Turn a Blind Eye

21

Rebecca followed Lamont down the crowded escalator with Marlboro Man a few steps behind. Lamont didn’t spot her, and neither of them noticed Ross.

When Lamont reached the platform, he made his way to the far end, and didn’t have to wait long before the next train came whooshing in. He climbed into the rear carriage, and although it was almost empty, he sat down next to a man who was reading the Evening Standard. They didn’t acknowledge each other.

Rebecca found a seat at the other end of the carriage, and opened her paperback, but didn’t start reading.

‘You wanted to see me, sir,’ said Summers. He still couldn’t get out of the habit of calling his old gaffer sir.

‘You wouldn’t have anything I could help you with, by any chance?’ asked Lamont. ‘I’m a bit skint at the moment.’

‘Not right now,’ said Summers. ‘But in a couple of weeks’ time we could both be back in business.’

‘Can’t be too soon,’ said Lamont, trying not to sound desperate. ‘I’ve got one or two bills that I can’t put off for much longer.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ said Summers, who was delighted to hear it, as it gave him the whip hand. ‘Anything in particular?’ he asked, like any good detective.

‘I’ve had a bit of a bad run on the horses lately, and the bookies are beginning to breathe down my neck.’

‘And they have such bad breath.’

‘Also, the new house is turning out to be more expensive than I’d budgeted for, and my wife will kill me if we have to put it back on the market. He paused before saying, ‘You’re not married, are you?’

‘No. Never found the right girl.’

‘I’ve found three of them,’ said Lamont, ‘and none of them turned out to be right. Should have taken Jimmy Goldsmith’s advice. If it flies, floats or fucks, rent it.’

Summers burst out laughing, which caused Rebecca to look around, but not MM.

‘Don’t have that problem myself,’ said Summers. ‘There’s more than enough skirt at the nick to satisfy my needs, not to mention out there on the street.’

‘I thought you had a girlfriend,’ said Lamont, glancing towards the other end of the carriage.

‘Not for much longer. She’s just about reached her sell-by date.’

‘I’ve seen that woman somewhere before,’ whispered Lamont.

Summers looked in Rebecca’s direction. ‘Not my type.’

‘Do you think she could be following us?’

Summers took a closer look.

Rebecca became uncomfortably aware the two men were taking an interest in her. She’d have to get off at the next stop and inform William her cover had been blown. He’d already told her he was surprised she’d lasted that long. She turned another page of her book, painfully aware that it was the same novel she’d been reading every time she’d travelled on the Circle line.

When the train pulled into Green Park, Rebecca got off and never once looked back. MM didn’t move.

‘Perhaps I was just imagining it,’ said Lamont as she disappeared out of sight.

‘I’m getting off at the next stop,’ said Summers. ‘I’ll be in touch as soon as the shipment arrives,’ he added when the train came to a halt. ‘Do you still have your old uniform, sir?’ he asked as the doors opened.

‘I’m off to the match,’ said William.

Why bother to lie? Beth wanted to ask him. Did he assume she hadn’t worked it out when a schoolboy would have realized he wasn’t going to the match? Chelsea were playing away at Newcastle, so he couldn’t hope to make the three o’clock kick-off unless he had a helicopter standing by. And then there was the red-and-white scarf he’d started wearing every other Saturday. Josephine Hawksby had told her they were the colours of the team her husband supported, and William despised. So he must be going to see the commander. Or was that just another deception?

She thought about following him, but decided against it for two reasons. He would have spotted her before he’d turned the first corner, and more important, she trusted him. Beth assumed it had to be undercover work that he couldn’t tell her about. But he was suspended, and not allowed to be involved in any police duties until his name had been cleared by the tribunal. Or was that just another lie, and Josephine had been right all along?

William opened the front door as the phone in the hall began to ring.

‘If it’s for me,’ he said as Beth came out of the kitchen, ‘tell them to call back after the match. Don’t want to miss kick-off.’

Beth picked up the phone. ‘Hello?’

‘I want to speak to your husband,’ said a gruff voice.

‘I’m afraid he’s just left, but if you could call back later—’

‘I won’t be calling back.’

‘Please hold on,’ said Beth, sensing the call might be part of William’s elaborate deception. ‘I’ll see if I can catch him.’ She put the phone down and ran out of the front door, to see William striding away.

‘William!’ she cried at the top of her voice, but he didn’t stop walking. She began to chase after him, shouting his name until he finally stopped and turned round.

‘There’s someone on the phone for you,’ she said, catching her breath. ‘Said he wouldn’t be calling back.’

William began to sprint towards the house, wondering if it could possibly be Adam Payne and he’d spoken to his mother. He charged through the open door, grabbed the phone and said, ‘William Warwick.’

‘Why do you want to see me?’ demanded an unfriendly voice William didn’t recognize, though he knew exactly who it was.

‘Mr Payne. I’m currently carrying out an undercover investigation that doesn’t involve you or any member of your family, but the Turner mob and one of their close associates.’

‘Detective Sergeant Summers, no doubt,’ said the voice, ‘along with his cooperative desk sergeant.’

William was left speechless. Reg Payne already had him on the back foot.

Beth quietly closed the front door and made her way back into the kitchen, leaving the door ajar.

‘I understand you’re currently suspended, inspector. So what are you really up to?’

William, still reeling from the first blow, decided that only the truth would get this man on his side. ‘We have reason to believe that Summers and his desk sergeant are working hand in glove with the Turners.’

