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Authors: Minette Walters
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father.
“No chance. She's trying to pin a mugging on me.”
Mrs. Barber glared at her son. “Did you do it?”
“Course I didn't,”
he said plaintively.
“You little liar,” she said, smacking him across the head with a meaty hand. "How many times've I warned you? Next time you snatch an old lady's money, I'll chase you through the streets myself."
“Leave off,” he howled. "It weren't me, Mum. Why can't you never believe me?"
“Because you're your father's son,” she said in disgust, turning back to the window and watching WPC Hanson's knuckles turn white from her grip on the car door. “She looks scared,” she murmured. "Are you and your friends up to something? What was all that shouting?"
“Nothing to do with me,” he lied, tiptoeing towards the corridor and wondering what she'd say if she knew he'd been filling bottles with petrol. “Tell the copper you don't know where I am.” He ran for the back door. “I'll see you later, Ma.”
But Mrs. Barber was more interested in the young policewoman's ashen face. With a sinking heart, she wondered what Wesley had done this time to make this woman so frightened of talking to him.
Police Message to all stations >28.07.01 >12.32 >Bassindale Estate >Milosz Zeiowski, 23 Humbert Street, reports youths causing nuisance in street since interview this morning re: missing child Patrol car 031 responding >28.07.01 >12.35 >Bassindale Estate Ms J. MacDonald, 84 Forest Row South, reports sighting of Amy Biddulph in Bassindale Row at 22.00 yesterday Reports 25 attempts to make the call Police lines permanently busy >28.07.01 >12.46 >Bassindale Estate Patrol car 031 diverted to interview Ms J. MacDonald re: possible sighting of Amy Biddulph
Seven.
Saturday 28 July 2001 - 21 Humbert Street, Bassindule Estate
JIMMY JAMES MADE a grab for Melanie's waist as she put a plate of food on the table but she was too quick for him, sliding out of his encircling arm in a graceful pirouette. Rosie giggled at the other end of the table. “See, darling',” said her mother, "I told you he'd only have one thing on his mind when they let him out."
“You shouldn't say things like that to her,” said Jimmy. "She's too young."
“She needs to know what blokes are like,” said Melanie severely tapping the edge of his plate with a spoon. "Just eat your dinner so you can get your arse down the road. You're not that drunk you can't understand what's goin' on."
He was a huge, handsome black man with a shaven head who had just spent four months in prison for a string of minor of fences and who had no intention of going back. He'd told Melanie it was because of his baby that was growing in her belly but the truth (which he admitted only to himself) was that he was finding it harder and harder to do the time.
“Yeah, well, I don't, Mel,” he said irritably, flicking the spoon away with his finger. "There was a nasty mood on the street this morning and I don't plan to be anywhere near it if the coppers come in."
“They're not gonna arrest you for marching,” she said. "It's a free country. Protests are allowed."
"Depends what kind of protest. You and Gaynor are wrong if you think the acid-heads'll do what you tell them. You could end up in the middle of a riot and that's flicking scary, Mel."
"What about the little kid? She was seen in the Row last night and everyone reckons the nonces've got her."
“Don't be an idiot,” he said sarcastically. "What would a couple of gay nonces want with a little girl? Tell me that."
“Perverts are perverts,” she said dogmatically.
"Like hell they are. On that basis I'd've slept with blokes in the nick because there weren't any birds available. You fancy what you fancy, and there's nothing you can do about it. The same applies to paedophiles."
“How d'you know?”
“I've got brains, and I use them.” He tapped the side of his head.
"You and Gaynor'll get yourselves nicked for incitement if you pass on crap-arse gossip and people
“No chance. She's trying to pin a mugging on me.”
Mrs. Barber glared at her son. “Did you do it?”
“Course I didn't,”
he said plaintively.
“You little liar,” she said, smacking him across the head with a meaty hand. "How many times've I warned you? Next time you snatch an old lady's money, I'll chase you through the streets myself."
“Leave off,” he howled. "It weren't me, Mum. Why can't you never believe me?"
“Because you're your father's son,” she said in disgust, turning back to the window and watching WPC Hanson's knuckles turn white from her grip on the car door. “She looks scared,” she murmured. "Are you and your friends up to something? What was all that shouting?"
“Nothing to do with me,” he lied, tiptoeing towards the corridor and wondering what she'd say if she knew he'd been filling bottles with petrol. “Tell the copper you don't know where I am.” He ran for the back door. “I'll see you later, Ma.”
But Mrs. Barber was more interested in the young policewoman's ashen face. With a sinking heart, she wondered what Wesley had done this time to make this woman so frightened of talking to him.
Police Message to all stations >28.07.01 >12.32 >Bassindale Estate >Milosz Zeiowski, 23 Humbert Street, reports youths causing nuisance in street since interview this morning re: missing child Patrol car 031 responding >28.07.01 >12.35 >Bassindale Estate Ms J. MacDonald, 84 Forest Row South, reports sighting of Amy Biddulph in Bassindale Row at 22.00 yesterday Reports 25 attempts to make the call Police lines permanently busy >28.07.01 >12.46 >Bassindale Estate Patrol car 031 diverted to interview Ms J. MacDonald re: possible sighting of Amy Biddulph
Seven.
Saturday 28 July 2001 - 21 Humbert Street, Bassindule Estate
JIMMY JAMES MADE a grab for Melanie's waist as she put a plate of food on the table but she was too quick for him, sliding out of his encircling arm in a graceful pirouette. Rosie giggled at the other end of the table. “See, darling',” said her mother, "I told you he'd only have one thing on his mind when they let him out."
“You shouldn't say things like that to her,” said Jimmy. "She's too young."
“She needs to know what blokes are like,” said Melanie severely tapping the edge of his plate with a spoon. "Just eat your dinner so you can get your arse down the road. You're not that drunk you can't understand what's goin' on."
He was a huge, handsome black man with a shaven head who had just spent four months in prison for a string of minor of fences and who had no intention of going back. He'd told Melanie it was because of his baby that was growing in her belly but the truth (which he admitted only to himself) was that he was finding it harder and harder to do the time.
“Yeah, well, I don't, Mel,” he said irritably, flicking the spoon away with his finger. "There was a nasty mood on the street this morning and I don't plan to be anywhere near it if the coppers come in."
“They're not gonna arrest you for marching,” she said. "It's a free country. Protests are allowed."
"Depends what kind of protest. You and Gaynor are wrong if you think the acid-heads'll do what you tell them. You could end up in the middle of a riot and that's flicking scary, Mel."
"What about the little kid? She was seen in the Row last night and everyone reckons the nonces've got her."
“Don't be an idiot,” he said sarcastically. "What would a couple of gay nonces want with a little girl? Tell me that."
“Perverts are perverts,” she said dogmatically.
"Like hell they are. On that basis I'd've slept with blokes in the nick because there weren't any birds available. You fancy what you fancy, and there's nothing you can do about it. The same applies to paedophiles."
“How d'you know?”
“I've got brains, and I use them.” He tapped the side of his head.
"You and Gaynor'll get yourselves nicked for incitement if you pass on crap-arse gossip and people
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