Unravel a Crime - Tangle With Women (37 page)

Mortimer did not even sit, or
invite Brakespeare to do, but straight away asked.

“
Where were you last night?”

“
Excuse me?” said Brakespeare,
buying time.”

“
I looked high and low for
you. You weren’t at your digs. I saw your car parked in the Deansway Car Park.
I thought you might be here in the office, but you weren’t”

That’s a relief thought
Brakespeare. If he went to the digs he wasn’t after Lisa.

“
What’s the problem?”

“
I think you know the problem.
David phoned me at home just as soon as I got back. He says that you’ve decided
not to use Philip as his barrister.”

“
That’s correct. Did you manage
to speak to Breezie at the reception after I left.”

“
No, he had gone to sleep. I
telephoned him first thing this morning, and he couldn’t remember any
conversation about the case.”

“
That’s because he was pissed
out of his mind.”

“
That’s what I thought. I told
you that Bill.” said Ridley.

“
Thank you Dick. Did you talk
to Philip about the case? I think you did, but David said I should ask you.”

“
I did talk to him. In vino
veritas.”

“
That means there’s truth in
drink.” volunteered Ridley.

“
I know that Dick. Go on.”
Said Mortimer testily.

“
In simple terms he wanted to
take the case to a full trial because there’s more money in it for him.”

“
Philip said that?” said
Ridley incredulously.

“
He was drunk. He didn’t mean
it.” said Mortimer quickly.

“
He was drunk, and the truth
poured out?” riposted Brakespeare.

“
I agree.” said Ridley.

“
Dick, just keep out of this
for the moment, will you?”

Ridley showed a side
Brakespeare thought could not possibly exist in him.

“
No, Bill. Jonny’s got a
point. If Philip said that, then it means that it’s what he’s been thinking all
along. It explains his attitude to Jonny when they went to see him. He gave you
a rough ride didn’t he?”

“
He most certainly did.”
replied Brakespeare. “It’s clear to me now, that all along he has wanted to
make a meal out of the case, just for the money. That’s why I sacked him.”

“
But he doesn’t know yet.”
said Mortimer almost pleading.

“
He does know, it’s just that
he’s forgotten. I was going to telephone his clerk and ask for the return of
the papers.”

“
But,” protested Mortimer.
”We’re still going to have to pay him. It’ll be money wasted.”

“
I doubt it.” Brakespeare had
already thought about this. “He’s not going to want to get reported to the Bar
Council for professional misconduct. I wouldn’t expect him to make any charge
for the work he’s done. Not if he wants to be a judge.”

“
Ho ho ho.” Chortled Ridley.
“Well done Jonny.”

“
And who’s going to explain
that to him?” demanded Mortimer.

Brakespeare looked hopefully
at Ridley, who seemed to have grasped the situation. He suspected that Ridley
might not like Breezie, and then he shifted his glance back to Mortimer.
Ridley, for all his seeming dullness took the hint immediately. In fact,
thought Brakespeare, he almost seems to be enjoying the situation.

“
You could, Bill.” Said
Ridley.

“
What?” Mortimer went white.

“
Well, Jonny’s only a locum
here; you’re the senior partner, and he is Annette’s brother.” He went on. “You
are one of Gordon’s Executors, I think it’s really down to you.”

If he was being deliberately
mischievous, he didn’t show it. His face carried it’s normal benign, blank
expression.

“
Are you sure of what he
said?” choked Mortimer.

“
What did you see happen to me
yesterday?”

“
Well I saw you come out of
another part of the house…”

“
Breezie’s study.”

“
Then you said something to
Annette”

“
Goodbye.”

“
Collected Lisa.” Mortimer
said pointedly.

“
You asked me to take her to
the funeral, and so I assumed that I had to return her. Besides, where did we
go afterwards?”

“
I beg your pardon.”

“
Well who called you as soon
as you got home?”

“
Oh, I see. Yes, you went
straight to David and told him what Breezie had said.”

“
Which Breezie can’t remember?
So who is going to be believed?”

“
Well you are of course,” said
Ridley. “I must say, we went to find him to say good bye, didn’t we Bill. There
he was slumped in his chair in the study, and it looked as if he had somehow
poured a bottle of wine over himself.” He laughed.

“
No, that was me. I poured his
bottle of Cava over him.” said Brakespeare.

“
You did?” hooted Ridley, and
collapsed in a chair laughing.

“
This is not very funny.” Said
Mortimer, becoming angry. “This is utterly unacceptable conduct from you,
Jonny. We’re going to have to consider all this. You should have consulted us
before doing anything.”

“
Why, what would you have
said?”

“
Well,” Mortimer thought on
his feet, but seemed to be struggling for an answer. Ridley who had recovered
himself, rose to his feet.

“
I don’t think that we would
have said anything to the contrary, Bill. It was no use speaking with Philip –
he was too far gone. We would have had to take Jonny’s word for what was said –
as we have to do now. I think that we have to go along with his decision. In fact,
I think that it was the correct one.”

Mortimer looked daggers at
him. He was clearly not used to being upstaged by his junior partner. He walked
behind his desk and sat down.

“
Well that seems to be
decided.” Then as an afterthought. “Where were you last night when I was trying
to find you?” he leaned forward. “Were you with Lisa?”

“
Yes?”

“
I see” and he looked heavily
at Ridley who seemed only mildly curious.

“
What do you see?” Brakespeare
became aggressive. “I took her for a meal at the Old Rectifying House. Is that
allowed? That’s why my car was parked in Deansway. I couldn’t get into College
Yard.”

“
No, well, of course not. But
people…”

“
People what?” Lisa’s voice
came through the door as she walked into the room. “Sorry, I couldn’t help but
hear part of the conversation. Jonny did take me to the Old Rectifying House.
What will people think? Has Jonny told you what Philip Breezie also said about
me?”

