The story had travelled fast and there was a mass of reporters and television cameras outside the court building when Bruce and I emerged with Steve Mitchell at about three o’clock, into a wall of flash photography. Sir James Horley QC, I thought while smiling at the cameras, would be absolutely livid when he watched the evening news. He had missed out completely on the number one story of the day.
As we were engulfed by the sea of reporters, Eleanor shouted that she would go and fetch her car. There would be no chance of finding a taxi with all this lot about.
‘Be careful,’ I shouted back at her, thinking of Julian Trent, but she was gone.
Steve and Bruce answered questions until they were nearly hoarse from having to talk loudly over the traffic noise and the general hubbub, and even I was cajoled by some of the reporters into a rash comment or two. I was careful not to say things that would find me in hot water for giving out privileged or sensitive information, things that might be pertinent to the future trial. However, Steve Mitchell had no such qualms. He eagerly laid into the now-ruined reputation of Roger Radcliffe, and also managed to include some pretty derogatory remarks about his old adversary, Scot Barlow, as if it had somehow been all Barlow’s fault that Radcliffe had framed him. I thought that it was a good job that, under English law, the dead couldn’t sue for slander.
Finally, with deadlines approaching and their copy to file, the reporters began to drift away and eventually to leave us in peace.
‘Bloody marvellous, Perry,’ Steve said to me while pumping my hand up and down. ‘Almost as good as winning the National. Thank you so much.’
I decided not to mention my fee – not just yet, anyway.
Bruce and Steve departed together on foot, while I stepped back inside the court building to wait for Eleanor and the car.
I decided to call my father.
‘Hello, Dad,’ I said when he answered. ‘How are things?’
‘It’s good to be home,’ he said.
Alarm bells suddenly started ringing in my head.
‘What do you mean, it’s good to be home?’ I said.
‘Got back here about ten minutes ago,’ he said. ‘I left the hotel as soon as I got your message.’
‘But I didn’t give anyone a message,’ I said.
‘Yes you did,’ he said with certainty. ‘On this phone. One of those damned text things. Hold on. I could hear him pushing the buttons. Here it is. “Hi Dad, Everything fine. Please go home as quickly as possible. Love Geoffrey”.’
‘What time did you get it?’ I asked him.
‘About half past ten this morning,’ he said. ‘My old Morris is quite slow on the motorway these days.’
Radcliffe had already been in the witness box at half past ten. The message had to have been sent by Julian Trent.
‘I thought I told you not to tell anyone where you were.’
‘I didn’t,’ he said, sounding pained. ‘No one knew where I was other than you, but I still don’t see why it was so important.’
‘But who else knew the number of that phone?’ I asked.
‘Oh, I called and gave it to Beryl and Tony on Saturday,’ he said. ‘They’re my neighbours. Just in case anything happened to the house.’
I could just imagine Julian Trent turning up to find the place deserted and asking the neighbours, in his most charming manner, if they knew where Mr Mason had gone. He probably told them he was Mr Mason’s grandson, come to surprise him. Of course they would have given him the phone number.
‘Dad,’ I said quite urgently. ‘Please go back out and get in the car and drive anywhere, but get away from your house. Or go next door to Beryl and Tony’s. Just please get away from the house.’
‘What on earth for?’ he said, annoyed. ‘I’ve only just got back.’
‘Dad, please just do it, and do it right now.’
‘Oh, all right,’ he said. ‘I’ll just make my cup of tea. I’ve put the kettle on.’
‘Please, Dad,’ I said more urgently. ‘Leave the tea. Go now.’
‘All right,’ he said, his annoyance showing again. ‘You’re a strange boy.’
‘Dad, take the phone with you. I’ll call you back in a few minutes.’
Eleanor pulled up in the car outside the court buildings, and I hobbled out to her as quickly as I could.
‘Drive,’ I said urgently as I struggled in. ‘Straight on.’
‘I can’t,’ she said pointing at the sign. ‘Buses and taxis only.’
‘Ignore it,’ I said. ‘I think Julian Trent is somewhere around my father’s bungalow.’
She looked at me, then back to the road. ‘But surely your dad is still in Devon.’
‘I wish,’ I said. ‘He’s gone home. Trent sent him a text message this morning as if it had come from me, telling him to go back home as soon as possible.’
‘Oh my God,’ she said, putting her foot down on the accelerator.
‘I’m calling the police,’ I said.
I dialled 999 and the emergency operator answered almost immediately.
‘Which service?’ she said.
‘Police,’ I replied.
Eleanor dodged a few shiny metal bollards and then drove straight down Cornmarket Street, which was usually reserved for pedestrians, but it was the best short cut through the city. A few people looked at us rather strangely, and some shouted, but no one actually stopped us and we were soon racing down St Giles and away from the city centre northwards.
I heard the police come on the line and the telephone operator gave them my phone number. ‘Yes,’ said a policeman finally. ‘How can we help?’
I tried to explain that my father was alone in his house and that he was in danger from a potential intruder. I should have lied to them but, stupidly, I told them the truth.
‘So there isn’t actually an intruder in the house at the moment?’ the policeman said.
‘No,’ I replied. ‘But I think that he might be outside, watching and waiting.’
‘And why is that, sir?’ he said.
What could I say? ‘I just do,’ I said unconvincingly.
‘We can’t send police cars as an emergency all over the country just because people think they may be troubled at some time in the future. Now can we, sir?’
‘Look,’ I said. ‘I am a barrister and I have been acting at the Crown Court in Oxford and I’m telling you that I have very good reason to believe that my father may be in great danger. I am on my way to his house right now, but I will be at least another twenty minutes getting there. Will you please send a patrol car immediately?’
‘I’ll do what I can, sir,’ he said. ‘I’ll record the incident as a priority, but it will take some time to get a car to that part of Northamptonshire.’ It was his way of saying that the police wouldn’t actually be there for quite a long while. ‘Perhaps you could give us another call when you arrive, sir.’
‘Hopeless,’ I said to Eleanor, hanging up. ‘Mind the speed camera!’
She slammed on the brakes and we crawled past the yellow box at exactly thirty miles an hour. Then we were off again, considerably faster.
I dialled my father’s mobile number again.
‘Are you out of the house?’ I said when he answered.
‘Nearly,’ he said.
‘What have you been doing?’ I asked him in exasperation. It had been at least ten minutes since I had first called him. I wondered if everyone’s parents became so cantankerous and obstinate as they neared their eightieth birthdays.
‘I’ve been looking for the little present I bought Beryl and Tony in Sidmouth,’ he said. ‘I know it’s in my suitcase somewhere.’
‘Dad, please,’ I almost shouted at him. ‘Just get yourself out of the house right now. Get the present for them later.’
‘Ah,’ he said triumphantly. ‘I’ve found it.’
‘Good,’ I said. ‘Now get out of the house and stay out.’
‘Hold on a minute,’ he said. ‘There’s someone at the door.’
‘Don’t answer it,’ I shouted urgently into the phone, but he obviously didn’t hear me.
I hoped that it might have been Beryl and Tony coming round from next door to welcome him home, but, of course, it wasn’t. The phone was still connected in his hand and I could faintly hear the exchange taking place on my father’s front doorstep.