Call & Response (14 page)

‘But you will, won’t you? I may have only been here for five minutes, and I’ve heard the jokes about Police cars now only turning up at jobs in one hour time-slots and all that, but I’m not that bloody green.’ Pepper smiled. She’d heard all the jokes too. ‘So the point is this, Pepper. This job is a team game. We share information, and we use all the resources at our disposal. We don’t try to get everything done on our own. I hope that’s absolutely clear.’

‘It is, ma’am. I’ll go and have a word with my knight in shining armour then, shall I?’

‘You do that. And if you see any others like him kicking about the place, make sure to send them my way, would you? I could certainly do with one.’

At lunchtime Armstrong and Copeland went out together to get a sandwich. Copeland drove them to one of the out-of-town supermarkets, and he went to turn the music down as he drove. ‘Sorry, mate’ he said.

‘No, leave it, I like it.’

‘Do you? Honestly?’

‘Not really, no.’

Copeland laughed and turned it off.

‘Lighten up, Henry. You’re not dissing my people or nothing like that. It’s all right not to like my music. I probably wouldn’t like yours either. Everyone’s different, aren’t they?’

‘I suppose so.’

‘Stop walking on bloody egg shells then, mate. We’re both just coppers, yeah? So what do you do, when you’re not working?’

‘I like walking. You know, on the fells.’

‘Me too.’

Armstrong was surprised, and he looked it. Copeland laughed. ‘No shit, I do. It’s one of the reasons that I cam up here, in fact. And your dad’s a doctor, right?’

‘Aye. How about yours?’

‘Drives a tube train. It used to be a bus, but he prefers the tube.’

‘I’d worry about the jumpers.’

‘Yeah, I know what you mean. He used to worry about it, but there’s nothing you can do, he says. And he’s not had one yet, thank God.’

‘So were your folks glad when you joined the job?’

‘They’re proud of me, sure, but I don’t think it’s what they had in mind for me, if I’m honest.’

‘What did they want you to do?’

‘Something they could boast about at church on Sunday. A bit more white collar, you know. Doctor, maybe.’

‘Same here. The doctor bit, I mean. I’m the first Henry Armstrong in five generations not to be a doctor.’

‘Good for you, man. Go your own way, I say. So your parents aren’t keen on you being in the job?’

‘Not really. Not at all, actually. It’s just my dad now, and he seems to think it’s just a phase, the job.’

‘And is it?’

‘Honestly? Three weeks ago I was having my doubts, and after I was attacked I was really starting to wonder. But I’m not now. I’m staying.’

‘Good news, mate. Well, I’ve never had any doubts, not from the day I started. I’ve nicked people I grew up with, people that were almost family to me, but I’ve never once regretted joining the cops. People who do bad shit deserve to get caught, and that’s it.’

‘So that’s why you came up here then? So you wouldn’t have to nick people you know any more?’

‘A bit, I suppose. But that was before I turned up in the whitest place in the whole world, and ended up nicking some Asian blokes. Not that I give a shit either way, of course.’

‘Me neither. I can’t see what all the fuss is about.’

‘Really?’ Copeland turned in his chair and smiled. ‘So you’re colour-blind are you? No prejudices tucked away at the back of your head somewhere?’

‘Well, I wouldn’t say that. Not exactly, like.’

Copeland laughed and punched Armstrong on the upper arm.

‘Is the right answer, mate. We’re all prejudiced, in one way or another. Black, white, it don’t matter. I make judgements about you, about Pepper, about everyone, based on all kind of little things.’

‘Like what?’

‘Like did you see her punch Mo Afridi?’

‘Not really, no.’

‘Well she hits like she means it, Henry. She’s a very angry woman, I’d say. Seriously pissed off, in fact.’

‘Angry about what?’

‘I don’t know yet, but I’ll find out. Secrets never last long, not in this job.’

Armstrong nodded, even though he wasn’t sure that he agreed, and had to resist the urge to rub his arm. It was just starting to hurt, and he could feel a little round bruise beginning to darken beneath his skin.

Thursday, September 10th

CID office, Carlisle HQ, 11.17am.

‘Henry,’ Pepper called out from her office, ‘can you find your way out to Aspatria?’

‘Aye, of course. What do you want me to do?’

