No Holds Barred by Lyndon Stacey Page A

right wrist, which was badly bruised and swollen from the forearm to the fingers.
    Daniel retrieved a bag of frozen peas from the icebox of the fridge and wrapped it round his injured arm in a dishcloth.
    â€˜I can’t thank you enough for what you did for Taz,’ he said then, taking a seat across from Woodsmoke. ‘I thought they were going to kill him.’
    â€˜If t’ad been Boyd, he would ’ave,’ the poacher grunted. ‘Evil that one. Pure evil.’
    â€˜Ricky, you mean?’
    â€˜No. T’other un. Taylor. You knew t’was him, spite of the masks, didn’t you?’
    â€˜I guessed,’ Daniel confirmed.
    â€˜Ar. They’re a bad lot, the whole crowd of ’em, but Taylor’s the worst. Jenny’s man should never ’ave got mixed up with he.’
    â€˜Jenny says Gavin isn’t from round here and didn’t know the family.’
    Another grunt. ‘Soon learned. What’s his beef with you, then?’
    â€˜He thinks I’ve been asking questions about him.’
    â€˜An ’ave you?’
    Daniel sighed. ‘One or two, maybe, on the quiet.’
    Woodsmoke harrumphed. ‘Not quiet enough, seemingly. Got eyes and ears everywhere, that fambly. There’s not much goes on they don’t hear about.’
    â€˜So it seems. So, what happened back there – with Taz, I mean?’
    â€˜Matey was gonna haul him into the tree. Didn’t ’spect ter find me there, did he? Reckon I give ’im the fright of his life!’ Woodsmoke chuckled appreciatively at the memory.
    â€˜Into a tree? Are you sure?’
    â€˜â€™S’what it looked like.’
    â€˜Did you see who it was?’
    â€˜Reckon not. Come up behind ’im and put my hand on his shoulder, I did. He didn’t hang around fer no introductions.’
    â€˜I don’t suppose he did,’ Daniel said with a slight smile.
    â€˜Reckon his heart weren’t in it.’
    â€˜What makes you say that?’
    â€˜Well, Boyd, see, he woulda told ’im ter clobber the dog, not string ’im in a bloody tree! Lucky he was more interested in you, I reckon.’
    â€˜Lucky for who?’ Daniel enquired morosely. Now that the sustaining effect of the adrenalin had cleared his system, a grinding discomfort was taking over, reminding him, with each movement, of the efficacy with which Boyd, if Boyd it had been, had wielded his baseball bat.
    Woodsmoke grunted again. ‘Woulda killed the dog, Boyd would. Seen ’im do it afore.’
    â€˜You’ve seen him kill a dog?’ Daniel’s ears pricked up. ‘Whose?’
    Suddenly, it seemed as if the poacher regretted having said so much. He shrugged and took a long swig of his coffee.
    â€˜Reckon I disremember.’
    â€˜I’d really like to know  . . .’
    â€˜Wouldn’t do yer no good, I reckon. ’S’all over an’ done with.’
    Sensing that the older man had said all he was going to, Daniel changed the subject, careful not to let his frustration show.
    â€˜Was it you the other day? Watching me from the wood?’
    â€˜Mighta bin.’
    â€˜Why didn’t you come over?’
    â€˜Not in general sociable,’ Woodsmoke said. ‘Juss wanted to see what manner of man you wuz. Heard you sent the Boyd nipper packing.’
    â€˜With a little help from Taz,’ Daniel admitted, adding casually, ‘The Boyds have got dogs at the scrapyard, I gather. Rottweilers, aren’t they?’
    â€˜The girl tell you that, did she? Sue? Never could keep her mouth shut. Bet she didn’t tell you about the others though, did she? The ones you can’t see.’
    â€˜What do you mean?’
    â€˜Nuthin.’ All at once, Woodsmoke wouldn’t meet Daniel’s eyes, and this time Daniel let his exasperation show.
    â€˜But you must have meant something, else why say it?’
    The older man finished his coffee in