They took everyone’s statement that day.
Uncle Ted found the letter with the money and instructions to use the ticket and to get an American visa. The envelope had been in a huge pile of unopened post. Johnny J’s mam had been too sick for anyone in the Tulsi household to worry about opening letters, so it was just sitting there in a stack of paper, resting on the cushion of the bench beside the hall door. We could have stayed away the full two weeks and that letter would still probably never have been opened. We hadn’t thought about that! The guards took the letter as evidence for the DPP.fn1
Later that evening we were cautioned (which means the police let us know in writing we’d done a very bad thing), but the good news was they were much nicer to us when they realised why we’d done the robberies. Detective Earhair described our reasons as altruistic, which means unselfish. My dad said altruistic described us perfectly. He said we should be known as the Altruistic Five.
Sheila Brown wasn’t impressed. She didn’t care why we’d done it. She said it was stupid. It was a criminal act and it threatened her son’s future. She didn’t want Walker hanging around with us any more. She was glad he was going to a posh school for genius kids.
Everyone else’s parents were really relieved. They chatted to one another.
‘Good intentions,’ Mrs Lane said with a sigh.
‘Ah, great intentions,’ Mr Eastman said.
‘God love them, the very best of intentions,’ my dad said.
Uncle Ted couldn’t talk. He was too emotional. He was red-faced and biting his lip hard, but he held on to Johnny J and ruffled his hair a lot.
Mr Brown was nodding along with everyone until Mrs Brown gave him a belt. ‘Good intentions, my eye,’ Mrs Brown said. Then she turned to Walker. ‘How can an intelligent boy like you be so stupid?’
‘Bad influence,’ Auntie Alison said, and then she and her solicitor were escorted into the back room to talk business with the police, leaving our proud and relieved parents a little stunned.
‘That’s a cold woman,’ my dad said, and Uncle Ted nodded.
‘She wasn’t always like that,’ he mumbled. Then he ruffled Johnny J’s hair again and hugged him tight against his chest. ‘Let’s go home, Johnny J. Your mammy is waiting.’
Before they could move, Auntie Alison’s solicitor appeared in the doorway. ‘Johnny, could we see you in here for a minute or two?’ Johnny J looked to Uncle Ted for guidance. ‘It will only take a short time, I promise,’ the man said. He smiled at Uncle Ted. ‘I’ll take care of him.’
Uncle Ted nodded. ‘I’ll wait in the car,’ he said.
Mrs Lane gave me a hug in the car park and told me I’d be welcome in their den anytime. Sumo wasn’t talking to me though, so she was probably wrong about that.
I got into the front passenger seat of the car. Johnny J was still inside the police station with his Auntie Alison. I wondered what was happening to him. My dad had forgotten his jacket in the station so he left me waiting in the car. Uncle Ted saw me alone and came and sat in behind the wheel of my dad’s car.
‘Hiya, Jeremy,’ he said.
‘Hiya, Uncle Ted.’
He grinned at me. ‘So it was your plan?’
‘Sorry.’
‘Nah, don’t be. You didn’t want to give up on Johnny J’s mammy. You thought you could do something to save her. What you all did was very wrong, but I want you to know that I think you’ve a big heart and I’m proud to know you.’
He put out his hand to shake mine. I shook it. He was smiling at me but he looked very sad.
‘Do you think Johnny J will ever forgive me?’ I asked Uncle Ted.
‘For what?’
‘Jimbo said I needed to bring Johnny J home.’
‘Jimbo was right.’
‘Johnny J thinks I gave us up.’
‘Johnny J is going through a very hard time and he’s angry and scared, that’s all.’
‘So he’ll forgive me?’
‘He will.’
‘OK.’
Ted stood out of the car.
‘Uncle Ted?’
‘Yeah?’
‘Will Johnny J’s mam die soon?’ I asked.
‘Yeah, son, she will,’ he said, and his voice trembled a little and he blinked hard.
‘I’m really sorry.’
‘Me too,’ he said, and he gave me a sad smile.
‘Will Auntie Alison take Johnny J away from us?’
‘Not as long as there is breath in my body,’ Uncle Ted said.
‘Really?’ I said, and my heart soared a little in my chest.
‘I’m going to fight for him,’ Uncle Ted said. ‘After all, I have been like a dad to him all his life.’
‘That’s right,’ I said.
‘Let’s keep that to ourselves for now,’ he said.
‘OK. I swear. I won’t say a word. You can trust me. I’m really not a traitor,’ I said.
‘I know that, Jeremy.’
And for the first time I knew that even though everything was terrible and sad and messy, things would eventually be good again.