‘Drive me there. Come on, we’ve got to go and see someone who I bet you’ll really want to meet.’

‘Who, boss?’

‘I’ll tell you on the way.’

‘OK. Anything I need to bring with me?’

‘Just your ‘cuffs. You’ll be needing them.’

By the time they were leaving the western outskirts of Carlisle Armstrong knew exactly what the job entailed. ‘I don’t believe it, Pepper. This is the bloke who assaulted me, and he wants to give himself up for it? He’ll get five years if he does, I expect.’

‘I know. Ace, isn’t it?’

‘But we had nothing on him. There was no chance of him ever being convicted.’

‘Absolutely none. That’s what’s so great. There’s more chance of me watching that dancing shit on the telly on a Saturday night. But let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth, eh?’

‘Fair enough, I suppose. But I can’t believe that he’d really decide to give me a kicking because I nicked him for stealing those boilers. He didn’t even go down for it, did he? I thought about him as a possible like, but when I knew he was alibi’d up I forgot all about him, to tell the truth.’

‘But he lost face, didn’t he? Being seen to nick off vulnerable old people, which is basically what he was doing. That’s how he sees it, anyway, as a loss of face, even though everyone in the bloody town already knew fine well that he’s a thieving little bastard.’

‘But why’s he turning himself in now? I just can’t understand it. He must be off his bloody head.’

‘Let’s wait and see, shall we? He said he’s staying in a cottage down by the cheese factory. Do you know where that is?’

‘Oh aye, you can’t miss it. We just turn left when we’re in the town.’

‘Right, get us down there and get parked up. He said he’d find us, like.’

‘Why all the cloak-and-dagger? I thought he was just giving himself up? Couldn’t he have just strolled into Carlisle nick? It’s not like he doesn’t know where it is.’

Pepper shrugged. ‘Like you say, maybe he’s gone totally batshit barmy. Perhaps he’s paranoid about something or other.’

‘But we are out to get him, aren’t we?’

Pepper laughed. ‘You’re not wrong there, Henry. We bloody well are, and all.’

They’d only been parked for thirty seconds when the rear door opened, and Flynn slid in.

‘I’m sorry, mate,’ he said, ‘no hard feelings, eh?’

‘Not if you’re intending to come with us, and make a statement on the record.’

‘You bet I am. Let’s get on our way. Now, please, if not sooner.’

But Armstrong didn’t start the car.

‘Not just yet. Tell us why you’re doing this. No, tell me why you’re doing this.’

Flynn hesitated, started to speak, stopped, then started again. ‘Guilt. That’s it. I’m just feeling so guilty. I couldn’t live with myself, like.’

‘Seriously? You expect us to believe that crock of shit?’

‘Aye, aye. Why wouldn’t you? It’s the God’s honest truth, is that.’

‘And it was a targeted attack, was it? You knew it was me?’

‘Of course I did, lad. It was planned, down to the last detail.’

‘And, just out of interest, what would you have done, if that PCSO hadn’t been right behind me?’

‘I wouldn’t have killed you, like. Just given you a bloody good kicking. Ruptured your spleen, something like that. And you can live without your spleen, can’t you? Now, can we fuck off back to Carlisle and get this over with?’

But still Henry didn’t start the car. He glanced across at Pepper, who was looking at something outside, over on her side of the car.

‘I’m sorry, Gary, but I don’t believe a bloody word of this. It’s all just utter cobblers, is this. Someone has put you up to this, or got you shit scared enough to come to us, anyway.’

‘Me, scared? You’ve got me mixed up with someone else, marrer. I’m fearless, me. Like I told you before, I’m feeling guilty. That’s it, honest.’

‘Get out’ said Armstrong firmly, and now Pepper looked round at him. ‘You heard me, get out of the bloody car, Gary.’

‘Now wait a minute. I’m confessing here. It was me who jumped you. You’ve got to nick me. That’s the bloody law, that is.’

‘Since when were you an expert on the law? All right, I’ll make you a deal. And you’d better say yes, because this is the best offer you’re going to get. You tell me who you’re afraid of, and why, and we’ll take you in. You don’t have to name him or her in your statement, but you have to tell us now, OK?’

