Neil White 3 Book Bundle

Donia was in the corner of the room, reading files, just to get a taste of what being a criminal lawyer was all about. It’s the files that earn the money, not what happens in court. That’s just a sideshow. Playing out, Charlie called it, when he got to have some fun. The real work was done in the office, clocking up billable hours reading police statements.

Charlie turned round quickly and caught Donia looking at him. Her eyes darted back to her file, and he saw a flush jump into her cheeks. He was going to say something, but she was only going to be with him for a week. There was no point in making friends.

He left his office and went towards Amelia’s, leaning against the doorframe once he got there. Amelia was looking at her desk, a dictation machine in her hand, but she wasn’t saying anything into it.

It was a few seconds before she noticed him.

When she looked up, he said, ‘What’s going on?’

She shook her head. ‘Nothing,’ she said, but it came out too quickly.

‘Come on, Amelia. You’re staring into space. Our office was burgled, and it was your room they went through, not mine. And your two goons in suits were hanging around outside.’

‘Goons?’

‘Those clients of yours. They were coming out as I came in, except they didn’t seem keen on moving on.’

Amelia leaned back in her chair and sighed. She looked tired. Charlie detected some vulnerability he didn’t normally see. ‘I’ve told you, it’s nothing.’

He stared at her, and she held his stare. He was aware of Linda, the receptionist and secretary, becoming suddenly interested in her computer screen, and so he stepped into the room and closed the door.

‘It’s my business too,’ Charlie said. ‘We’re partners, remember, and I don’t normally see you like this.’

‘I didn’t know you did caring.’

‘And I didn’t know you did vulnerable, so come on, Amelia, what’s going on? Are there bills we haven’t paid or something?’

That made Amelia smile. She considered Charlie for a few seconds, and then shook her head. ‘It’s nothing to worry about, like I’ve said.’

Charlie wasn’t convinced, but if Amelia didn’t want to tell, he knew that was the end of the discussion.

‘If we have a problem, I need to know,’ he said. ‘Promise me you’ll tell me.’

She nodded, and then said, ‘What are you doing for the rest of the day?’

‘I’ve got a couple of trials to prepare for, and I need to brief counsel on something, but then I’m going for a drink.’

‘On a Monday?’

‘Monday in a pub is better than a Monday sitting at home.’

Amelia smiled with more warmth this time, and he returned it. ‘I mean it,’ he said. ‘I can’t help you with any personal stuff, but if it’s about work, share it.’

Charlie went back into the reception area, and saw Donia duck back into his room, as if she had been eavesdropping in the doorway. He looked at Linda, who just shrugged.

Something about Donia wasn’t right.

Sheldon drove quickly to Ted Kenyon’s house, accompanied by Tracey. Christina had given a statement and made her own way home.

‘How are we going to play this?’ Tracey said.

Sheldon thought about that for a moment. He had a history with Ted, because Ted blamed his team, including Sheldon himself, for his daughter’s killer still being free. Ted had been angry with Billy Privett at first, but as Billy kept his secrets, Ted had turned on the police. Had it gone full circle and Ted taken the ultimate revenge?

‘We have to treat him as a suspect,’ he said.

‘Are we bringing him in?’

‘No, not yet, unless we find something.’

Sheldon’s mood darkened during the trip along the edges of Oulton until he turned into a street lined by hedgerows, with large detached stone houses set high from the road, sitting at the top of terraced lawns, the borders awash with colour. It was pretty, a bit of old Lancashire charm, and it was those qualities that had propelled Alice’s story into the public consciousness. Ted had grafted for what he had, to give his daughter the best chances in life – until her life had been taken away by someone who most people thought didn’t deserve his wealth.

Sheldon thought back to the drive he had made a year earlier, to tell the Kenyon family that Alice had drowned in Billy’s pool.

Ted Kenyon’s house was in the middle of the row, with a dark wooden bay window and a hanging basket filled with bright purple flowers next to double wooden doors. Clematis clung to a wall trellis like large tissues that fluttered in the light breeze. There was a small knot of photographers outside.

‘Should we carry on?’ Tracey said. ‘It might look bad with the cameras there.’

Sheldon shook his head. ‘Just be casual and make it look like a courtesy visit.’

He parked further along the street, just so that the reporters wouldn’t crowd round. As he climbed out of the car, he checked his pocket for the rattle of the blue pills, before marching up the sloped drive, towards the front door. Sheldon rapped on the door and waited, Tracey catching up with him.

‘They’re just killing time before the press conference,’ Sheldon said, staring at the door, ignoring the clicks from the camera lenses.

When the door opened, it was Emily, Alice’s mother. She had been less vocal than Ted, had dealt with her grief more privately, but from the shock of grey hair that had appeared since her daughter’s death, Sheldon knew that the sorrow was just as deep.

Emily’s polite smile faded. ‘I thought it was another reporter,’ she said, and folded her arms.

‘Mrs Kenyon,’ he said. ‘Can we have a word?’

‘We know about Billy Privett,’ she said, her voice quiet.

‘And that’s what we need to talk about.’

Emily frowned and stepped aside. ‘All right, come in.’

Sheldon went past her, wiping his feet as he went, Tracey behind him. Alice’s brother walked towards them along the hall. A young man, twenty years old, his hair dyed black, but the paleness of his skin told Sheldon that he had the same colouring as Alice. Bright red hair. He looked briefly at Sheldon before going upstairs.

Sheldon followed Emily into the front room. He knew he had interrupted something. There were two cups on a table, both half full, with wisps of steam coming from them. No television, no radio, no newspapers or books left open. Ted and Emily must have been talking.

He hadn’t seen Ted for a few months and Sheldon was surprised to see how he looked. Ted had gone quiet once the press caught him with that young woman, and it looked like the bad publicity had taken its toll. His skin looked more drawn, some of the colour gone, as if he didn’t get as much fresh air. He didn’t acknowledge Sheldon at first, just stared straight ahead, but when he looked up, he gestured towards the chair. ‘Sit down,’ he said, his voice terse.

Sheldon did as he was told, the leather on the large green sofa creaking as he sat down. Tracey sat further along.

Ted considered them for a moment and then said, ‘You’re going to want to know where I was last night.’

Sheldon was about to say no, that they had come just to give him the news about Billy, but he could tell from the rise of Ted’s eyebrow that he didn’t expect to be taken for a fool. He was a suspect and he knew it.

Sheldon nodded. ‘Yes, I would like to know.’