Lingard162Chapter 17Lingard Estate1972Linen Hall LibraryThursday, March 10, 2016TIFFLingard162ManuscriptPoliceman, AmbulanceEnglishhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/lingard162Linen Hall LibraryLinen Hall LibraryAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SAhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Lingard162_1.jpg154
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The car lay crushed against the seal wall on its off-side, the near-
side wheels spinning in the air. Two cars stopped and the drivers ran
to help release the occupants. The dog would not stop barking and
yelping. It wastrembling with fright. Sadie scramibled out first,
and then Kevin. And then tThey helped to ease out Mr Blake. He was
dazed and could s not stand. They set him down by the edge of the road.
and Jack sat beside him licking his face.
By this timenow several other cars had stopped, and within minutessoon a
police car came along the road. The policeman sent out a call for
an ambulance.
"I’m all right," Mr Blake waskept muttering.
"We must have you all checked up," said the policemanconstable.
Sadie and Kevin were bruised and a little shocked but nothing more.
Mr Blake had kept xxxxxx his head and controlled the car as far as
it was possible so that they had not been travelling very fast when
they/hit the wall.
"Lucky escape," said the policemanconstable. "You don’t often have much of
a chance when a wheel comes off.
"Can’t understand it," said Mr Blake. "A wheel coming off."
"Somebody hasn’t tightened it up properly," said the policemanconstable.
"We’ll have to check at your garage."
"Haven’t had that wheel changed for months," said Mr Blake.
"Never mind," said Sadie. "Don’t think about it any more just now."
They wentwere taken to the nearest hospital by ambulance. The doctor cleared
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them but saidstressed that Mr Blake should rest for x a few days. "After
all, you’re not twenty any longer," he said. "You're a bit shaken up.
But sound as a bell otherwise."
They returned to Belfast by taxi and Sadie insisted that Mr Blake
go straight to bed. He went meekly, falling asleep almost at once.
The police came next morning. There were two of them, in plain clothes. Sadie and Kevin
looked at one another after the men had shown their cards. Mr Blake got up and sat in his arm-
chair in the sitting room to receive them.
"I suppose it’s about the accident," said Mr Blake.
"It was no accident," said one, who did most of the talking. The
other took notes and watched the faces of Mr Blake, Kevin and Sadie.
"No accident?" said Kevin.
"No. When the car was examined it was discovered that the screws
of all the wheels had been loosened. It was only a matter of time
before one or more of the wheels came off."
Sadie sat withheld her hands clenched tightly together in her lap.
She was thinking of Steve. Could he do a thing like that? Could
he really have wanted to kill her, or did he think that only Mr Blake
was would be in the car ? Was Steve capable of being a murderer? She did not know. She
had known him a long time, they had played together, but she did not
know what he was capable of.
Beside her on the settee/sat Kevin, brow knotted togetherhis forehead creased.
He was thinking of Brian Rafferty. Could Brian have come in the
night with a screwdiriver and sysystematically loosened every
TextJoan LingardTuesday, September 6, 2016 - 10:521008Lingard164Chapter 17Lingard Estate1972Linen Hall LibraryThursday, March 10, 2016TIFFLingard164ManuscriptDetective, PoliticalEnglishhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/lingard164Linen Hall LibraryLinen Hall LibraryAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SAhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Lingard164_1.jpgscrew , thinking as he worked in the dark garadge of the possible
death that would result? No, Brian had could not have done it since he had been in bed, but
he might have sent his friends, the two who had beaten Kevin up.
Kevin was g not sure who they were. He had not seen their faces and
they had not spoken. They might be any two boys he had played with
or gone to school with or they might never have seen him before.
They were anonymous; he could not decide if they were capable of it.
Mr Blake reached for his pipe, lit it, puffed slowly, staring
into the grate. He was thinking of the letters that had come four
mornings in a row. 'You have been warned.' He could almost smell
the singeing paper.as he had burned them. Many wrote letters and
did not act, but then some did.
The detective looked from one face to the other.
"Have any of you any idea who might have done this?" he asked.
Sadie started, roused from her thoughts. "No," she said quickly.
"I mean, who would want to do a thing like that deliberately?"
"That's what I'm trying to find out.x Have you any suggestions,
Mr Blake?"
Mr Blake shook his head. "I don't know anyone who would want to
kill me," he said with a little smile.
"No enemies?"
"Not that I know of."
"Someone must have been after you for something. Are you a memebe r
of any political party or organisation?"
"No. I'm not a joining man. Organisations aren't in my line."
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"What about you two?" The policeman swung round on Sadie and
Kevin. "Do you belong to any groups? Have you ever?"
"I was once a Girl Guide," xxx said Sadie, and Kevin's mouth
twitched. "But that's all."
"And you?" The policeman asked Kevin.
Kevin shook his head.
