Call & Response

by J. J. Salkeld

  ‘Too bloody right. So the next step is to track down other girls?’

  ‘Exactly. We’ve got a lead on a kid called Tracy Black. She was identified by Ashley from the pictures. And she wasn’t too pleased about it, I can tell you. Almost jealous, if you can believe that. Mad really, but there it is. Anyway, this Tracy seems like she’s got the usual trajectory too, poor kid. In and out of care, by the sounds of it.’

  ‘Can’t say I blame her, if she ran away from home. I know the parents, see. A proper pair of charmers they are.’

  ‘I’m off to see them next.’

  ‘I’ll come with you. You’ll need someone to interpret. And a bodyguard too, I shouldn’t wonder.’

  ‘Like that, is it?’

  ‘Put it this way, understanding them may turn out to be the least of your problems. You know that phrase, ‘the female is deadlier than the male’?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Well it was first said about the Blacks. Honest, it was. He’s as thick as pig dribble and built like a brick shit-house, but she’s a right nasty little cow. And I’m being charitable there.’

  ‘I can’t wait.’

  Pepper turned to Henry. ‘And what’s on your agenda for today, Henry?’

  ‘I’ve got the kids coming in who’ve owned up to those robberies down by the parade of shops.’

  ‘Good. How many?’

  ‘Two. One’s thirteen, the other’s fourteen.’

  ‘Any goods recovered?’ They all laughed, and at the same time. Even Henry already knew that wasn’t going to happen. ‘All right, Henry. Go through the motions. At least it’s a few more detections, and since I’m more than willing to accept the principle of guilt by association in this case I expect it’s a fair cop too. When I first joined the job I hated it when we did this, and just got cons to cough for any similar jobs we had on the books, because we still had the resources to investigate this sort of offence properly back then. It was just lazy policing. But now it’s this sort of shit or nothing, it really is. So well done for being so pragmatic in handling it this way. You’ve done well.’

  Armstrong beamed. ‘Thanks, boss.’

  ‘It’s Pepper, for Christ’s sake. Right then lads, let’s get on with it.’

  Pepper drove fast and well. Copeland grabbed the Jesus handle more than once as she cornered.

  ‘Where’s the fire?’ he asked, grinning.

  ‘You know as well as I do. We need to get another statement as soon as we can, before Ashley’s mum persuades her to retract hers. The clock is ticking, Rex, and this will be our only chance to nail Afridi, you mark my words. If he slides on this he’ll just melt away, and start working for cash under a different name in one of big cities. So it’s now or never, mate. And we’ve got nothing to worry about with the community here. They’ll know him for what he bloody is, and that’s a child sex offender.’

  ‘So you don’t buy the cultural differences argument?’

  She turned her heard sharply, even though she was half way round a roundabout. ‘Do you?’

  ‘Fuck, no. It’s about what’s right and wrong.’

  ‘And what’s illegal and not.’

  ‘Yeah, that too, of course.’

  ‘So how about a bit of weed?’ said Pepper, teasingly.

  Copeland laughed. ‘Why? You offering?’

  ‘You know what I mean. Last time I looked it was still Class B.’

  ‘You got me, I suppose. But where I come from if we nicked every black kid carrying a bit of skunk we’d need a warehouse, not a bloody prison. But the same goes for the white kids, and the Asian ones too, come to that. And it’s not exactly sex abuse, is it?’

  ‘No, it’s not. And the days when we could honestly say that we treat all crimes equally seriously are long gone, aren’t they? Even Joe Public doesn’t believe that load of bollocks any more, and they seem to swallow any old shit from our political lords and masters. Anyway, this is us. The Black residence.’

  ‘It looks all right.’

  ‘It does, doesn’t it? I grew up just round the corner, actually.’

  ‘No washing machines in the front gardens, anyway.’

  Pepper laughed. ’The Council comes round and collects those, that’s why. I’m not sure that Bill Black could actually operate a washing machine anyway, and his wife couldn’t be arsed. She just goes out and shoplifts when stuff gets dirty, I expect,’

  It was Mrs. Black who answered the door. She was small, and to say that she was rat-faced would, Pepper suspected, be considered a ratist remark by the Community Engagement Unit.

