‘What’s this? The Spanish Inquisition?’ Fabian laughed but she felt a tension in his response. ‘I’ve been over to Harrogate to see Jemima.’
‘Oh, you didn’t say you were going over to see your sister.’ Robyn sat up properly now.
‘Tea?’ Fabian jumped up, moving to the kitchen cupboard for mugs and teabags. ‘Yes,’ he continued, not looking at her, ‘thought I’d check she got Boris back down to Mum and Dad OK.’
‘And did she?’
‘Did she what?’
‘Get the dog back to Marlow safely?’
Fabian nodded.
‘Funny that,’ Robyn said. ‘Because I spoke to her at lunchtime. I wanted to know how her twenty-week scan had gone. She and Bruce are having a little girl. She must have told you that, Fabian?’
Fabian didn’t turn from dropping teabags into the bin and adding milk to the mugs.
‘Trying to work out your next move?’ Robyn asked quietly, now standing behind him. ‘All your training and experience in court advising you where to go next? Bit like a game of chess, is it?’
‘OK, OK, OK!’ Fabian, still with his back to her, put up two hands. ‘Look, I don’t want you involved in what’s going on.’
‘Whatisgoing on? Fabian?’ When he didn’t respond, when he was obviously trying to justify lying to her, Robyn said, ‘Blane Higson’s dead.’
Fabian whirled round, slopping scalding liquid onto his hand and down the cream kitchen units. He didn’t appear to notice.
‘Blane Higson? That scrawny little kid I went with you to see a few months ago? At his mum’s place in that awful tower block?’
Robyn nodded.
‘Fuck, they’re serious then.’ Fabian stared.
‘They? Who? What’s going on, Fabian?’
‘What did they do to him?’
‘They, whoevertheyare, didn’t do anything to him.’
‘Oh?’ There was a slight release of tension in Fabian’s voice. ‘I’m sorry. So sorry. I know you and he…’
‘He was probably high on something – glue or ketamine – nicked a bike…’
‘A pushbike?’
Robyn gave him a withering look. ‘A pushbike? He’d got one of those motorbikes they’re all on these days. Did a wheelie at speed and smashed into George Sattar’s car outside school.’
‘George Sattar? Kamran’s younger brother?’ Fabian stared again. ‘What the hell washedoing there?’
‘Having a meeting with Mason and the governors about razing the school to the ground presumably; he got more than he bargained for when Blane crashed into him.’
‘Is George OK?’
‘Dunno. I think so. I saw him helped out of the car and put into an ambulance. His car seemed to get the brunt of it.’ Robyn paused. ‘Look, Fabian, George Sattar isn’t my priority at the moment. Whatyou’reup to is.’
‘It’s nothing. I don’t want you involved.’ Fabian turned away, not looking at her.
‘Oh, don’t give me that. This is something to do with those two blokes in the car park in Leeds, isn’t it?’
Fabian said nothing.