"Perhaps it was just some hooligans and they happened to pick on
me by accidentchance," said Mr Blake.
"I feel there's more to it than that. You keep your car in the
garage at night?x" Mr Blake/nodded. The policeman continued," So
somesbody person or persons went to the trouble to get into your
garage and loosen all the wheels, doing it carefully, replacing the
hub caps, clearing away any evidence afterwards. That's not the
work of hooligans. They might break one of your windows or score
a knife across the bodywork but they don't plan anything carefully."
"Seems a bit of a mystery then," said Mr Blake.
"One we intend to clear up if possible. You were lucky you all
got out alive. But we might have been looking for murderers this
morning."
Sadie stirred uneasily. Should she tell him about Steve? But
what was there to tell? She had no proof, no idea even if he was
guilty.
Kevin thought of Rafferty's gang. Should he give Brian's name to
the policeman? But then he would have to say that Brian Rafferty
the b night before had been lying in his bed too ill to come out.
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How could he say that there were two other boys who might have been
involved but he did not know their faces and he did not knowor their
names.
Mr Blake thought of the letters but there seemed little point
in mentioning them. He had burned them anyway so there was no
evidence left. And he did not want Sadei and Kevin to be upset by
knowing of them.
They all three kept quiet. The detective looked thoughtful.
"I think it would be helpful if I could establish the relationships
ofbetween the three of you*"
"That’s easy enough," said Mr Blake. "Sadie works for me in
the mronigngs, she does a little cleaning and cooking. And Kevin
is a friend."
"Of yours or Sadie's?"
"Both."
"I see. Well, let us take down some particulars."
They wrote down Mr Blake's name, address, age, occupation. Then
it was/Sadie's turn. She spoke quickly; the policeman wrote slwoly
and had to ask her to repeat some of the answers.
"Right." The policeman looked at Kevin.
When Kevin gave his address the detective stopped writing. He
repeated the name of the street and then Sadie's street.
"I think that's a piece of information you might have given me
earlier."
"You didn't ask," said Sadie. "And I didn't think it would be
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of any interest."
"So you didn't think it would be of any interest? You say you're
friends? How many people in your street have friends in his street?"
"Welli... none that I know of."
"A Does your family know you're friendly?"
"Sort of."
"Does yours?" he asked Kevin.
"I'm not surex."
"You're not trying to say that either my family or his would try
to kill us both to stop us seeing one another?" Sadie burst out.
"I/wouldn't have thought so. But families can do strange things
when their blood is up."
"Nobody in mine would do such a thing," said Sadie indignantly.
"I can tell you that for a start."
"And no one in mine," said Kevin.
"What about neighbours?"
He questioned them for another hour, asking who their friends were,
insisting on names and addresses. M Sadie did not mention Steve and
Kevin did not mention Rafferty.
"These are friends," said Sadie. "You're not going to go round
questioning them,are you?"
"Probably not. But we'll check records for any trouble-makers.
What about enemies?"
Kevin shrugged.
"Never come up against anyone?"
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"Oh well of course. The odd fight, you know."
"You've got a bandage on your head. Get that in a fight? When?
How?"
Kevin told him he had been beaten up by three boys but that he
did not know their identitywho they were.
"Expect me to believe that?"
"Can't help it if you don't," said Kevin wearily.
At the end of the hour the detective stood up. He said that he
would leave it at i that meantime,but he would be back.
"I'll go as far as the gate with you," said Mr Blake.
"Are you sure you can walk that far, Mr Blake?" said Sadie.
"Yes, yes, now don't fuss, there's a good girl. Go and make us
some tea."
Mr Blake went down the path with the two policemen.
"I presume you have something t you want to say to us alone?"
Mr Blake nodded. He rested against the gate and told them of the
letters. "I didn't want Sadie and Kevin to be disturbed by them.
They're a nice couple of kids and I want them to have a chance to be
friends."
"It would have saved you a lot of trouble if they hadn't, Mr Blake.
And us too. Coming from streets like theirs they must have known
it would be like lighting a fuse. Good day, Mr Blake."
He watched them drive off in their car. "Moira was/coming along the
road with her children. He waited to speak to her.
"I'm glad you and Mike are happy," he said.
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She looked at him in surprise.
"Against all the odds," he added.
"We have a few troubles,you know. Sometimes we argue and even fight
She laughed. "But we make it up again.Y You're looking sad today?
Are you still shaken up by your accident?"
"A bit, I suppose. I'm worried for Sadie and Kevin. I don't
think they stand much chance. They have too much against them."
"That's why you're helping them, isn't it?"
"WellYes, of course. But I like them both too. They've become real
friends to me."
He went back to the house. Sadie and Kevin were in the kitchen,
their faces were serious.
"We've been thinking, Mr Blake," said Kevin "and we feel we should n't
meet one another here any more."
"Why not?"
