short story by Martin Maycock . he wondered throughout the long dark hours he spent &amp;hellip; . waiting for Stephen . &amp;hellip; what had come between him and his son . illustrated by Monica Gill . that Saturday , Stephen was due home from the church hall before five . his father , who was hard at work at his desk , did n&apos;t notice the time passing and it was well past six when he looked at the clock . he thumped his papers into a tidy shape , lit his last cigarette , and went out on to the landing . Stephen . are you back , Stephen ? his voice sounded through the house . but there was no reply . Alan was puzzled . he came down the stairs rather quickly , looked into the living-room and the dining-room , and then walked out through the kitchen into the garden . there was no one there , but Alan stood , for a moment , on the edge of the lawn , enjoying the warm evening . there was no wind ; the oak tree on the allotments behind the house was standing absolutely still . it was perfect for cricket . if Stephen had been back from the rehearsal on time they could have had a spot of practice &amp;hellip; . Alan mooned across the grass , feeling vaguely let down . if Mary had been home , they would have been going to the Swansons &apos; dinner party . that was out , and now no cricket . Alan went inside again and stood by the bay window in the front room . except for George Sheriff , clipping his hedge , the road was empty . Alan stood there , looking out , his fingers drumming lightly on the sill . his fingers stopped drumming . a small boy in a blue blazer was walking along the pavement . he came about a quarter of the way along the road , and then turned in at a white gate . Alan went out by the front door , hurrying towards the white gate . the boy in the blazer answered the door when he knocked . Alan knew him ; he was in Stephen &apos;s class . Gerald , he said . Stephen &apos;s not home yet from the rehearsal . what time did you finish ? not till five . I &apos;ve been around at John Purdy &apos;s since . Alan looked at his watch . it was now ten past seven . he said : I suppose you did n&apos;t see who Stephen left with ? Gerald shook his head doubtfully . I did n&apos;t see him go . he paused . I think he left earlier . he started swinging the front door nervously . why did he leave earlier , Gerald ? Gerald was silent for a moment , then , still swinging the door , he said : he thought they were laughing at him . laughing at him ? when he recited his poem they were laughing at the back because Anderson tore his trousers on a nail . Stephen stopped saying his poem . Mr Field told him to go on , but he just stood there . and then he walked off the stage . he went out by the side door and I did n&apos;t see him again . any idea where I might find him ? well , no &amp;hellip; not unless he &apos;s round at Cobbold &apos;s . Cobbold &apos;s . Alan repeated the name . he said nothing . then : where does he live ? I &apos;m not sure . somewhere the other side of the church . it took Alan some time to get across to the church . he walked round to the porch and pushed through the inner door . there was no one inside , but the vestry door was open . Alan crossed the nave , knocked on the open door and looked in . Field was working at some papers . he was old for a curate . fortyish . Alan &apos;s age . Alan explained about Stephen being late and Field said he had n&apos;t realised that Stephen had left before the others . he muffed some of his lines this afternoon , Mr Deane . that probably upset him a bit . but do n&apos;t worry . he &apos;ll be back for supper . I hope so , Alan said . Mary &apos;s visiting her sister . if Stephen &apos;s not home when she gets back I just do n&apos;t know what she &apos;ll do . for a while it was quiet in the room . then Alan asked Field if he knew where a boy named Cobbold lived . Field delved into a card index and came up with the address . he wrote it on a slip of paper . is young Cobbold a friend of your lad then ? Alan shrugged . if it &apos;s the boy I &apos;m thinking of , Stephen brought him round once . just the once . I had to put my foot down there . he turned to go . Mr Deane . Alan turned . Mr Deane , why did Stephen decide to take part in the concert ? he does n&apos;t really like that sort of thing , you know . Alan did not reply at once . at last he said : some people leave it to others , Mr Field . and some people get down to the job themselves . I &apos;ve always buckled down to it . and Stephen , he feels the same ? Alan nodded . I believe in training , he said , and moved away across the nave . he was back at the porch when he heard a step behind him . it was Field again . you go down to this Cobbold boy , he said . I &apos;ll make a few calls , and meet you back at your house . if I find Stephen , I &apos;ll bring him straight home . there was no front gate to Cobbold &apos;s house . a small van , rather dilapidated , stood on the grassy gravel drive . Cobbold &apos;s mother answered the door . she smiled at Alan rather vaguely and sent him round to the back . Cobbold was there , feeding some small animals in a hutch . he was the boy Alan remembered : thick glasses , and rather weedy . none too clean . he had wanted to drag Stephen off somewhere with his elder brother after dark . to photograph bats , or something equally ludicrous . quite an unsuitable type of boy . Alan did n&apos;t refer to their previous meeting . I &apos;m Stephen Deane &apos;s father , he said . do you happen to know where he is ? the boy shook his head . he has n&apos;t been round today , Mr Deane . is n&apos;t there a concert or something up at St Mary &apos;s ? Alan nodded . Cobbold