Colin, sprawled in the passenger seat of the Rover, was reading the Guardian. He folded it quickly round something as Kate staggered up with the first of the cardboard boxes. The folders in this one were stacked on end, making it even more awkward to carry. Paul followed more slowly, but since he was demonstrating his masculinity by carrying two at once, Kate could hardly blame him, nor when he had to put on a final spurt to reach the car without dropping them.
‘Look what Paul’s found for us,’ Kate said brightly. ‘And there’s another thirteen or fourteen to go. Better fold down the back seat.’
All three of them were exhausted and filthy by the time they had packed them away.
Kate wrote an official receipt. ‘I nearly forgot,’ she said. ‘How did you get on at the dentist?’
Paul grinned cheerfully and laid a finger on his lips. ‘There was this dreadful planning meeting at work. I just decided I couldn’t face it. I’m busy job hunting at the moment. Don’t tell Maz – she’d hate it if she knew I might have to leave Brum. Look, I’m going in to have a shower.’ But he didn’t move.
‘See you at the Manse. I just need a couple of days to get my house clean,’ she said to Colin. ‘One of my neighbours may come up with a team if I come up with the money. You may know her son, Paul. Royston Mackenzie. He used to be in our BB.’
He shook his head.
‘Black kid,’ she prompted. ‘Good looking apart from his scowl. Anyway, he and his family have gone C of E now. Don’t know which church. Very happy there, I gather.’
Paul shook his head. ‘No. Not if he didn’t stay long. Or I may have been off at University. I’m sorry his family left Brayfield Road, though. Will you be at the playing fields tomorrow? With the team?’
‘Try and stop me. And I’ll expect a full turn-out from the Manse, since you’ll be in charge. Even Lynn. She whinges for Europe, Colin. Hormones, I reckon. Will you be coming?’
Colin gestured at the laden car. ‘I reckon Graham’s going to volunteer me into looking through this lot. Bit of a job, isn’t it, Paul, taking on kids like that for a whole weekend? How on earth d’you keep them quiet? I may have some chloroform somewhere!’
Paul stared. At last, he smiled stiffly: ‘I may take you up on that. OK, Kate. See you later, then.’
‘See you!’ Kate flipped the keys to Colin, opening the passenger door. ‘I’ll help out with the kids, if you like. I’m getting quite an expert on steam engines.’
This time Paul didn’t attempt to smile. He hardly did more than flap a hand as Colin drove away.
‘I’d say he didn’t think much of our jokes,’ Colin said. ‘Not that they were all that funny. Hardly more than quips, I suppose.’
‘Hmm.’
‘You all right, our kid? You were a long time in there – I was about to come and join in the party.’
‘No party to join.’
‘Are you telling me you were happy being closeted with him?’
She shook her head. ‘Not unhappy. Except when I thought he wanted me to go up into the loft. I could have panicked.’
‘You could have kicked your way through the ceiling quickly enough.’
‘Quite. Just – unreasoning panic. Anyway, we’ve got what we came for. God knows how long it’ll take to root through that lot, though.’
He glanced over his shoulder at the boxes. ‘All weekend, at least. Two people. The bugger of it is, we’ll have to list everything. Document it. Seems a bit of a pisser to be doing it for him, idle bugger.’
‘I’m not sure he’s idle. Just too busy doing other things. And then the whole job’s so overwhelming you don’t know where to start. I wouldn’t myself.’
‘What a good job you won’t have to, then.’
‘What’s the betting I won’t be? OK, Graham’ll let me off tomorrow just so I can keep an eye on the kids. And Sunday – well, he knows I’m tied up in the mornings. But if he can work out some form of surveillance, he might well rope me in.’
‘He might. But then, he might not. Not unless he’s exceptionally nosy. Or perhaps I mean, exceptionally sadistic.’ His pause was meaningful. No doubt about it. ‘After all,’ he continued eventually, ‘there’s no need to sort out anything. The files you’re after are under my paper. There you are. By your right foot. At least I presume it’s them. Funny that he’d popped them in a black sack and left them for the bin men. Everything anyone could want to know about the BB ten years ago. Boys. Officers. Who went to camp. Everything.’
‘Once upon a time I knew this bloke in the South African police,’ Graham said. ‘These two suspects had just moved house, and the police had been ordered to search for incriminating papers. Could be anywhere. Even in a teapot. And the suspects weren’t allowed to touch anything, of course. So they sat back and watched while the police unpacked every last bit of their stuff. Clothes, china, books, records.’
