by Robert Innes
The young officer looked up, slightly terrified at the new arrival. “Oh,” he said, placing the tray down on a desk. “Hi. I’m Billy. Mattison. Sorry, P.C Mattison.” He stood up straight in what Blake assumed was his way of trying to look professional. Blake appreciated it, nevertheless.
“There’s a few others, but you’ll meet them in time, I’m sure.” Royale said.
The sound of a phone ringing came from the corridor. Blake wondered if Darnwood would put down her crossword to answer it.
“Well, you get yourself settled in, D.S Harte.” Royale beamed. “You’ll soon learn how we do things around here.”
“Sir!”
Darnwood walked into the room, clutching a piece of paper in her hand. “Just had a call for a car to go up to Halfmile Farm. Reports of a disturbance? Something to do with Daniel Donaldson.”
“Donaldson!” Gardiner exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. “Got the little sod.”
“Daniel Donaldson?” inquired Blake.
“He’s a repeat offender sir.” Patil replied. “Not that we’ve been able to nail him down for anything, other than the odd drunken fight outside the pub.”
“He gave me a nosebleed once.” Mattison muttered. “I’d love to see him sent down.”
Blake nodded. “I know the sort. Let me guess, council house, seven hundred kids and a girlfriend who sits at home and does what she’s told?”
Gardiner scoffed. “He’d have a job with that.” He put his hand up then bent his wrist delicately. “He’s like that. Right, let’s go.”
Gardiner’s words resonated around Blake’s head. He strongly suspected that Sergeant Gardiner and he were not going to get on.
“Well, why don’t you go too?” Royale said as Gardiner, Patil and Mattison hurried out of the room. “Give you a sense of location and all that.”
Blake nodded and hurried out of the room. Outside, he met the other officers by one of the cars and climbed into the front.
“You coming with us, Sir?” Mattison said, looking slightly excited.
“Yep.” Blake replied. He could already tell that Mattison was keen to impress.
Gardiner rolled his eyes at Mattison and climbed into the driver’s seat. He started the engine and they sped off towards Halfmile farm.
That morning, Harrison had woken up early. The sunrise sent beams of gentle light through the gap in his curtains. He had sent a text to Daniel asking him to come to the farm when he woke up the previous night. Despite being quite a heavy drinker, Daniel had always been an early riser, so Harrison was expecting him to arrive within the next couple of hours.
The familiar clattering of buckets and closing metal gates told him that his father was already up, and at work. Harrison’s only job that day was to clean out the chicken sheds, but he didn’t need to do that till later that afternoon.
He stood up and went to the window to open the curtains. Seth was walking towards the shed where all the equipment was stored. Harrison watched him unlock it and place a few tools inside before remerging a few moments later, slamming the door behind him. He locked the door and walked briskly across the yard.
Harrison went downstairs to the kitchen where his mother was already halfway through her morning clean of the house.
“Morning love.” She said, looking up. “Sit yourself down, I’ll get you a tea. It’s just brewed.”
Harrison sat down at the table, phone in his hand. He was waiting for the text from Daniel that said that he was on his way. It normally took him about twenty minutes to walk down from the top of the hill to the farm.
Harrison had been rehearsing all night as to how he was going to do this and what he was going to say. He had gone from almost suggesting they have a break until Daniel had sorted himself out, to wanting to completely end it. The lying to his parents about the bruises had gone some way to making him realise how absurd the whole thing was. He had been there for Daniel through the toughest period of his life, only to have it, quite literally, shoved back in his face.
Sandra placed a large steaming mug of tea in front of him and hovered over him for a moment. Harrison glanced up at her. Her black eye shone proudly back at him. “You alright, Mum?”
She hesitated, then sat down next to him. “How are those bruises doing sweetheart?”
Harrison nodded. “They’re alright. I can barely feel them.”
“Well, that’s because you’re a tough lad,” she leaned in confidentially. “No matter what your dad says.”
