I checked my reflection in the window and opened the door with a tea towel in my hand.There were two police officers – a man and a woman – and they were friendly enough, brisk and apologetic. They came inside wrapped in a cloud of colder air that was blanketed with moisture. I shivered. The man was in plain clothes; the woman held her black, banded hat in her hands like a schoolgirl. She had dark shiny hair and a round, pretty face. She must have seen the worry on mine because she was kindly and assured me that nothing was wrong; they hadn’t come with bad news, they just needed a quiet word with Alexander.Jamie was fascinated by the police. He stood barefoot in front of them and gazed at them, awestruck.‘Have you got a gun?’ he asked the woman.She laughed. ‘No! But I have handcuffs.’‘Handcuffs!’ he whispered. ‘Can I hold them?’‘I can do better than that. If you’re a good chap and let us have a few words with your dad in private, I’ll let you put the lights on in the car.’‘The police lights?’‘Yes.’This was good enough for Jamie.
