Unravel a Crime - Tangle With Women

by Neil Wild

  “Jonny, if you don’t want, we needn’t have a full marriage. We needn’t make love.”

  That, Brakespeare knew, was a recipe for disaster. Sex was the barometer of a relationship. Divorces occurred when the relationship broke down, usually because one partner was demanding too much sex, or the other wasn’t getting enough.

  “It won’t work.”

  “Then we’ll make love.” Sophie replied brightly. Brakespeare glanced at her. There was the longing in her eyes that he had seen in Lisa.. Odd, because she had always been ambivalent about sex, especially after Kirstin had been born. Women went off it after they had achieved their ambition of having a child.

  He chose not to reply. She didn’t push the point and they distracted themselves with the antics of the children.

  It took another hour and a half to walk round the whole of the two lakes. The afternoon was coming to an end.

  “What do you want to do now?” Brakespeare asked his children.

  “McDonalds.” They shrieked. He had known what the answer would be and dreaded it. McDonalds on a Sunday afternoon was home to the estranged fathers who had nowhere to take their children.

  “McDonalds it is.” he said.

  The children chatted incessantly as they nibbled at their burgers, taking them out of the bun for the operation. Sophie, like all mothers, involved herself in the children’s conversation. Brakespeare confined himself to the appropriate “Yes” or “No” and longed for the afternoon to be over.

  “Do you want to come back?” asked Sophie.

  “What, to your mother’s and father’s?”

  “They’ll be pleased to see you. They like you Jonny. They think I should never have left you, and so they’re on your side.”

  “That’s nice”.

  “Will you?” she pleaded.

  Sophie had caused him enough problems this weekend. He still had to sort out Mel and Lisa in his mind. He knew that he had to prepare himself mentally for an assault on the Newberry case. Mel had said that she was going to Watford to see the children and try and talk to her husband. He needed quality time with himself.

  “No. No, not this time.”

  “O.K.” said Sophie and kissed him lightly on the cheek. The children took it all in.

  chapter thirty five

  The conference with Rosemary Lappin was due to start at 11.00.

  The train from Worcester to London started in Hereford. They arranged for Newberry to board it in Malvern Link, while Lisa and Brakespeare caught it at 7.29 am at Foregate Street, Worcester. They arrived at Paddington at 9.47.

  A smelly and claustrophobic journey on the Circle Line brought them to the Temple Station.

  Rosemary Lappin worked from Ram Chambers, Ram Building. Ram Building was in the centre of the Temple, in Elm Court, at the eastern end of Fountain Court, and backing on to Middle Temple Lane.

  From the Station they went east along the Embankment and up Middle Temple Lane and through the Middle Temple.

  The Building, although in the 17th Century style of the Temple was only some forty years old, the original building having been destroyed by enemy action in the Second World War.

  Newberry looked about him. ”Do you know, I’ve never been here before in all my time in London.”

  “it’s pretty historic,” said Lisa, who had been reading up on the subject as part of her application to join the Bar. “Parts of it date from the 12th century. It was the headquarters of the Knights Templar, and in the middle is their church, the Temple Church.

  They left it though at some time in the 14th century, or about 1346 to be precise. It was leased to lawyers and has been occupied by lawyers ever since.”

  “Well thank you for that.” Said Newberry “I wonder how many others like me have come here over the last 700 years with churning guts to seek help and advice.”

  They made their way to the second floor of Ram Building, where the Chambers were situated. It had none of the pretentiousness of Breezie’s Chambers. There was no receptionist. The entrance led directly into the Clerk’s room.

  The Head Clerk vaguely recognised Brakespeare. “Good Morning, sir,” he said.

  “Mr Brakespeare with Mr. Newberry, the client ,and Miss Barnes to see Miss Lappin.”

  “Oh, yes, sir.” Said the Clerk, recognising the name, but uncertain as to when Brakespeare had last been in the Chambers or for why. Take a seat.”

