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
‘Quitting again tomorrow, are you?’
Michael had noticed the cigarette in Sarah’s hand. He smiled as he spoke, making it clear that his question was light-hearted.
‘Leave the girl alone, Mikey.’ Anne seemed to have missed Michael’s playful tone. He could see why. She had clearly put away more of the first bottle of wine than Sarah. ‘She works hard. She’s allowed to relax.’
‘But she only relaxes this way when she’s with you,’ Michael replied. ‘You’re a bad influence, Anne Flaherty.’
This time Michael’s tone was unmistakable. He was teasing both his wife and his oldest friend. It was a relief to finally be playful.
‘So how was your day, Mikey?’
‘Long and emotional,’ Michael replied. He noticed his own Northern Irish accent becoming more pronounced, as it so often did when he was with Anne. ‘Everything went a bit mad with Phillip Longman’s murder.’
‘Is that the judge Sarah was telling me about?’
‘Yeah. He was a big name in the legal world. A huge name. The whole Temple pretty much shut down when the news came out.’
‘How’s Derek?’ asked Sarah. ’Have you spoken to him?’
‘Earlier, yeah. He’s holding up. He’s with Longman’s son. Helping him through. To be honest, I think he’s keeping himself busy so as not to fall apart.’
‘Did Derek know him, then?’ Anne asked.
‘He did, yeah,’ Michael replied. ‘Longman was Derek’s pupil-master. Like Derek was mine. Knowing Derek, I really don’t think he could have lost anyone closer.’
‘Jesus. The poor man.’
Anne lit another cigarette and took a sip of wine. Michael could see the sympathy in her eyes. If anyone could empathise with Derek’s loss, it was Anne Flaherty.
‘Are you going to see him?’ Sarah asked.
‘Tomorrow. I’ve got to meet the junior in my murder trial in the morning. Then I’m going to head to Derek’s place and make sure he’s OK.’
‘You’ll give him our best?’ Sarah said, her voice concerned. ‘And make sure he knows that we’re here for him?’
‘I already have, sweetheart.’ Michael reached across and squeezed Sarah’s hand, grateful to see her genuine care for his friend. ‘But for now there’s nothing we can really do for him. For now it’s Derek who’s being the moral support, to Longman’s sons. But it’ll come. He’ll need a shoulder sooner or later.’
No one spoke for a few moments. All thoughts were on Derek Reid. Michael took another long swig of lager. Anne did the same with her wine. Sarah stubbed out her cigarette and took a sip from her glass.
Finally Sarah spoke.
‘Don’t share this with Derek, but from what I gather it seems Longman died badly. Real nasty stuff.’
‘What did the police tell you?’
‘Nothing, really. But you know how it works. If it was straightforward – if it was just the average murder, no matter the victim – they’d let us know that, off the record. But they won’t tell us anything on this one yet. Nothing at all. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, that’s a bad death. Add in the team in charge of the investigation and the story nearly writes itself.’