‘What do you mean?’ Hugh was stung. ‘Steady on, old boy. I’m not implying you’re on the scrapheap, if that’s what you mean. The chap called me out of the blue. I’m sure his intentions are entirely noble.’

The room felt stifling. Tom pushed his chair back. His father gazed at him in horror. ‘I’m going for a leak.’

Tom marched out, pushing his way through the doors and nearly knocking over an elderly member. Outside it was starting to rain. He took a deep lungful of grey London air and cursed himself for being so sharp with his father, who only had the best intentions, who had put up with his waywardness, and the uncertainty, all these years, and who loved him.

What the fuck was he going to do anyway? He hadn’t given it a second’s thought. But before he could descend into any kind of self-pity he found himself thinking of Blakey. He took out his phone and searched the number for Selly Oak.

The nurse on the ward sounded relieved to hear from him. ‘No one’s been to see him at all. Are you a relative?’

‘No, just a mate. How is he?’

She didn’t answer.

‘He is going to make it, isn’t he?’

‘Yes, it’s just – well, he’s going to need a lot of help.’

‘Can I talk to him?’

‘He’s with the surgeon. Could you come in later?’

‘I’m in London, but I’ll phone back.’

He ended the call and noticed the missed calls from two days before. Maybe Rolt could do something for Blakey.

When he got back to the table his father behaved as if nothing had happened. He was good like that.

‘Two jam roly-polys on their way.’ Hugh grinned at him guiltily, just as he used to when Tom was small, as if the puddings were some kind of transgression. At least some things didn’t change.

Chapter 22

22

Pimlico

Sarah Garvey reached for her phone, which was buzzing like a trapped fly on her bedside table. She glanced at the time – 2:25 a.m.

‘Sorry to disturb you, Home Secretary.’

It was Halford, the Metropolitan Police commissioner.

‘No problem, John,’ she lied. ‘I’d only just got to bed.’

After giving him such a hard time in COBRA she had made a mental note to be more positive.

‘We’re just getting reports of a fire at an ex-servicemen’s hostel in Redditch, probably the result of an explosion.’

‘Fatalities?’

‘Too early to say. But, looking at the footage, I’d say almost certainly. The front of the building’s been blown out. Several passers-by taken to A and E. Should have a clearer picture in an hour.’

There was an energy to his tone that had been absent at their meeting. She guessed why. This was off his patch and was sure to take the heat off the shooting.