‘Time to mix with family?’ suggested Kate.
‘Good idea,’ agreed Rafi.
They walked over to speak to Kate’s parents. They were sitting with their backs to the wall, taking in all that was going on in the room. Kate sat down next to her mother and gave her a hug, then got up and did the same to her father.
‘I’m so pleased that you could come.’
‘We almost didn’t. But Rafi’s sister sounded so very charming on the phone and said how much it would mean to you,’ said her father.
‘We’ve been chumps haven’t we?’ said her mother. ‘I’m sorry we didn’t understand how important your job was to you and what you’d make of it. The commissioner tells us you’re one of the – if not the – youngest chief inspector in Europe and are doing more good work in Luxembourg.’
‘I think he’s exaggerating a bit!’ said Kate.
‘He’s not the only one who says that we should be very proud of you,’ said her father. ‘We are proud – very proud.’ He paused then went on, ‘With Marcus’s help we have done up the attic studio in the main house. Do please use it as your home whenever you have time.’
Kate gave a beaming smile to her parents. ‘That would be lovely, thank you.’
Out of the corner of his eye, Rafi noticed Saara talking with her grandfather. He smiled; they looked very happy together.
The conversation between Kate and her parents turned to small talk.
‘Have I told you,’ began Kate’s mother, ‘that we’ve got your postcards stuck all round our kitchen cupboards? It was so nice of you to start up that family tradition again.’
Kate gave Rafi’s hand a squeeze.
‘You do seem to get around a bit these days,’ continued her mother. ‘Some weeks we seem to get a card every other day!’
Rafi sensed that the hurts and wounds of previous years were forgotten.
The sound of a wine glass being tapped echoed across the room and was followed by the raised voice of Rafi’s little sister. She was standing at the side of the restaurant next to the Prime Minister, the Air Chief Marshal and Commissioner Giles Meynell. She had a champagne glass in her hand and was tapping it with a spoon. Silence fell over the room.
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘I am so pleased you could all make it to Rafi’s surprise party. I should like to thank the Chancellor, my boss, whose idea it was to convene such a gathering and I would ask you to raise your glasses, please, in a toast: To Rafi and determination!’
The Prime Minister moved to Saara’s side. With a beaming face he looked around the room. ‘For once I shall be brief.’ He paused as he noticed a wry smile on many of the faces in front of him. ‘If I were to pay my thanks to each of you here, who selflessly gave so much, it would take a very long time. I am tempted… But not tonight!’
The PM reached for his glass. ‘I would ask you all to raise your glasses and toast: To all those who lost their lives or their good health.’
The PM waited for his audience to finish sipping their champagne and for their attention to focus back on him. ‘I would especially like to thank two people who have travelled a long distance to be with us this evening. Generaal Wilm Van Dijk and Colonel Hendrik Matlik: thank you for your help in our hour of need. I would ask you to raise your glasses and toast: To our distinguished foreign guests.’
Silence returned. The PM raised his glass and looked around the room making eye contact with as many people as possible: ‘ To you all! You are a very special group of people and I praise you for all you have done.’
He moved to one side during the applause that followed. His place was taken by the Air Chief Marshal. ‘I, too, will follow the precedent set by the Prime Minister and keep my speech brief. I should like to convey my personal thanks to the team I had with me on that fateful night. Their response and clear headedness was beyond anything I could have reasonably expected. I would ask you to raise your glasses and toast: To all those who risked everything in countering the recent terrorist attacks and to the Prime Minister, the Defence Secretary, Ewan Thorn, Brigadier Sparkman and Colonels Turner and Gray for their leadership.’
There was further clapping and a shuffling around, as glasses were sipped and recharged. The Air Chief Marshal’s place was taken by Commissioner Giles Meynell. He looked across at Kate and John. ‘During the investigation leading up to the snaring of the terrorists, we were truly fortunate to have the unerring resolve and meticulous help of a large number of people. I should like to pay my sincere thanks to all of you who made it possible for us to latch on to the terrorists’ plot. In particular: Steve and Roger from the Immigration team, Jeremy and Neil from MI5 and Rick and Phil from Manchester; they all deserve special mention. We salute you.’
Giles paused and turned to David. ‘Your team did you proud. Thank you.’ He paused and added, with a glint in his eye, ‘But another time perhaps we shouldn’t have to rely on someone locked up in a police cell and then get him to provide us with the services of his friends! Aidan, Bob, Alex, Donald, Matthew, Saara and, of course, Rafi – thank you. We owe you all a great debt of gratitude. I should like to ask you all to raise your glasses and toast: To tenacity and all those who helped in our time of need.’
Rafi caught sight of Kate’s parents sitting holding hands. Beside them were Marcus and Susannah. He wished he could have captured their expressions and given the picture as a present to Kate. He looked round and saw Kate smiling at him; she too had spotted her family’s proud faces.
Saara waited for silence to return. ‘That is the end of the formalities; there’s no closing time and Mr Cheung assures me that he has more than enough food and drink to satisfy your appetites and quench your thirst. Thank you all for making this the most memorable and enjoyable of evenings.’
Saara seemed taken aback by the spontaneous applause and for the first time in ages looked a little self-conscious.
She came over and gave Rafi a hug. ‘So how’s the party boy?’
‘Very contented, it’s been a wonderful evening. Thank you for everything.’
They were joined by Kate and made their way across to her parents, who looked extremely happy.
Her mother started the conversation. ‘Kate, dear, this has been such fun, what an evening to remember! But now that we’ve had a chance to talk with you and have seen your friends perhaps we should be getting off; it’s well past our bedtime.’
‘Pardon?’ interjected Kate’s father. ‘But we’re having fun! Our hotel is not far, so why don’t we stay for another drink or two and then head off?’
Kate’s mother smiled. ‘As you say, dear.’
‘Rafi, might there be any Scotch on the premises?’ asked Kate’s father.
‘I’ll see what I can find,’ replied Rafi. ‘And then there is someone I’d like you to meet.’
Kate’s father raised his eyebrows as if to say, ‘Who could be more important than the PM?’
Rafi found Mr Cheung and asked for a bottle of his very best Scotch.
‘Blended or single malt?’
‘Would you bring both, please?’
Then Rafi went over and extracted his grandfather from the conversation he was having.
‘Grandfather, do you like Scotch?’
He beamed. ‘Is the Pope Catholic?’
‘There are a couple of people I’d like you to meet.’
As they walked across to the table where Kate’s parents were sitting, Rafi added Marcus, Susannah, Saara and Steve to his entourage.
Rafi approached the table. Kate’s father was trying to decide which Scotch he preferred. He looked up and smiled.