Harrison smiled back at her. There was a pause, then she placed her hand over his and stared at him with an intense look of concern in her eyes.
“Whilst your dad’s not here, do you want to tell me where they really came from?”
Harrison froze. “What do you mean? I told you, I got…”
“Harrison Baxter,” His mother replied, kindly but firmly. “You had that exact same expression on your face when you were twelve and I asked you if you knew who had smashed that big vase in the living room.
Harrison looked down at the floor, apparently telling Sandra all she needed to know. “Oh, love…” She murmured. “How long has this been going on for?”
Harrison looked up at her, his brain lamely attempting to formulate an excuse, but failing. Instead, he just sighed. “A couple of years.”
“Harrison.” She groaned, talking a grip of his hand. “I had a feeling. I knew something like this was going on. Just the way you were around him. You know you need to end it with him, don’t you? If he’s hitting you, that’s it.
He raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re one to talk.”
“Look, never mind about me. I’m alright. But listen to what I’m telling you. Use me as proof if you like. It’s only going to get worse. Can you honestly do this for the rest of your life?”
Harrison nodded. “He’s coming over in a bit.”
His phone suddenly pinged as a text message came through. It was from Daniel. ‘On way,’ was all it said.
“Coming over now in fact.” Harrison said nervously. “I’m ending it today. I’d already decided.”
Sandra squeezed his hand reassuringly. “Do you want me to be nearby?”
Harrison shook his head. “Just give us some space would you Mum? I need to do this on my own. And for God’s sake, whatever you do, don’t tell Dad. He’d go mad if he knew, you know that.”
Sandra had a strange expression on her face, as if she had never been more proud of him than at that moment. She nodded. “I’ll make myself scarce, but you shout me, as loud as you like, if things get a bit…”
“I will. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
Sandra leant over and hugged him. “Good luck son.” She said, before disappearing out of the front door.
Twenty minutes later, Harrison was stood in the kitchen, watching Daniel turn the corner on his way down the hill towards the farm. This was it. His heart was hammering in his chest at the thought of how Daniel was going to react to what he had to say and now he could see him walking towards him, he had completely forgotten how he had been planning to word it.
Daniel arrived at the front door and walked in without knocking. “Alright?” he said. Harrison looked at him standing in the doorway and a feeling of dread ran through him. He was drunk.
“Dan,” Harrison began nervously. “I need to talk to you.”
Daniel stumbled forwards and put his arms around Harrison, gripping him tightly. The smell of stale beer hung off him. “What’s wrong?” he slurred.
Harrison attempted to pull back from him but Daniel held his grip. “Dan, let go,” He gasped. “Please.”
Daniel loosened his hold on Harrison and stared at him. “What’s wrong with you?” He said, a touch of accusation in his voice. “Aren’t I allowed to hug you?”
Harrison looked up at him nervously.
“Well?” Daniel snapped. “If you’ve got something to say, say it. Dragging me here this early, what –“
“It’s about us.” Blurted Harrison.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
“You can’t what?”
Harrison took a deep breath. “I can’t do this anymore. I’m sorry. Please don’t go mad.”
There was a long silence. Harrison’s heart was thumping wildly. Daniel’s eyes were wide. “What? Why? What’s wrong with you? What are you on about?”
“I can’t be this person anymore, Dan.” Harrison lifted up his t-shirt to reveal the bruises on his side. “This isn’t what you do to someone you love. I’ve tried waiting, I’ve kept quiet, I’ve lied to people about why I’m covered in bruises and I can’t do it anymore!” Now he had started, the words were flowing out like a stream. “I’m walking around in pain Dan, most days! Every single time I take my clothes off to have a shower or something, all I can see and feel is where you’ve hit me, where you’ve kicked me and I can’t do it anymore.”
“But you said, in fact you admitted that the other night was your fault. You said ‘I’m sorry Dan, I messed up,’ those were your exact words!”
