Peters looked over at Okoro and raised an eyebrow. A sinking feeling started to eat away at him. He supposed the captain of the Titanic must have experienced a similar sensation when he realised that there was an iceberg stuck in his ship’s hull. He rose again.

‘I understand my learned friend’s point, Your Honour, but the situation here is not the same as the one he hypothesises over. In the case of a claimant missing the limitation period, the fate of her claim was at least in her hands. If she failed to get proceedings up and running before the claim became statute barred, then she is the author of her own misfortune and should not attract the court’s sympathy. Here, the circumstances are outside of the defendant’s control. The reason why we cannot offer the court an explanation for Mr Ali’s absence is because we do not know why he has absented. The interests of justice suggest that, in such a case, the defendant ought to be given the opportunity to ascertain where Mr Ali is and, if necessary, issue a witness summons for his attendance.’

‘He would then be a hostile witness, Mr Okoro,’ Peters pointed out.

‘Then so be it. Why should The Real Byte be stripped of the opportunity to treat Mr Ali as hostile, if that is what he has become? The advantage of starting on Friday is that there is a natural point to start again on Monday. The claimant would hardly be prejudiced. Besides, I’m sure Your Honour would benefit from a reading day.’

It was a risk, since the implication was that Peters wouldn’t have already read the five bundles of evidence that lined the shelf behind her.

Another three painfully slow seconds passed.

Peters looked up at the array of anxious faces staring at her. Then she picked up her papers and banged them on the desk decisively.

‘We’re adjourned until Monday,’ she said with great displeasure. ‘If your witness isn’t in court by then, Mr Okoro, then his evidence is barred.’

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Priest led the way back through the laptop repair shop, passing Gary who barely looked up, and back out onto the street.

‘What now?’ Georgie asked.

He looked up the road. There was a row of cars parked on one side, mostly with their wheels up on the pavement. On the other side, the fracas between the betting shop men had developed and one of them was accusing the other two of stealing his ticket. People making their way past were steering well clear.

Bollocks! Where have you gone, Simeon?

‘Our IT friend must know more than he’s letting on,’ Priest mused, although deep down he felt that Gary wasn’t going to be any more helpful than he already had been. He turned back towards the shop but stopped when Georgie called out.

‘Charlie, wait.’