sent you a copy of the letter so that you’ll know exactly what I told the police. ‘Bye.’
She hung up.
Pippa sat, deep in thought. Then she made a call.
‘Gus Donelly? Good, I need your help, fast. Listen carefully.’ After a terse conversation she swept out, announcing, ‘I won’t be back today.’
David, who’d been shamelessly eavesdropping, exclaimed, ‘Donelly? I seem to recall that he’s a private detective, and a very shady one. I hope you’re careful.’
Pippa was not only careful but successful. Returning, triumphant, she knew she had all she needed to achieve a victory—thanks, ironically, to Ginevra.
Charlie presented himself at her office with a shamefaced smile that was clearly meant to win her over. She dealt with him briskly.
‘So much for telling everything to the police! You offered a grand gesture that meant nothing. Now there’s no need. I’ll see you at the trial tomorrow. Now, go before I lose my temper.’
He fled.
The next day, they were all present in the courtroom—Angela clinging to Charlie’s arm, Charlie trying to read Pippa’s expression without success, Roscoe, aloof and isolated.
The court assembled, the magistrates seated themselves, the accused were produced. Mr Fletcher entered the witness box and Pippa confronted him. There was nothing in her manner to suggest tension. On the contrary, she seemed at ease, cheerful and smiling. So that the sarcastic words that poured from her came as a greater shock.
‘Tell the truth, Mr Fletcher. You haven’t the faintest idea what actually happened that night, have you?’
‘I certainly have,’ he declared indignantly. ‘I gave a full statement to the police.’
‘Your statement is an invention. You should take up fiction writing, you do it so well.’
‘Here—’
‘You don’t know what really happened because you’d spent the evening in the pub. I gather you put away quite an impressive amount, far too much for you to be a reliable witness. Isn’t that so?’
‘No, it ain’t so. Nobody said I was drunk. The police never said so.’
‘True, but then you’re a past master at seeming more sober than you are, aren’t you? As the police have found out to their cost before.’
‘I dunno what you mean.’
‘Then let me refresh your memory. About five years ago, there was a case that had to be dropped because you turned up in court the worse for wear.’
‘That’s not true,’ Fletcher squeaked.
‘Perjury is a crime, Mr Fletcher, and you’ve just committed that crime. I have the papers here.’ She waved them. ‘The case had seemed to be watertight, but then you ruined everything, as the constable in question will tell us.’
After that, it was over quickly. The policeman from the previous case, still furious at having his hard work undone by an unreliable witness, gave evidence that totally undermined Fletcher. The magistrate declared Charlie not guilty, then asserted that the case against the other three was also unsafe and should be dropped.
The court erupted.
Angela bounced around, throwing her arms about Charlie, then Roscoe, then Charlie again, squeaking and weeping with joy.
Pippa was surrounded by people congratulating her. She smiled but concentrated on gathering up her papers, the very picture of an efficient lawyer who cared only about her case. She resisted the temptation to look around for Roscoe. Secretly, she was afraid he wouldn’t be there.
The lawyers for the other three defendants regarded her in astonished admiration.
‘How did you do that?’ one of them demanded.
Another one merely touched her arm, saying, ‘I’ll call you tomorrow.’
‘You can call all you like,’ David said, appearing behind her. He’d taken the precaution of coming to watch. ‘Just remember she’s signed up to my firm for the foreseeable future.’
‘I can offer a very good fee,’ said yet another.
‘Forget it, she belongs to Farley & Son,’ David declared firmly.
Angela embraced her wildly, declaring, ‘You’re a magician. You just waved a magic wand.’
‘No, it was really Ginevra who waved the wand,’ Pippa said. ‘She’s still got a soft spot for you, Charlie, especially after you helped her escape. Fancy telling me you were going to shop her to the police! You didn’t mean a word of it.’
He had the grace to blush. ‘I sort of meant it,’ he said awkwardly. ‘But then it seemed such a terrible thing to do that I got her away fast.’
‘So I gathered. She wrote to the police telling them what had really happened, but that wouldn’t have been enough on its own. Anyone can take the blame for anything from a safe distance. That’s probably why she gave me all the other information about Fletcher’s past.’
‘But how did she know all that stuff?’ Charlie asked.
‘She has friends in the police,’ Pippa said cautiously.
‘Ah, yes, I see.’ He grimaced.
‘She told me what I needed, I hired a very good private detective and he did the rest.’
She was talking mechanically. Something was missing. Where was Roscoe? What would he say?
Then he seemed to appear from nowhere, standing before her.
‘You were wonderful,’ he said. ‘Past my wildest hopes. When you wouldn’t look at me just now I was afraid you were going to snub me. I guess I deserve it.’
‘No, of course not. I’m just glad things worked out for you.’
‘For me? ‘ he queried. He added quietly, ‘Or for us?’
‘I don’t know,’ she said huskily.
‘No, that’s what we still have to find out, isn’t it?’
He took her hand, holding it between both of his. She met his eyes and saw in them—what? Everything she wanted? No, because she didn’t know what that was. But something that pointed the way.
‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘We still have to find out.’
‘Will you come to my home tonight? I don’t want to come to your place in case Charlie turns up.’
‘I’ll be there,’ she promised.
Neither of them noticed Charlie standing a few feet away, his head on one side, a little smile of cheeky understanding on his lips.
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