Acid Row Read Online Free Page B

middle-class parents could learn a little about the Patterson way of child-rearing. It maddened her how many of them raised their children in disinfected, germ-free environments, then insisted on allergy tests because the kids had never-ending coughs and sneezes. As if bleach was some sort of substitute for natural immunity.
    “Yeah, well, I wish that cow Miss Baldwin thought the same,” said Melanie crossly as she reappeared with mugs of tea. "She gave me a right dirty look because I was having a fag and a beer in front of Neighbours. If she'd asked I'd have told her it was my first smoke of the day, but she's not like you .. . She thinks the worst of people whether she needs to or not."
    “When was she here?” asked Sophie, lifting Ben to the floor again and accepting a mug.
    Melanie plonked down beside her. "Can't remember .. . last week sometime .. . Thursday .. . Friday. She was in a right fucking mood.
    Snapping away at me like a bloody little terrier."
    After Fay knew she was going to be replaced then, Sophie thought with annoyance. "Did she mention that I've asked one of the younger health visitors to take over from her?"
    "No. Just gave me a lecture as usual. What's this new one like then?"
    “Wacky,” said Sophie, sipping at her tea. "Pink hair .. . black leathers .. . Doc Marten boots .. . rides a motorbike .. . adores kids.
    You and she'll get on like a house on fire."
    “Bit of a change from old fart-face then.” Melanie cradled her mug between her hands, staring into its milky depths and trying to decide how to put the question she wanted to ask. Subtly or bluntly? She chose subtle. “What do you reckon to paedophiles?” she demanded.
    “How do you mean?”
    “Would you treat one?”
    “Yes.”
    “Even if you knew they'd done stuff to kids?”
    “Fraid so.” Sophie smiled at her disapproving expression. "I wouldn't have much choice, Mel. It's my job. I'm not allowed to pick and choose patients. Why are you asking, anyway?"
    “I just wondered if you've got any registered with you.”
    "Not as far as I know. They don't have black marks beside their names."
    Melanie didn't believe her. "So how come Miss Baldwin knows about the one in the road and you don't?"
    Sophie was genuinely startled. “What are you talking about?”
    "I thought maybe you could give me his name .. . the one he's using anyway. See, everyone's assuming he's a newcomer, but me, I'm wondering if he's been here all along." She waved her hand towards the window. "There's an old geezer in number 8 who vanished for about six months last year then said he'd been visiting his folks in Australia. I reckon it could be him. He's always smarming up to our Rosie and telling her how pretty she is."
    Sophie was bewildered. “What exactly did Fay Baldwin say?”
    "That there's a paedophile in the road and he'd take our Rosie whenever he got the urge."
    God almighty! “What started it?”
    "Usual stuff. Lecture .. . lecture .. . lecture. Tried to quiz Rosie about her dad, then tells me what a lousy mother I am when I gave her a bit of my mind. I told her to fuck off more or less .. . then .. .
    wham! .. . she hits me with this pervert who's gonna seduce Rosie with sweets. Frightened me bloody sick, she did."
    “I'm sorry,” said Sophie apologetically, visions of lawsuits floating in front of her eyes. "It was after I fired her from your case, so she was probably feeling unhappy. She shouldn't have teased you though particularly not like that.“ She sighed. ”Look, Mel, I'm not going to excuse her behaviour, but she does have some problems at the moment.
    She's frightened of retirement .. . feels her life's a bit empty.
    Things like that. She'd love to have married and had babies herself..
    . but it didn't work out for her. Can you understand that?"
    Melanie shrugged. "She was bugging me something chronic, so I took the mickey about her not having any kids. She got really hurry. Started spitting at me."
    Sophie remembered how Fay had spat