prestigious firm of Collins & Tailforthe. I’ll ring and make an appointment to see them tomorrow. We’ll see how they react to a visit from Inland Security.’
The following afternoon they were conducted to the office of the chief counsel who had handled the case for the Briscoe Corporation in its dispute with Toby Brown.
Bree and Sam produced their identification before shaking hands with John Collins and his assistant, Catherine White.
‘How can we assist our friends at Inland Security?’ asked Collins.
‘We’re making some inquiries concerning the case of Briscoe Corporation v Toby Brown, where your company represented Briscoe Corporation.’
Collins made a sound at the back of his throat like he was clearing a blockage: ‘That case! Well you have to realise that there is privilege involved here. We can’t discuss specifics.’
‘Well let’s just try general terms and if you don’t want to answer something, let us know,’ offered Sam.
‘I’m prepared to listen to your questions,’ nodded Collins.
Bree led off: ‘Were Briscoe Corporation satisfied with the result of the case?’
‘Of course not. They lost,’ responded Collins immediately.
‘But they settled so quickly afterward,’ said Bree, ‘Did your company advise them to do that?’
‘We wanted to appeal. I told Brown’s counsel that immediately after the court’s findings had been handed down. I was even looking forward to it.’
‘So the court’s decision was wrong.’
‘Not wrong so much as too narrow in its interpretation. It didn’t take into account the full ramifications of the matter. I’m sure we could have argued successfully and eventually won.’
‘Why didn’t you?’ asked Sam. ‘After all, it would have been in Briscoe’s interests to do so.’
‘The board at Briscoe Corporation, in its wisdom, decided to settle. In my opinion, if Walter Groom had been left in charge at Briscoe’s they would have appealed. He hated to lose.’
‘Was that the same Walter Groom that was killed by Toby Brown’s friend Jade Green?’
Sam looked closely at Collins to gauge his reactions to the question.
‘The same. We had no idea about his shady past at the time but he led Briscoe Corporation very successfully, right up until they voted him out.’
‘So the board found out about Groom and threw him out?’ said Bree.
‘Not that I’m aware of. As far as I was told, Walter Groom’s secret life didn’t come out until after his death.’
Bree was puzzled: ‘So why did the board throw Groom out? He hadn’t done anything wrong. He ran the company successfully. They were making steady profits. Why upset the balance?’
‘You’d have to ask them that. I asked the new managing director, Clive Potter, but he just said it was time for Groom to go. I approached him about lodging an appeal but he said it would cost too much money for no result. I tried to explain to him how we could win, but he just cut me off. He wouldn’t even consider lodging an appeal.’
‘How’s the company going with Groom gone?’ asked Sam.
‘Check the newspapers. Their share price is down. Possibly due to the Groom scandal, possibly due to a board that isn’t being led too well at the present. It’ll pick back up in time. They have too many assets to fail completely. I won’t be selling my shares in the near future.’
Sam was at a loss as to what he could now ask. There didn’t seem to be any sign here of the case being deliberately mishandled.
Bree was also running out of questions. One occurred to her but she was reluctant to ask. Finally, with the silence dragging on, she blurted out: ‘Mr Collins, did you or any of your partners ever visit the Garden of Eros?’
‘What?’ Collins exclaimed. ‘That question is quite impertinent, young lady.’
‘Is that a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’, Mr Collins?’ asked Sam, coming to Bree’s assistance.
Collins spluttered: ‘No! Certainly not!’
Smiling to herself, Bree said: ‘Thank you Mr Collins. We’ll accept that answer, for now.’
Bree and Sam stood up: ‘Thank you for your time Mr Collins. If we have any further questions, we’ll be back.’
While his associate ushered the agents out, Collins stood and went to the window.
The associate returned and asked: ‘Are you all right sir?’
Without turning around, Collins waved his associate away. She left the room and closed the door. Hearing the door close, Collins turned, his eyes filled with tears.
Chapter Seven
As they reviewed their notes back at the shop Bree declared: ‘We certainly stirred him up at the end, but I don’t think Jade Green got to him.’
Sam nodded: ‘I agree. He was almost certainly one of Green’s clients, but he ran the case as well as he could. It wasn’t his decision to settle and let Brown get away with it.’
‘What about interference with the judge?’ asked Bree.
‘Not likely from what I can see. We’ll go over the transcripts to be certain that the judge didn’t push the hearing in any one direction, but I think it will only confirm what we already believe.’
‘So it comes down to the board of the Briscoe Corporation.’
‘A perfectly capable managing director is voted out just before a large settlement is made. A settlement that probably wouldn’t have taken place if an appeal had been lodged. It certainly does look suspicious.’
‘So we make inquiries at Briscoe Corporation.’
‘I’m looking forward to meeting Mr Potter and his friends.’
Clive Potter had come a long way in a short time.
Less than a year before, his position on the board of Briscoe Corporation had been largely to make up the required numbers. Few of the board members had had any purpose in life other than to rubber-stamp the decisions of the managing director, Walter Groom. Groom had been the man in charge for so many years, that no one else even considered the possibility that he should be replaced.
However, Groom had alienated most of the people around him with his attitude. To Groom, the company was his, and his alone. It always had been, and it always would be. No one else had any idea how to run the company and
