The Amen Cadence Read Online Free Page A

pushed through it, and stood up, arching his back and looking down at the hospital chair that had been the cause of his discomfort, then across at his mum in the high steel bed alongside. Even in the dim, bluish light he could see the bruises, darkening the parchment pale skin on her face. She was quite still, and breathing without the aid of any machinery.
     
    They’d definitely told him that she’d be OK, and that she’d be up and about in a day or two. They might even have said that it wasn’t as bad as it looked, and not to worry. He couldn’t remember exactly what they’d told him, because of the blood beating in his forehead, and the almost overwhelming urge to run from the hospital to wherever Dai Young was, and to beat him to death with his bare hands. Because Davey Hood was almost sure that Dai Young was behind what had happened to his mum that night. All he needed her to do was wake up, so she could tell him that herself. It would be an hour or two yet, the doctors had said, but what did they know?
     
    When the nurse finally poked her head round the door she said that she didn’t have time to sit with his mum while he went to buy a coffee, and that there was a button for her to push if she did wake and needed help. So he’d be fine to nip out for a few minutes. Hood felt the anger rising again, even though the girl had smiled as she spoke to him, and he could see the fear in her face as he swore back at her. But he raised his hand in apology immediately, and she said that she’d heard worse. But she didn’t smile again, and she closed the door quickly. Hood couldn’t say he blamed her. He rubbed his temples hard with his knuckles, the way he’d done on night ops, and it helped him calm down and focus on the job in hand.
    ‘Sorry, mum. I’m sorry about all this. But I’ll make it right, you just see if I don’t.’
     
    When his mum did come round, at just before seven, Hood was asked to leave, and then told to clear off, at least for an hour or two. But Davey didn’t leave. He found a chair in an empty room, and sat out in the corridor. He was still there when a young bloke with a Police ID round his neck came loping along the corridor. When he stopped at the door to his mum’s room Hood got up and held out an arm.
    ‘Let’s see some ID’, he said. The lad reached into his pocket, without thinking.
    ‘DC Henry Armstrong. And who are you?’
    ‘Davey Hood. Beryl is my mum.’
    ‘Why aren’t you in with her?’
    ‘Medics are in there.’
    ‘They’ll be out in a minute, I expect. I had a message to say that your mum was ready for an initial interview, so I’ll pop in as soon as they come out.’
    ‘I’ll be coming with you.’
    ‘I’m afraid not, Mr. Hood.’
    ‘Bollocks.’
    ‘No, it’s not. Look, I’m sure that this isn’t the case, but what if you’d assaulted your mum? I’m happy to have a word with you afterwards, and of course you can always ask your mum the same questions that I will, but only after I’ve gone. I hope we’re absolutely clear on that.’
    ‘Aye, OK. Sorry, mate.’
    ‘No problem. So why not go and get yourself some breakfast? I’ll make sure nothing happens to your mum.’
    Hood laughed. ‘No offence, son, but you couldn’t look after a bunch of grapes. Not from the animals who did this, anyway. No, I’ll be going nowhere.’
    Armstrong smiled. ‘Have it your own way, Mr. Hood. And I take it, from what you say, that you have an idea about who it was who assaulted your mum?’
    ‘Aye, of course. Dai Young, or one of his lads.’
    ‘And why would Young have your mother attacked? From what I know of Mrs. Hood she doesn’t sound like the criminal type.’
     
    Hood looked sharply at the young cop. He didn’t seem to be taking the piss, and that was a good thing. Because otherwise there’d have been another hospital admission that morning.
    ‘He burned down my depot.’
    ‘There was no evidence that the fire was started deliberately, was there?