Unravel a Crime - Tangle With Women (41 page)

Brakespeare felt disappointed.
Lisa had never mentioned anything about staying on in London before. Damn It
was their lunch time conversation that had changed her mind.

“
Yes, of course you can stay.
I’m going to get a cab to Paddington. Can I take you anywhere?”

“
No it’s alright. I can walk.”

Joe was watching this, and had
picked up on Brakespeare’s disappointment.

“
Looks as if you’ll have to
talk to yourself, Jonny.” he said, looking knowingly at him. “Bye both.” and he
watched the difficult body language between them as they left the cafeteria.

The next day Brakespeare was
glad that he had more than enough to do in the office. He was continued
worrying over his relationships.

Lisa was perfectly friendly,
but in her dealings with him, had reverted to the dreamy girl that he had first
encountered. She said nothing of their conversation at the Law Society.

Brakespeare realised that he
could not renew the conversation without upsetting her more unless he told her
the truth; that at the moment she was his favourite among three, and that he
was unable to make a commitment to any of them.

He knew in his heart of hearts
that there would not be a long term relationship with Mel. She didn’t give him
that look. They were too disparate. Life would eventually lead them apart.

Sophie. He sighed deeply every
time he thought of her. His instinct said “No.” She had let him down once, and
there was a limit to the extent to which the human spirit could absorb that. He
didn’t dislike her; he didn’t hate her. In fact he had no feelings for her at
all, but his upbringing urged him to do what was best for the children.

Would it be better for
children to live in a sham marriage, or would it be best if they had two happy
parents living separately? The problem was that Sophie was not happy.

Rosemary Lappin’s skeleton
argument arrived by fax.. That did force a conversation with Lisa.

“
May I have a look at it?” she
asked. “I know what a skeleton argument is – it’s a bullet point version of the
legal arguments that you let the judge have before the case starts.”

“
So that he doesn’t get caught
out by anything, and make a fool of himself!” added Brakespeare. “You’d better
see her note.”

“
Why?”

“It says,
‘Can you please make
sure that Miss Barnes is happy with the points I have made and taken from her
findings.’

Lisa blushed. “It’s nice to be
appreciated,” she said, and it was her turn to avoid his gaze.

“
Can you write to the Court
and tell them that we intend to make an application, and enclose the skeleton
with your letter. Send a copy to the C.P.S.”

Lisa nodded “Do you think that
the Court will deal with the application next week.”

“
I doubt it.”

“
Only,” she hesitated,
“there’s no point in my coming with you then. I’ll come to the full hearing of
the application, I might be of some use to Miss Lappin.” She waived the
skeleton argument, and smiled.

“
Okay”, said Newberry without
any emotion, although he knew that she was now punishing him with the old trick
of playing hard to get. God, how long was this stupid game going to go on. As
long as you mess her about he told himself.

“
Thanks,” said Lisa and left
the room.

His phone rang.

“
Could you come and see us?”
it was Mortimer’s voice.

“
Certainly.” Brakespeare put the
telephone down and felt a surge of panic. This was it. He was going top be
asked to leave. It would be a convenient time to do so now. Everything was set
up. Rosemary Lappin was briefed, and Lisa could probably handle the rest of the
case on her own.

She must have been in to see
Mortimer first thing. She probably had told him of the adventures on the night
of Morrison’s funeral. Had she accused him of sexual harassment? Well that
would be ridiculous. She had been a more than a willing participant.

‘
Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman
scorn'd’. She was getting her revenge.

His paranoia, never far from
the surface since the Hatton affair was unbridled.

Taking a deep breath he slowly
got up from his chair. He was pretty much up to date - Lisa’s help with the Newberry
case had ensured that. It wouldn’t take him long to pack his things up. Summary
dismissal. Well that would be the end. He’d never get a job as a solicitor
again. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad. Then there was Mel – or Sophie. It wasn’t
the end of the world. There would be no chance of going back to Birmingham
though. How could he have been so stupid? He’d done what he was always telling
people not to do. He’d shitted on his own doorstep.

Margaret looked at him as he
walked past the door of her room opposite. She knew. He could tell by her look
that she knew something. She had become very friendly with Lisa, since
Morrison’s death. He suspected that the partners also confided in her. After
all she must have been in the firm for millions of years.

He knocked on the door of
Mortimer’s office.

“
Come in.” said Mortimer’s
voice. That wasn’t his usual cheery tone.

Brakespeare walked in.
Mortimer was behind his desk, and Ridley as usual next to him in a chair at the
side. Both looked anxious. A chair had been placed in front of Mortimer’s desk
for him to sit on. Mortimer gestured towards it.

“
Come in and sit down Jonny.
Sorry if this all seems a bit formal, but in a way it is.”

Brakespeare sat down and felt
drained.

“
Lisa was in early this
morning, and said that the meeting with Rosemary Lappin was successful.” He
waited for a response.

So Lisa had got her side of
the story in first.

“
Yes, it was. No need to have
gone to see her really, but it gave David a chance to meet her, and vice
versa.”

“
Lisa was quite impressed with
Miss Lappin.”

“
Good.”

“
Lisa’s been a great help to
you on this case, hasn’t she.”

Brakespeare merely nodded. He
wasn’t going to say that he probably would not have cracked it if it was not
for her, because that would make it look as if he was trying to butter up to
her.

There was a pause and Mortimer
and Ridley looked at him closely.

“
She handed her notice in this
morning.”