  He gestured them into a small but comfortable waiting room, with copies of the Times and Financial Times set out for visitors to read. Newberry was nervously silent, and there was little for either of the other two to say. They did not have to wait long.

  “Miss Lappin will see you now,” said a junior clerk and took them along a corridor to a room at the end.

  Rosemary Lappin stood up and came round from behind her desk.

  She was in her late forties or even early fifties. She was smartly dressed in a black suit, with a white blouse that buttoned up to her throat. Her greying dark brown hair was pulled back in a bun. She erred on the masculine side of feminine, and exuded a confident manner. Unlike her clerk, she remembered Brakespeare. Her voice was deep and strong.

  “Mr. Brakespeare, how nice to see you again. This must be Mr. Newberry; how do you do.” She shook his hand.

  “And this is Miss Barnes.” Said Brakespeare, introducing Lisa.

  “Ah, Miss Barnes. I’ve been reading your work. Excellent material.”

  The group settled down. If tea was available, it was not being offered.

  “I’ll come straight to the point, Mr. Newberry.” Lappin said. “Thanks to your solicitors I think that you have an excellent case.”

  Newberry relaxed visibly in his chair.

  “That does not mean to say that I don’t think that you have not been anything but extremely foolish, but foolishness is not yet a crime.”

  Newberry went red, but said nothing.

  “So, I understand that we are before the Court for directions next week. Have you booked me in with my clerk?”

  Brakespeare nodded in the affirmative.

  “Good. Can you write to the Court however to warn them that we do intend to make an application to strike the prosecution case out. I don’t suppose that they will deal with it then, because we need Mr. Black in the witness box.”

  “You’re not simply going to do it on submissions to the Court.” Asked Brakespeare.

  “No, I want Mr. Black in the box to explain himself if he can. I really don’t know what the prosecution are playing at, putting forward as in independent expert witness, someone who quite clearly had a commercial interest in these properties. I can’t think that they have really read all the papers.”

  “Is there anything else we need to do to prepare.”

  “Yes, these documents which you found at Old Hill Police Station. Have you done anything with them yet?”

  “Not yet.”

  “But the Police know what you have taken.”

  “Yes.”

  “Funny if they haven’t alerted the Prosecution.” She looked quizzically at Brakespeare.

  “Does it matter if they have?”

  “No, of course not, but I thought that you might have heard something from the C.P.S. by now.”

  Brakespeare managed to nudge Lisa’s foot as a reminder not to say anything about D.C. Durkin and his role.

  Lappin turned to Lisa. “Miss Barnes. I know that the computer age is with us but I have to say that these charts and graphs you have produced – well I’ve never seen anything like it. It is quite clear that Black is all over the place with his valuations. I also fail to see, as I hope will the Judge, why Mr. Newberry, you have been charged with this offence, when your professional colleagues; the other surveyors Dover and Barnes have not. In fact what I find it quite extraordinary is that they have called them as witnesses.”

  “Shall we need them as witnesses?” asked Brakespeare.

  “Why not. It will underline the futility of this case.”

&nb
sp; “Can I ask a question? Asked Newberry.

  “Of course you may.”

  “Why is it that you have come to a totally opposite conclusion to the other barrister?”

  Newberry wished that the ground would open up beneath him. Lisa wriggled uncomfortably in her chair. They need not have worried. Lappin was too professional to be phased by the question.

  She smiled a warm smile at him.

  “Mr. Newberry, surely you must understand that if all lawyers agreed half of us would be out of a job!”

  Newberry looked at her as her words sunk in. He glanced at Brakespeare and Lisa who by now were looking at the floor and trying not to smile.

  “Sorry, silly question.”

  “That’s quite alright. Is there anything else you’d like to ask me?”

  “And you really think that I have an excellent case.”

