Contents (83)
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- Acknowledgements
- OUT NOW IN PAPERBACK
‘When do I need to decide?’ Kash’s voice was quiet. Faltering.
‘Ideally, I’d like to know now.’ Michael knew how far to push. And when to stop. ‘But tomorrow morning will do. That’s when Colliver gives his evidence. So I can give you the night to make up your mind.’
‘Thank you, Mr Devlin.’ Kash’s voice was still soft, but there was a resolve there. A firmness.
‘You’re welcome, Simon. And I’m sorry to have to press you like this. But it’s your life, son. I can help you, but only if you let me. So let me, Simon. Please.’
Kash rose to his feet. As he reached his full height Michael was reminded once again of just how small his client was. How slight. A child in need of Michael’s protection.
‘I’m going to go now, Mr Devlin. I need to think about all this. But I promise I’ll have your answer tomorrow.’
‘You need to, Simon.’ Draper reiterated the point. ‘You really do.’
Kash did not reply. Instead he just nodded his head, turned his back and left the room.
FIFTY-THREE
Michael pulled the phone from his ear and slammed it down with more force than intended. The shelf ahead of him shook with the impact. The mirror above it swayed but the furnishings of the QC’s Robing Room had been built to last and were more than a match for the heavy-handed frustration of Michael Devlin.
Twenty minutes had passed since Michael had left the cells. Twenty minutes in which he had called Derek Reid three times, and Sarah twice. The calls to Sarah had diverted directly to voicemail, which meant she was either in a meeting or filming a broadcast. Unavailable either way.
The calls to Reid had connected. A ringtone each time, with voicemail activating only when the call went unanswered.
I don’t like it, Michael thought. Why’s his phone not just switched off if he wants to be left alone?
At first Michael had not been concerned. Just uneasy. But now that unease was becoming something more. Knowing that Hirst could not be responsible was not helping. Two lawyers had been murdered while alone in their homes. Just because it wasn’t Hirst or Wisdom Penfold didn’t mean Reid was not on someone’s list.
Shake it off, Michael instructed himself as he stared at his phone’s touchscreen, irritated at his own concerns. What the hell are the odds? And who the hell is getting to him with a police detail parked outside his door? He’s probably just too hungover – maybe even still too drunk – to answer.
But for all of the logic of his reasoning, Michael was growing agitated by the lack of contact.
He shook his head as he placed his silk gown on its hanger. His QC’s outfit was still pristine. Michael saw to that each day. He would carefully hang his QC’s jacket, buttoned, with his robe positioned above it on the same perfectly sized hanger. But not today. Today his robe was thrust in place. The QC’s jacket forgotten entirely.