seemed to find it difficult to express himself clearly . is Stephen lost then ? he said . do you want me to find him for you ? no . no , thank you , Alan said rather sharply . if he should call in , tell him to go home at once , will you ? Stephen still was n&apos;t back when he got home . it was dark now indoors . Alan switched on the light in the hall . then he switched on the kitchen light , filled the kettle and set it on the gas . he walked into the dining-room and switched the light on there , too . out in the hall someone was tapping the door-knocker softly . Alan went to see who it was . it was Field . home yet ? Field asked . Alan shook his head . well , I &apos;ve no news of him , I &apos;m afraid , Field said . no news is good news , of course . I called at the police station . they &apos;ve had no accidents reported . would you like a cup of tea ? Alan asked . they went into the kitchen . I insisted that he should take part in the concert , Alan said . Field looked at him across the rim of his teacup . should n&apos;t I have ? Alan asked . I want him to pull his weight . the concert &apos;s for the parish development fund . it &apos;s a good cause , Field said briefly . they finished the tea and then Alan started ringing people up . at half-past nine , in an interval between calls , the telephone rang . it was the police station . a voice wanted to know if Stephen was home yet . when Alan said he was n&apos;t , the voice said a car was coming round . the police car seemed to arrive almost at once . when Alan went to the door there were two men on his step , both in plain clothes . Alan took them into the living-room ; he felt suddenly cold and switched on the electric fire . the older man , who was a sergeant , sat down on the sofa . Alan told him how Stephen was said to have walked out of the concert rehearsal and had n&apos;t been seen since . he explained that his wife was away visiting her sister . the sergeant had a notebook on his knee . he asked for the full name of the boy . Stephen Roger Kearsley Deane . age ? ten years . description ? the sergeant &apos;s notes soon filled a page of his book . he turned over on to a clean page , and asked for the names of boys that Stephen knew . when Alan thought about it , it seemed that Stephen had no very close friends . he &apos;s rather a shy boy , you see , he said . the sergeant finished writing . he looked up . you &apos;ve not told your wife yet ? he gestured at the phone . not yet . are things normally a little difficult between you and the boy ? do n&apos;t mind me asking this , Mr Deane . it might help us . from what &apos;s been said I gather that he was n&apos;t very keen on being in this concert at all . do you often have rows over things like this ? he stared at the sergeant . there was no row . there are never any rows . we do n&apos;t brawl in this house . trouble between you and your wife ? there was no shade of expression on the sergeant &apos;s heavy face . anything that might worry the boy ? there was a momentary pause . no . nothing . Field left about ten minutes after the two detectives . Alan went with him to the gate . as Field drew away on his motorcycle Alan noticed a knot of men under the street lamp across the road . one of the men broke away and came over to Alan . it was Roy Fox , father of the boy , Gerald . we are going out round the streets , Fox said . they &apos;re parcelling them out now . we &apos;re going in twos . I ought to come with you , Alan said . but the police said to stay here for Mary . Fox was a tall , thin man with a big ginger R.A.F moustache . he gripped Alan &apos;s hand . then he went back to the group under the lamppost . Alan went indoors . upstairs in his bedroom he put on a thick blue jersey under his sports coat . in the kitchen again , he looked for his torch but could not find it . Mary arrived home by taxi . Stephen &apos;s not come home , Alan said , pushing the door closed behind her . Mary sat down on the stairs . where is he then ? she said . her face seemed very pale in the weak light of the hall . Alan told her how things were . who have you checked with ? the Bruces ? the Smails ? the Willoughbys ? the Cartwrights ? at each name Alan nodded . I phoned them . and the police are going round . he explained about the detectives . David Forrest &apos;s mother ? Field saw her . Field from the church . but none of them would have kept him until now . still in her coat , Mary stood up and went into the living-room to the telephone . most of the people she rang had been checked already but Alan let her do it . at last she put the phone down , went over to the sofa and sat there hugging her coat around her . would you like a cup of tea ? Alan asked . Mary said nothing . they seem to think he was upset at being in the concert , Alan said . perhaps I should n&apos;t have put him in for it . but he &apos;s got to learn to mix and to do his whack . why ? Mary said . I &apos;m not a good mixer . some people are n&apos;t . she had been looking intently at her hands . now she raised her head and looked into Alan &apos;s eyes . sometimes you are disappointed in me , are n&apos;t you - because I do n&apos;t join in with this and that ? I think you love me , but sometimes you are disappointed . and what you do n&apos;t like to say to me , you say to Stephen , do n&apos;t you ? you &apos;re worried in case he grows up like his mother . Alan said : I want to do my best for the boy . that &apos;s not good enough . your best does n&apos;t matter . it &apos;s his best that is important . he has to be himself , Alan . make his own choices . look how he wanted a kitten for his birthday , and you gave him football boots . 