Chapters (61)
- Cover
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Acknowledgements
- About the author
Cardilini wondered if he was getting his copper’s head, back or if he just didn’t care anymore. No, he knew deep down that he cared. He became nervous. ‘I’m going out for an hour. You ring me with your answer,’ Cardilini said and hung up. He didn’t want to hear Leggett’s voice any longer. He showered and changed back into his day clothes.
Forty-Nine
FORTY-NINE
Day 20
St Nicholas College
4.30 p.m. Friday, 13th November 1965
It was 4.30 and the boy had been standing outside the sixth form common room since 3.45. He wanted to be ‘in trouble’ so stood there even though Abbott said he didn’t have to. The story of Darnley punching him in the stomach had spread like wildfire but he didn’t want to talk about it.
Students frequently walked by, occasionally one would pretend to punch him in the stomach then pull his punch at the last moment and the boy would buckle; this generally brought laughter from all who saw it. The boy, after the third time, became confident that no one would actually punch him and stopped buckling in anticipation. The laughter failed to come as different boys tried to scare him in that way.
Darnley was in detention. His parents would be called that evening, so the gossip went. For a while the boy was the centre of attention.
‘Darnley is going to be expelled.’
‘Did you dob on him?’
‘No.’
‘Platmore saw Darnley punch him.’
‘Did it hurt?’
‘Don’t know.’
‘But you fainted.’
‘Yes.’
‘What did you say to Darnley?’
‘Nothing.’
‘You must have said something.’
‘I don’t remember.’
‘Amnesia.’
‘It can happen if you get punched.’
‘Harper’s got amnesia.’
‘Darnley said he didn’t punch you.’
‘Oh.’
‘Did he?’
‘Platmore saw Darnley punch Harper.’
‘Platmore dobbed on Darnley.’
‘Platmore’s a sixth former, it isn’t dobbing when you tell on someone like Darnley.’
‘Of course it is.’
‘Harper should be allowed to fight his own battles.’
The second formers turned their eyes to Harper.
‘Darnley shouldn’t have punched Harper. Harper’s a weed, and Darnley shouldn’t have punched him. That’s why it’s not dobbing when you tell a teacher.’
The second formers’ attention shifted from the boy as they chased and punched each other in the stomach. He watched them disappear down the corridor.