Hall surveyed the men ranged in front of him, wondering if the physical barrier they formed was prearranged or accidental. ‘I do know, very well. And I’m quite prepared to confront a judge’s irritation. I hope you all are, too.’ As he shouldered his way through he heard a voice say, ‘Arrogant young bastard!’
Another voice sneered, ‘Out to make a name for himself.’
The two doctors were waiting for him, directly beyond the door. Mason said, ‘What the hell’s going on?’
Hall told them, very briefly. Mason’s face cleared by the time Hall finished speaking. The psychiatrist said, ‘Very forceful!’
‘Very necessary,’ said Hall. He was aware of Lloyd’s attention shifting over his shoulder and turned to see the arrival of Geoffrey Johnson, with Emily and the nanny. More police had come out of the waiting vans and were lined along the entrance, listing the numbers and taking driver details of the cars indicating their intention to turn into the hospital behind the solicitor’s Bentley. All the lawyers and the other men with whom they’d earlier been standing were there too. There was a lot of arm waving, particularly from the sweating superintendent. A solid police line formed across the entrance immediately after Johnson passed through. Abruptly the indicators of the following cars were cancelled.
A strained-faced Annabelle Parkes hesitated momentarily when she came through the doors, the relief palpable when she saw Hall, the only man she knew. Beside her Emily looked very frightened, not just clutching the girl’s hand but pressing close to her leg as she had in the mansion. Her hair wasn’t in plaits today but frothed around her head. She wore a red tartan dress with white bows. Her free hand clutched a much-held pink-eared white rabbit that wasn’t white any more and a card already slightly bent.
It was Mason who went forward, ahead of Hall. The psychiatrist scooped down, ignoring Annabelle, and said to the child, ‘Was that fun?’
Annabelle went to reply but stopped at the head shake from Hall.
‘Not really,’ said Emily, uncertainly.
‘Grown up games aren’t.’
‘Was it a game?’
‘A silly one.’
‘I thought they were going to hurt us. They were shouting and taking pictures.’
‘You remember Mr Hall?’ asked the psychiatrist, nodding behind him.
Emily looked at the lawyer, a smile hovering. ‘Yes.’
‘He’s told them to stop playing like that. They won’t any more.’
‘Won’t they?’ Annabelle asked.
‘No,’ said Hall.
‘Thank God for that.’
Geoffrey Johnson entered from parking the car in time to hear the last part of the exchange. ‘I’ve just spoken to Humphrey. The hearing’s fixed for three. It’s Jarvis.’
Sir Ivan Jarvis was the most cantakerously irascible judge on the Inner London circuit who deeply resented the mandatory retirement age and whose place upon that circuit, according to the rumour mill, was to be filled by Sir Richard Proudfoot. Jeremy Hall said, ‘It should make for an interesting hearing.’
‘You’ll want me?’ anticipated Johnson.
Hall nodded, looking at the nanny. ‘You too, possibly. To swear the financial offer letters and what went on before.’
‘What about Emily?’
At the mention of her name the alarmed child looked up and said, ‘Where are you going?’
‘Nowhere,’ promised Annabelle. ‘Nowhere without you.’
‘I don’t want you to go away!’ Emily’s lip quivered and her voice broke.
‘No-one’s going to leave you,’ said Mason, quickly. ‘You’re not going to cry, are you?’
‘Yes,’ said the trembling child, truculently.
‘What are you here for?’ asked the psychiatrist, gently.
Emily looked up questioningly to Annabelle and then said, ‘To see Mummy.’
‘You don’t want to cry when you see Mummy, do you?’
‘No.’
‘Let’s not then.’
‘Who are you?’ demanded Emily, with abrupt child logic.
‘I’m a doctor, trying to make your mummy better.’
‘What’s wrong with her?’
‘She’s not well.’
Hall was glad it was the psychiatrist and not him confronting the not-to-be-lied-to inquisition.
‘Is she going to die?’ demanded the child, with an equally bizarre lack of emotion.
‘No,’ said Mason. ‘It’s not an illness you can die from.’
‘Is she coming home today?’
‘Not today.’
‘When?’
Mason straightened, no longer able to remain with his legs buckled at Emily’s height. ‘As soon as she’s better.’
‘I want her to come home again. And Daddy.’
‘She has to get better first.’
‘I’ve brought her a present,’ declared Emily, proudly.
‘What?’
‘It’s a secret.’
‘Shall we go and give it to her?’
‘With Annabelle?’
‘Of course with Annabelle.’
‘All right.’ As she began to walk, Emily handed the comfort toy and the card up to Annabelle, who took both.
Hall wished the attention from a lot of people hadn’t been so obvious as they made their way to the elevators but Emily did not appear aware of it. He led with Lloyd. ‘How is she?’
‘Excited. She’s been ready a long time.’
‘Any difficulties?’
Lloyd shook his head. ‘Nothing at all since she woke up.’
‘I wish Mummy could come home,’ said Emily, as they got into the lift.
‘She’s missed you, too,’ said Mason.
Could Jane have gone: not be there any more? It seemed impossible to imagine but then what had happened was impossible to imagine. Totally, utterly and completely beyond imagination or understanding. But it wasn’t happening any more. Today Jane wasn’t there. Hadn’t been during the night, either, shouting and calling through the drugged fog to stop her sleeping. For the first time for days – nights – she’d slept without interruption and woken late but quite normally, without any chant in her head. Now she felt rested, fully recovered. Fully recovered and fully in control of herself, not sharing her mind or her reasoning with anyone else. Better: well again.
Jennifer was standing, waiting, when Emily came uncertainly into the room, holding tightly to Annabelle. Jennifer was glad because her throat filled and her eyes blurred and she couldn’t think of the words that had been there, ready to say, just seconds before.
‘Hello, darling.’ It was a croak, like the funny voices they used when they played after school. She coughed and said, ‘Hello darling’ again, normally this time, and held out her arms.
Emily didn’t move at first. Then her face opened into a smile and she cried out, ‘Mummy!’ and ran forward into Jennifer’s arms.
Beside him Hall was conscious of Julian Mason tensing and looked at the man, who didn’t respond. Instead he remained fixed upon mother and child, head actually craned forward. Hall thought the transformation in Jennifer Lomax was remarkable. She’d obviously washed her hair and the perfection of the cut showed in the way it looped in a shining coil just short of her shoulders. The dress was too formal for the morning but he guessed she’d chosen it for its long sleeves, which only allowed a fraction of the bandages to show. She’d compensated with the make-up, just lip and eye line: probably, he thought, all she’d worn on the school runs. She wasn’t actually crying but her eyes were wet, which he understood, and unclouded, which he thought was encouraging. She appeared, in fact, absolutely normal.
They clung together for a long time before Jennifer eased herself away but only far enough to be able to kiss the child. It wasn’t until she looked over Emily’s shoulder, towards Annabelle, that she became conscious how many people there were.
She said, ‘Hello Annabelle. Thank you for bringing Emily,’ and then, to Hall as a focus, ‘I thought this was for me to see Emily!’
At once Johnson said, ‘There’s no reason for me to be here,’ and retreated back out into the corridor. Peter Lloyd followed.
‘I think I should stay,’ said Hall, impromptu, his mind completely changed from the beginning of the day and Mason said he wanted to remain, too.