The Devil's Interval Read Online Free PDF Page A

up. You’re harassing me.’
    ‘I’ve not seen you in weeks, love. I’ve got a birthday present, for the lad.’
    ‘His birthday was weeks ago.’
    ‘I know that, aye.’
    ‘Where is it then, this present?’
    Her father looked all around, then held up his empty hands. He looked unaccountably surprised that the present was nowhere to be seen.
    ‘Sorry. I wonder what that went? Look, love, can I come in?’
    ‘You know you can’t. We’ve been through this before. I don’t want you anywhere near Ben. I don’t want him to know you. I’m sorry, but that’s how it is.’
    ‘But I’m his blood.’
    ‘And that’s all you are. I can’t do bugger all about nature, worst luck, but nurture is down to me.’
    ‘You what, love?’
    ‘You’re a bad influence, dad. So bugger off, will you? I’m really not in the mood.’
    She expected anger from him, and wanted it too, but still it didn’t come.
    ‘I need help, love. I’m desperate.’
    ‘You need money, you mean.’
    ‘I do, aye. Five hundred would get me clear, like.’
     
    Pepper shook her head. She didn’t have to think about it, not even for a second. She’d tried to get him to go for counselling to address the gambling, and she’d even paid some bloody watch-waver £500 for a course of hypnotherapy. For all the good it had done she might as well have put the cash on some three-legged nag at Newmarket, although she’d never so much as set foot in a betting shop herself, except to nick someone. She always felt itchy and uncomfortable afterwards too, like she’d just touched her tongue on a trace of cocaine. And they’d long-since stopped asking her to join in on the Grand National sweepstake at work.
    ‘They’ll hurt me if I don’t pay up, Pepper. Bad, really bad.’
    ‘Tough shit, dad.’
    ‘Well if you won’t pay, won’t you at least have a word, like? They’d listen to you.’
    ‘How many times? No, I bloody won’t. Because if they did let you off I’d be a corrupt officer, and I could be blackmailed. I could go to jail, dad. So no, you’re on your own. Just like I’ve always been.’
    Pepper turned, knowing that Ben was already behind her.
    ‘Hello, grandpa…’ he began, but Pepper bent down, scooped him up, and slammed the door in her father’s face. He could fuck right off. And the whole bloody world could do one too, come to that.

 
    Thursday, November 27th
    9.03am, Superintendent’s Office, Carlisle Divisional HQ.
     
     
    Pepper had always known that it was a stupid idea to get to know the Super socially, and this was why. Maybe she’d always known that something like this was bound to happen, sooner or later. After all, it wasn’t the first time in her career that she’d sat outside the Super’s office waiting for a bollocking. Far from it. And this time it could be worse than any of those. She’d know immediately, of course. Because if that cold-eyed bitch from personnel was in there as well then it meant that she was going to get the sack. And how the hell would she look after Ben then? How would she live? How would she pay the mortgage? She had none of those transferable skills that people always went on about.
     
    But Mary Clark was alone, and there was a teapot, with the old Constabulary crest on it, and a pair of the best china cups and saucers. But there weren’t any biscuits. So mixed messages, then.
    ‘Relax, Pepper’ said the Super, as Pepper marched up to the meeting table in parade ground style. ‘Sit yourself down.’
    ‘Thanks ma’am.’
    ‘You like your tea strong, don’t you?’
    ‘So long as a spoon won’t quite stand up in it, it’ll do me.’
    ‘A woman after my own heart.’ Clark put the the pot back down, and glanced down at her notes. ‘So let’s talk about what happened yesterday, shall we? Have you had a chance to reflect on how you handled the situation?’
    ‘I have, ma’am.’
    ‘And is there anything that you’d do differently, if you had the