  “Let it put me this way, Mr. Newberry. The Prosecution in my view have been extremely sloppy. Because of your links with Clearfield at a time when you were working for the National, you have, however unwittingly, put yourself in a compromising situation, and it is not surprising that when an allegation of dishonesty is made over the valuation of these London properties, that you should be the prime suspect. As the Head of the Department it fell to you to ensure the proper running of the department. That enabled you to “ensure”, to quote the charge against you, that any dishonest valuations might be accepted.

  However, thanks to the fine detective work by Mr. Newberry and Miss Barnes, we know, and I am satisfied, that there were no fraudulent valuations, or rather to put the issue in a legal context, there is simply no evidence that the valuations were fraudulent, and I remind you that it is for the Prosecution to prove fraud, not for you to disprove it. It is because I do not think that the Prosecution will be able to prove their case beyond all reasonable doubt, which is what the law requires of them, that I believe that we shall be ultimately successful. The purpose of our application to strike the case out will be an indication to the Court that the prosecution cannot succeed. Their evidence is cannot be changed.”

  Well that puts him in his place, thought Brakespeare as Newberry mumbled a “Thank you.”

  “Well unless you have any further questions you wish to ask of me, Mr. Newberry?” She paused and Newberry shook his head. “There are matters of a technical nature that I would like to discuss with Mr. Brakespeare and Miss Barnes, if you would like to wait outside.”

  She stood up and the others followed suit.

  “You don’t need me again?” asked Newberry.

  “Not today.”

  “Well in that case, as I’m not going back to Malvern tonight.” He addressed Brakespeare. “I’ll catch up with you later if that’s OK?.”

  Brakespeare looked at Lisa who raised an eyebrow.

  “Right, will you be back in Worcester tomorrow?” Brakespeare asked.

  “After lunch”.

  “I’ll call you. Bye.”

  Newberry let himself out of the room.

  Rosemary Lappin perched on the side of her desk and took a cigarette out and lit it.

  “Jonny Brakespeare, what other barrister?” she asked grimly. “I am instructed by you after how many years, and I’ve been demoted to your second port of call.”

  “Rosie, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to influence your opinion.”

  “Perhaps I can explain.” Said Lisa, and proceeded to explain how the previous barrister was her late employer’s brother in law, and, how he had tried to take the matter for a full trial.

  “I see,“ said Lappin, exhaling and stubbing out her half smoked cigarette. “OK, I’m convinced. This girl’s saved Newberry’s bacon.”

  “She has?”

  “Could you have done this computer work on your own, Jonny?”

  Brakespeare shook his head.

  “Mind you the client’s a fool. Where did you find him?”

  Again Lisa came to the rescue and explained the connection between the firm and Newberry.

  “And I suppose, that the reason he is staying in London overnight is to ‘see’, to avoid a more active verb, Mrs Potter?” asked Lappin with a smile.

  “Well I assume so. He never said anything to us on the way down.”

  “So be it. Well. I’m going to have to prepare a draft of our legal arguments for the Judge next week, so that he can see the strength of our application. My clerk will send it to the Court. I’ll get him to fax a copy to you, and you’d better fax it to the Prosecution, so that they can’t say that they’re being ambushed. Mind you,” she warned, “it may spur them into trying to get their case in order, but I would have thought that if they were going to do that, we would have heard something by now. Let’s have some fun.”

  She left her perch at the side of the desk, and smiled warmly as she held her hand out.

  “Jonny, nice to see you again. Bye Miss Barnes. You’ve done a splendid job in this case.”

  chapter thirty six

  It was almost lunch time, and Brakespeare decided to take Lisa for lunch at the Solicitors Regulation Authority in Chancery Lane, just across Fleet Street from the Temple.

  Lisa had never been in the imposing building before. Brakespeare showed her the Library and the Tea Room, as well as the cloakroom with it’s lines of metal pegs reminiscent of a school.

  After choosing their lunch in the self service cafeteria, they sat a table in front of the window at the Chancery Lane end, where they had a view over the remainder of the cafeteria. It was not yet one o’clock, and only about one third full.