Even though he had prepared
for something to happen, the news came as a blow. He felt his jaw grow slack.
He wanted to say ‘I hope that it wasn’t anything to do with me.’ But that would
sound like an admission of guilt. What should he say? He had to be careful now.
He couldn’t think of anything to say.

“
Did you have any idea that
she was going to do this?” Mortimer asked.

“
No.” Brakespeare answered
truthfully. “I’ve seen her this morning, and she never mentioned anything.”

“
Well indirectly it’s down to
you. This case has been the break that she’s been looking for to get on in
life. “

“
What?”

“
You heard her say the other
week that she was going to sit the Bar examinations and get a pupillage as a
barrister. Well, she has. You had no idea of this?”

“
Certainly not.” Brakespeare
now felt hurt. Why had his partner in the Minge Lane Partnership not confided
in him.

Mortimer looked at Ridley.

“
Jonny this may not be the
right time to discuss this, but Dick and I are concerned about your future with
us.”

‘
Here it comes,” thought
Brakespeare.

“
We were going to mention it,
but not until after David’s case had been finished. Lisa’s departure or
intended departure, has made the matter more urgent.”

Brakespeare slumped in his
seat. No point arguing. No point in saying anything. He had to take what comes.

“
What we’d like you to do is
to stay with us.” Ridley said, smiling. ”We really do.”

As usual Mortimer quickly
regained the initiative. “You’ve been a breath of fresh air in this office, and
more than an adequate replacement for poor Gordon. In fact, even if Gordon had
still been with us, we had been wondering how we could fit you in and persuade
you to stay. You’ve got a good reputation round the town.

Now that Lisa has said that
she’s going, and we’re certainly not going to try and dissuade her from a
career at the Bar, if you go, we’re going to have absolutely no-one to run our
litigation.”

Brakespeare was lost for
words. This was not what he was expecting. He was totally unprepared for the
possibility that he might be asked to settle in Worcester.

“
Well, Jonny?” prompted
Mortimer.

“
Well I’m not sure what to
say. I hadn’t really given it any thought. Do I have to decide now?”

“
No, but we obviously need to
know sooner rather than later. I expect that there are domestic issues that you
would have to consider.”

The only domestic issue going
through Brakespeare’s mind was Lisa. How could she do this without telling him?
Only yesterday – ah yesterday at the Solicitors Regulation Authority. What she
needed to know was if there was any future with him, before making her
decision. He had effectively told her that there was not. Shit. That isn’t what
he meant to convey. What did he mean to convey? He didn’t know.

“
Look,” he said.” Can you give
me until after the case to decide. I don’t think it’ll be long now – that is if
we’re successful. Can I think about things and let you know then. I won’t go suddenly.
If I do decide to leave, I’ll give you three months notice. Is that O.K.?

Mortimer smiled a little
grimly. “Well, it will be if we can find someone within three months, so let’s
hope that it won’t be necessary.”

“
Thanks.”

“
No, thank you.” Said Ridley.

“
That’s right” said Mortimer.
“You’ve been help in our hour our of need.”

Brakespeare smiled, more with
relief than at what they were saying. “I do appreciate your offer. I’m sure
that you’ll appreciate that my domestic situation is – well it’s something I
need to think about.”

“
Of course.”

Was Mortimer’s smile a knowing
one?

“
Thanks.”

Brakespeare left the room with
much relief and a light step. He started to go to his own room, and then
thought of Lisa. Was now the time to confront her? What was her attitude going
to be towards him? The trouble was if he left matters and neither of them said
anything, then tension would build up even more between them. That would affect
work and the case. If their personal relationship was at an end, then they
still needed to have a working relationship.

He decided to see her and
climbed the stairs to the attic room in trepidation..

He knocked on the half open
door of her office and went in. Lisa was busy at her computer and he could see
that she was working with the skeleton argument.

“
Hello” she said, a trifle too
brightly.

Brakespeare sat down on an
adjacent chair.

“
Is there something that you
want to tell me?”

She looked blankly at him.

“
I’ve just been talking to
Bill and Dick. They say that you’ve handed your notice in.”

“
Oh, that.” Lisa looked
awkward and pretended to shuffle her papers.

“
I thought that you might
have told me?”

She put her head on one side
and looked at him.

“
Why?”

“
The Minge Lane Partnership?”

Lisa just nodded gently, and
looked down. Then she stood up and picked up the skeleton argument.

“
They told me not to tell
you.”

“
Who did.”

“
Well Bill did. He said that
it would affect your position, and he wanted to tell you first.”

She shot him a glance as she
walked over to her filing cabinet.

“
It has affected my position.
they want me to stay on because you’re leaving.”

“
I don’t think my leaving has
anything to do with it Jonny. They need you, with me or without me.”

Was this the time to say that
he needed her too; an ambiguous statement to make? She was clearly waiting for
him to make the next move in the relationship.

“
Why so sudden. I know that
you said that you wanted to go to the Bar, but why now. What happened?”

Lisa put the papers carefully
into a file; closed the cabinet drawer and sat down again.

“
I went to see Rosie Lappin?”

“
You did what? When?”

“
Yesterday afternoon.” She
laughed gently. ”It was my fault at lunch. I never thought to ask you if there
might be someone else before. I should have. Then I realised after you spoke
with that fat Irishman that you might not stay here, but go back to Birmingham,
and so I decided that I had better do something for myself – and quickly. I
like Rosie. She’s a down to earth straightforward, no-nonsense – whatever you
want to call it sort of person, and so after I left you at the Solicitors
Regulation Authority, I went back to her Chambers and asked to see her.”