‘Her? No way is it a woman. What do you bloody take me for? All right, I’ll tell you. It’s Dai Young. Pepper knows him. He’s got it into his head that I’m a grass.’

‘And are you?’

‘Fuck, no. I’ve never grassed in my life, and I’ll never mention his name again. Do you get me, marrer?’

‘I do. But why would he think you’re a grass if you’re not, Gary? What is he, paranoid?’

‘Ask her.’

‘You mean Acting DI Wilson?’

‘Aye, who else would I mean?’

Pepper shook her head, but didn’t turn towards Flynn. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, Gary. You’re just rambling, mate. Fantasising, like. When we get back to the nick I’m going to get the MO to check you over, just to make sure that you’ve not gone bloody mental, and then we’ll sort you out with the very best Duty Solicitor that twenty quid an hour will buy. How does that sound?’

‘I don’t need a bloody brief. Just take my statement and get me remanded. I will get remanded, won’t I?’

‘Duffing up a copper and then admitting it gets you the extended stay, Gary. No question about that.’

‘Then let’s get on with it. Drive on, lad.’

Armstrong turned to Pepper, who smiled back. ‘You heard the man’ she said. ‘Let’s go.’

It was all over in two hours. Flynn admitted the assault, and settled down for a night in the cells.

‘I just don’t understand it’ said the Duty Solicitor, as he was packing his case in the interview room. ‘Don’t worry about it, Fred’ said Pepper. ‘I don’t either, and I don’t bloody care. I can never understand why most of them do any of the things they do, and I stopped asking years ago. He did it, he’s coughed to it, and that’s an end of it, I’m afraid. Bad for the old fees, maybe, but there it is.’

‘Don’t worry about that, love. I’ll live, I expect.’

Armstrong was going to get up to hold the door open for the elderly lawyer, but Pepper put her hand on his arm. ‘We’ll just stay and chat for a bit, shall we?’

Armstrong started speaking before Fred was quite out of the room. ‘So you’ve met this David Young character, I take it?’

‘Many times. I’ve known him since we were both about three years old.’

‘Recently, I meant.’

‘Aye, I’ve seen him recently. I mentioned him to the Super yesterday, in fact.’

‘And you wouldn’t have mentioned Gary Flynn to this Young as well, would you?’

‘The name might have come up, aye.’

‘Mentioned by you, I expect.’

‘Possibly, aye, very possibly.’

‘And might you have suggested that Gary is a grass?’

‘But he’s not, is he?’

‘He’s not registered, no.’

‘Then why would I tell a lie, Henry? I’m a sworn Police officer, after all. But tell me this, would you disapprove, like, if I had convinced Young that Gary Flynn is a grass?’

‘But that might have got him killed though, Pepper.’

She shrugged. ‘Would you disapprove?’

‘Yes. No. Look I’m not sure, OK? It’s complicated, isn’t it?’

‘It certainly is. So it’s a good thing it never actually happened then, isn’t it?’

Armstrong nodded, slowly. It was complicated. Not in principle perhaps, but certainly in practice. ‘And what about all that other stuff he was telling us in the car?’

‘After he told us again that he’s not a grass, you mean?’

Armstrong laughed. ‘Aye, when he’d said that, like. Was it all bullshit, do you think? To try and excuse why he’s so shit-scared of this Young, maybe. I had a look at the bloke’s record, and to be honest he doesn’t look like a psycho. Not by a long shot. So all that stuff about Young being here for something big, and for some gangsters from down south being involved, that’s all just bollocks, is it?’

‘What do you think?’

‘Probably all talk, aye. You know what cons are like, absolutely full of it. But what if it’s not, all talk I mean? What then?’

‘Then we’ll be kept busy, won’t we, Henry? But you’re up for the fight, that’s obvious.’

‘I am, aye.’

‘Good, and Rex is a really good young copper.’

‘I’ve got a lot to learn from him. I know that.’

‘That’s not what I meant. I meant that we’re a team now, aren’t we? So bring it right on, I say. The likes of Dai Young doesn’t frighten us. Never has, and never bloody will.’

