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He had volunteered for the Green Howards in 1940 because his father had served with them in the First World War, and spent the next five years killing first Japanese, then Germans, while trying to stay alive himself. After it was all over and he was back on civvy street in his demob suit, it took him six years to get over it. Six years of dead-end jobs, bouts of depression, loneliness and hunger. He nearly died of cold in the bitter winter of 1947. Then it was as if the weight suddenly lifted, and the lights came on. He joined the West Riding Constabulary in 1951. The following year he met Janet at a dance. They were married only three months later, and a year after that, in March 1953, Yvo
Rebellious? He didn’t think so. It seemed to be a young person’s lot in life to go off to war back then, just like the generation before him, and in the army you obeyed orders. He’d got into minor mischief like all the other kids, smoking before he was old enough, the odd bit of shoplifting, sneaking drinks from his father’s whiskey bottle, replacing what he’d drunk with water. He also got into the occasional scrap. But one thing he didn’t dare do was disobey his parents. If he had stayed out all night without permission, his father would have beaten him black and blue.
Chadwick grunted. He didn’t suppose Janet really wanted an answer; she was just trying to ease the way for Yvo
The news finished at ten forty-five and the late-night “X” film came on. Normally Chadwick wouldn’t bother watching such rubbish, but this week it was Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, which he and Janet had seen at the Lyric about eight years ago, and he didn’t mind watching it again. At least it was the sort of life he could understand, real life, not long-haired kids listening to loud music and taking drugs.
It was about quarter past eleven when he heard the front door open and shut. By that time, his anger had edged over into concern, but in a parent the two are often so intermingled as to be indistinguishable.
“Where have you been?” he asked Yvo
“That’s a nice welcome,” she said.
“Are you going to answer me?”
“If you must know, I’ve been to the Grove.”
“Where’s that?”
“Down past the station, by the canal.”
“And what goes on there?”
“Nothing goes on. It’s folk night on Mondays. People sing folk songs and read poetry.”
“You know you’re not old enough to drink.”
“I wasn’t drinking. Not alcohol, anyway.”
“You smell of smoke.”
“It’s a pub, Dad. People were smoking. Look, if all you’re going to do is go on at me like this, I’m off to bed. It’s a school day tomorrow, or didn’t you know?”
“Enough of your cheek! You’re too young to be hanging around pubs in town. God knows who-”
“If it was up to you I wouldn’t have any friends at all, would I? And I’d never go anywhere. You make me sick!”
And with that Yvo
Chadwick made to follow her, but Janet grabbed his arm. “No, Stan. Not now. Let’s not have another flaming row. Not tonight.”
Furious as he felt, Chadwick realized she was right. Besides, he was exhausted. Not the best time to get into a long argument with his daughter. But he’d have it out with her tomorrow. Find out what she was up to, where she had been all Sunday night, exactly what crowd she was hanging around with. Even if he had to follow her.
He could hear her banging about upstairs, using the toilet and the bathroom, slamming her bedroom door, making a point of it. It was impossible to get back into the film now. Impossible to go to sleep, too, no matter how tired he felt. If he’d had a dog he would have taken it for a walk. Instead he poured himself another small whiskey, and while Janet pretended to read her Woman’s Weekly he pretended to watch Saturday Night and Sunday Morning until all was silent upstairs and it was safe to go to bed.
CHAPTER FOUR
A
Just before eleven o’clock, A
Kelly made toward the pub door. “I can’t. I’ll be late for work.”
A
Kelly chewed her lip, then muttered something under her breath and got in the old purple Astra. It was long past time for a new car, A
A
Kelly put the cigarettes away and pouted.
“Last night, when we were talking in the pub,” A
“Well, someone got killed. I mean, it might be normal for you, but not round here. It was a shock, that’s all.”
“It seemed like a personal shock.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do I have to spell it out, Kelly?”
“I’m not thick.”
“Then stop playing games. What was your relationship with the deceased?”
“I didn’t have a relationship. He came in the pub, that’s all. He had a nice smile, said have one for yourself. Isn’t that enough?”
“Enough for what?”
“Enough to be upset that he’s dead.”
“Look, I’m sorry if this is hard for you,” A
Kelly shot her a glance. “You never even saw him when he was alive. You didn’t even know he existed.”
True, it was one of the things about A
“He’d been in the cottage a week,” said A