Mikael corrected. ‘One day you will get it right. Anyway, enough about the trial. Go back to your beautiful wife and daughter, I am very pleased to hear the good news.’
Rather you than me, Mikael thought as he ended the call.
When Demyan had told him that he was marrying again Mikael had offered to draw up a watertight pre-nup this time, given how Demyan’s first wife had ripped him off for years.
Demyan had refused.
Fool! Mikael had not just thought it but had said it straight to Demyan’s face, but he had been told that he was far too cynical.
Guilty!
Absolutely Mikael was cynical—he believed nothing anyone told him and had been proved right numerous times.
Mikael trusted and needed no one in his life, for he had never had anyone.
There were a few vague memories of a communal flat when he was growing up, but not one person in particular he’d been able to turn to. Mikael had been his own protector—even when he had found himself on the streets.
Especially then.
When he was a teenager Igor, a government worker, had stepped in and given Mikael an identity, a surname, an assumed date of birth and then a home.
Igor was the reason Mikael was driving to chambers now to prepare for court—he was the reason Mikael believed absolutely in the need for a solid defence. For without one justice could never be truly served.
He did not want to think today of Igor; instead his eyes moved from the procession of royal cars to his dashboard, where the mileage read six hundred and forty-nine. He would be bored with his new toy by the time it read one thousand, but for now the low silver sports car was his new baby.
Finally the procession passed and the traffic inched forward.
Mikael arrived at chambers and spoke to Wendy, his clerk, for a few moments. His world had centred around this trial for a very long while, and all he wanted was the arguments delivered, the jury out, the verdict in and then to get away.
He’d take one of his toys to the water—he didn’t even want crew.
Then Mikael changed his mind.
A couple of crew might be essential.
He had no intention of cooking or cleaning.
Perhaps Mandy could join him for a couple of days too?
Or Pearl?
Mikael soon put all such thoughts out of his mind and sat for a quiet period in his office, preparing himself for the day ahead and getting back to the real love of his life.
The letter of the law.
‘I WANT TO drive that car!’ Layla’s slender finger pointed to a low silver sports car that gleamed in the morning sun as they passed an intersection.
‘You can’t drive,’ Zahid said, but he did smile—it was nice to see Layla so excited and animated. Her face was up against the blacked-out window as she watched the world go by unseen, fascinated by it all.
‘When can it just be us?’ she asked. ‘I am tired of all the formalities.’
‘Soon,’ Zahid said. ‘Once we are at the hotel things will be more relaxed.’
‘We can go shopping then,’ Trinity added.
‘Just Trinity and I?’ Layla checked with her brother who, after a brief hesitation, nodded. ‘Good.’ Layla smiled. ‘I want a red dress, red shoes, red…’
Her list went on until they were at the hotel.
Soon the Ishla royals and their retinue were taking up the entire top floor. There were guards at the lift and Layla paced her suite nervously, waiting for Trinity to come and take her shopping.
‘Let me do your hair again,’ Jamila offered.
‘My hair is fine,’ Layla said. ‘You can go and rest in your room now.’
‘I will wait for Trinity to get here.’
‘You are dismissed, Jamila.’ Layla said.
All Layla wanted was to be alone with her thoughts and to go over her plans for a minute or two before Trinity arrived.
Reluctantly Jamila went to her adjoining room. Layla looked at the lock on the door that stood between them and wanted to turn it.
She wouldn’t have to turn it, Layla reminded herself.
A few hours from now she would be free!
Layla looked down at the streets below. Soon she would be down there amongst the noise and people.
She could see yellow taxis everywhere.
It was going to work!
‘Enter,’ Layla said when there was a knock at the door.
‘Layla, you have to open it from the inside!’ Trinity called.
‘Oh!’
Fancy that.
Layla was ready to go, but Trinity seemed to have other ideas.
Zahid’s last words to Trinity had been, ‘Watch her.’ She looked at Layla, dressed in a long silver tunic and jewelled slippers. Her black hair had been taken out of the bun and was loose and glossy. Her absolute beauty would turn heads everywhere they went.
‘Would you like…?’ Trinity hesitated—she was still very new to being Zahid’s wife, and sometimes she simply didn’t know how to speak to Layla, who was so different from Trinity’s serious, rather more grounded husband. ‘Would you like to borrow some of my clothes to wear while we go shopping?’ Trinity offered.
‘Borrow?’ Layla screwed up her nose.
‘I’m just concerned that in what you’re wearing you’ll stand out and people might stare.’
‘But I always stand out,’ Layla said, ‘and people always stare. Come on—let us go shopping. I have been looking forward to this for a long time.’
They passed the guards and took the elevator down, and then stepped out onto the hot, busy street. Layla was more than used to heat, and walked quickly ahead.
‘Slow down,’ Trinity said. ‘There’s no rush.’
They wandered into boutique after boutique, but Layla was not really looking at the clothes—instead she was wondering how she could shrug Trinity off, for she was watching Layla like a hawk would watch its prey.
‘I
