Cooper supposed he might have been like Luke Irvine once, when he first got a chance to take off the uniform and work as a detective. Young and eager. How times had changed.
DC Cooper. I hear it was rather a disturbing incident yesterday. Are you all right?
The sudden stir in the room was accounted for by the arrival of their DI, Paul Hitchens, and Superintendent Branagh. Cooper found Branagh looming over his desk dressed in a black suit and white blouse, like a funeral director. Her shoulders were broad enough to carry a coffin on her own, too.
Cooper stood up. Yes, maam, thank you.
Your line manager should make sure you defuse. I know you werent on duty, but even so. Then off to HR Service Centre Care First, or a trained colleague supporter for a de-brief.
No, really. Thank you, maam, but Im fine.
Well, everyone needs counselling services now and then. Perhaps a little leave? No? All right. Well done, anyway. Dont forget see me in my office at nine.
When Branagh had left, DI Hitchens put his hand on Coopers shoulder.
You do have to be aware of the fallout, Ben.
Im sorry?
The psychological fallout.
Oh, I see.
So dont bottle it up. There are systems in place. Critical incident support. DS Fry should take care of it.
Cooper nodded, accepting the good intentions, but hoping that no one would mention it again. Diane Fry had other things on her mind anyway.
They say its like falling off a horse, said Murfin a few minutes later.
What is?
Trauma. Getting over a traumatic incident. The thing to do is go back and put yourself in the same circumstances again. Its like when you fall off a horse you have to get straight back on. Otherwise, you just get more afraid of doing it. It kind of builds up in your mind, the idea that youll fall off every time. If you leave it long enough, it turns into a proper phobia, like.
Cooper felt a surge of irrational anger, as if Murfins comment was the final straw.
Gavin, youre not a psychiatrist. You dont know what the Hell youre talking about.
Murfin looked surprised at his irritability. But then he seemed to accept it, and looked thoughtful.
Well, it couldnt be exactly the same circumstances, he said. Not in this case, I grant you that. But the principle is the same. Trust me.
Thanks a lot, Gavin.
No matter what anyone said to him, now was not the time to be showing any signs of weakness. It certainly wasnt the time to be taking leave from work, or asking for counselling. This was his one opportunity to prove himself and if he didnt come up to scratch, he wasnt likely to get another chance. His failure would be marked down in his personal assessment, and reflect on him for ever.
So he had to suck it up. He mustnt let anyone see that he was affected in any way. Act normal. Be strong. That was the only way.
But Cooper had to admit to himself that he didnt feel entirely up to scratch. There was a slight tremor in his hands that hadnt been there before. When someone dropped a stapler in the office that morning, he jumped as if hed been shot. That wasnt like him at all.
Fry had only come into the office to clear her desk. She watched Cooper get up and leave the CID room as nine oclock came round. He was off for his appointment with Branagh.
Gavin, she said, did Ben meet the family of that girl who drowned? Has he mentioned it to you?
Well, he hasnt, as it happens, said Murfin. He hasnt talked about it much. But, yes I hear he went to the hospital in Derby. Even drove the family home afterwards.
Fry sighed. Hes getting personally involved.
I couldnt say.
Very loyal, Gavin.
She dumped some files in her out tray. They werent all dealt with, but someone would pick them up when shed gone.
This family. I suppose theyre another lost cause of his.
No. A nice, respectable middle-class family, from what I hear. You should try reading the bulletins.
Fry scowled. How can you tell when a family is nice and respectable?
When the kids are well behaved. Respectful. I like that.
Oh?
Murfin seemed to sense the way she was looking at him.
What?
Oh, nothing.
Anyway compared to my lot, some middle-class kids are a marvel. I wish somebody would write a parenting manual telling us how to turn out teenagers like that.
Fry looked up as Cooper came back from the Supers office.
Acting DS? she said.
Yes.
Well, I suppose said Fry, struggling to find the right words to camouflage her doubts. She wasnt sure what she supposed. And she wasnt sure whether she cared, really.
Ive got the experience, Diane, he said, defensively.
Gavin has more than you.
Fry knew it was a ridiculous thing to say, even before the sentence had left her mouth. The prospect of Gavin Murfin as Acting Detective Sergeant was so bizarre that it made the choice of Ben Cooper seem all the more preferable, even to her.
Well, look after the kids, wont you? she said.
Of course.
And she supposed he would. In fact, Cooper would probably ruin them for anything worthwhile in the course of a week. Hed pollute their minds by encouraging them to empathize, improvise, trust their instincts. Some nonsense like that. Shed have her work cut out to undo the damage when she came back from Birmingham. It might take her years to get them back in shape.
