‘He’s pleading not guilty?’
‘Yes, sticking hard to his story. The mother is backing him up.’
‘Was it Highbury Corner you were at on Thursday?’
‘Yup, bail refused as predicted, so he’s been sent to Parklands House secure unit.’
‘God, that’s bleak. He’ll be the youngest one in there.’
Daniel nodded, rubbing a hand across his jaw.
‘Who’s your silk – Irene’s a QC now, isn’t she?’
‘Yes, she got the nod. Made the silk list in March.’
‘I remember I wrote to congratulate her.’
‘I was surprised she took this on, but she was even at the youth court. I’m so glad she did, though. We have a chance.’
The telephone rang and Daniel picked it up, hand over the receiver, apologising to Veronica.
‘Steph,’ he said, ‘I asked you not to put through any calls.’
‘I know, Danny, I’m sorry. It’s just it’s a personal call for you. He says it’s urgent. I thought I’d ask if you wanted to take it?’
‘Who is it?’
‘A lawyer from the north. He said it’s about a family member.’
‘Put him through.’ Daniel sighed and shrugged at Veronica, who smiled and left the room.
Daniel cleared his throat again. The muscles in his body were suddenly sprung.
‘Hello, is that Daniel Hunter? My name’s John Cunningham, solicitor for Mrs Flynn. Daniel, I’m sorry. I have some bad news for you. Your mother has passed away. I don’t know if you’ve heard … but she has left instructions …’
‘She’s not my mother.’
Daniel couldn’t keep the anger out of his voice.
There was silence on the line for a minute. Daniel could only hear his heart beating.
‘I understand Minnie … adopted you in 1988.’
‘Look, what is it? I’m actually about to go into a meeting.’
‘I’m sorry to disturb you. Possibly I could call another time? It’s just about the funeral and then there’s the matter of the will.’
‘I don’t want anything of hers.’
‘She has left you her entire estate.’
‘Her estate.’ Daniel stood up. He tried to laugh, but he only managed to open his mouth.
‘A simple funeral is being held on Tuesday the seventeenth, if you wish to attend.’
The breath almost didn’t carry his words, but he said: ‘I don’t have time.’
‘I see, but the inheritance …’
‘Like I said, I don’t want anything.’
‘All right, well, there’s no rush. I expect it’ll take a while to settle the house. I’ll be in touch again when—’
‘Look, I really don’t have time just now.’
‘Fine. Shall I call again on Wednesday, after the funeral? I have left my details with your colleague, should you wish to get in touch.’
‘Very well. Goodbye.’
Daniel hung up. He rubbed his eyes with forefinger and thumb then took a deep breath.
Daniel had to change at Whitechapel and take the London Overground to Parklands House. When he emerged at Anerley, the street smelled of exhaust fumes and evaporated rain. Daniel could feel the sweat forming at his hairline and between his shoulder blades. The sky was low, pressing on him. It was Friday morning, just a day since the first hearing at Highbury Corner, and he was going to see Sebastian and his parents. Sebastian’s father had returned from Hong Kong and this was the first time Daniel would meet him.
He felt strangely apprehensive about seeing the boy again, and meeting his family. Daniel had not slept well. His morning run had been slow because he had been tired before he began. Two nights in a row he had woken up dreaming of Brampton, her house with the dirty floors and the chickens in the run outside.
Her funeral would be held in a few days, but he did not yet feel her loss.
When he arrived at the secure unit, the Crolls were waiting. Daniel had asked to meet with them first before he spoke to Sebastian. They sat at a table in a bright room with high, small windows.
‘Good to meet you, Daniel,’ said Sebastian’s father, striding across the room to squeeze his hand. He was an inch or so taller than Daniel and so he stretched his spine and pushed his shoulders back as he accepted the older man’s hand. The hand was dry and warm and yet the strength of it caused Daniel to inhale slightly.
Kenneth King Croll was a powerful man. He was heavy: stomach and jowls, reddened brown skin and thick, dark hair. He stood with his hands on his hips, allowing his pelvis to tilt, as if to assert he was a better man than Daniel. The spider veins on his cheeks had been formed by the best wines and whisky. He possessed a seismic arrogance and wealth. All the energy in the room was drawn to him, like a whirlpool. Charlotte sat near him, eyes always finding him whenever he spoke or lifted his hands. Daniel took the lid from his fountain pen and slid his business card across the table. Kenneth studied it with a slight curl in his full lips.
Charlotte brought watery coffee from the machine. She was still immaculate; her long nails a different colour every time Daniel saw her. Her hands shook slightly as she placed each cup on the table.
‘I just hate him being in here,’ she said. ‘This place is quite vile. One of the kids committed suicide in here last week, did you hear? Hanged himself. It doesn’t bear thinking about. Did you know about that, Daniel?’
Daniel nodded. His own client, Tyrel, had tried to kill himself soon after sentence. At seventeen, the boy had just been moved to a new young offenders institution and Daniel worried that he would try again. Even secure units didn’t provide the kind of care that Daniel felt juveniles needed.
Charlotte’s trembling fingers touched her lips as she thought about it.
‘He’ll survive,’ said Kenneth. ‘Daniel, go on, what’s the score now?’
‘I just don’t want him to be here,’ Charlotte whispered as Daniel flicked through his notes. Kenneth tutted at her.
Before the Crolls, Daniel’s muscles contracted with tension. He sensed that beneath the coloured lacquer, silk and fine Italian wool there was something wrong with this family.
‘I just wanted to go over a few things with you before we see Sebastian. I wanted to … warn you, I suppose, that there might be substantial media attention. We need to be careful of that, work out a strategy and try to stick to it so that we can keep that intrusion to a minimum. It will, of course, be automatic that his identity is not disclosed … We’re still waiting on the indictment bundle from the CPS and when we get that, probably in the next day or so, we can properly instruct counsel. There will be a chance for you and Sebastian to meet the barrister – Irene Clarke, QC. She came to the youth court hearing but I don’t think you saw her.’
‘How old are you, son?’ said Kenneth Croll. He was holding Daniel’s business card between finger and thumb and tapping it on the table.
‘Is that relevant?’
‘You’ll forgive me, but you look like you’re just out of university.’
‘I’m a partner in my firm. I’ve been working in criminal law for nearly fifteen years.’
Croll blinked at him to indicate that he understood. He began to tap the card on the table again.
‘As I said, we expect to get the bundle from the CPS in the next few days. From what we know so far, the case is based on the blood found on Sebastian’s clothes, coupled with the witness who allegedly saw the boys fighting both before and after the time when Charlotte says Seb was home. We know they also have neighbour and teacher witnesses … These are less important. There is also the fact that the body was found in the playground which Sebastian has admitted visiting with Ben on the day of the murder.’