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‘Can we go in?’ said the female officer.
‘Yes, of course,’ said Robin.
Linda and Michael, who’d both got to their feet, looked worried to see the two officers entering the flat after their daughter.
‘These are my parents,’ said Robin.
‘Hi,’ said the male officer. ‘I’m PC Harding and this is PC Khan.’
‘Hello,’ said Linda uncertainly.
‘You obviously know what this is about,’ said PC Khan, looking at Robin.
‘Yes. Jacob. What’s happened?’
‘We’re here to invite you down to the station, Mizz Ellacott,’ said PC Harding.
Robin, who was experiencing a slow-motion lift-drop of the stomach without knowing exactly why, said,
‘Can’t you just tell me what’s happened here?’
‘We’re inviting you to an interview under caution,’ said PC Khan.
‘I don’t understand,’ said Robin. ‘Are you saying I’m under arrest?’
‘No,’ said PC Harding. ‘This would be a voluntary interview.’
‘What about?’ said Linda, before Robin could get the words out.
‘We’ve had an accusation of child abuse,’ said PC Harding.
‘Against – against me?’ said Robin.
‘That’s right,’ said PC Harding.
‘What?’ exploded Linda.
‘It’s a voluntary interview,’ said PC Harding again.
Robin was vaguely aware that Linda was talking, but couldn’t take in what she was saying.
‘Fine,’ said Robin calmly. ‘Let me get my coat.’
However, the first thing she did was to go back to the table, pick up a pen and scribble down Strike’s mobile number, the only one she knew by heart other than her own.
‘Phone Strike,’ she told her father, pressing the number into his hands.
‘Where are you taking her?’ Linda demanded of the officers. ‘We want to come!’
PC Khan gave the name of the police station.
‘We’ll find it, Linda,’ said Michael, because it was obvious to everyone that Linda intended either to force her way into the police car or ride bumper-to-bumper after it.
‘It’ll be fine,’ Robin reassured her parents, pulling on her coat. ‘I’ll sort this out. Phone Strike,’ she added firmly to her father, before picking up her keys and following the police out of the flat.
93
The seeds are the first imperceptible beginning of movement, the first trace of good fortune (or misfortune) that shows itself. The superior man perceives the seeds…