  ‘Hi, Doreen, can we come in?’

  ‘Fuck off.’

  ‘It’s just for a chat. About Tracy, that’s all.’

  ‘She don’t live here no more.’

  ‘I know that. But we do need to talk to you. Just for a few minutes.’

  ‘Who is it?’ said a deep male voice from somewhere inside the house.

  ‘Pepper Wilson and her new Police dog. A black labrador.’ Doreen smiled, and it wouldn’t have been an attractive sight, even if she still had a third of her teeth. Copeland smiled back, and he had the full set.

  ‘I like dogs’ said the voice, as a large man towered behind his wife. ‘I thought you said she had a dog?’

  ‘Look,’ said Pepper, ‘don’t piss us about. Either ask us in or come to the station with us, right now. And if you don’t want to come they’ll Taser you again, Terry.’

  ‘It tingled, did that.’

  ‘I’m sure it did. Look, we’ve not come to nick you, so let’s just talk inside, shall we?’

  When they were all sitting in the living room Terry Black looked steadily at Copeland, as if there was something fascinating yet troubling about him.

  ‘Turn the telly off, love’ said Pepper, and Doreen Black muted the sound. It was better than nothing.

  ‘We need to have a chat with your Tracy. Do you know where she’s living now?’

  ‘What’s she done then?’

  ‘Nowt, honest. We just need a chat, that’s all.’

  ‘Like I said, she doesn’t live here.’

  ‘When did you last see her?’

  Doreen Black shrugged. ‘Christmas, wasn’t it, Tel?’

  ‘Aye, that’s right. You had that bust up, didn’t you, love?’

  ‘She’s a right little bitch, that one. I don’t know where she gets it from.’

  ‘So you haven’t seen her around town, anything like that?’

  ‘No way’ said Doreen Black, quickly. ‘Who do you think I am, like?’

  ‘So you do know where she is seen, then?’

  ‘Them clubs, in town. She’s a right little scrubber, is our Tracy.’

  ‘And what’s she doing there?’

  ‘What do you think? Drink, drugs, all that.’

  ‘And how does she pay for them? Has she got a job?’

  Doreen laughed wheezily. ‘How do you think she pays, Pepper, love?’ She glanced across at Copeland, and held his gaze as she spoke. ‘You’re not just down from the trees, are you? It must be bloody obvious how she pays.’

  Copeland just smiled across at her again, and she looked away.

  ‘Don’t piss us about, Doreen’ said Pepper. ‘And if you ever make another racist remark in my hearing again I will nick you on the spot. Is that clear?’

  ‘It was just a figure of speech, like. No offence, mate.’

  Copeland was still smiling, and Pepper was already getting up.

  ‘If Tracy gets in touch you’ll let us know, OK? It’s important. And which clubs is she going to?’

  Doreen shrugged. ‘The ones in town. That’s all I know, honest.’

  The shift had been officially over for an hour before the back-watch Duty Inspector joined DC Armstrong in the interview room. Henry already felt like a teacher who’d been trying, unsuccessfully, to control an unruly class. The social worker who had a professional interest in one of the lads from the estate had turned up eventually, sat listlessly while the bo
y was interviewed, and left without saying more than half a dozen words to anyone. Armstrong had the strong impression that he didn’t think it would have made much difference whatever he’d said. And now, as the Duty Inspector read from his script, going through the Caution in detail, one of the lads mouthed the words from memory, as if silently singing along with a favourite tune.

  Armstrong was pleased when it was over.

  ‘Well done, son’ said the Inspector, when the two boys had gone.

  ‘Do you think it’ll make any difference, the Caution?’

  ‘Of course not. It means absolutely sod all to lads like that. They’d be boasting about it at school, if they ever bothered to turn up, like. But what more can we do? Most of those kids will never be more than petty villains, so they’re not much to worry about. And look on the bright side. They’ll keep the next generation of coppers busy, by which time you'll be a Superintendent.’

  ‘Who says I’ll be a Superintendent?’

  ‘Everyone, Henry. You’re just the senior officer type, believe me. They’ll bloody love you, down at HQ.’

