we're going home.'
'Home? I thought you wanted to talk.' He took hold of Ben's arm. 'Come on, you can have a quick drink-'
'It's okay, I'l give you a ring.' Colin let his hand fal . 'What's wrong?' Nothing. I just want to get Jacob home, that's al .' They looked at each other. Colin glanced towards the house. He seemed to sag slightly, then drew himself up. 'If you're in a rush let's talk in the car.' Jacob played with a puzzle in the back while they talked.
Ben described the meeting with Quil ey. When he'd finished Colin kneaded the bridge of his nose. The flesh of his face was pale and puffy. His scalp showed through his thinning hair. He looks middle-aged, Ben thought, with a slight shock.
'I'm sorry, Ben. If I'd any idea he'd pul something like this I'd never have recommended him.'
'You weren't to know.' But he stil felt resentment, unjustified or not.
'I know it doesn't help but I'l see to it he doesn't get any more work from our firm. I'l put the word out to other people as wel . It's just a pity you didn't tel him you'd got his name from us. I don't think he'd have tried anything if he'd known.'
'I'm more worried about what I'm going to do now than what I should have done.'
'I can cal him, if you like. Tel him we represent you. That might make him think twice before he does anything else.'
'Are you sure you want to get your firm involved?' Colin didn't say anything, but Ben could see he wasn't.
'I don't have any choice, do I?' he went on. 'I've got to assume it's al going to come out.'
"You don't know for sure there's anything to come out.'
'Oh, come oft" it.' Colin looked at Jacob playing on the back seat He gave a sigh. 'Okay, then. The next thing to do is to get some advice. I can ask around, see if anyone knows a good family law solicitor.
The number of divorces our clients go through I shouldn't think that'l be a problem.' He gave Ben a sheepish glance. 'I'l make sure it's someone reliable this time.' The streetlights had come on, although it wasn't dark. Ben looked at the weak yel ow glows. "You don't think I should go straight to the police?'
'Christ, no. If you do they'l be al over you. You could wind up being held on a kidnapping or aiding-and-abetting charge and Jacob in care before you know what's happening.
You need legal representation before anything else.' He paused. 'The question of custody's going to be tricky enough as it is.' Ben was aware that Colin was watching him, trying to gauge his reaction. In the rear-view mirror he could see Jacob's face, unconcerned. He felt an urge to hug him.
'What I can't stop thinking about,' he said, in a voice that wasn't quite steady, 'is how the other poor bastard must feel. You know who I mean. It's been over six years. We're sitting here, calmly discussing what we should do, and he's sitting somewhere not knowing if his son's alive or dead. I keep thinking about what he must have gone through, and what happened to his wife, and … fuck, I don't know.' He broke off and turned to stare out of the side window.
Colin was quiet for a while, giving him a chance to recover.
"You've got to think about yourself, Ben/ he said gently.
'And Jacob. I'm sorry for this guy too, but it doesn't alter the fact that you're in a vulnerable situation. If this does al come out you're going to have to prove you knew nothing about it until now. You're going to have to decide fairly soon what you're going to do, and to do that you need expert legal advice.'
'I know.' Ben cleared his throat and nodded. 'I know, you're right, and I wil , but …' He realised he'd already come to a decision. 'I'd like to see him first.'
'Oh, now look, Ben-!'
'I don't mean I want to meet him. I just want to see where he lives, what he looks kite. Try and get some idea of what sort of a man he is. I can't decide anything until I know that.' He expected an argument, but Colin was silent. 'When?' he asked.
'I don't know.' He hadn't thought that far. 'Tomorrow morning, perhaps.' Colin
'Home? I thought you wanted to talk.' He took hold of Ben's arm. 'Come on, you can have a quick drink-'
'It's okay, I'l give you a ring.' Colin let his hand fal . 'What's wrong?' Nothing. I just want to get Jacob home, that's al .' They looked at each other. Colin glanced towards the house. He seemed to sag slightly, then drew himself up. 'If you're in a rush let's talk in the car.' Jacob played with a puzzle in the back while they talked.
Ben described the meeting with Quil ey. When he'd finished Colin kneaded the bridge of his nose. The flesh of his face was pale and puffy. His scalp showed through his thinning hair. He looks middle-aged, Ben thought, with a slight shock.
'I'm sorry, Ben. If I'd any idea he'd pul something like this I'd never have recommended him.'
'You weren't to know.' But he stil felt resentment, unjustified or not.
'I know it doesn't help but I'l see to it he doesn't get any more work from our firm. I'l put the word out to other people as wel . It's just a pity you didn't tel him you'd got his name from us. I don't think he'd have tried anything if he'd known.'
'I'm more worried about what I'm going to do now than what I should have done.'
'I can cal him, if you like. Tel him we represent you. That might make him think twice before he does anything else.'
'Are you sure you want to get your firm involved?' Colin didn't say anything, but Ben could see he wasn't.
'I don't have any choice, do I?' he went on. 'I've got to assume it's al going to come out.'
"You don't know for sure there's anything to come out.'
'Oh, come oft" it.' Colin looked at Jacob playing on the back seat He gave a sigh. 'Okay, then. The next thing to do is to get some advice. I can ask around, see if anyone knows a good family law solicitor.
The number of divorces our clients go through I shouldn't think that'l be a problem.' He gave Ben a sheepish glance. 'I'l make sure it's someone reliable this time.' The streetlights had come on, although it wasn't dark. Ben looked at the weak yel ow glows. "You don't think I should go straight to the police?'
'Christ, no. If you do they'l be al over you. You could wind up being held on a kidnapping or aiding-and-abetting charge and Jacob in care before you know what's happening.
You need legal representation before anything else.' He paused. 'The question of custody's going to be tricky enough as it is.' Ben was aware that Colin was watching him, trying to gauge his reaction. In the rear-view mirror he could see Jacob's face, unconcerned. He felt an urge to hug him.
'What I can't stop thinking about,' he said, in a voice that wasn't quite steady, 'is how the other poor bastard must feel. You know who I mean. It's been over six years. We're sitting here, calmly discussing what we should do, and he's sitting somewhere not knowing if his son's alive or dead. I keep thinking about what he must have gone through, and what happened to his wife, and … fuck, I don't know.' He broke off and turned to stare out of the side window.
Colin was quiet for a while, giving him a chance to recover.
"You've got to think about yourself, Ben/ he said gently.
'And Jacob. I'm sorry for this guy too, but it doesn't alter the fact that you're in a vulnerable situation. If this does al come out you're going to have to prove you knew nothing about it until now. You're going to have to decide fairly soon what you're going to do, and to do that you need expert legal advice.'
'I know.' Ben cleared his throat and nodded. 'I know, you're right, and I wil , but …' He realised he'd already come to a decision. 'I'd like to see him first.'
'Oh, now look, Ben-!'
'I don't mean I want to meet him. I just want to see where he lives, what he looks kite. Try and get some idea of what sort of a man he is. I can't decide anything until I know that.' He expected an argument, but Colin was silent. 'When?' he asked.
'I don't know.' He hadn't thought that far. 'Tomorrow morning, perhaps.' Colin
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