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

“Mr Aldred is

“When will he be free? I’ll

but through it, indistinctly, Mitch hears, “No, I’ve a

voice repeats, “Mr Aldred is

slams down

White-faced, she sprints to the elevator, bangs on the call button

the lobby, she spins, looking for what is

A newspaper… local…

The headline…

she reads,

Romani Case outrage…

Prominent lawyer gunned down…

or gunmen 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 that the murder is connected with the trial of Marco Romani and his alleged connection with

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

she loses her breakfast. Trembling, she flushes, then gags and vomits again. At length, scarlet-faced and sweating, Mitch leans over a basin, splashes cold water over her face, rinses

She’s on her own…

*****

James

Richard’s door. “I’m wrapping up for the day. Going for a drink with Michael and Charlotte. Want to

he was reading, it drops with a finality that suggests he’s glad of an excuse to see the back of

bring her. I’d like Charlotte

Ross to bring the car around. Meet you in the lobby in

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255