  And as he walked back to his flat, staying especially alert as he walked down the path to the main road, DC Armstrong thought about whether or not he should be flattered by what the Inspector had said. He decided, on balance, that he should not.

  At nine o’clock Pepper walked briskly away from her house towards Botchergate. Adam was doing his marking in from of a wildlife documentary on BBC 4, and she swore that she’d be home by 10.30pm. She would too, because Rex Copeland had agreed to take over the search for Tracy Black then, and he didn’t strike Pepper as the kind of bloke who would be late. Quite the reverse, in fact. She didn’t even think that she’d strike lucky, starting the hunt so early on a Monday night, but if the kid was strung-out and desperate then maybe she’d be out and about somewhere already. And, in Pepper’s experience, investigations usually got luckiest when the officers involved worked hardest.

  She badged her way round three or four clubs, where most of the bouncers knew her by name. She didn’t show them the picture of the girl she was looking for, but none of them asked what she wanted. They didn’t give a shit, and they made sure that it showed. It wasn’t until ten o’clock, at the smartest of the clubs in the centre of town, that she encountered any kind of resistance. One of the bouncers kept her talking, and positioned himself between her and the door, while the other one stepped back and spoke into his sleeve.

  ‘Are you letting me in, or not?’ said Pepper, sensing that something was wrong. She had a headache from all the loud music, and her feet ached. She almost never wore heels, and her arches were reminding her of the fact. The bouncer in front of her glanced round to the other, who nodded in response. Pepper pushed past both of them, suddenly on edge. If someone had been waiting for her at the end of the long, dark corridor she would have been ready. More than ready, in fact.

  But the club was almost empty, with just two or three tables occupied, and the dance floor was as empty as deep space, and about as inviting. The two barmaids were chatting to each other, although Pepper wondered how they made themselves heard. The floor vibrated slightly with the bass, but at least it wasn’t sticky from spilled alchopops and tears. She started to move towards the bar, but then noticed the table in the far corner, the one furthest away from the speakers and the dance floor. There was something familiar about the man with his back to her, and before she was half way there she knew, with certainty, who it was.

  ‘All right, Pepper?’ he said, without turning. ‘Long time, no see, as they say. I bet you’re surprised to see me, love.’

  ‘No. I knew you were back in town. The big boys ran you out of the big city then, did they? It was only a matter of time, I suppose.’

  Pepper sat down on a stool opposite Dai Young. He looked at her for a moment longer than he needed to, and then for a few seconds more.

  ‘You’ve not changed a bit, lass. Still a right little looker, if I’m allowed to say that to a copper, like.’ He glanced round at his three companions, looking for their smiles of approval. They did more, and laughed the chuckle of servitude. And at that moment Pepper knew that she was wrong about Dai Young. He was very much top dog, at least among this mangy pack.

  ‘Can you get rid of your girlfriends, Dai? I need a private word.’

  ‘You hear that, lads? I’m on a promise here. Why don’t you three head to the bar? What’ll you have to drink, love?’

  ‘Have they got any pain-killers?’

  ‘Aye, so long as you don’t mind them in a shot glass, like. Tell you what Terry, get us a bottle of bubbly, would you? And not that Italian piss, mind.’

  ‘Not for me, Dai.’

  ‘Not on duty, are you?’

  ‘I am, as it happens.’

  ‘Looking for me, were you?’

  ‘Why would I be doing that? What have you done?’

  ‘Nowt. I’m totally legitimate, me. I’m on with the property job these days. I’ve got a share of this place now, as it happens.’

  Pepper glanced round the room.

  ‘You could do with giving it a bit of a make-over, then. And some more customers too, like.’

  ‘What can I do for you, love?’

  ‘I just wondered what you want with Gary Flynn? He’s more of a bottom-feeder than a high-roller, I’d have thought.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Come on, Dai. You remember Gary. We all grew up together, remember.’

  ‘Oh, aye. I do remember him, now you come to mention it. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but the rumour is that he gave one of yours a bit of a kicking.’ He looked keenly at Pepper, but her face was in shadow. ‘Oh, I get it. You’re looking for Gary because of that already. You already knew, like. Can’t say I blame you. Well I’ve not seen him, love. Like you say he’s in a different place, career wise.’

