Not a happy prospect for a man at the still relatively young age of fifty-five, who might not see the outside of a prison again until he was a septuagenarian – if he lived that long. A mobster with a criminal empire, with everything to lose, would surely do everything he could to stay free, wouldn’t he?

Although the judge had expressly instructed the jurors not to google the defendant, Meg was so terrified about the situation that she had gone to Brighton Library and done so, anonymously, on one of their computers. But there was not much to interest her about him. Just the name of his law firm. He did not appear to have ever had any social media engagement. She found a few bits relating to his personal life. He had a wife and three children. There was an article showing him and his family at a charity event and a lifestyle piece in the local paper about his wife’s interest in orchids. She appeared to be some sort of expert on them.

Had he deliberately spent years under the radar, or could they possibly have arrested the wrong person? Was it wishful thinking, that they had an entirely innocent man, she wondered? Or the new mindset she was going to have to adopt?

Two loud knocks as loud as gunshots startled her out of her thoughts. They were followed by a stentorian command.

‘The court is in session!’

46

Monday 13 May

Richard Jupp took some moments to adjust the mic in front of him, then the position of his water glass. Continuing to take his time, as if in doing so he was further asserting both his stamp of authority and his power over his domain, he peered around, observing who was here and staring for quite some while at the jury, to Meg’s discomfort. ‘I want to apologize that you have been kept waiting for this trial to begin properly until this morning. The reason for this is that I had to deal with a number of legal and evidential issues that needed to be discussed without you present. These have now been resolved and the trial can start.’

He paused for a few seconds, then went on. ‘Members of the jury, you may have seen in the media over the weekend reports regarding the tragic death of a man called Stuie Starr. I can tell you he is the brother of the co-defendant in this case, Michael Starr. You should not take any account of what you have read during this trial or when you make your deliberations. You will not discuss anything about this amongst yourselves or in the jury room.’

He then nodded at the prosecuting counsel. ‘Mr Cork, you may proceed.’

‘Thank you, Your Honour,’ Stephen Cork said very formally and gravely, rising to his feet and turning to the jury, and, as he did so, turning on the charm.