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…

over the

then “Mr Aldred is

“When

Mitch hears, “No, I’ve a wife and children

the receptionist’s voice repeats, “Mr Aldred

slams down

backwards, hands clasped to her mouth, she fights for air, then she dashes for the door. White-faced, she sprints to the elevator, bangs on the call button

in the lobby, she spins, looking

A newspaper… local…

The headline…

reads, she

Romani Case outrage…

Prominent lawyer gunned down…

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 that the murder is connected with the trial of

panic swells inside her. Her stomach rises. Pushing a fist to her mouth, she sets off at a run for the nearest bathroom, just

then gags and vomits again. At length, scarlet-faced and sweating, Mitch leans over a basin, splashes cold water over her face, rinses the foul taste from her

She’s on her own…

*****

James

door. “I’m wrapping up for the day. Going for

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

was hoping you would bring her. I’d like Charlotte

car around. Meet you in

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