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When the music finished, he picked up the phone and called Sandra in Croydon. He had been thinking of calling last night when he got in, but decided it was too late.
Her mother answered.
“Alan? How are you doing?”
“Oh, not so bad, considering. You?”
“About the same. Look, er, I’m really sorry about what’s happened. Do you want to speak to Sandra?”
“Please.”
“Just a minute.”
She sounded embarrassed, Banks thought as he waited. Not surprising, really. What could she say? Her daughter had left her husband and come home to sort herself out. Banks had always got on well with his mother-in-law, and he didn’t expect she was going to see him as a monster now, but nor was she going to chat with him about his feelings over the telephone.
“Alan?”
It was Sandra’s voice. She sounded tired. He felt the icy hand squeeze his heart. Now he had her on the line, he didn’t know what to say. “Yes. I… er… I just wanted to know if you were okay.”
“Of course I’m okay. I wish you hadn’t called.”
“But why?”
“Why do you think? I told you. I need time to work things out. This doesn’t help.”
“It might help me.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I spent the weekend in Amsterdam.”
“You did what?”
“In Amsterdam. It was strange. It brought back a lot of memories. Look, do you remember-”
“Alan, why are you telling me this? I don’t want to talk about it. Please. Don’t do this to me. To us.”
“I’m only-”
“I’m going now.”
“Don’t hang up.”
“Alan, I can’t deal with this. I’m going now.”
“Can I speak to Tracy?”
There was silence for a while, then Tracy came on the phone. “Dad, it’s you. I was worried.”
“I’m okay, love. Your mother…?”
“She’s upset, Dad. Honest, I don’t understand what’s happening any more than you do. All I know is Mum’s confused and she says she needs some time away.”
Banks sighed. “I know that. I shouldn’t have called. She’s right. Tell her I’m sorry. And tell her I…”
“Yes?”
“Never mind. Look, does Brian know about all this? I’m sorry, I haven’t been very organized. Other than you, I haven’t called anyone else.”
“It’s all right, Dad. You don’t have to apologize to me. I suppose it’s hard to know what to do when something like this happens. I mean, it’s not exactly something you can take a course on, is it?”
God, she sounded suddenly so mature, Banks thought. Much more mature than he felt right now. “Does he?”
“Yes. We talked to him over the weekend.”
“How’s he taking it?”
“Cool. You know Brian. He’s okay.”
“When am I going to see you?”
“I’m staying the rest of the week down here. But I’ll come up for the weekend if you want.”
“You will?” The icy hand relaxed its grip and Banks’s heart warmed a little.
“Of course. You know I love you, Dad. I love you both. I told you yesterday, I’m not taking sides. Please don’t think because I came down here that I think any less of you.”
“I don’t. Anyway, the weekend would be great.”
Tracy hesitated. “You won’t be at work all the time, will you?”
“I… er… no, I don’t think so,” Banks answered. No point telling her about his suspension, he thought. The last thing he needed right now was his daughter feeling even more sorry for him from a distance. “I’ll pick you up at the train station. What time does your train get in?”
“It gets back to Leeds mid-afternoon. But I’ll need to drop by the residence first. There might be messages. I shouldn’t really have taken off like that. I’ve only just started there.”
“I’m sure they’ll understand.”
“I hope so.”
“So why don’t I come down to Leeds and pick you up at the student residence? Does that sound like a good idea?”
“That’d be great.”
“What time?”
“About six be okay?”
“Fine. And we’ll stop at the King’s Head in Masham for something to eat on the way back.”
“Great. And, Dad.”
“What?”
“Take care of yourself.”
“I will. See you on Friday. Good-bye.”
“Good-bye.”
Banks hung on to the receiver for a while after the line went dead, then he swallowed, took a deep breath and dialed Brian’s number in Portsmouth.
After six rings, a sleepy voice drawled. “Uh. Yeah. Who is it?”
“Did I wake you?”
“Dad?”
“Yes.”
“Well, yeah, as a matter of fact, you did. But it’s all right. I should be getting up anyway. Next lecture’s at ten. What’s up?”
“I gather you’ve heard about your mother and me?”
“Yeah. It’s too bad. Are you okay?”
“I’m doing fine.”
“And mum?”
“I just talked to her. She’s a bit confused right now, but she’ll be okay.”
“Great. What’s going to happen?”
“I don’t know. She says she needs some time away.”
“She’ll come back, Dad, you’ll see.”
“I hope so.”
“Just wait and see. She’s just having a mid-life crisis, that’s all. She’ll get over it.”
Kids. Banks couldn’t help but smile. “Right. And how are you?”
“Fine.”
“How’s your classes?”
“All right. Hey, Dad, the band’s got a couple of gigs coming up next weekend. Paying gigs.” Brian played in a local blues band. Banks thought he was a pretty good guitar player.
“That’s great. Just don’t let it get in the way of your studies.”
“I won’t. Don’t worry. Gotta go now, or I’ll be late for the lecture.”
“When are you coming up?”
“I’ll try to get up to see you before Christmas. Okay?”
“Fine. If money’s a problem, I’ll pay for your ticket.”
“Thanks, Dad, that’d be a great help. Gotta go.”
“Good-bye.”
“Bye, Dad. And hang in there.”
Hang in there. Like a kid from some American television program. Banks smiled as he hung up. Well, that was enough family business for the moment, he thought. He knew he should phone his own parents and tell them what had happened, but he couldn’t face them yet. They’d be really upset. All these years they had loved Sandra like the daughter they had never had. If anyone was likely to blame him for what had happened, it would be his own parents, not Sandra’s, he thought ironically. No, best wait. Maybe Sandra would come up with Tracy at the weekend, then he wouldn’t have to tell them anything.
He poured some more coffee and put on the Beatles CD that he’d bought in Leeds yesterday. It was the second of the three anthologies, and he’d been thinking of buying it ever since it came out. He went straight to the second disc: outtakes from “Strawberry Fields Forever.” His favorite. Singing along, he tidied up a little, but soon started to feel restless and caged. Somehow, it didn’t feel right to be home during the daytime, watching neighbors walk back and forth with shopping and the unemployed bank clerk across the street wash his car for the second time in a week.
It was time for action. He picked up the telephone, dialed the station and asked to be put through to DC Susan Gay’s extension.
She answered on the second ring.
“Susan?” Banks said. “It’s me.”
“Sir? Are you… Is everything all right?”
He was sure she meant it, but her voice sounded tight and cool. “I’m fine. Is Jim there?”
“No, he’s out on the East Side Estate. Another break-in.”
“The super?”
“Away at Bramshill.”
“Good. Sorry, I didn’t mean that to sound like it did. Look, I know I shouldn’t ask you this, but do you think you could do me a favor?”
“Sir?”
“I need to look over the stuff on the Jason Fox case again. All of it – from the crime-scene photographs to Mark Wood’s statements. Can you help?”
“Can I ask why you’re still interested, sir?”
“Because I’m not satisfied. Will you help me?”
There was a long pause, then Susan said, “Why don’t you come to the station?”
“Is that a good idea?”
“It’s pretty quiet here right now. The super’s going to be away for a couple of weeks.”
“Well, if you’re certain. I don’t want to get you into trouble.”