Rule of Night (2003)
“It looked to Doll as though he might have been crying.
‘What’s up?’ she said, fearing that something had gone wrong in the family. Kenny came in and went straight through to the kitchen, leaving a trail of wet bootprints on the composition floor. Jimmy was sitting down to his tea; considering that the pubs had been open for an hour or more this was something approaching a minor miracle. Neither the man nor the boy said a word: Kenny flopped into the chair with the broken arm and stared into the... fire.
‘Kenny?’ Doll said tentatively. Even now she couldn’t altogether resist a hesitant smile, her perfect set of teeth on display like a specimen in a dental training school.
‘The old man twamped me,’ Kenny said into his chest. His voice was gruff and he released a long shuddering sigh.
‘What for this time?’ Doll said carefully; she didn’t want the lad to break down and cry.
‘How should I know? He came in after work and went bloody mad. The usual caper. I can’t do anything now without him picking on me.’ ‘What about your mam?’ ‘What about her?’ ‘Didn’t she say anything?’ ‘Nowt much she could say, what with him ranting and raving.’ He added in an undertone and with deep, bitter feeling, ‘I’ll get me own back.’ ‘It must have been for something, Kenny.’ It had been, of course, about money – or, more precisely, the lack of it.MoreLess
‘What’s up?’ she said, fearing that something had gone wrong in the family. Kenny came in and went straight through to the kitchen, leaving a trail of wet bootprints on the composition floor. Jimmy was sitting down to his tea; considering that the pubs had been open for an hour or more this was something approaching a minor miracle. Neither the man nor the boy said a word: Kenny flopped into the chair with the broken arm and stared into the... fire.
‘Kenny?’ Doll said tentatively. Even now she couldn’t altogether resist a hesitant smile, her perfect set of teeth on display like a specimen in a dental training school.
‘The old man twamped me,’ Kenny said into his chest. His voice was gruff and he released a long shuddering sigh.
‘What for this time?’ Doll said carefully; she didn’t want the lad to break down and cry.
‘How should I know? He came in after work and went bloody mad. The usual caper. I can’t do anything now without him picking on me.’ ‘What about your mam?’ ‘What about her?’ ‘Didn’t she say anything?’ ‘Nowt much she could say, what with him ranting and raving.’ He added in an undertone and with deep, bitter feeling, ‘I’ll get me own back.’ ‘It must have been for something, Kenny.’ It had been, of course, about money – or, more precisely, the lack of it.MoreLess
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