  They spent a few minutes people watching. Trying to guess who were London Solicitors; who were entertaining clients; who were solicitors up from the country like themselves, and who perhaps ought not to be there at all.

  “Jonny.” asked Lisa, after they ran out of subjects for observation. “What’s wrong?”

  “Pardon.”

  “Something’s wrong. “ She put her knife and fork down and looked at him pleadingly. “You know we nearly made it, that night after Gordon’s funeral, but since then, you’ve, well you’ve sort of backed off me. You went away for the weekend, and something changed. Is it to do with me.”

  “No, no of course not.” Brakespeare put a hand on her arm to reassure her. “I think your great, fantastic, and I like being with you, but…. look we work in the same office, on the same case, and office romances do have a habit of ending in tears.”

  He hadn’t the courage to tell her of Sophie’s proposition, but he hadn’t realised that the doubts it had raised in him showed in his behaviour. He realised that he had been avoiding close contact with her in the office. He felt almost embarrassed at what had happened. He had seen her naked, and she him for that matter. He had seen the conical shaped breasts with large aureolae crowning them. The slight feminine swell in an otherwise flat stomach and the plume of dark hair decorating her mons veneris. She had shown all her secrets to him. He wanted to share them, and would have done, but now he felt guilty at doing so. She was only one of three that he was, in various ways, tangled with. He wasn’t ready to commit to her, and he didn’t want to hurt her.

  It had even been difficult to make eye contact because she was looking at him with that intense look that women have when they’ve fallen for a man. You could see it in the street every day. It was a look which told the world that a relationship was a romantic one, and he was not ready for that yet. He was lucky with Mel. She gave him a fond look, but not that look. Why couldn’t Lisa be like Mel?

  Lisa’s face fell.

  “And I don’t want it to end in tears. I like you too much.” He ended.

  He chose his words carefully. Lisa looked into his eyes, trying to see if he was telling the truth..

  “Is there someone else?” she asked.

  Brakespeare was shocked. Her intuition had taken her straight to the point.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “I know nothing about you, outside work. You told me that you were divorced. I never th
ought to think that you might have met someone else. I just plunged straight in with both feet.” She leant back in her chair, and tried to stop her eyes brimming with tears. “Typical me. Heart on sleeve. Brain disengaged.”

  Brakespeare looked hurriedly round to see who might be watching. There was no-one. What was he going to say? He had never told her about Mel, because the need to had never come up. Should he have told her about Mel, and what effect would that have had? Should he tell her about Sophie? No, she would back right off at that. Oh, shit, why was he being forced to commit – in the Law Society of all places.

  “What if there was someone else?” he probed

  Lisa put her head down and sobbed quietly. She shook her head.

  “I’m stupid. I should have thought. It’s my fault.”

  One or two people had started to glance up.

  “Lisa, not here. Not in the Law Society.”

  “I’m sorry. She pulled herself together and reaching into her handbag took out a tissue and blew her nose.

  What was he going to do? Was he going to leave things like that, in mid air? Someone else would be attracted to her, and he didn’t like the idea of that. What if he ditched Mel? He couldn’t have both, not now. For all he knew, Mel wouldn’t care about Lisa. Besides she probably had liaisons when she was working away. With her warm, open personality, it was the sort of thing that would happen in the microcosm of the theatre. He didn’t want to think about it too much

  Sophie. What was he going to do there? The children were the tug. The thought of being able to have a normal family life with them, put them to bed and do all the sort of things that parents did; watch them grow up and re-live his own childhood experiences through them thrilled him. But would he have a normal family life with Sophie? She no longer had the same physical attraction for him that Mel and Lisa had? Should it be a marriage of convenience with his having a relationship with Mel or Lisa outside the marriage as Sophie had implied she might accept. Mel might put up with that, but Lisa wouldn’t. That hurt. Is that what he felt about Lisa? He would be would hurt if he lost her. But he hardly knew her. Sex with her might even be a disaster. Sexual chemistry was an important ingredient in relationships.