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