The solicitor gave a swift peep at his watch. His face reddened. He was not enjoying himself.
‘Unfortunately, my husband was struck down in his prime by disease.’ She looked down her nose at Joanna. ‘Do you know how he acquired Aids? Far Eastern fleshpots. He was forced there. Scandal, you see, in this country, would have been disastrous.’
‘Disastrous?’ Joanna didn’t even try to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
Mrs Leech shrugged her shoulders. ‘And this filthy little tyke was threatening to take his story to some tabloids – get some money. Posed as one of the family. One of the family ... Imagine. I gave him money,’ she said casually, ‘I let him stay in the flat. I wanted him to get out, leave me alone. I gave him the chance.’ She made a desperate pulling action on her clothes as though trying to free herself from hidden bonds. ‘He kept insisting he was part of the family. My family.’
Then she looked at Joanna with an intelligent sharpness. ‘I shall say it was an accident,’ she said calmly, ‘not murder. I shall say there was no premeditation but that there was provocation. I warn you, Inspector. You’re not dealing with some plebeian half-wit here. I’m a clever woman and I can afford a good lawyer.’
Mike leaned across the table. ‘You can have bloody Marshall Hall,’ he said. ‘I don’t think you’ll get off.’
Again Gilly Leech chose to ignore the remark until Mike goaded her again. ‘And what about Latos?’
‘I shall say I panicked,’ she said. ‘I shall say he threatened me.’ She held out thin arms. ‘I’m not a big woman. I shall say I picked up the first thing that came into my hand.’ She glared at Joanna. ‘Prove otherwise,’ she challenged.
And Joanna knew the work was not over yet. The familiar battle of wit and lies, of stories and angles, of deals and burdens of proof, was just beginning.
Hours of work still lay ahead of her and if the whole case was not carried out perfectly even the hard-baked Gilly Leech could go free, with a clever solicitor. Joanna smiled to herself. And the one they had landed themselves with so far was not clever enough. They would need better than him. Joanna rolled her pencil between her fingers and pondered what her plea would be ... diminished responsibility? Provocation?
Mike walked in and dropped down on the chair opposite. ‘I always feel like this,’ he complained, ‘when a case finishes. Flat – really flat.’
‘I know,’ she agreed. ‘It’s all I can do to put pen to paper.’ She met his eyes. ‘Mike,’ she said, ‘I’m glad we got her.’
He nodded then gave a huge yawn, stretching his arms above his head. ‘Want a drink?’
She shook her head. ‘You’, she said laughing, ‘should get back home to your wife.’
He looked at her curiously. ‘What about you?’
She shuffled the sheaf of papers tidy and flipped an elastic band around them. ‘First of all,’ she said, ‘I’m going to finish this case and watch it through the courts, see her sentenced. Then ... then I think I’m going to take a holiday.’ Now she stretched and yawned too. ‘After I’ve had a long, hot bath.’
‘Then what?’
She stood up. ‘Who knows?’
Eloise sat between her parents on the flight home. She glanced from one to the other and seemed satisfied with what she saw. Then she slipped her small hand into her father’s. ‘Home,’ she said and gave a happy smile.
Catch the Fallen Sparrow Page 21
