But I’d better go, before Alice comes outside and tells me that I’m being grounded for a week, because of all the bloody noise I’m making out here.’

  Tuesday, 16th June, 4.46am

  Cumberland Royal Infirmary

  When Davey Hood opened his eyes it took him a moment to realise where he was. It was the smell he noticed first, then the muggy heat, followed by the sound of a machine, beeping steadily. He tried to move, but his back ached, a sharp pain that he’d never felt before. He pushed through it, and stood up, arching his back and looking down at the hospital chair that had been the cause of his discomfort, then across at his mum in the high steel bed alongside. Even in the dim, bluish light he could see the bruises, darkening the parchment pale skin on her face. She was quite still, and breathing without the aid of any machinery.

  They’d definitely told him that she’d be OK, and that she’d be up and about in a day or two. They might even have said that it wasn’t as bad as it looked, and not to worry. He couldn’t remember exactly what they’d told him, because of the blood beating in his forehead, and the almost overwhelming urge to run from the hospital to wherever Dai Young was, and to beat him to death with his bare hands. Because Davey Hood was almost sure that Dai Young was behind what had happened to his mum that night. All he needed her to do was wake up, so she could tell him that herself. It would be an hour or two yet, the doctors had said, but what did they know?

  When the nurse finally poked her head round the door she said that she didn’t have time to sit with his mum while he went to buy a coffee, and that there was a button for her to push if she did wake and needed help. So he’d be fine to nip out for a few minutes. Hood felt the anger rising again, even though the girl had smiled as she spoke to him, and he could see the fear in her face as he swore back at her. But he raised his hand in apology immediately, and she said that she’d heard worse. But she didn’t smile again, and she closed the door quickly. Hood couldn’t say he blamed her. He rubbed his temples hard with his knuckles, the way he’d done on night ops, and it helped him calm down and focus on the job in hand.

  ‘Sorry, mum. I’m sorry about all this. But I’ll make it right, you just see if I don’t.’

  When his mum did come round, at just before seven, Hood was asked to leave, and then told to clear off, at least for an hour or two. But Davey didn’t leave. He found a chair in an empty room, and sat out in the corridor. He was still there when a young bloke with a Police ID round his neck came loping along the corridor. When he stopped at the door to his mum’s room Hood got up and held out an arm.

  ‘Let’s see some ID’, he said. The lad reached into his pocket, without thinking.

  ‘DC Henry Armstrong. And who are you?’

  ‘Davey Hood. Beryl is my mum.’

  ‘Why aren�
��t you in with her?’

  ‘Medics are in there.’

  ‘They’ll be out in a minute, I expect. I had a message to say that your mum was ready for an initial interview, so I’ll pop in as soon as they come out.’

  ‘I’ll be coming with you.’

  ‘I’m afraid not, Mr. Hood.’

  ‘Bollocks.’

  ‘No, it’s not. Look, I’m sure that this isn’t the case, but what if you’d assaulted your mum? I’m happy to have a word with you afterwards, and of course you can always ask your mum the same questions that I will, but only after I’ve gone. I hope we’re absolutely clear on that.’

  ‘Aye, OK. Sorry, mate.’

  ‘No problem. So why not go and get yourself some breakfast? I’ll make sure nothing happens to your mum.’

  Hood laughed. ‘No offence, son, but you couldn’t look after a bunch of grapes. Not from the animals who did this, anyway. No, I’ll be going nowhere.’

  Armstrong smiled. ‘Have it your own way, Mr. Hood. And I take it, from what you say, that you have an idea about who it was who assaulted your mum?’

  ‘Aye, of course. Dai Young, or one of his lads.’

  ‘And why would Young have your mother attacked? From what I know of Mrs. Hood she doesn’t sound like the criminal type.’

  Hood looked sharply at the young cop. He didn’t seem to be taking the piss, and that was a good thing. Because otherwise there’d have been another hospital admission that morning.

  ‘He burned down my depot.’