  One of Young’s minders returned with a wine cooler and two tall glasses. He had his fingers in each, and Pepper waved him away when he tried to pour for her.

  ‘Sammy, isn’t it?’ she said.

  ‘Aye’, the man said, glancing over at Young.

  ‘I thought you were still inside?’

  ‘I got out last month. Good behaviour, like.’

  ‘Glad to hear it. But a word of advice. I’d watch the company you keep. Because when it all goes tits up for Dai here, and I promise you that it will, it’ll be you and your mates at the bar who’ll end up doing the time, not him. It’s just the way of the world, is that, Sam. The bosses get the gravy, and the likes of you just get the gristle and the bone.’

  Young gestured Sam away with the back of his hand, and they both watched his muscle-bound walk back across the dance floor. He seemed to be trying, self-consciously and unsuccessfully, to follow the beat.

  ‘I didn’t hire him for his brains.’

  ‘Well it can’t be for his brawn either, Dai, despite all that muscle. Did you know I arrested him, that last time?’

  ‘He said there were three of you.’

  ‘Bollocks. It was just me. I only tapped him, like, but he still went down in instalments. You know that old question they ask about a tree falling in a forest?’

  ‘Do I look like a bloody lumberjack, love?’

  ‘It’s not a real tree. It’s metaphorical, is this tree. The question is, does it still make a noise if there’s no-one there to hear it fall?’

  ‘Don’t talk daft. Of course it does.’

  ‘Maybe you’re right. Anyway, Terry made quite a bit of noise as he went down, even though I was the only one listening. A kind of gurgling, it was, like sick going down a plug-hole. Still, he shouldn’t have tried to hit a woman like that, should he?’

  Young took a sip of the champagne, grimaced, and put the glass down.

  ‘What do you want, Pepper? It’s lovely to see you and all, but I’ve got some colleagues coming in a bit.’

  ‘Colleagues? That’s nice. About Gary Flynn, then. You’ve been meeting with him.’

/>   ‘Says who?’

  ‘Take a guess.’

  Young thought for a moment. ‘I know. You’ve got him under surveillance. No-one bloody told you.’

  Pepper laughed. ‘You’ve been away too long, Dai. We probably couldn’t afford a surveillance operation on a proper villain like you, so the chances of getting one on a little turd like Flynn is the square root of bugger all. So think again, Dai.’

  ‘Shit, I don’t know, lass. Just tell me the answer then, and get on your way, will you?’

  ‘He told us about you.’

  ‘Fuck off. If he was a grass you’d never tell me, would you?’

  ‘Wouldn’t I?’

  ‘No way. You just want to drop him in the shit because of what he did to your lad. That’s all this is about.’

  Pepper shrugged. ‘Have it your own way, Dai. But you already know that we’ve not got eyes on you yet, don’t you? And that being the case you have to ask yourself how I know about you and Gary Flynn. I even know what you talked about, Dai.’

  ‘Fuck off.’

  ‘Like I say, have it your own way. But you had to run last time didn’t you, marrer? And you’ll be doing exactly the same thing this time, I can promise you that. Don’t get too comfortable in Carlisle, that’s all I’m saying.’

  ‘You can’t do owt, Pepper. I’ve learned a bit, since I’ve been away. Coppers always bullshit and threaten, especially when they’ve got nowt. And some things just never change, do they? Take your old fella, for example.’

  ‘What about him?’

  ‘He’s not changed, has he? I was a bit surprised to find he’s still alive, to tell the truth. And he has got some pretty unkind things to say about you, love.’

  Pepper got up, put her hands flat on the table and leaned forward, so that she didn’t have to raise her voice much above a shout.

  ‘You’re totally fucking wrong. Everything’s changed. I don’t give a shit about my dad. He’s a waste of wind and shit, because that’s all he’s made of. So feel free to recruit him, if you’re that stupid, and don’t think for one second that I wouldn’t celebrate him getting sent down for the rest of his useless life, especially if he takes you with him. Christ, he’s the dictionary definition of a weak link, is my dad. So you be my guest, and do what the hell you like with the old bastard. Is that clear?’