Mr. Love and Justice (12 page)

Looking out of the institutional window (too tall for its width) of his nominal residence at the section-house, Edward was mildly alarmed to see his girl standing on the pavement opposite. Since no message had come up to him that anyone wanted to see him and it was scarcely probable that he’d happened to look out at the precise moment she’d arrived, he was even more alarmed. For she certainly didn’t know as well as he did that the most conspicuous possible thing to do, in England, particularly for a woman, is to wait in a public street: even if she’d waited on the anonymous benches of the station itself she’d have attracted far less attention. He hurried down.

Out in the street he saw her some way off, which partly reassured him. And catching up with her he learnt with approval but anxiety that she’d kept
walking round the block until he’d appeared, and that a matter of some urgency – two, in fact – had brought her out of hiding. The first was that she was pregnant; the second, that someone – nobody yet knew who – had visited her father’s house during his absence in peculiar circumstances.

Though she told him the first of these two things last, he genuinely considered it to be in every way the more important. For one reason because it clearly brought – in some way or another – his relationship with his girl to a state of crisis; but even more because this news excited and delighted Edward unexpectedly. Although in their discussions of this possibility they’d both agreed it was for the present highly undesirable, and had taken steps in a rather haphazard way to guard against the danger, Edward had always feared, in secret, that he was somehow incapable of paternity: just as he had not been sure until he’d first loved his girl in that complete and intimate way that he could actually
do
so, it needed the proof positive that she now gave to him that he could without any doubt become a father. Not that he had for the new life in her womb – or for what it might become – as yet any feeling, fatherly or otherwise. What he
did
feel was that his love for her – the total horizon of his whole emotional life – was now – in spite of the manifold complications – entire and wonderful.

‘So what shall we do?’ she said.

‘Let’s pop in here for a tea and a sit-down.’

Side by side, and Ted filled with an immense sense
of
possession
, they discussed their predicament in quiet voices. ‘I suppose you don’t want to say it, Edward,’ she said, ‘but I
could
do away with it.’

‘No!’

‘Why? Because it’s illegal?’ And she smiled rather wryly.

‘No: because it’s too dangerous to you.’

‘It’s not really … Not all
that
dangerous …’

‘You sure of that?’

‘I think so.’

‘No! We can’t risk anything happening to you.’

‘Very well, then. What?’

‘You’ll have to have it in the normal way.’

‘But, Edward. As things are, it won’t be exactly normal.’

‘You mean us not being wed?’

‘Yes.’

‘Yes, I know. We must get the position straightened out. That’s what I meant to tell you when I came out to you this evening.’

‘Why?’

‘They’ve found out about us.’

‘Who?’

‘Several: it’s not officially known to the Force, but there’s individuals who know.’

The girl looked at him and said, ‘So you won’t have to pretend any longer, Edward, that I don’t exist.’

‘No. They know.’

‘I see. So what do we do?’

Edward stared into space, then said, ‘If it’s you or
the Force, I choose you. I can always earn my living some other way, I’m competent, you know, believe me. But I’ve been thinking a lot, and there may be a way out.’

She looked at him harder.

‘If your dad emigrated.’

‘Emigrated? Dad? Why should he?’

‘If he sees it’s to your advantage and to his own to make a new start, and if I make it worth his while.’

‘But Edward: how can you?’

‘I think I can. He must have a bit saved of his own, and I believe I can make up the single fare and enough over, given a bit of time.’

‘But what difference will it make if Dad should go?’

‘I’ve been looking into precedents: I mean of marriages with girls of – well, of dubious parentage – and it’s been okay in several cases if the parents are dead, of course, or gone away for good.’

‘You sure?’

‘I think they’d wear it – but only if he’s right out of the country: Canada or Australia – somewhere like that.’

‘I see.’

‘But there is one other aspect. Suppose he refused to go. I may have to ask you if you don’t mind if I put pressure on him.’

‘Pressure? How?’

‘Make him believe we’re going to get something on him.’

The girl said, ‘Oh, Edward! And he’s stayed in the clear so long!’

‘So he says, I know. But what can we do?’

‘And this money, Ted. It’s a bit of a race against time, isn’t it? I mean you’ve not got all that many months to get it, and get permission to marry, before I have the baby.’

‘I’ve thought of that: and it’s why I’ll have to get it quick.’

‘I still think you won’t shift Dad. Him leave Kensal Green? And take money from you?’