“All I’d done was try to tell you to stop drinking Dan.” Harrison replied, trying to sound as forceful as he could. And all you did was pull me to the ground by my hair and kick me on the floor – because that is what you get like when you’re drunk! Sometimes not even then, when you’re sober. I mean, look at you! You’re drunk now! Have you even been to bed?”
“Don’t you judge me. You know what I’ve had to deal with and you said you were there for me, you promised me you’d support me!”
Daniel’s voice was raising and he stepped forwards menacingly. Harrison stood his ground. “Supporting you is one thing, but just letting you lash out at me whenever it gets too much for you isn’t what I’m here for. None of this is my fault, so why are you treating me like it is? I didn’t kill your dad, did I?”
The words had escaped before he could stop himself. Daniel stared at him, his face contorted in anger.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to word it like that –“
But before he could say anything else, Daniel had grabbed him by the throat and pushed him against the wall. “Is this a joke to you?” He shouted. “My Dad dies and it affects me, turns me into a screw up and you think you can just drop me because you’ve ran out of ways to help?”
“Dan-“choked Harrison as his grip tightened.
“You are not going anywhere.” Daniel growled, his face inches from Harrison’s. “Say it. Say you’re not ending this, tell me you’re lying!”
Harrison couldn’t have said anything even if he had wanted to, Daniel’s fingers were too tight round his throat. Suddenly, everything happened at once. There was another voice shouting in the room and Harrison had been thrown back to the ground, gasping for air. His vision was blurry through the tears in his eyes as he looked up to see Seth standing over Daniel who looked like he had be launched across the room and had landed against the table.
Seth’s eyes were wide with fury. “You are done here.” He growled. “How do you like it, eh? Being bullied?” He picked Daniel up by the scruff of his neck and frogmarched him out of the kitchen.
Harrison stood up and ran after them. “Dad! What are you doing?!”
Seth was striding with the struggling Daniel across the yard and towards the tool shed. His hostage stumbled and fell to the ground, but was quickly hauled up and forced towards the door of the shed.
“Harrison, go and get me a phone.” Seth snapped. He pulled the key to the shed out of his pocket and opened the door. “I’m calling the police and this piece of dirt isn’t going anywhere till they arrive!”
He threw Daniel into the shed and slammed the door, holding the door closed with his hand.
“Oi!” roared Daniel from inside the shed. “Let me out!”
Daniel’s foot kicked heavily against the door as Seth placed his shoulder against it to stop him from escaping.
“This is the end of you bullying my son! By the time I’m finished with you, you’ll be rotting in a cell.”
He pushed the key into the lock and turned it. There was another bang against the door. Seth turned round to Harrison and walked towards him. “Come on. He can’t get out now.”
Harrison stared at the shed and then ran after his father back into the house.
“Where’s the phone?” Seth snapped as he strode into the kitchen.
Harrison wordlessly pointed to his mobile on the table. His father picked it up and pressed the screen. “Well, unlock the bloody thing then.” He thrust the phone back into Harrison’s shaking hands.
Harrison stared at the shed. He hadn’t wanted Daniel to be arrested for what he had done to him, it hadn’t even occurred to him. “Dad, do we have to do this?”
Seth didn’t say another word, he merely clicked his fingers loudly and held his hand out for the phone. Reluctantly, Harrison gave it to him.
Seth furiously dialled and put the phone to his ear before storming out of the kitchen. Harrison watched him leave, then took a deep breath to try and calm himself down. He looked at the shed. There was no way he was going to be able to get Daniel out of there now, Seth had the only key.
Harrison walked back out into the yard and towards the shed. He could hear his father asking for police on the phone. How had it come to this from that one kiss underneath a tree?
As he approached the shed, there was another, quieter thud against the door from inside.
“I’m sorry Dan,” Harrison called, softly. “He’s calling the police. They’ll be here soon.” His brain whirred, trying to think of something supportive to say. “Just know that I didn’t want any of this to happen.”
