Call & Response

by J. J. Salkeld

  Afridi looked steadily across the table at Pepper, even while Copeland was speaking.

  ‘Is your interview strategy to go ‘no comment’ to any and all questions that you’re asked?’

  ‘No comment.’

  ‘I’ll take that as a yes, then. But unfortunately I still have to ask you a few more questions before we charge you, so please bear with us. I have to give you a chance to answer the accusations that have been made, whether you choose to answer or not.’ Copeland even sounded mildly apologetic, and Pepper was impressed.

  It took twenty minutes for Afridi to ‘no comment’ his way through the usual litany of questions, concerning the complainants, the alleged offences and the various items of evidence that were rapidly filling an evidence locker in the basement. When he’d finished Copeland sat back, and tried to catch Afridi’s eye. But he was still looking steadily at Pepper.

  ‘All right, Mr. Afridi. In a few minutes you will be formally charged with a number of specimen charges relating both to sexual offences and resisting arrest. I’m sure that your lawyer will have already explained that further charges may well follow, while you’re on remand. And, since we have a minute or two, I was going to explain how we will investigate this matter from now on. OK?’

  ‘No comment.’

  ‘Sorry, that was actually a rhetorical question. I’m going to tell you anyway. You see we’re short of money in this force, just like everywhere else in the country, so we don’t get to investigate lots of offences in the way that we’d like to. And so some offenders get away with murder these days. Well, not quite murder perhaps, but you know what I mean.’ Copeland paused and smiled. Afridi still didn’t look at him. ‘And I’ll be honest with you, Mr. Afridi, some criminals have worked all this out. So even when they’re caught, banged to rights as they probably still do say somewhere, they think that if they keep their mouths shut then their problems will just go away. That they’ll slip through the cracks, if you like. And, though it hurts me to say this, it does happen, even occasionally with possible sexual offences against children. But what you need to understand is that’s not how it’s going to be in your case. Not a chance, I’m afraid. We’ve already searched your house, and I have to tell you that you and your brothers really should have been more careful. Much more careful. If you’d cleaned the place properly, and not kept drink and drugs in the house then things might have looked a bit better for you now. But you’re still sticking to this crazy position that you didn’t know any of these girls, is that right?’

  ‘No comment.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter. Because we’ve got so much to go at with you and your brothers. Your phone calls, your emails, your bank accounts, where your vehicles have been, where you have been. Every day, going back years if we have to. And you’ll be amazed how much of that information is just sitting on databases, waiting to be accessed. Some of it only takes seconds to find, so you’ll be surprised how fast we can build a detailed timeline on a suspect these days, when we put our minds to it. And that won’t be the end of or investigation, not by a long way. Because when you’re remanded we’ll put out a public appeal, looking for other girls and young women who’ve been groomed, abused or trafficked. And then, when they come forward, which we both know they will, we’ll ask them questions about where and when incidents happened. And if those details tie in with the places that we know you and your brothers were at, then that will be even more very strong evidence against you, won’t it?’

  ‘No comment.’

  ‘Sorry, mate, I was being rhetorical again. And no matter how hard your brief tries to discredit our witnesses, and say that they’re vulnerable, or damaged or confused or whatever, the more the evidence will contradict that. Because, you see, if those young girls make claims that we can prove are true, even in part, then you’re in a lot of trouble my friend. You’ll be inside until you’re over fifty if you’re convicted, I’ll promise you that.’ Copeland paused, and smiled cheerfully. ‘So, anyway, is there anything you’d like to say at this point?’

  Afridi was silent and motionless.

  ‘No? No questions, then? All right, well let’s get you charged. We’ll see you periodically over the next few months, Mr. Afridi, as more charges are laid, and it will be interesting to see which of you decides first that his best strategy is to blame the others. My guess is that it will actually happen in our next interview. And, speaking personally, it’s what I’d do if I were you, but then I don’t really like my brothers all that much.’