Both Mortimer and Ridley
looked alarmed. Jonny turned to her. “No I didn’t. I didn’t think it necessary.”

“
Well I do. Breezie called me
“The Tart.” Is that what you think of me? Is that why you want to know where I
went with Jonny last night. Are you guardians of his virtue?”

Brakespeare looked at her with
admiration. Mortimer turned pale.

“
No, no of course not, only..”

“
Only what? Gordon? Whatever
my relationship was with Gordon, is none of your business. It was a
relationship entered into by consenting adults, and finally ended at his death
last week. I’m not his widow, so I’m not going into purdah – nor, apparently,
is his true widow for that matter.” she added sarcastically. “If you don’t want
me here; if I’m some sort of embarrassment to you, I’ll go. In fact I will be
going at some stage, but I thought that I’d help Jonny finish this case. So,
what’s it to be?

It was Ridley who came to her
help in his dull imperturbable way. “Lisa, Jonny. It was a difficult day for us
all yesterday. I’m sure it was difficult for Philip and that’s why he made
himself drunk. Whatever he said either about the conduct of David’s case or
Lisa is totally unacceptable both to Bill and myself. Isn’t that right Bill.”

Mortimer nodded resignedly.

Ridley continued. “We mustn’t
let such matters affect this practice. Whatever happened in the past is the
past, and we need to move on. The priority for us all is to bring David’s case
to a satisfactory conclusion, and for my part I think that that lies in your
capable hands, Jonny and Lisa. How and in what manner you work with each other
is a matter for you. You obviously get on well together and that’s good. All we
want is a result, isn’t it, Bill?”

Again Mortimer nodded.

“
So can we now take up where
we left off? Jonny, have you got a new barrister in mind?” asked Ridley.

“
Yes”, said Brakespeare, and
repeated what he had told Newberry.

Mortimer took control once
more. “Good, then brief her straight away. While I was opening the post this
morning, I found this. What is it?” He handed Brakespeare a sheet of paper. It
was notice of a Pre-Trial review.

“
We’re up before the Judge –
Christ, in two weeks time – and in London. They’ve moved the case to
Knightsbridge Crown Court”

“
Well at least it brings
matters to a head. Have you done all that you have to?” asked Mortimer.

“
Not quite.” replied
Brakespeare. “Breezie wanted us to get our own independent valuations of the
properties, and to be frank I never got round to it.”

“
Sure, but what we discovered
about Black’s dodgy dealings makes that irrelevant. Well, in my opinion
anyway.” Said Lisa.

“
I think Lisa’s right. Anyway
we’ll find out when we see Rosemary Lappin.” Brakespeare turned to Mortimer.
“I’m going to call Breezie’s clerk and ask for the papers back. Can I leave it
to you to sort out the niceties with him direct. I wouldn’t want to have to
tell his Clerk that he behaved unprofessionally while extremely Brahms and
Liszt!”

“
Very well.“ sighed Mortimer
in an unconvincing manner.

“
Well that seems to have
cleared the air.” smiled Ridley, not a little triumphantly thought Brakespeare.
“The rest of the post is on your desk, Jonny. Good Luck.”

“
Yes, good luck.” murmured
Mortimer, wondering how he was going to handle the situation with Breezie.
Suddenly his close network had disintegrated, and a strange barrister would be
looking at the case. He was losing control.

As Brakespeare left the room,
Lisa followed him.

In the corridor where no one
else was present she stood in front of him, kissed him on his lips, and
squeezed his bottom. “Well, we didn’t tell any lies.” she whispered. ”Thank God
it’s Friday though.”

Yes, thank God it’s Friday.
Brakespeare thought as he drove home. And what a difference a week can make.
Damn, if only he hadn’t wanted that pee. On the other hand, perhaps it was a
good job that he had. They would have been far too pre-occupied doing what
comes naturally to have heard Mortimer. He would have caught them in flagrante
delicto. What then?

Lisa was determined to go back
to her Bar studies. She had already applied to join the Temple, as all trainee
barristers had to, and would be starting her Bar Vocational Course in October.
He would have no commitment to her, and the thought of having a girl in
Worcester and one in Milton Keynes, was exciting. Why didn’t he have these
opportunities before he had married?

Mel opened the door as soon as
she heard the Fiat draw up. She was waving a piece of paper in her hand and
grinning broadly.

She put her arms round him and
smacked him a kiss on his lips. Not the sensuous kiss of Lisa, but an
enthusiastic uninhibited sexy kiss.

“
I’ve got a letter for you.”
She said gleefully.

“
Let me get in the door. Who’s
it from, do you know.”

“
Your wife.”

“
My wife! You mean my ex
wife.”

“
Yes, we’ve had a nice cosy
chat.”

“
You have?!”

“
We sure have. Ain’t you a
lucky boy Jonny Brakespeare to have gorgeous women with the hots for you.”

Brakespeare was becoming
annoyed, and wondered what was behind Mel’s teasing.

“
What the fuck are you talking
about.”

“
Come in and sit down and read
the letter. We’re alone again. I’ve got a nice cold beer for you, and then
there’s some Jamaican spiced lamb cooking. I’ll tell you what’s been happening
while you have your beer, then we’ll eat and then..”

She looked at him from under
her eyebrows with a wicked smile, and handed him the letter.

With a heavy heart Brakespeare
dropped his suitcase in the hall, and went into the lounge. He sat on the sofa
and opened the letter.

“
Dear Jonny” it began

“This is to tell you that I have
left Tony. It just didn’t work out. At the moment I am staying with the
children at Mum and Dad’s.

I know that this will seem like a
fairy story, but I realised soon after I left you that I shouldn’t, only I
hadn’t the courage to tell you after I let you down so badly.