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Chapter 6.
It took us ten minutes to get to the park with Tommy skipping and dancing besides me, talking all the time.
I felt mean doing it but it was my opportunity to find out more about Jennifer.
"Do you ever play football with your dad?"
It was a mistake and his eyes clouded over immediately.
"I don't have a dad that wants to play football. My dad's are not very nice. I don't even remember the first one. He left before I was born. Mummy said he was good and loved us but he had to go away. I had other dad's then but after the last one, Mummy promised there wouldn't be any more."
"What was wrong with the last one?" We had arrived at the park and Tommy used his mobile 'phone as a goal post with the other end of the goal marked by a twig he picked up from the ground. I wondered if displaying the mobile was a subtle hint not to continue this line of conversation. In any case, he didn't answer me and I didn't press my question.
"You can be in goal again," he offered generously. I dropped my jacket down by the twig and prepared for the onslaught."
Luckily, after 5 minutes, another couple of boys joined in and I was able to be referee, which meant I could watch from the sidelines. It got my trousers and shoes less dirty and meant my ankles received less of a kicking.
I relaxed on the grass. White clouds were spinning across the sky on the slight breeze and the flowerbeds in the distance had recently been restocked with a splash of multi-colored flowers. I wondered how long it would be before I was reading in the local paper about another spate of flower bed vandalism or just that they'd been stolen. I felt privileged that I had been able to enjoy them in this brief moment of their evolution.
I let my mind wander to the question of why a police officer should visit Jennifer. She didn't look like a gangster or a drug runner. Perhaps she was running something dodgy in the red light districts not too far away. But she had a wholesome, honest quality that radiated from her. I couldn't imagine her willingly breaking the law. Alternately, perhaps she was a police informant rubbing shoulders with the low life to protect the honest citizens of London. Again it didn't fit. Or perhaps she was an under cover officer - but I didn't think she looked tough enough. She didn't seem to me to be a career lady. Every instinct told me that she just wanted to be a good mum. I sighed. The list of possibilities and contradictions was endless.
Half an hour later, I was jolted out of my reverie by a welcome voice behind me.
"How's he doing?"
I turned. She had changed out of the trouser suit into a loose pastel blue cotton dress that drifted in folds down to her ankles. It reminded me of picnics in the countryside and hampers full of goodies. Best of all, it was low cut and I spent the next few seconds trying to decide what she was wearing under it. I thought not a lot.
She dropped down besides me and confirmed my suspicions with a glimpse. I wondered if she knew I was looking.
"He's over there," I said, "All present and correct."
I waved at Tommy who was battling the ball away from his opponent with noisy shouts while the other boy paced like a tiger cub in the improvised goal. I wondered where their imaginations had taken them. From the gestures and shouts, it had to be some very famous football stadium.
"Yes, I saw him and I appreciate your help but you'll appreciate my concerns. I don't really know you."
"Well he's safe and let's put it behind us," I said, magnanimously. "How was your meeting?"
"You saw my visitor arriving?"
I nodded.
"You don't look like the sort of person to be in trouble with the police."
She snorted angrily.
"I'm not in trouble with the police but I'm having trouble with the police and it's driving me to distraction!"
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