‘Who’ve recently recruited PC Bailey into their gang, although I’m still not sure which side she’s actually on,’ said Payne.

William could only wonder how much more the man knew.

‘The other thing I can’t work out is where ex-superintendent Lamont fits into the scheme of things. Of course, I know he was an inspector stationed in Romford when Summers was still on the beat, but that was before he was transferred to the Yard and joined the drugs squad. But then he suddenly resigns without explanation, despite the success of the Trojan Horse operation. I assume that after all the porkies he told during the Rashidi trial he’s been well rewarded. But I can tell you the cash didn’t last for long, because he’s broke again. Not surprising, remembering how he manages to lose so consistently at almost every race meeting he attends.’

‘Is there anything you don’t know, Mr Payne?’ asked William, butting in.

‘Yes. Why you want to see me.’

‘I want to set a trap to catch Summers and the Turners, that would put them all out of business for a very long time.’

‘So you’re looking for a thief to catch a thief.’

‘Something like that,’ admitted William, who went on to spell out his plan in detail. Payne didn’t interrupt, other than to ask the occasional shrewd question.

‘Impressive,’ he said after William had come to the end. ‘But then, I’d expect nothing less of the Hawk. I’ll have to speak to my family before I let you know my decision.’

The line went dead. William put the phone down and checked his watch. He wasn’t going to make the match on time and would have to call the Hawk at home after the game. At least this time he would have something worthwhile to tell the commander.

He joined Beth and the twins in the kitchen.

‘I won’t be going to the match after all,’ he said, without explanation.

‘Why not? Didn’t your helicopter arrive on time?’

William was left speechless for the second time that day.

‘Isn’t it time you told me what you’re really up to?’ said Beth. ‘Because it’s obvious you haven’t been suspended.’

William accepted that it was going to be one of those days when he was always on the back foot.

‘We’d adopt a child if we could,’ said Grace. ‘But that’s just not possible at the moment.’

‘More’s the pity,’ said Marjorie. ‘Any child would be fortunate to have you and Clare as parents.’

‘It’s kind of you to say so, but sadly not too many people agree with you. In fact, a judge told me quite recently he thought it just wasn’t the natural way of things.’

‘One enlightened Liberal member of parliament has a private member’s bill in front of the House that would make adoption by two members of the same sex legal,’ said Clare.

‘But I’m told it won’t make a second reading,’ said Grace. ‘In fact, it’s likely to be years before it becomes law, and by that time it will be too late for us.’

‘Would you prefer a boy or a girl?’ asked Sir Julian, taking the rest of the family by surprise.

‘It wouldn’t matter to us,’ said Grace, looking at Clare. ‘Like Liquorice Allsorts, we’d take whatever we could get and love them to death.’

Everyone burst out laughing.

‘You can have the twins until they’re six,’ said William.

‘Why six?’ asked Marjorie.

‘That’s when they’ll start playing football,’ explained Beth.

‘Peter would walk into the present Chelsea team,’ said William, ‘who somehow managed to lose three — nil to Southampton last week.’

‘While we’re on the subject of winning teams,’ said Sir Julian, ‘has a date been set for your tribunal?’

‘Not yet,’ said William, delivering a well-prepared response.

Beth watched with interest to see how the rest of the family would react.

‘The sooner you get back to work the better,’ said Sir Julian. ‘If you send me the relevant papers, I’ll look over them and give you an opinion. Mind you, the case against you is so weak, even Grace would get you off.’

‘Thank you, Father, for that vote of confidence,’ said Grace. ‘However, Clare and I have already been asked to represent the defendant, and we don’t require a junior.’

‘Touché,’ said Sir Julian, reaching for the port.

‘More important,’ said Marjorie, who was sitting on the floor with the twins, ‘is that Julian and I have decided to set up a trust fund to pay for Peter’s education.’

‘What about Artemisia?’ demanded Grace.

‘Beth’s parents have already taken on that responsibility. In fact, it was Arthur and Joanna’s idea in the first place.’

‘Lucky children,’ said William, ruffling Peter’s hair.

‘I thought Eton and Cheltenham Ladies’ College,’ said Sir Julian, well aware that he was tossing a hand grenade into the middle of the room.

‘And I thought Fulham comprehensive would suit them both perfectly well,’ said Beth.

‘What fun,’ said Marjorie. ‘Something for us all to endlessly fight over before we finally murder each other.’

‘It’s already been decided,’ said Beth, joining her children on the floor.

‘That wasn’t how it worked when I was a boy,’ said Sir Julian, removing the pin from the hand grenade.

‘You were never a boy,’ said Marjorie. ‘You were born middle-aged.’

Sir Julian was lost for words, something the rest of the family didn’t experience often, so William took advantage of it.

‘We should be off,’ he said. ‘It’s been a long day for the children.’

Once Peter and Artemisia had been strapped into their car seats, goodbyes were exchanged followed by waves, as William made his way slowly down the drive to the sound of Harry Chapin’s ‘A Better Place to Be’.

‘I think your father knows perfectly well there isn’t going to be an inquiry, and you haven’t really been suspended,’ said Beth as they turned onto the main road.

‘What makes you say that?’

‘There would have been an endless stream of questions if he’d thought for one moment you were in any trouble, and while he can still draw breath, he certainly wouldn’t allow Grace to represent you at the tribunal.’