A day comes and goes.

Another day arrives.

The phone doesn’t ring.

And another day.

What’s happening?

She reaches for the phone, then snatches her hand back.

They’ll call when they’re ready…

But they don’t.

The following morning, she watches the clock: eight am…

Eight-thirty…

Nine o’clock…

Nine-fifteen…

She picks up the phone again, dials out. “Hello, Hofferman and Partners? Is Mr Devlin there, please? It’s Mitch Kimberley.”

“I’m sorry, Miss Kimberley, Mr Devlin is not available….” The voice chokes, breaking into uncontrolled sobs. “He’s been murdered. Gunned down. His little girl is in hospital too.”

Mitch, heart hammering, “Theo. Let me talk to Theo Aldred.”

The sound muffles…

hand over the

“Mr Aldred is

catches in her throat. “When will he be free? I’ll call

it, indistinctly, Mitch hears, “No, I’ve a wife and

repeats, “Mr

down

she fights for air, then she dashes for the door. White-faced, she sprints to the elevator, bangs on the call

she spins, looking for

A newspaper… local…

The headline…

reads,

Romani Case outrage…

Prominent lawyer gunned down…

as yet unidentified in an incident in the grounds of the school attended by his nine-year-old daughter. The daughter herself is also reported as injured but recovering in hospital. Speculation is rife

shaking, Mitch folds up the paper, replaces it on the counter. Full-blown panic swells inside her. Her stomach rises. Pushing a fist to her

and heaving over the bowl, she loses her breakfast. Trembling, she flushes, then gags and vomits again. At length, scarlet-faced

She’s on her own…

*****

James

door. “I’m wrapping up for the day. Going for a drink with Michael and

slaps a file down on his desk. Whatever he was reading, it drops with a finality that suggests he’s glad of an excuse to see the back of it. “Excellent idea. Mind if I bring Elizabeth along? She’s meeting me here any

was hoping you would bring her. I’d like Charlotte to have a bit of

bring the car around. Meet you in the lobby

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