Read Online Hurt (DS Lucy Black) by Brian McGilloway - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Brian McGilloway
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difference, you know.’
Lucy ignored the comment. ‘It means when the Troubles were happening, people had places to direct their anger, to get rid of it. When it all ended, that anger didn’t go away too. It was still there, except a lot of people couldn’t get rid of it the way they used to.’
‘Like in riots and that.’
‘Aye. Or even just quietly supporting what was happening. Turning a blind eye to things. People can be complicit without doing anything.’
The boy didn’t speak and she knew she had lost him, though he wouldn’t admit such after the previous comment.
‘Anyway, whatever. It means that, because they can’t get rid of their anger – or guilt in your dad’s case – the way they used to, they turn it inward, on themselves.’
‘Like hurting themselves. Like Karen.’
Lucy was momentarily surprised that Karen had confided in Gavin about her self-harming. They’d not known one another long. Then again, they had been in the residential unit together, both let down by their families. The same boat.
‘Yes,’ Lucy said. ‘Like Karen.’
Gavin nodded.
‘Did Karen ever mention any boys to you? Anyone called Paul Bradley, maybe?’ Lucy asked. If she’d confided her harming to Gavin during the period when they had been in the care unit together, she might have mentioned the new boyfriend, if that was what Bradley had been to her.
The boy considered the name then shook his head. ‘I saw her once or twice with a fella. A bit older than her, short dark hair. That was it. She never mentioned him though. Never mentioned any names anyway. Is he a suspect?’
‘She met someone on Facebook. We’re not sure if the name’s real or not. It’s something we’re following up,’ Lucy said. ‘Speaking of following, why
were
that crew following you tonight?’
‘Maybe they had anger issues too.’ Gavin chuckled darkly to himself, then resumed the game again.
By the time Robbie arrived, Gavin was already being assessed by the doctor on duty. He’d removed his top to reveal a series of vivid bruises forming along his back and ribcage, a mixture of reds and purples. There were other, yellowed bruises too, healing already from earlier beatings.
‘It’s just scars on top of scars,’ the doctor said to them disgustedly after the assessment. ‘He has bruised his ribs, so I’m going to get some X-rays done. He has taken a few blows to the head, too, but no concussion. Maybe keep an eye on him tonight. Wake him a few times during the night to make sure he’s OK. We’ll get him back from the X-rays as soon as we can.’
Robbie and Lucy went back out to the waiting area again and Robbie bought them two coffees from the vending machine humming in the corner. It was the first time they had been alone together since Lucy had broken off their relationship a month earlier after hearing from one of the kids in the residential unit that Robbie had been seen kissing one of the other social workers at a Hallowe’en party. Robbie had tried to explain to her that the kiss had gone no further than that. To Lucy’s mind, a kiss was already too far. As she watched him approach, bearing two steaming polystyrene cups, she wondered, not for the first time, whether she had overreacted.
The first drunk had arrived and was declaiming to all those still waiting as to just why Christmas was so shite. He waited for fifteen minutes before announcing that he’d been kept too long, and so left. It was never clear to anyone else there what the nature of the injury that had brought him to A & E in the first place had been.
‘Thanks for the coffee,’ Lucy said, sipping at it.
They sat for a moment, drinking in silence.
‘You don’t need to stay if you have somewhere to go,’ Robbie said.
‘I know,’ Lucy said.
Robbie nodded. ‘So, any plans for Christmas?’
‘Not yet. You?’
‘I’ll cover the day shift so that the workers with families can be at home with their own kids. Then in the evening I’ll
Lucy ignored the comment. ‘It means when the Troubles were happening, people had places to direct their anger, to get rid of it. When it all ended, that anger didn’t go away too. It was still there, except a lot of people couldn’t get rid of it the way they used to.’
‘Like in riots and that.’
‘Aye. Or even just quietly supporting what was happening. Turning a blind eye to things. People can be complicit without doing anything.’
The boy didn’t speak and she knew she had lost him, though he wouldn’t admit such after the previous comment.
‘Anyway, whatever. It means that, because they can’t get rid of their anger – or guilt in your dad’s case – the way they used to, they turn it inward, on themselves.’
‘Like hurting themselves. Like Karen.’
Lucy was momentarily surprised that Karen had confided in Gavin about her self-harming. They’d not known one another long. Then again, they had been in the residential unit together, both let down by their families. The same boat.
‘Yes,’ Lucy said. ‘Like Karen.’
Gavin nodded.
‘Did Karen ever mention any boys to you? Anyone called Paul Bradley, maybe?’ Lucy asked. If she’d confided her harming to Gavin during the period when they had been in the care unit together, she might have mentioned the new boyfriend, if that was what Bradley had been to her.
The boy considered the name then shook his head. ‘I saw her once or twice with a fella. A bit older than her, short dark hair. That was it. She never mentioned him though. Never mentioned any names anyway. Is he a suspect?’
‘She met someone on Facebook. We’re not sure if the name’s real or not. It’s something we’re following up,’ Lucy said. ‘Speaking of following, why
were
that crew following you tonight?’
‘Maybe they had anger issues too.’ Gavin chuckled darkly to himself, then resumed the game again.
By the time Robbie arrived, Gavin was already being assessed by the doctor on duty. He’d removed his top to reveal a series of vivid bruises forming along his back and ribcage, a mixture of reds and purples. There were other, yellowed bruises too, healing already from earlier beatings.
‘It’s just scars on top of scars,’ the doctor said to them disgustedly after the assessment. ‘He has bruised his ribs, so I’m going to get some X-rays done. He has taken a few blows to the head, too, but no concussion. Maybe keep an eye on him tonight. Wake him a few times during the night to make sure he’s OK. We’ll get him back from the X-rays as soon as we can.’
Robbie and Lucy went back out to the waiting area again and Robbie bought them two coffees from the vending machine humming in the corner. It was the first time they had been alone together since Lucy had broken off their relationship a month earlier after hearing from one of the kids in the residential unit that Robbie had been seen kissing one of the other social workers at a Hallowe’en party. Robbie had tried to explain to her that the kiss had gone no further than that. To Lucy’s mind, a kiss was already too far. As she watched him approach, bearing two steaming polystyrene cups, she wondered, not for the first time, whether she had overreacted.
The first drunk had arrived and was declaiming to all those still waiting as to just why Christmas was so shite. He waited for fifteen minutes before announcing that he’d been kept too long, and so left. It was never clear to anyone else there what the nature of the injury that had brought him to A & E in the first place had been.
‘Thanks for the coffee,’ Lucy said, sipping at it.
They sat for a moment, drinking in silence.
‘You don’t need to stay if you have somewhere to go,’ Robbie said.
‘I know,’ Lucy said.
Robbie nodded. ‘So, any plans for Christmas?’
‘Not yet. You?’
‘I’ll cover the day shift so that the workers with families can be at home with their own kids. Then in the evening I’ll
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