‘And did they put them away?’ Kate asked.
Graham laughed. ‘It was towards the end of the regime, and my mate had a fairly strong sense of which way the wind was blowing. So he made his colleagues dust everything and stack the shelves neatly and hang up the clothes properly. Didn’t find anything, of course. Future cabinet ministers don’t leave incriminating material for country cops to find.’ He smiled, pouring boiling water into three mugs. ‘Anyway, I’m very pleased with you both. It was quick thinking on both your parts.’
‘Kate’s, Graham – no, no more milk, thanks.’
‘Colin had the easy part,’ Kate said, her voice ironic. ‘Sorting through dirty nappies and second-hand condoms –’
‘I can assure you there were no nappies in Paul’s sack. Newspapers and cans – hasn’t the man ever heard of recycling?’
‘What sort of cans?’ Kate asked quickly.
‘No, no kids’ stuff. Imported lager.’
Graham passed Kate her chocolate. ‘Quite unimpeachable. Like these files’ll be. You realise we’ll still have to go through them. But not until we’ve checked through what you retrieved, Colin. Come on: let’s get moving.’
If the official leaving-time had come and gone, no one was getting vocal about it. They were in the Incident Room, all filthy together. But the group working on the documents Colin had retrieved were the most intent.
‘Right,’ Graham said, ‘Now we know who the BB officers were, I want to get weaving on checking them all: convictions before or since, where they are now – everything. Reg: that’s for you. Selby – are you with us, Selby? Or are you lost in virtual reality? – you’ll do the same with the older boys – there’s the list. See if there are boys who graduated into being officers here or anywhere else. No – I don’t expect you to do it yourselves – get local CIDs to help. Now, here’s what I want the rest of you to do …’ He worked his way systematically through what was left of the squad. Then he caught Cohn’s eye. And Kate’s.
He let them into his room, then closed the door.
‘Kate: I’m going to bend a rule or two this weekend. I want you to make sure the Manse is empty this evening. I’ve asked for and got permission to use surveillance equipment to protect the children –’
‘What do Maz and Giles say?’
‘Nothing. Because I shan’t decide it’s necessary until they’re safely on their way to wherever it is. OK? I can’t have Maz messing this up. Either she wouldn’t believe a word and she’d fly off the handle, or she would believe it all and she’d refuse to go.’
‘And in either scenario she might tell Paul,’ Colin added. ‘I can see you’re not happy, Kate, but he’s right. Even if he goes home, he can always let himself back in again. You can’t guard the kids all the time. Even if you sat outside Tim’s room all night the chances are you’d fall asleep.’
‘And it’s not just prevention we’re after, I suppose. It’s discreet prevention. And apprehension if he should try anything.’
Graham nodded. ‘Believe me, he won’t even scratch his backside without us knowing. I’ll talk to Kings Heath about rostering. Now, you two have done well. Time you were – Hang on.’ He picked up the phone.
It was all too obvious that the call wasn’t about work. He turned from them; simultaneously they started to talk quietly about how Kate could occupy all three children that evening.
‘And if you don’t go now,’ Colin said, opening the door, ‘there won’t be an evening.’
He was right, of course. But she didn’t want to go without Graham’s agreement – he might have some last minute instructions. She hovered. At last, still listening to the phone, he turned to them both, gave them a thumbs-up and waved them away.
During the whole of the journey home – not as long as usual, because the rush-hour was over – Kate was clenching her fists against the fear that she would find the Manse completely empty and she would have to raise the alarm. The scenarios became more convoluted with each red traffic light. But she wasn’t alone. She had to keep reminding herself she wasn’t alone. She was backed by a large – if invisible – team. Kings Heath carrying out surveillance. The boffins ready to plant all sorts of extraordinary electronic equipment. Her colleagues from central Birmingham – yes, she felt safer now Graham was back in charge. So stop gripping the wheel as if you were on a white-knuckle ride!
When she got to the Manse Maz and Giles were just getting into their car. Feeling a heel, she parked and ran over: ‘Not a very long weekend,’ she said.
‘Meeting overran,’ Maz said. ‘You know how they do. Anyway, we’re off!’ She cupped her ear. ‘I can hear that jacuzzi calling from here. Drive on, Macduff!’
The cluster on the steps did not include Lynn.
‘She’s off at a friend’s,’ Tim said airily. ‘Sleeping over.’
‘You mean she won’t be back to watch the game tomorrow? But I was relying on you all! You’ll be there, Paul? And Jenny? Tim?’
