Free The Armada Boy by Kate Ellis Page B

said
they liked him and that he didn't seem to have any enemies.'
     
    'So it's still the beggar we're
after. Any sightings yet?'
    'Nothing yet. But I reckon he'll come back here. He wants to see his old gran,
doesn't he? Some of the nastiest villains I've known have been fond of their
grans.' he added philosophically.
    'Motive?'
     
    Heffernan shrugged. 'Perhaps
Openheim had caught him up to some mischief, or he intended to rob him and was
disturbed, or just for the sheer hell of it... who knows? We'll get him. In the
meantime let's have a little chat with his mates, shall we?'
     
    When they arrived at the station
Wesley rang Pam to say he'd be late. She had a parents' evening: at the mention
of this he remembered that she'd given him dispensation to have a drink with
Neil in her absence. He told her not to bother leaving any dinner in the
microwave for him. He'd get something at the
Bereton Arms. He wished her luck with the parents' evening, not doubting that
she possessed the tact and acting ability to carry it off successfully and send
the parents of the little darlings away happy.
    Heffernan and Rachel elected to
interview the young man who went by the name of Snot, while Wesley and Steve
interviewed his young friend, Dog. Dog's actual dog. Fang, was being given a bowl
of meaty chunks by Constable Carver, who had just come on
duty and was an incorrigible lover of man's best friend.
     
    'Any idea where your mate might head
for?' Heffernan asked casually.
     
    'Which mate?"
     
    'Rat. That's his name, isn't it?'
    'Yeah... so?'
     
    'He's come here to see his gran, so
I've heard. Very nice ... a lad wanting to see his gran.'
    'Piss off. Scouse.'
     
    'Treating you all right down in the
cells, are they? Food all right? Bed comfy enough for you?'
    Snot sniffed and shrugged.
     
    'You've come a long way. haven't
you. Snot? London, was it? How old are you?'
    'Old enough.'
     
    'So what's the story, then? Let me
guess. All your life you've been in care... nobody wanted you so you thought
you'd try the streets. At least you had mates on the streets ... comrades in adversity.
You stick together, is that right?'

 
    Rachel was watching the boy
carefully. His expression had softened somewhat. Heffernan had touched on the
truth.
     
    'I've met lots of lads like you in
my time. Snot. Not bad lads... not deep down. They've just never had a chance.
Do you do drugs?'
     
    Snot looked wary. 'Sometimes'
     
    'The trouble with your - lifestyle they
call it on the telly, don't they? - is that you can get in with some bad
company, get led astray a bit. Rat's bad company, isn't he?"
     
    'How do you mean?" Snot looked
up. attentive. The inspector was getting through.
     
    'His aunty described him as a bad
'un ... vicious little bastard who threatened her with a knife. He's got a
record that shows he's been a busy lad in the villainy department. Have you got
a record?'
     
    'Don't have nothing to play it on.'
Snot laughed out loud at his own joke.
     
    Very funny. You might as well tell
us if you're one of our valued customers, you know. We can take fingerprints,
get an ID that way.'
     
    'Okay ... I've been pulled in by the
filth a few times. But I never done nothing ... I was innocent.'
     
    'Course you were. What's your full
name? We'll have to check.'
     
    'Snot.'
     
    'Your real name.'
    'Kenneth John Jenkins.'
    'Date of birth?'
     
    Snot reeled off the date. Heffernan
nodded to Rachel, who went off to summon up Snot's details on the computer.
     
    'Bring us some tea back, will you,
love? How- many sugars, Snot?'
     
    Rachel slammed the door of the
interview room rather more forcefully than usual. The inspector obviously
hadn't been reading the Chief Constable's memos on sexism: she would have to
put them in a more prominent place on his desk. After accessing the computer
and getting the relevant details, she made the tea resentfully. It was hardly
her job as a CID officer to act as tea lady: Steve wouldn't be expected to do
it. She