"We don't want to get you into any more bother," said Sadie. "Sure
we all know why the wheels were loosened."
Mr 31ake sighed. "I would be sorry not to see you both. And I'm
not afraid to go on having you here?. I think it's important to stick
to your principles."
"I think we should come less often," said Kevin. "Maybe once in
the week, and we'd have to take care not to be seen."
"I'll still come every day and work for you," said Sadie, wonderin g
as she spoke how long she would be able to stall her mother, who again
this morning a had been asking when she was getting a new job.
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"Whatever you think is best," said Mr Blake. "Maybe wWe could try
that for a while and seeif things quieten down. Maybe people will lose
interest maybe and leave us in peace."
Kevin said that he would telephone Sadie someone morning while she was at Mr Blake's and they would and arrange their next meeting, but onevenings were light so long it was not possible to meet in darkness.
riding home on the bus, he decided that he would not phone her. He
must not see her again. For her sake. He was terrified that something
might happen to her. The ’Twelfth’ was approaching, and her street
would soon be consumed withby Orange fever.
He called in at the scrapyard. M He would be able to go back to
work the following week and was glad of that for time hung like balls
of lead round his neck. He saw Mr MaloneKelly working at the far end of
the yard, sorting otu parts of an old car.
"Hi there, Mr Malone.Kelly!" Kevin picked his way through the junk
towards him.
Mr MaloneKelly looked up very briefly, then returned to his sorting.
"I’ve come to teil you I’ll be fit for work on Monday."
"You needn't bother." Still Mr MaloneKelly did not look up.
"What?" Kevin fornwed. He and Mr MaloneKelly had always got on well,
they had never exchanged a harsh word. "Do you mean you’re giving me
my bookscards?"
"Just that." Mr MaloneKelly wiped his a hands on a dirty rag.
"But why?"
"Do you need me to spell it out for you?"
TextJoan LingardTuesday, September 6, 2016 - 10:521015Lingard171Chapter 17Lingard Estate1972Linen Hall LibraryThursday, March 10, 2016TIFFLingard171ManuscriptLiar, SackEnglishhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/lingard171Linen Hall LibraryLinen Hall LibraryAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SAhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Lingard171_1.jpg163
"You don't think I put that box in your yard, do you?"
"Kate said you did. She saw you."
"She's lying!" Kevin spat the words out angrily.
Mr MaloneKelly looked him staright in the eye for the first time. "So
you're calling my daughter a liar,are you? "
"Yes."
"Do you think I would employ a man that calls my daughter a liar?"
"You're not going to employ me again, are you? I can't win either
way. 0. K., maybe I wouldn't want to work for you if it means
keeping on the right side of your daughter."
"There's no call to be rude."
"I'll tell you something though, Mr MaloneKelly. If you're that fond of
your daughter I think you should be taking a good look at the company
she's keeping. If you don't you might find more boxes of guns h
hidden in your yard."
Kevin jumped over a back axle and made for the gate. Mr MaloneKelly
called to him to stop but he did not. That would, give Kate's fatherhim
something to worry about.
Brede was baking. He sniffedsmlet it as he came in at the door. Her face
was flushed as she bent over the oven.
"Well, Brede," he said "I've just got the sack. What do you think
our father's going to say to that?"
"Plenty," said Brede. "But it doesn't surprise me. I was waiting
for it to happen."
"I shall go down and have words with MaloneKelly the night," said Mr
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McCoy, when he was told the news.
"You'll do nothin of the kind," said Kevin.
"He can't get away with this."
"Of course he can. It's his yard."
"I'll go down and tell him he's a little namby-pamby run by that
pair ofthose stsupid women he has in his house."
"That's not likely to get Kevin his job back," said Brede.
"I wouldn't want it back now anyway," said Kevin. "Not after what's
happened."
"And what are you going to do?" asked his fatherx. "We've another
mouth to feed in this x family now."
"I'll go down to the Labour Exchange in the morning and see what
they've got."
It did not take long to find out. They he were sorry but they had
nothing at all that they could offer him. He was not apprenticed, he
had not trade, three years in the scrap busines was not much of a
help for anything else, there were not many scrapyards in the city
and no one was asking for labour, and unemployment in the province was
high, as he must know. Kevin nodded at each piece of information.
Before he had gone he had had no hope. 'Te would have to draw the
dole and from time to time he might get some casual labouring to do.
He was out of work. The full realisation of it dawned upon him
as he walked around the City Hall. Days to fill. He was too restless
to lean on street corners with the others. He would walk for miles
and end up wearing out shoe leather and that would cost money. Money...
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There was seldom enough to go around anyway. And he would have little
to spend on himself.
He thought of Sadie and Mr Blake and wished that he could go out
and see them. For a moment he was tempted, but then his resolve
hardened and he thought, no, he must not go, he must leave them alone.
That way they,at least,might get peace.
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