Fry sighed. Oh, well. God had sent Ben Cooper to her as a challenge, there was no doubt about that.
I need to hand over this case to you. The drugs enquiry on the Devonshire Estate.
To me?
Yes, to you. Acting DS Cooper.
Right. That would be Michael Lowndes?
Hes our initial suspect. But we believe hes low level. We havent pulled him in because we want to identify the main players. We had an abortive surveillance operation yesterday. You heard about that?
Yes, Diane.
Our information was that he was due to meet up with his bosses yesterday to make one of his regular payments. But we slipped up, and lost him on the estate. He could have had somebody waiting to pick him up, we dont know. Youll need to see if you can get another shot at it. Okay?
Fine, Ill give it a go.
Fry handed him the file reluctantly. She felt as if she was handing her purse to a mugger, and advising him how to spend the money.
Diane, is it true youre going
To Birmingham, yes.
I hope it goes well.
Thanks. Whatever that means.
Yeah.
Fry turned away. The trouble was, no matter how clumsily he did it, Ben Cooper was always sincere.
Before she left the office, Fry relented and went over to give him some advice. Tips on how best to handle the team while she was away. Cooper nodded politely, even made a few notes. As if he actually thought she knew what she was doing.
And dont worry about the thing yesterday, she said. I know what youre like, Ben. But it was an accident, pure and simple. Not your responsibility. Dont get involved. Turn in your statement, and forget about it.
Right, Diane, he said. Understood. Have a good trip.
When Fry had picked up her things and left, Cooper called Murfin over. He was munching on a chocolate bar what he called his second breakfast.
Yes, new boss. What can I do for you? Pick up Michael Lowndes and give him the old rubber hose treatment, or what?
No, Gavin. I want you to get PNC print-outs for all the registered sex offenders in the Ashbourne area.
Murfin stopped chewing. Are you looking for someone in particular?
Yes, said Cooper. And Ill recognize him when I see him.
To reach the A515 from Edendale, Cooper had a circuitous drive across Tideswell, Millers Dale and Blackwell. One of the pleasantest drives in the Peak District, but he barely noticed it. The A515 was the road south, down out of the White Peak to Ashbourne.
Three-quarters of an hour later, Cooper was sitting down on a rather chintzy sofa in the Nields lounge, facing a fireplace with a polished oak surround containing a living-flame gas fire one of those things that were supposed to provide the impression of an open fire, but without any of the mess. Photographs of the family stood on a display mantel. At one end of the room, double doors stood open into a dining room with another bay window overlooking the rear garden. And, in the distance, he had another view of Thorpe Cloud.
Have you lived here long, Mr Nield? he asked.
About two years.
But youre local, arent you?
Oh, yes. We lived in Wetton before we came here.
Cooper nodded. Wetton was a small village about ten miles northwest of Ashbourne, close to Dovedale itself.
And youre a supermarket manager, is that right?
Yes, I manage an independent here in Ashbourne, called Lodges. Do you know it?
Ive heard of it, I think, said Cooper.
Well, thats something. A lot of people dont even realize there are independent supermarkets any more. Were a bit of a dying breed.
Its good to have independent businesses. Ashbourne is lucky.
Times are changing, Im afraid. That sort of view sounds like pure nostalgia from a commercial point of view. There are too many supermarkets in Ashbourne now. The opening of Sainsburys was the last straw. We cant all survive in this economic climate.
Do you think youll close, then?
Probably, said Nield. In the next year or two, perhaps sooner.
And will you be able to get a job at one of the other stores?
He shook his head. I doubt it. I come from the wrong culture, you see. When the big chains take you on, they want to turn you into a Sainsburys person, or a Tescos person, or whatever it is. They need to own your soul, to make sure youre a team player. Ive had too many years outside their culture, you see. Im tainted by too much independence.
Mrs Nield had disappeared into the kitchen as soon as Cooper arrived. Not because she wanted to get out of his way, but because it seemed to give her something to do. Another woman was in there, slightly younger. Her sister.
For one thing, Im a big believer in sourcing local produce, wherever possible, said Nield, perching on an armchair. Take bottled water. The Co-op here sells its own Fairbourne Springs, which comes from Wales. Somerfields now, they stock water from Huddersfield and Shropshire.
Instead of?
Well, Buxton spring water. Thats what we sell at Lodges. Locally produced, you see. Of course, we used to stock Ashbourne water, but that went the way of all things, when Nestle closed the factory. Its like everything else. Too much competition.
Cooper was conscious that he was filling in time, besides letting Robert Nield talk about something other than the death of his daughter. But he was waiting for Mrs Nield to return before he asked his real questions.