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‘I haven’t given up yet,’ said Sir Julian

‘Just be thankful that at least our daughter has followed in your footsteps’

‘Grace has done nothing of the sort,’ snorted Sir Julian ‘That girl will defend any penniless no-hoper she comes across’

‘She has a heart of gold’

‘Then she takes after you,’ said Sir Julian, studying the one clue his wife had failed to fill in: Slender private man who ended up with a baton Four

‘Field Marshal SLIM,’ said Sir Julian triumphantly ‘The only man to join the army as a private soldier and end up as a field marshal’

‘Sounds like William,’ said Marjorie But not until the door had closed

2

WILLIAM AND FRED left the nick just after eight to set out on theirpatrol ‘Notprobationer ‘Criet up hteen months William had become used to Fred’s oft-repeated pearls of wisdo to be found in the Met’s handbook on the duties of a police officer

‘When do you take your detective’s exam?’ asked Fred as they ambled down Lambeth Walk

‘Not for another year,’ replied Willia rid of ent He glanced at the headline: ‘PC Yvonne Fletcher killed outside the Libyan Embassy’

‘Murdered, ain for some tied, ‘which suits me just fine But you—’

‘If I make it,’ said William, ‘I’ll have you to thank’

‘I’m not like you, Choirboy,’ said Fred William feared that he would be stuck with that nickname for the rest of his career He preferred Sherlock He had never admitted to any of his mates at the station that he had been a choirboy, and alished he looked older, although his mother had once told hier’ Is no one ever satisfied with the age they are? he wondered ‘By the time you become commissioner,’ continued Fred, ‘I’ll be shacked up in an old people’s hootten my name’

It had never crossed Williah he felt sure he would never forget Constable Fred Yates