  In the bad old days - say a month or so before - Pepper would have dreaded a summons to the Super’s office, especially after a high-profile arrest involving members of an ethnic minority. It wasn’t something that happened often in the county, and it was enough to set a senior officer’s finely tuned political antennae twitching. But Pepper wasn’t worried about Mary Clark. Maybe the private sector just produced braver managers than the job did - although that wouldn’t be hard.

  ‘I’ve had a DCI from the Community Engagement unit on, Pepper, and he’s not happy.’

  ‘What about, ma’am?’

  ‘I’m not entirely sure. I only understood about twenty percent of what he said. But as far as I can make out he’s angry that we didn’t involve them in this investigation, and that he insisted he be at the centre of all further enquiries, especially if there’s any suggestion of wider community involvement.’

  ‘I see.’

  ‘I told him that we’d be in touch if there was. So does it look likely?’

  ‘Were other people involved? Possibly, but I think they’re much more likely to be white than of Asian heritage. The Afridis certainly weren’t popular with the local Pakistani origin community, but they do have strong connections with a couple of our very own home-grown low-life’s. And, by the way, WPC Khan says that there’s total disgust about all this in the community. Because of what the brothers did of course, but also because of the shame that it brings on everyone else. Empathy’s not my strong point, ma’am, as every appraisal I’ve ever had will confirm, but I can see their point. Abla’s actually a bit worried that a few of the youngsters from the community might try to take the law into their own hands. I told her not to worry though, because the Afridis will be on remand for months, and I can’t see any of them being back on the streets for bloody years.’

  ‘Shit. She said that? I’d better get extra patrols out on the streets. Can we get this Khan lass assigned to you for a few days?’

  ‘Will do. That would be a big help, at least in terms of listening to community concerns. I’ll get straight on to it. Her team leader’s a mate, as it happens. Was that all, ma’am?’

  ‘No. Mo Afridi’s brief is making a fuss about the fact that he lost a few teeth, and had his jaw dislocated like that during the arrest. I told the CPS to show him the pictures of your throat and the back of your head, and that they were welcome to make a complaint if they want. Bring it on, I say. But I did just want to check something. You’re saying that it was you who hit him, aren’t you?’

  ‘Yes, ma’am. Absolutely.’

  ‘Well your DC, Henry Armstrong, is saying it was him.’

  ‘The little prat. Or should I say the giant, oversized prat. Is there anything in writing yet?’

  ‘No, not yet. So you’ll warn him off? He’s just being gallant here, I take it.’

  ‘The age of chivalry is not dead, it seems. I’ll speak to him, ma’am.’

  ‘You do that, Pepper. But, just out of interest, did you give the bloke a couple of extra slaps, just to make sure, like?

  Pepper didn’t hesitate, not even for a moment. ‘I used minimum force to restrain the suspect, ma’am, in line with the guidelines.’ She liked Mary Clark, but she knew better than to trust her. And, although she hadn’t given it much thought, she doubted that he’d hit him more than once or twice more than was absolutely necessary. Yes, Armstrong had pulled her off Afridi in the end, but she was finished with him by then. Well, more or less, anyway.

&
nbsp; ‘Glad to hear it. And I just wanted you to know that you’ll have my full support throughout this investigation. I can’t promise you unlimited resources, but I’ll do my best for you.’

  ‘Thank you, ma’am.’

  ‘One other thing, while I think of it. I assume that you’ll want to head this one up full time, and that we’ll need to find another DS or DI to cover for you?’

  ‘Oh, no, thanks. I’ll be able to manage. I’m used to having to keep lots of balls in the air. And I’ve got a feeling that we’ll have another matter to deal with soon enough.’

  ‘Such as?’

  ‘A potentially disruptive criminal figure has recently returned to the city, ma’am. Ambitious, vicious and with plenty of resources to call on. And he won’t be here to visit friends, I can assure you of that. Name of David Neil Young.’

  ‘Have I missed a report from the Force Intelligence Unit on this bloke? Christ, that’s an oxymoron, if ever I heard one.’

  Pepper smiled, although she wasn’t absolutely certain what Mary meant. She made a mental note to look it up later. ‘No, ma’am, he’s only just come to my attention. I’ve been a a bit too busy to flag it up as yet.’

  ‘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 doe
sn’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.’