He walked round the shed, desperately attempting to formulate a plan. “You’ll get the help you need, Dan. I promise. You won’t get sent down or anything, I’ll make sure of it. They’ll talk to me, it’ll be fine. I promise.”
“Harrison!” shouted Seth from across the yard. “Get away from there, stay away from him!”
Harrison glanced at the shed again and walked back towards his father. “Dad,” he murmured imploringly, “If you let him out now, he’ll go. I’ve ended things with him, he won’t be back.”
“You say that now.” Grunted Seth. “But he’ll worm his way back into your life. This way, he can’t do that. The police will make sure of it. Now, wait inside.”
“But Dad –“
“Wait inside Harrison.” He replied firmly. “I won’t tell you again.”
Harrison sighed and walked back into the kitchen. There wasn’t any point in arguing and he didn’t have the fight in him to stand up to both of them.
He sat at the table and put his head in his hands trying to think about what he was going to say to the police. He had no experience in anything like this – maybe if he really pushed how much the death of Daniel’s dad had affected him then they’d surely have to have some sympathy with him then? There would be something he could say or do to make the situation better. He took another deep breath. It would be fine. Everything was going to be okay.
Blake glanced up the road as the farm started to come into view.
“Why do they call it Halfmile farm?” he asked.
Mattison poked his head out from the back seat. “Because it’s half a mile up the hill, Sir.”
Blake bit his tongue. The countryside was starting to get on his nerves now.
Throughout the whole journey, Gardiner didn’t say a word. Patil and Mattison were in the back chatting and Blake was fairly sure he could detect a bit of a spark between them. He remembered when he had been a police constable and there had been a bit of a romance between two of his colleagues of the same rank. It appeared some things were to remain the same.
“So, where did you say you were from, Sir?” Patil asked him.
“Well, I was stationed in Sale just outside Manchester.” Blake replied.
“How come you moved from there? It’s probably loads busier than here, isn’t it?” Mattison said.
“I just fancied a change, that’s all.” He answered simp
ly.
“In a massive city like Manchester though, imagine.” Patil gave a small chuckle. “I bet you had gangs and murders and drug dealers and all sorts to deal with there.”
“Well yeah. It certainly had its moments.” Blake conceded.
Gardiner scoffed as he parked the car at the entrance to the farm. He then got out and slammed the door sharply behind him.
“What’s his problem?” Blake inquired as he undid his seatbelt.
Mattison glanced at Patil. “Well Sir, I think the position you’ve filled by coming here is the one he was after. Sergeant Gardiner has been after a promotion for years.”
“And if you hadn’t have arrived, he’d probably have got it, Sir.” Patil grinned.
“Oh I see.” Blake nodded as he climbed out the car. He could imagine how irksome Gardiner would find it to be after a higher position for so long and then to find himself stuck where he was when a younger upstart like himself came in and trod on his toes.
Blake looked around him. The farm seemed to be of a pretty good size with the house right in the centre of all the action, but looking up, Blake was surprised to see a security camera staring back at him from the top of one of the fences. Glancing around, he realised there were quite a few all pointing to different areas of the yard and beyond.
“Is this sort of security normal round this area?” he said to Mattison, indicating the cameras.
“Oh, yeah.” Mattison replied, looking up at the camera. “They’ve had no end of thefts and break-ins round here. The man who lives here, Seth Baxter, he stuck up all these cameras and put up that shed thing over there to keep all his stuff in.”
Blake was just about to start walking towards the house when he was suddenly pushed forcefully from behind, sending him flying forwards and landing on a heap on the ground. He spun over looking for a culprit but instead found himself eye to eye with a small angry looking goat.
A young man came out of the house and ran towards them. He was young looking, blonde and had a body that looked fairly muscular underneath his t-shirt. He also looked very nervous.
“Oh my God, are you OK?” He panted, pulling the goat away from Blake. “Sorry about Betty. She’s just trying to be friendly.”
