The Amen Cadence by J. J. Salkeld Read Free Book Online Page B

inoculated her against their charms. But today she wasn’t quite so sure. The clouds were high, fluffy and sparse, and their shadows raced across the fells, momentarily dulling the vivid greens, browns and greys. For the first time she could actually see herself living in one of those little white chocolate-box cottages, way over yonder. Maybe she had a few fox-proof chickens, and perhaps Ben wanted to be a shepherd when he grew up. And it was that last thought that killed the daydream stone dead. Carlisle was Ben’s home, just as it was hers, and in the end you only ever got one of those. Everywhere else was just places that you visited, and maybe even stayed for a while.
     
    Pepper was thinking about Linda Taylor when she heard a noise behind her, and saw Dr. Armstrong standing there.
    ‘How is he?’
    ‘He’ll be fine in a day or so. Not even concussed. He just needs a bit of bed rest, that’s all.’
    ‘Shouldn’t he be in hospital?’
    ‘No need, honestly. I’ll keep a close eye on him.’
    There was a pause. ‘Did he talk about what happened?’ asked Pepper.
    ‘No, and I didn’t ask. Or rather, I stopped asking after the fourth or fifth attempt. But I must admit that I’m a little surprised that you came here. I thought that in situations like this, where an officer is assaulted, you get your own doctor to examine the injured person?’
    ‘We do, aye. Usually, anyway.’
    ‘So there’s something irregular about what happened today?’ Pepper didn’t reply. ‘You don't have to tell me anything. Just so long as Henry isn’t in any trouble.’
    ‘Henry? Christ, no. He’s done nothing wrong, I promise you. He was just trying to defend me, that’s all.’
    ‘Judging from the state of Henry’s face it was a man who attacked you, then?’
    ‘Well, aye, it was.’
    ‘I hope you arrested him. If there’s one thing I cannot abide it’s when a man strikes a woman. Call me old fashioned, but….’
    ‘I attacked him, the man who hit Henry. It was totally my own fault, I’m afraid.’
     
    Dr. Armstrong sat, and gestured to Pepper to do the same.
    ‘I’m sure that you had your reasons.’
    ‘I’m not sure that I did. Certainly not legally. But he threatened my son, this bloke. Not in so many words, like, but he was threatening to hurt him. He’s only six, is my Ben.’
    Armstrong nodded.
    ‘Is this man capable…’
    ‘Of hurting a child? Absolutely. I know it sounds crazy, but aye, I’m certain of it. You must have met people like that, doctor.’
    ‘I have, yes, once or twice. So I don’t doubt that some people, just a very few, are capable of astonishing acts of violence and brutality. But do you ever think about why they’re the way they are? Is it nature or nurture, as it were?’
     
    Pepper looked at him as if he’d asked if she’d prefer to be eaten by a lion or a crocodile. ‘I don’t, not really, doc. Our job is just to catch the bastards. They can save the excuses for the bleeding hearts on the bench. But in this particular case I know the answer, as it happens. It was nature, 100%, that turned Dai Young into the animal that he is today.’
    ‘How can you be so sure?’
    ‘Because we grew up together. Same background, same city, same school, same everything. His dad was a violent, drunken, lazy bastard, and mine was too. If anything my background is worse than his. So we could have turned out just the same.’
    ‘But you didn’t.’
    ‘No, we didn’t. And why would that be, if it wasn’t for our genes, or whatever it is? Because I can’t see a single reason why he couldn’t be a copper, and I couldn’t be a con, otherwise.’
     
    Armstrong got up, and walked to the window. He seemed to be watching a bird in the garden. He was still looking outside when he spoke again.
    ‘You will look after Henry, won’t you, DS Wilson? He’s not, what’s the word? As resilient, as strong as some people. I know that, and I expect he does too.’
    ‘You mean he doesn’t come