‘Well, as a matter of fact he already has done.’

‘Dad has? Taken money?’

‘Yes. Only to look after it, though. I’ve already made a bit, you see, and the best person I could think of to look after it for us – I mean the only
reliable
person – was your father.’

‘And he agreed?’

‘Oh, yes … So we’ve already discussed financial matters.’

‘You didn’t tell me, Ted.’

‘No, dear. I thought it best not. Well: what you say?’

The girl stirred her empty cup. ‘For me,’ she said, ‘it’s like this. I want you, Ted, in the best way I can keep you, whatever that turns out to be – but there are limits. I don’t mind so much what arrangements you have to make with Dad, but I want you to promise me if he refused to go, and you let me
have
my baby, then you’ll marry me even if it means leaving the Force.’

‘Okay,’ said Edward. ‘That’s a promise. Though if he
does
refuse to go and I can’t make him, I will ask you, all the same, to let me check up on the abortion aspects.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, dear, I know it’s a big sacrifice, but you’ve made me think and I’d like to have a word with the station doctor – very indirect, of course – about the actual danger. Because if I can’t shake your dad at once and it’s only a question of the time it takes to persuade him, it’d be a pity to leave the Force if we did manage to persuade him later on.’

‘Yes, I see.’

Edward looked at her. ‘You mean you don’t want an abortion – not in any circumstances?’

‘I haven’t quite said that …’

‘And you’re not prepared to have the baby out of wedlock …’

‘No, Ted. That I don’t want: if I have him, I want to have him legitimate.’

‘All right: I think I’ve got it. Thank you, dear, for being so reasonable about it all. Now, then. What about this man you said visited your dad’s place?’

‘According to Dad, Ted, he’s certain someone’s been in the house, but there’s no sign of breaking and entering or anything at all.’

‘Yeah. I think I know who it might be. Your dad didn’t find anything
left
in the place? Nothing compromising, I mean?’

‘He didn’t say so …’

‘And nothing missing?’

‘He didn’t say that either … But who do you think it might be, Ted? A thief?’

‘No, a copper. Colleague of mine who doesn’t like me.’

‘But why should he try to harm Dad?’

‘To try to harm me. I’ll tell you who it is – in confidence – it’s one of our vice boys I’m on a job with at the moment – very clever feller and very dangerous – who’s got a down on me.’

‘But why?’

‘I really and truly don’t know: but these things do happen in the Force. I’ll speak to your dad about that as well, and put him on his guard. Meantime, I think there’s something
you
could do to help.’

‘Me? How?’

Edward smiled at her. ‘If I pointed out this feller to you, do you think you might consider trying to play up to him a bit?’

‘How? You mean flirt with him, or so?’

‘Yes. Nothing more than that … But it might help to find a way to get something on him, too, to keep him quiet.’

‘Well, I’m not sure, Edward. If you think it’s wise … But I’m not very glamorous, you know …’

‘Nor’s he. Anyway, we’ll see. I’ll keep you well in the picture, dear. Glory! What a morning! I’m glad all that’s tidied up just now.’ He made to get up, but the girl detained him. ‘There is just one other thing,’ she said.

‘No! Well, in for a penny …’

‘Listen, Edward. You remember that couple we saw at the wrestling that night, and you commented on, who came to settle in the same block as we do …’

‘Yeah … Whore and her ponce, I’d say. But not my 
area and not my business – we don’t want trouble near the flat …’

‘No, I know that. But the woman, Ted, the prostitute. She
knows
about us.’

‘Knows? How can she know? What makes you think so? Anything she’s said?’

‘Nothing she’s said, but the way she
looks
at me.’

‘
Looks
at you! Oh, come off it, darling. What is this: feminine intuition?’

‘Edward, she knows
something
: I’m convinced of it.’

‘That we’re not married, maybe.’

‘Something more. The other day a uniformed officer passed by just as I passed
her
, and she looked at
him
and then she looked at me, and she smiled.’

‘She smiled!’

‘Yes.’

‘I’ll give her something to smile for … And the ponce? Any angles there?’

‘No, I’ve scarcely seen him. He’s very discreet.’

‘He’d better be. Look, darling, I’ll investigate that a bit as well, but now I really must get off down to the station. Thank you for all your loyalty, and thank you for being the most wonderful girl any man ever had and I know I don’t deserve it.’

