visited me, and spoke to me like some friendly uncle. ‘You’d better do what you’re told, son,’ he said, ‘and let them print you. Tomorrow they’ll oppose bail in court, and the screws can print you in the nick at Brixton … You don’t want to fight the whole police force, do you? You can only lose …’
‘Mister, this battle is not ended,’ I said to him. ‘Outside in this city, London, I have friends.’
14
Mobilisation of the defence
The message reached Theodora, in a highly garbled version, through an agitated secretary who boldly interrupted an interdepartmental conference at Broadcasting House on a projected series of talks to be called, provisionally, ‘The Misfit and the Body Corporate: a survey of contemporary unintegrated types.’ Theodora, scenting mischief, had asked the DAC (Programmes) if she might be excused, and had parliamented with the secretary in an airless corridor outside.
‘I’m sorry if I did wrong, Miss Pace, to barge in on the meeting,’ the secretary whispered, ‘but it sounded urgent. This person said this person was “in big trouble” – those were his words.’
‘Which person?’
‘The one who phoned said it. I think he must have been a native.’
‘You mean the African who telephones me sometimes?’
‘No: an illiterate sort, Miss Pace. I could hardly understand a word he spoke. But he did say to tell you “the Law have put the hands on she Spade friend” – those were the exact words he used.’
‘Thank you, Miss Lamb,’ said Theodora. ‘You did quite right. Please go in and tell the DAC I’m called away on urgent family business. A sudden case of sickness.’
All this Theodora told me, in calm, shrill tones, over the telephone to the flat, where I was helping Norbert Salt iron the ruffles he’d sewn on to the front of a silk shirt he planned to wear with his tuxedo at a gala.
‘It sounds, Theodora, as if Johnny’s been arrested.’
‘Of course it does. But where? And why? How does one find out?’
‘Telephone the police station.’
‘Which one?’
‘Well, try the East End ones first. Would you like me to do it?’
‘No, I’ll work from here. I’ll call you back when there are developments.’
‘Just a minute, Theodora. Lay your hands on some money if you can – it always comes in useful. And what about a lawyer?’
‘I’d thought of all that. I’ll call you later.’
I waited half an hour, then telephoned the BBC. Theodora had gone and left no message. I wondered what to do. I opened the fourth volume of the telephone directory and looked up ‘Zuss-Amor’.
Though the hour was late, a female voice replied. Yes, Mr Zuss-Amor was in, but what was it about? I started to explain, but clickings in the line suggested to me someone listening on an extension. ‘Look,’ I said. ‘May I please speak to Mr Zuss-Amor direct? Tell him I’m a friend of Alfy Bongo’s.’
Immediately a male voice said, ‘What sort of case is it, Mr Pew?’
‘I don’t know yet, my friend’s only just been arrested. We’re trying to find out why. He’s an African.’
‘Oh. Then we know what the case will probably be, don’t we. I can see you here tomorrow at half-past-five.’
‘But Mr Zuss-Amor, that’ll be too late. Won’t the case come up in court tomorrow morning?’
‘He’ll be formally charged tomorrow, yes, but you can take it from me, if the case is at all serious, the police will ask for a remand. There’s nothing I can do till I’ve heard some facts from you and from the client: that is, if I agree to take the case, of course, and he agrees to me.’
‘What should I do tomorrow morning?’
‘Where was your friend arrested?’
‘I don’t know yet. He lives down in the East End.’
‘It’ll be Boat Street magistrates’ court, most likely. Go there, try to see him, and try to get the magistrate to grant bail. I doubt if he will, though.’
‘Why?’
‘The police usually oppose bail in the kind of case I think it’s likely to be. See you tomorrow, then, Mr Pew, and thanks for calling.’
I had a lot more to say and ask, but Mr Zuss-Amor hung up on me. The moment I put the telephone down, the bell rang, and it was Theodora.
‘I’m at Aldgate, Montgomery,’ she said. ‘I couldn’t get any sense out of the police over the phone, so I took a taxi down here and went to the station.’
‘Yes, yes. And?’
‘He’s been arrested, but they won’t tell me where he is or what the charge is.’
‘Why?’
‘They wanted to know what they called