‘“No, sir?” Since when have you called me, sir?’

‘Since now.’

‘Sucking-up is not going to do you any good.’

‘It’s not sucking-up.’

‘Fine. I should put you on report.’

Cardilini nodded in agreement, ‘Do it, put me on report.’

‘What?’

‘I need a kick up the arse for last night.’

‘Still don’t mind telling me my job it seems,’ Robinson said.

Cardilini shrugged.

Robinson looked quizzically at Cardilini, ‘on report, means you can’t afford to muck up.’

Cardilini replied dismissively, ‘I know what it means.’

‘Right. You’re on report, three months. That’s going to make a few people happy. And get a few of the new wave off my back,’ Robinson said perfunctorily and sat looking at him, ‘Now, you got something for me?’

Cardilini shifted to one side of the seat then the other before replying, ‘I was just about to type it up.’

‘Accidental?’

Cardilini ran his fingers through his hair and squeaked out, ‘Yes?’

‘Is that what you think?’

Doubt gripped Cardilini as he stared at Robinson. He wanted to say yes, he wanted to get back on track, see Paul happy again. He knew that after last night, if he had any super other than Robinson, he could easily be on suspension.

‘Yes . . .’ he croaked out and despite everything couldn’t help adding, ‘. . . and no.’

Robinson looked towards the ceiling and ran his hand across his brow. ‘You got evidence the prosecutor would accept?’ Robinson asked, pulling a diary towards him.

Cardilini shook his head then said, ‘Students going out of their way to insist it was an accident. Students protecting someone.’

‘Your opinion.’

‘The sketches?’

‘A protest? A celebration? Who knows what goes through the head of a schoolboy?’

Cardilini’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Robinson, ‘You do. You were there. What did you think?’

‘You don’t dob on your mates, you don’t break ranks, you take it like a man and get on. That’s what the boys are taught and that’s what they’re doing,’ Robinson said.

‘Right,’ Cardilini couldn’t argue with that.

Robinson fingered the pages of his diary as Cardilini looked on anxiously. Robinson slowly closed his diary and casually asked, ‘Do you want someone else to look at it?’

A wave of relief went through Cardilini and he tried to reply equally casually, ‘Might be good.’

‘Really?’ Robinson asked shocked.

‘Yeah. Acorn’s convinced the shot came from across the river and I’ve really got nothing. I’ll type up the facts we’ve got.’ Cardilini sat up and breathed fully for what seemed like the first time in ages.

‘Thank God for that.’ Robinson gave a rare smile.

‘I’ll get to it,’ Cardilini said standing.

Robinson cautioned, ‘Going on the facts the next copper will see it the way myself, the deputy commissioner and now Acorn see it.’

‘Yeah. I know,’ Cardilini nodded and left.

*

Cardilini set the report in triplicate in his typewriter. Despite his fingers poised over the keys, he sat looking at the spade leaning against the side of his desk. Then, as if waking, he pulled a dog-eared Teledex from his desk drawer. He flicked its pages until he found the one he wanted then pulled the phone towards him.