‘I was thinking of taking them out for the day,’ Paul said, scooping them back into the house.
‘Hell! Tell you what, you couldn’t postpone it till Sunday? We really are hoping for a decent result. Young Marcus is coming on by leaps and bounds. You can’t all let us down!’
‘Does it really make a difference?’ Tim asked. ‘Do you think it’s time we switched the central heating on? Dad said we could.’
‘It really does make a difference. Like putting the heating on!’
‘I want to go,’ said Jenny. ‘And I’ll bring Wol too. He’s wise. He’ll help.’
‘You’re too big for toys,’ Tim said over his shoulder. ‘I’m going to switch on the heating.’
‘D’you think there’s any point? I was going to take you all out for burgers,’ Kate said.
‘BSE and rainforests,’ Tim said, stopping short. ‘But there’s a lovely pizza place in Harborne. We’d have to book.’
‘I was going to cook one of my specials,’ Paul said. ‘Steak –’
‘Won’t that have BSE?’ Kate asked, conscious of her lack of logic.
‘I go to this organic butcher.’
‘Pizza! Pizza! Don’t want to go mad!’ Tim yelled, putting hands to his head for horns and charging around. Jenny joined in.
‘So we have steak tomorrow. With chips and onions,’ Kate said.
‘And I’ll make some of my own ice cream.’
‘I suppose you two will want wine,’ Tim said.
‘What do you and Jenny have if we do?’
‘We have wine too! Wine too!’ Jenny declared. ‘With fizz.’
‘Soda water,’ Tim explained.
‘Wine and water it shall be,’ Kate said.
‘Sounds like a wedding in Cana,’ Paul agreed.
Kate had persuaded the children into bed by promising a small but valuable prize to whichever was undressed, washed and in bed first. Without assistance from either grown-up, she had added, as if it were an afterthought, not something she’d been taxing her brain over for the best part of the evening. She and Paul had declared a dead heat – two small but valuable prizes coming up! – and together kissed the children goodnight. There was no sign anywhere that Kate’s colleagues might have been busy. But she would bet her teeth they had.
Paul had poured a couple of glasses of wine and retired to the living room when she came down from the bathroom. He was squatting by the CD player, going through the small collection beside it.
‘English string music OK for you?’ He flourished a double album. ‘There’s not much choice. They only had the player last Christmas. We all chipped in – all the family, that is. Maz loves music, but she hardly gets a chance to hear any – what with the kids and the cost. I mean, some of the Symphony Hall prices are absurd.’
Kate nodded. She wasn’t sure of his mood. She hoped it wasn’t romantic. She prowled round looking at books till he sat down. Then she came to rest facing him. She gestured with the wine glass: ‘Cheers!’
He responded, almost absently, then slumped back in his chair. ‘You were really good with those kids,’ he said.
‘It was a lovely evening all round,’ she said. ‘They obviously think the world of you, Paul.’
‘I love them more than I can say. They are all the world to me. I wish they were mine.’ He drank slowly. ‘I just haven’t met the right woman, I suppose. One I could care for and who could return my feelings. It’s always been unrequited love, one way or the other. I mean – you know how attractive I find you, but you’re still grieving for – for –’
‘For Robin,’ she agreed quietly. She nodded as if she understood what he was saying. It sounded so right, so honest and truthful. If it hadn’t been for the business of the folders, she might have believed him. Perhaps she still should. She drank too.
‘I’d die for them, you know. Literally die. And yet they’re growing up and they won’t want me any more.’
‘They will. In a different way. But just as much. It must be hard, growing up in a Manse – all these people popping in and out. Your parents public property. God’s property, come to think of it. All the congregation expecting you to be somehow “gooder” than your friends and contemporaries. Imagine being caught puffing your first spliff!’
‘“Spliff”?’ He sat upright. ‘Surely you never smoked cannabis, Kate?’
‘At Uni I did – didn’t you?’
‘Never!’
No, he was too busy being good, no doubt. And maybe buggering little boys. ‘See what I mean? A bit of honest, decent law-breaking in your teens can have a lot to commend it. And it might become an absolute necessity if your dad’s a clergyman. Which is where you’d come in. The non-judgmental shoulder to cry on when it all goes pear-shaped.’
‘I could never encourage them to do anything like that.’
‘Not encourage. Just understand.’
He frowned into his drink.
So how could a man with such morals do what she thought he was doing? She too frowned into her wine. The music played on.