Pepper Wilson returned to her office before Flynn was formally charged. That was partly because she didn’t feel quite as good about it as she’d expected to, and partly because she was just far too busy to savour the moment. There was no way that she would give the Super the slightest excuse to bring in a more senior SIO on the Afridi case, no matter how many investigative arms and legs it grew. Nothing that Sandy Smith and her team had discovered so far suggested a wider conspiracy, or even that many more victims would come to light. And that would be a blessing, if it happened that way. But it would be the public appeal for information that would establish whether they were actually looking at a really substantial number of victims. So for the next half-hour Pepper made notes on the points that she’d like to be covered in the appeal, and prepared herself to argue her corner with the CPS and that bloody blonde woman from the press office.

The after-school club chucked out at six, and Pepper arrived at just after quarter past. Penny, the manager, didn’t really listen to Pepper’s excuses, and Pepper didn’t blame her. She’d sat in enough interview rooms listening to recidivists recite their litany of lame-brain bollocks to know that there wasn’t any point. But she tried one more time, anyway.

‘I’m really sorry, love. But we’re on with a really big case. You probably saw it on the local news.’

‘Oh, aye, that. And I hope you bloody get them, love. But within my working hours, like.’

‘Point taken.’

‘We’ll have to start fining you again soon, love, if this goes on.’

‘I understand.’

Ben looked uncomfortable. He didn’t like hearing his mum getting told off.

‘Mind you’, added Penny, ‘I blame the parents for your case. Single parents, most of them. What were they thinking, letting their kids out at all hours, getting involved with people like that.’

‘Aye, well, there is that.’ Pepper took Ben’s hand, smiled at Penny with all the goodwill that she could muster, and set off for the car. And she made a point of looking very carefully at the painting, folded and stuck-together, that he solemnly presented to her when she’d got him settled on his car seat. She was pretty sure that it was an elephant, and she was about to say so.

‘It’s the castle’ he said, after a moment. ‘We went there today.’

‘Of course it is, love. It’s absolutely great.’

‘Is the castle where bad people get sent?’

‘It used to be. We have prisons now.’

‘Is my dad in prison, mummy?’

‘No, Ben, of course not.’ She was going to ask why he thought that, but stopped herself. There was no need to ask. He wasn’t there, and that was reason enough.

‘Why doesn’t he come and see me then, mummy? I think about him every night, at bedtime.’

Pepper felt her eyes fill with tears, and she blinked hard to clear her vision. It was like driving through a thunderstorm.

‘I love you, Ben’ she said.

‘And I love you too, mum. What’s for tea? Can we have chips?’

‘Go on then, seeing as it’s you.’

When Ben was in bed, and Pepper’s aunty Ruth had finished her coffee and was half way through her weekly digest of the local gossip, Pepper interrupted her.

‘Would you mind if I popped out for a minute, love?’

‘But you look done in, Samantha. Why not sit and chat with me for another ten minutes, then head for bed? You’ve caught those horrible men now, so you can relax, can’t you?’

Pepper smiled. She was always surprised when something made her aware of the level of trust that the great British public still had in the Police, even if they grossly overestimated the extent of Cumbria Constabulary’s ability to actually deliver against that trust.

‘I just need to pop out for twenty minutes, Ruth. I need to pick up a couple of bits from the convenience store on the corner. So how about a cheeky G&T to keep you company while I’m gone, eh?’

Pepper didn’t want to go out, but her cupboards were almost bare, and even the freezer was empty. She poured her aunt a decent drink, added an extra splash of gin for good measure, and took a sip for herself. The lemon that she’d used was past its best, but the gin more than made up for that, she decided. So she took another sip, just to be sure.

She set off for the shop, but even as she’d pulled the front door closed behind her she’d known that she was going somewhere else first. She’d not seen her dad in many months, but she still thought about him every day as well, the bastard. His flat was a five minute walk away, and she knew he’d be at home. He didn’t have the money to be anywhere else.

‘Sam, love’ he said, when he answered the door. ‘I’ve been thinking about you.’

She followed him in, and braced herself for the smell of old take-aways and beer. It was bad, but she’d been to worse. She knew that her dad would be found, sometime quite soon, ten days dead, and someone would have to clear all this shit up afterwards. But it wouldn’t be her. She already knew that.

‘How have you been?’ she asked, not even attempting to sit down.

‘Aye, not great. You know. My luck’s bad again.’

‘When was it ever good, dad? Look, I can’t stay. I just wanted to check that you were, you know….’