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

Aldred is

breath catches in her throat. “When will

returns, but through it, indistinctly, Mitch hears, “No, I’ve a wife and children to

voice repeats, “Mr Aldred is not

down

the door. White-faced, she sprints to the elevator, bangs

in the lobby, she spins, looking for what is

A newspaper… local…

The headline…

reads, she

Romani Case outrage…

Prominent lawyer gunned down…

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

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

heaving over the bowl, 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

She’s on her own…

*****

James

the day. Going for a drink with

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

bring her. I’d like Charlotte to have a bit

around. Meet you in the lobby

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