Page 10 of End Game
‘No, theDaily Mail, who are almost as bad. But what about you?’ asked Robert. ‘Are there enough criminals to keep you well occupied?’
‘They are all innocent,’ protested Peter.
‘Have you managed to get one off yet?’
‘Not yet,’ admitted Peter. ‘I did manage to get a shoplifter off with a suspended sentence, but only because the prisons are so overcrowded.’
Robert was about to ask about Peter’s next case when he was interrupted by the tapping of a spoon on a glass.
They all looked around to see Assistant Commissioner Hawksby standing on a step at the far end of the garden, a champagne glass in hand. Once he’d gained their complete attention, he stopped tapping and began. ‘It is my privilege to say a few words on behalf of the accused, but as I haven’t been able to come up with anything in mitigation, I shall move on to his prosecution, followed by a lengthy sentence that I feel confident you, the jury, will deliver on behalf of the Crown.’
Laughter followed the Hawk’s opening remarks, accompanied by a prolonged round of applause.
‘I have, over the years,’ continued the Hawk, ‘watched William climb effortlessly up the promotion ladder from Constable on the beat in Lambeth to the dizzy heights of Commander in charge of the Olympics,’ said the Hawk, ‘and only time will tell how many more rungs of that ladder are yet to be scaled. In fact, I’m rather hoping to retire before I have to call himsir.’
More laughter broke out, although the Assistant Commissioner hadn’t considered that particular line to be a joke.
‘Along the way, he has acquired a wife, who is successfullyclimbing an equally challenging ladder, a daughter who has already seen the inside of a prison cell, where she met her boyfriend, and a son who is following in his distinguished grandfather’s footsteps as a criminal barrister. But, members of the jury, I feel the time has come to let you know the defendant left the Yard this evening before six o’clock, allowing hardened criminals a night off.’
Cries ofShame!andResign!greeted this revelation.
‘However,’ continued the Hawk, ‘when Commander Warwick returns to his desk in the morning, the countdown will continue on the most challenging assignment of his career to date, the outcome of which will decide if he continues to climb that ladder and reach even greater heights.’
‘Or slithers back down a waiting snake,’ piped up Ross, to even louder laughter.
‘Whatever the outcome,’ came back the Hawk, ‘I ask you all to raise your glasses to William on his fiftieth birthday.’
‘To William,’ went up the cry, followed by, ‘Speech, speech,’ from the assembled gathering.
William quickly tried to compose his thoughts, aware he was facing a very demanding audience. ‘Tonight,’ he began, ‘I thought I was going out for a quiet dinner with my wife.’
‘No such luck,’ shouted someone.
‘Had I known what Beth and her fellow conspirators had been planning, I would have stayed at work.’
‘In which case, we would have happily celebrated without you,’ said another, raising his glass.
William waited for the laughter to die down before he continued, ‘Let me begin by thanking the Assistant Commissioner for his few kind words,’ he paused, ‘very few. And my wife, who ditched me in favour of you lot, whichmeans our dinner date may have to be put off for some time, as almost every one of us will be returning to work tomorrow to prepare for the greatest show on earth. I have no doubt that, as Ross has suggested, there will be several snakes awaiting us. It will be a challenge that no one has experienced in this country since 1948, long before any of us were born.’ He paused. ‘With one or two notable exceptions.’
This time, the cheering was prolonged.
‘I was six at the time,’ said the Hawk, ‘and could name every one of our gold medallists.’
‘No mean achievement,’ said Sir Julian, William’s father, ‘as I recall it was a record haul that year.’
‘Seeing so many of my friends here this evening only reminds me how fortunate I’ve been during those fifty years,’ continued William. ‘Two wonderful and supportive parents, an amazing and tolerant wife, as well as two children any father could be proud of.’
A round of applause followed, before William ended with the words, ‘And how grateful I am to have been allowed to do the job I’ve always wanted to do, and finally ending up in charge of security for the Olympics, which is a bonus.’
‘Perhaps not ending up,’ hinted someone.
William smiled, but didn’t respond, other than to say, ‘I ask you all to raise your glasses to the success of the Thirtieth Olympiad, in the fervent hope I will avoid any perils along the way and will make it to my fifty-first birthday.’
This time the applause lasted for some considerable time.
‘If he does,’ whispered Julian to his wife, as he raised his glass, ‘his chances of being Commissioner won’t be harmed.’
‘And if he doesn’t?’
