He decided that he wouldn’t mention what the man had said about the houseful of brats because he didn’t think it was a very nice thing to tell her. ‘He wasn’t a very nice man and I wouldn’t like to meet him again,’ he said. ‘Can you think of who he might be, Granny Peg?’
‘Oh, yes,’ she said, carefully cleaning his earlobe with a damp flannel to wipe the blood away. ‘I certainly can, and rest assured he’ll be getting a visit from me in ’morning if he doesn’t get one from Aaron tonight. Now, this might sting a bit, but I know you’ll be brave.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Aaron pushed open the squeaking gate, which set the dog in the kennel barking, strode to the cottage door and hammered it with his fist.
As expected, for Davis Deakin never answered the door himself, Mrs Deakin called through it in a quavering voice. ‘Who is it?’
‘Aaron Robinson. I need a word with your husband.’
‘He – he’s not in.’
‘I think he is. Tell him to come to ’door or I’m going to ’Hedon cop shop to mek a charge against him.’
There was a whispering and scuffling inside and then a bolt was drawn back and a key turned and the door opened a crack. ‘What!’
‘Open ’door, Deakin. I’m not going to stand here and talk through a plank o’ wood.’
Davis Deakin opened the door wider and then shouted at the dog, who was still barking. ‘Stop that row or you’ll feel my stick!’
The barks stopped instantly and Aaron wondered how often the dog had felt the stick.
‘Easy to bully anybody, animal or child, isn’t it?’ he said, his voice curt with sarcasm. ‘Especially when you’ve got a weapon in your hand.’
‘What ’you talking about?’
‘You know what I’m talking about, but I’ll remind you if your memory’s amiss. You assaulted a child in my care, hit him on his head, made him bleed and threatened him wi’ that stick you’re holding on to right now. Perhaps you’d like to step outside instead of hiding behind ’door and your wife and try it on wi’ me.’
‘I’ve got no grudge against you,’ Deakin muttered.
‘Not somebody your size, eh, onny young bairns and dogs? Well, come outside,’ Aaron persisted, ‘and let’s see just how brave you are. Oh, and mebbe leave your stick inside, eh? How about that?’
Deakin grunted, pushed the heavy door curtain aside, leaned the stick against the door jamb and stepped out.
‘What’s this all about, then?’
‘It’s about my nephew that you met a couple of hours ago.’ Aaron decided that he would claim a further connection between himself and Robin, so that Deakin would realize the seriousness of the issue. ‘Not only did you threaten him, you assaulted him and drew blood.’
‘I never touched him,’ Deakin blustered. ‘I told him to clear off because he was up to no good hanging about near the estuary.’
‘He’d gone on an errand for my wife and happened to see a sailboat coming to shore. A shrimp boat was it, or …?’
Aaron let the question hang and then grabbed Deakin by the scarf he wore round his neck. ‘If you so much as lay a finger on any bairn that belongs to me, or even any that doesn’t, you’ll find yourself in ’deep water of ’estuary. And then’ – he tightened his grip on the scarf – ‘and then I’ll go to ’cop shop in Hedon and I’ll drive very very slowly cos our hoss is very old, and by ’time they get back here to fish you out it might be too late.’ He shook him. ‘Do you hear me?’
‘Aye, aye, it were a mistake. I never meant to hurt the lad,’ Deakin snivelled, showing Aaron that he was the coward that he’d always thought he was. ‘I just accidentally—’
‘And another thing.’ Aaron hadn’t quite finished. ‘Do your dodgy business away from Paull. Don’t give our shrimpers a bad name with your nefarious activities. If they should find out that you’re up to summat, you might be even sorrier than you are now.’
He gave him a shove away and Deakin turned for the door. ‘I don‘t know what you’re talking about,’ he muttered, and went inside. Aaron heard the bolt being drawn across and the key turn. He brushed his hands together as if to rid himself of any vestige of Davis Deakin.
The dog cowered in the kennel as he went past, but didn’t bark. Aaron took a few strides towards the gate, then paused and turned back and bent down. He picked up the thick rope that bound the animal and spoke soothingly to him as he unfastened it. He set the dog free and threw the rope into the yard. The dog peered at him as he straightened up.
‘You can come if you want,’ Aaron offered. ‘It’s up to you.’ He turned and walked towards the gate, but instead of opening it he climbed over to avoid the creak giving notice of his departure. He watched the dog watching him and then walked away. Within a minute it had raced after him, jumping through the bars and following him down the track. He climbed the fence into Foggit’s field and crossed the new homestead of his son.
‘You came of your own accord, don’t forget,’ he told the dog as he headed for home. ‘And not a word about what happened tonight.’
The dog trotted beside him and followed him over his own fence and into the yard.
‘We’re a dog missing, you see,’ Aaron went
