Read Online The Sleep of Reason: The James Bulger Case by David James Smith - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: David James Smith
Ads: Link
James’s hand. Small children who came into the shop usually ran around looking at all the animals. The other assistant, who had had enough of Bobby’s cheek, told them all to leave.
There was a commotion outside, a few doors down on County Road. The building over the bookies, William Hill’s, had caught fire, and passers-by had gathered to watch the flurry of activity. Fire engines, police cars, ambulances. Jon and Bobby stood watching with James for a while, before walking back up towards the flyover, to cross County Road again.
Jon recognised a woman, a friend of his parents, who was standing chatting with a couple of other women outside the bank. The woman knewJon, too, but she didn’t recognise him. She watched as the three boys crossed the road, fearing for their safety. They looked so little against the heavy traffic, two small boys and a toddler. She grabbed her friend’s hand, cutting through the conversation. ‘Oh, look at them kids with that toddler crossing that road.’ It made her so nervous she had to turn away and not look back as the boys ran to the far side.
Her friend thought the boys seemed in a hurry and that it looked out of place, a child entrusted to the care of boys who were themselves so small.
Jon and Bobby turned right by the SOGAT building and into Church Road West. As they walked down they were accosted by two older lads, Stephen, who was 11, and Ibrahim, 12, who were standing outside the newsagents on the other side of the road.
Ibrahim knew Bobby by name and by sight, and had seen him that morning, with Ryan, apparently on their way to school. He knew Jon from the area, though not his name. Stephen, who had left Jon and Bobby’s school last July, recognised them both, but did not know Jon by name.
Ibrahim was playing with a pair of handcuffs, which he had bought from the Army & Navy Stores. He and Stephen thought it would be a lark to put the handcuffs on the boys over the road, and give them a fright.
When they approached them they saw that James was upset. Ibrahim saw the bump over his eye, and thought he looked sad. Bobby and Jon held on to James’s hands, and did not let go.
‘What happened to the lad?’
‘He fell over at the top,’ said Bobby.
‘Where?’
‘The top.’
Ibrahim took this to be the top of County Road.
‘Look in his hair as well,’ said Bobby.
‘You all right?’ Ibrahim said to James. He turned away and began crying. Ibrahim could see red dots and lines under James’s hair.
‘Who is he?’
‘His brother,’ said Bobby, nodding at Jon.
‘Where you taking him?’
‘Home.’
‘If you don’t take him home I’ll batter you.’
The boys walked on then, having escaped a handcuffing, and turned right into City Road, heading towards the Everton ground, over the broo that bridged the railway line.
As they reached the bridge they were level with a young woman pushing her baby daughter in a pram. She was late on her way to her mum’s but noticed the boys, how they were holding James’s hands, and thought they were young to be in charge of such a small child. She pointed James out to her daughter.
‘Look, Lori, there’s a little boy.’
The daughter turned to look, but there was no reaction from Jon or Bobby. The boys crossed the road, and turned down the entry along the side of the railway.
They were only a few yards into the entry when Jon snatched the hood from James’s anorak, and threw it into the tree. They walked on, heading for the road at the far end, Walton Lane, with its police station directly opposite.
As they reached the bottom of the entry a motor bike turned into the alleyway immediately in front of them, from one of the side roads. The boys started at the apparition, a red Yamaha XS250 ridden by a man disguised beneath a black one-piece suit and a gleaming white crash helmet. He manoeuvred the bike into the back yard of his home, thinking that the boys had seemed very jumpy.
James was crying again when they got to
There was a commotion outside, a few doors down on County Road. The building over the bookies, William Hill’s, had caught fire, and passers-by had gathered to watch the flurry of activity. Fire engines, police cars, ambulances. Jon and Bobby stood watching with James for a while, before walking back up towards the flyover, to cross County Road again.
Jon recognised a woman, a friend of his parents, who was standing chatting with a couple of other women outside the bank. The woman knewJon, too, but she didn’t recognise him. She watched as the three boys crossed the road, fearing for their safety. They looked so little against the heavy traffic, two small boys and a toddler. She grabbed her friend’s hand, cutting through the conversation. ‘Oh, look at them kids with that toddler crossing that road.’ It made her so nervous she had to turn away and not look back as the boys ran to the far side.
Her friend thought the boys seemed in a hurry and that it looked out of place, a child entrusted to the care of boys who were themselves so small.
Jon and Bobby turned right by the SOGAT building and into Church Road West. As they walked down they were accosted by two older lads, Stephen, who was 11, and Ibrahim, 12, who were standing outside the newsagents on the other side of the road.
Ibrahim knew Bobby by name and by sight, and had seen him that morning, with Ryan, apparently on their way to school. He knew Jon from the area, though not his name. Stephen, who had left Jon and Bobby’s school last July, recognised them both, but did not know Jon by name.
Ibrahim was playing with a pair of handcuffs, which he had bought from the Army & Navy Stores. He and Stephen thought it would be a lark to put the handcuffs on the boys over the road, and give them a fright.
When they approached them they saw that James was upset. Ibrahim saw the bump over his eye, and thought he looked sad. Bobby and Jon held on to James’s hands, and did not let go.
‘What happened to the lad?’
‘He fell over at the top,’ said Bobby.
‘Where?’
‘The top.’
Ibrahim took this to be the top of County Road.
‘Look in his hair as well,’ said Bobby.
‘You all right?’ Ibrahim said to James. He turned away and began crying. Ibrahim could see red dots and lines under James’s hair.
‘Who is he?’
‘His brother,’ said Bobby, nodding at Jon.
‘Where you taking him?’
‘Home.’
‘If you don’t take him home I’ll batter you.’
The boys walked on then, having escaped a handcuffing, and turned right into City Road, heading towards the Everton ground, over the broo that bridged the railway line.
As they reached the bridge they were level with a young woman pushing her baby daughter in a pram. She was late on her way to her mum’s but noticed the boys, how they were holding James’s hands, and thought they were young to be in charge of such a small child. She pointed James out to her daughter.
‘Look, Lori, there’s a little boy.’
The daughter turned to look, but there was no reaction from Jon or Bobby. The boys crossed the road, and turned down the entry along the side of the railway.
They were only a few yards into the entry when Jon snatched the hood from James’s anorak, and threw it into the tree. They walked on, heading for the road at the far end, Walton Lane, with its police station directly opposite.
As they reached the bottom of the entry a motor bike turned into the alleyway immediately in front of them, from one of the side roads. The boys started at the apparition, a red Yamaha XS250 ridden by a man disguised beneath a black one-piece suit and a gleaming white crash helmet. He manoeuvred the bike into the back yard of his home, thinking that the boys had seemed very jumpy.
James was crying again when they got to
Similar Books
Deadly Affair: SCVC Taskforce World Novella (SCVC Taskforce Romantic Suspense Series Book 5)
Misty Evans, Amy Manemann
