Neil Wren pulled up at a red light and took out his iPhone. He scrolled through the gallery of pictures until he came to a photo he had taken of Wren’s bedroom wall. He showed the image to his son and said, ‘Read it to me. Read what you wrote on your wall in the name of Captain Cyclone.’

Wren turned his face away, looked into the darkness outside the window.

‘I’ll read it to you then. An honest witness does not deceive but a false witness pours out lies. Proverbs 14.5.’

Behind them, a pair of car horns sounded. Neil Wren looked up and saw that the lights had turned green. He pulled away.

‘Captain Cyclone doesn’t like liars. In fact, Captain Cyclone hates liars and can’t stand lies. Where did you go with Edgar when you left the abattoir with him?’

‘Nowhere.’

‘You’re not going to tell me, are you?’

With the front entrance of Trinity Road police station metres away, Neil Wren slowed down and stopped.

‘Why have you stopped by the police station?’

Neil turned the engine off, took the key from the ignition and unfastened his safety belt.

‘Why, Dad? Why have you stopped here?’

‘Edgar’s not the only one who can go on a message. I’m going on a message. I’m going on a message into the police station and you’re coming with me, Wren!’

‘But only police officers and dirty low-life scumbags go into police stations. I am neither of those things, so why? Why should I go into a police station?’

A constable stepped on to the pavement from the police station and looked up and down the street.

‘Get out of the car!’ Neil Wren opened the driver’s door and got out of the car.

‘You’re acting weird, Dad. I don’t like this game.’

Neil slammed his door shut and walked around the front of the car to the passenger door.

Wren lifted his feet from the floor, folded his arms tightly around himself and made himself into a human ball on the passenger seat.

‘But I haven’t done anything wrong, Dad…’

‘Then you’ve got nothing to worry about, have you, son? Get out of the car and come with me.’

Neil opened the passenger door and, raising his arm, called, ‘Excuse me, officer!’

The constable walked directly to the car.

‘Take me home, Dad.’

‘You either get out of the car on your own, which makes it look like you’ve got nothing to hide, or the policeman will make you get out and that way you don’t look so good.’

Wren unfolded his arms, shut his eyes tightly and stuck his index fingers in his ears.

‘Is something wrong?’ asked the constable.

Neil pointed in the direction of his son and there was a silence that seemed to stretch all the way to the sky and right back down again.