Epilogue

Alice pushed the boat out and got us the biggest feast on the Chinese takeaway menu. It was quite late by the time we sat down to eat, and over dinner Olivia told Michelle and Jackie about how Alice had rescued us, using martial arts skills to overpower Shapiro’s gunman. Alice blushed and shifted awkwardly in her seat as Olivia piled it on, portraying her as a comic book heroine or the main character in a movie blockbuster.

As I poured everyone wine, including a small glass for Olivia, I grabbed the remote and switched the television on for the News at Ten, with the sound turned off. I had just sat down again when I noticed the main news item was something to do with a motorway crash. I grabbed the remote and turned the volume up high.

The news report was rousing and dramatic, relating how two Metropolitan detectives, a uniformed police driver and a suspect being brought to London for questioning had been killed in a motorway crash between Junctions three and four on the M2. The newsreader said it wasn’t known at this stage what had caused the car to crash, although it was believed the car was speeding in the outside lane when a tyre burst. Two other vehicles were involved but the drivers and passengers of these other vehicles sustained minor injuries. Nothing further was known at this stage.

I turned the volume down and we all stared at one another while we digested this news. Alice avoided looking directly at me, and I could tell what she was thinking the same as me. An accident? Huge coincidence.

Jackie was the first to break the sudden silence. ‘So that bastard gets away with it?’

‘How d’you work that out,’ I said. ‘The man is dead.’

Jackie shrugged. ‘If he’d spent his life in prison, he’d have been punished. Whereas now - ’

‘And three policemen have been killed, Jackie,’ Michelle pointed out. ‘They didn’t deserve to die. They’ve probably got wives and families.’

‘Look, please don’t take this the wrong way,’ I began, looking around the table at everyone. ‘It’s happened now, and there’s nothing we or anyone can do about it. And I don’t want to sound selfish or hard-hearted, but at least it will give us breathing space.’

Michelle stared at me through narrowed eyes. ‘How d’you mean?’

‘Well, we are all, including Olivia, going to be spending a lot of time with the police giving statements. With what’s happened with the motorway crash, and the death of their suspect, I reckon it’ll be put on hold for a day or so.’ As Michelle still stared at me frostily, I raised my hands. ‘Please, I can’t wish them back to life, and right now my main concern is my family.’

‘Freddie’s right,’ Alice said. ‘That should be the number one priority. I just wish...’ She stopped suddenly and looked down at the table.

We knew she was thinking of her own family and we fell into an awkward silence. Michelle got up, cleared the remains of the takeaway and began loading the dishes in the dishwasher. Olivia yawned loudly.

‘Mum!’ she pleaded. ‘I know I’m a bit old for it now, but will you come up and read me a short bedtime story like you used to do?’

‘Of course I will.’

‘I think I’ll turn in as well,’ Jackie said.

I kissed them both goodnight, finished loading the dishwasher, then took Alice through to the living room where I poured us brandy nightcaps. After we’d settled down, Alice looked at me and said, ‘That was no accident, was it?’

‘If it was, it was a hugely convenient coincidence for someone.’

‘Could it have been a bullet fired from an embankment overlooking the motorway and hitting the tyre?’

‘Possibly. Or from one of those B-road bridges spanning the motorway? And Shapiro told us if he went down, others would go down with him, and they wouldn’t allow that to happen.’

Alice stared thoughtfully into her brandy glass as she said, ‘There’ll be an accident investigation.’

‘A bullet from a powerful rifle fired from a distance would probably go through the tyre, and by the time the car lost control it may have covered several hundred yards. They’ll examine the car thoroughly, but they’re hardly going to close the motorway to search for a theoretical bullet. All they’ll find in the car wreckage is a completely fucked tyre, and they’ll conclude it was a blow-out.’

We talked around it in circles until Michelle came into the living room, saying Olivia wanted to see me to say goodnight. When I went into our daughter’s room, I saw her eyes peering over the duvet, and for a moment I wondered if she still might be scared and traumatised. But I needn’t have worried, because what she wanted was to ask me if I could, with Alice’s assistance, help other vulnerable children and stop evil men from abusing them. Proud of her bravery and selflessness, I promised I would do everything in my power to track down the ringleaders of these horrendous crimes, however immune they thought they were from prosecution.

I kissed her goodnight, switched off the light, but left her door ajar so that light filtered through from the landing. When I got back downstairs, Alice had told Michelle everything, and apologised for involving us. I sank into the sofa next to Michelle.

‘You weren’t to know what would happen,’ Michelle assured Alice. ‘And Olivia made me promise not to stop you and Freddie from any further investigations into child abuse.’ Then her eyes met mine. ‘But I’m not going to apologise for the way I behaved and treated you, Freddie. Because you should have been open and told me everything that was going on, instead of keeping me in the dark about putting your family’s life on the line.’ I went to say something but she stopped me with a raised hand. ‘No, let me finish. I promised Olivia I would let you carry on, and I will. But I’d like you to make me a promise.’

I grinned at her. ‘Yes, I promise in future I will tell you everything along every step of the way.’

She leaned over and kissed me. ‘And I’d like you to make me another promise.’

‘Go on,’ I said.

‘I’d like you to visit Rick Bishop’s wife and tell her the complete story. The poor woman mustn’t go on believing he was murdered for money. Go and see her tomorrow.’

Seeing me hesitate, Alice said, ‘It might be better if we both go. After all, it was my investigation that was indirectly responsible for his death.’

‘Thank you, Alice,’ I said. ‘We’ll make it a priority to speak to her as soon as we can sometime tomorrow.’

I must admit, it was an undertaking I dreaded. But it had to be done. And a promise is a promise.