1983

David Peace 1983

The fourth book in the Red Riding Quartet series, 2003

For William Miller, John Williams, and Pete Ayrton -

thank you.

‘Oh, this is the way to the fairy wood,

Where the wolf ate Little Red Riding Hood;

But this is the riddle that you must tell -

How is it, if it so befell,

That he ate her up in that horrid way,

In these pretty pages she lives today?’

– Traditional

The last beg

Yorkshire -

The Summer of Love:

Jimmy’s dog is barking and the boys are crying, Michael screaming; Martin slaps him across his face and says:

‘Do you want to be next?’

The boys close their eyes.

He is going to teach me a lesson.

They tie my hands behind my back and kick me to my knees, forcing my face into the sod; Leonard’s dad pulls down my pants and asks:

‘Do you love me Barry?’

I close my eyes.

He is going to make me learn.

Part 1. Miss the girl

‘History does not repeat itself, only man.’

– Voltaire

Chapter 1

‘No more dead dogs and slashed swans for us,’ whispered Dick Alderman, like this was good news -

It wasn’t. It was Day 2:

9.30 a.m. -

Friday 13 May 1983:

Millgarth Police Station, Leeds -

Yorkshire:

Waiting in the wings -

I pushed open the side door, the Conference Room silent as I led this damned parade out:

Detective Superintendent Alderman and the father, a policewoman and the mother, Evans from Community Affairs and me -

The Owl:

Maurice Jobson; Detective Chief Superintendent Maurice Jobson.

We sat down behind the Formica tables, behind the microphones and the cups of water.

I took off my glasses. I rubbed my eyes -

No bed, no sleep, only this: