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Chapter Thirteen

Not Responsible

I drove to the council offices, parked outside and went in the main door and to the reception desk, where I gave my name and the reason for my visit. The receptionist entered my details on his computer and gave me a visitor’s ID to loop around my neck. A digital display board on the wall behind reception showed room numbers and meetings. ‘Is that showing the correct room?’ I asked. I knew from experience it didn’t always.

‘Should be,’ he said, glancing up at it.

I thanked him and made my way upstairs to the room on the second floor where the meeting was to be held. I was five minutes early as I knocked on the door and went in. Tess, Filip and Aneta were already there. They fell silent as I entered. I said hello and sat next to Tess. She and Filip said hello, but Aneta kept her gaze down. I sensed an atmosphere. The door opened and Tamara, the Guardian, came in.

‘We’re just waiting for the IRO,’ Tess said.

‘And Edith, my supervising social worker,’ I added.

Filip stood. ‘I’ve brought some of Molly’s and Kit’s toys,’ he said. He came round to my side of the table, carrying a large holdall, which he placed by my chair.

‘Thank you. They’ll love playing with those again.’

‘Have you come by car?’ Tamara asked, appreciating that I’d struggle on the bus with the holdall.

‘Yes.’

‘How were the children after contact yesterday?’ Aneta asked.

‘Fine,’ I said, looking at her and Filip. ‘There’s always a period of adjustment straight after contact, but that’s to be expected.’

‘They weren’t ill?’ she asked.

‘No, they haven’t been ill this week at all.’

‘Like I told the doctors, it comes and goes,’ she said.

One of the matters I wanted to raise at the review was the need for further testing so we could try to establish what was causing the children’s sickness. But it wasn’t appropriate to discuss that or any other matter relating to the children until the reviewing officer was present, and the review had officially begun. At ten minutes past two, ten minutes after the review should have begun, the door opened and Edith came in with a woman I took to be the reviewing officer, both looking a little flustered.