They kissed quietly, the girl very silent, and then went out of the café separately. At the station, the Detective-Sergeant called Edward in and said to him, ‘Lad, there’s been a development.’

‘In this Madam case, sir?’

‘Yes. What d’you know? She’s phoned us.’

‘Well, she’s got a sauce, sir. What was her reason?’

‘There’s been a theft – quite a big one, she says. From one of her clients, I dare say, though she didn’t say so.’

‘And you want me to go down, sir?’

‘Yes. Find out all you can, of course, but be very careful
not
to give the impression we’ve got other ideas about her. She hasn’t seen you, has she?’

‘Not so far as I know, sir … But isn’t she taking a chance calling us in like this?’

‘Well,
she
evidently doesn’t think so … Remember, as she sees it her set-up in that place is foolproof. No, her real danger as she probably weighs it up is that the client who’s been robbed – if I’m right about that – is more of a danger just at present than we or anyone else are.’

‘But sir: she must know
we
know what she’s up to.’

‘Oh, of course she does! There’s no need to hide that fact when you see her – just give her no hint that we’re planning a little party for her.’

Edward got up. ‘Well, sir, all I can say is I wish I had her nerve.’

The Detective-Sergeant smiled, then looked very cautious and said, ‘It’s just possible between you and me, Constable, there may be another angle: and that’s why I want you to tread very warily.’

‘Sir?’

‘It
is
just possible she’s subbing somebody – somebody in the Force, I mean – and getting protection. I don’t
know
this, mind you – I have to make a few discreet enquiries – but it is a possibility. If that were happening it would, of
course, give her extra confidence and we’d have to find out exactly what the situation is – interdepartmentally, I mean – before we actually stage the raid we have in mind.’

‘Yes, sir. May I make a suggestion?’ The Detective-Sergeant nodded. ‘It might be, sir, that someone who’s got no authority – I mean no real
position
– is taking something from her and making her believe she’s got real protection when she hasn’t.’

The officer smiled. ‘Bright boy,’ he said. ‘Yes, that’s another one that had occurred to me. Any ideas who it might be, if it is?’

‘No, sir. Not yet, anyway …’

‘Well, son, keep me posted. I may be the brains, but you’re my eyes and ears, remember. So get out now and use them for me.’

Calling at the front door of the Madam’s brothel was, for Edward, a strange experience resembling, perhaps, that of a lovelorn gas-inspector who, contemplating in vain from its exterior for so long the house of his adored one, suddenly finds he’s ordered round there on routine business to check the meter. The confidential maid admitted him, and he was soon in the presence of the Madam.

It was instantly apparent that she possessed to handle Edward an enormous asset that neither of them, before meeting, could possibly have predicted. This was that the Madam was a ‘motherly’ person (in spite of being childless and of having had, ages ago, her ovaries removed) who could soothe the profound solitude that
lay at the very centre of Edward’s personality, and was the chief cause of his happiness in the Force and of his deep attachment to his girl. But this pit of loneliness was bottomless; and only time or even death would really fill it. Meanwhile, anyone who could restore to Edward something of his sense of self was certain of some measure of his gratitude.

This the old Madam, no mean empirical psychologist, spotted instantly as she sat Edward down on the chintz sofa, perched herself on a chair before him, and laid all her troubles eagerly and confidingly in his broad lap. She kept, she said, as he must know, residential chambers patronised by the very nicest kind of gent. (As a matter of fact she
did
have several curious, permanent tenants in the house in rooms unsuitable, for various reasons, for other purposes, and who she felt lent tone – if not legality – to the premises as a whole.) Very well, then. One of these gentlemen – she was most reluctant to divulge his name, but she could say he was a luminary in the legal profession – had very foolishly (as even luminaries sometimes are) brought a young woman to his apartment, and after this young woman’s departure he’d noticed that a snuff-box – for the legal gentleman was addicted to this charming and old-world (or camp and disgusting) habit of taking the stuff – which was not only an heirloom of great sentimental value but also, according to the legal gent, insured for
£
350, had gone; and if it were not rapidly recovered he’d be forced to make the whole thing public as otherwise the insurance company wouldn’t consider
a claim. ‘I know,’ the Madam now concluded, ‘that
your
only thought, officer, as the good detective I’m sure you are, is to catch the thief. But
my
chief preoccupation is to get back the snuff-box for my tenant and avoid, if possible, my house getting publicity and an undesirable bad name.’