Constance ran the last half mile to court, and by the time she reached Judith, she could hardly breathe and her clothes were sticking to her. She burst into their break-out room.
‘You haven’t opened the defence yet, have you?’
Judith appeared remarkably relaxed. ‘I persuaded Judge Linton to wait for you,’ she said.
‘You didn’t?’
‘No. I…I was rather naughty, actually. I just reminded him of that guidance I mentioned, for women of a certain age, said that I was suffering and asked to be allowed a rest to recover my equilibrium.’
Constance laughed, despite her excitement at her own news. ‘You didn’t? You did. And what did he say?’
‘His face was a picture, as was Andy’s. I mean, he knew it was total rubbish, but there was no way he could object, especially with his track record. We have another forty minutes still to regroup. I thought of going round the corner and buying everyone choc ices. What?’
Constance had stripped off her jacket and drunk down half a bottle of water.
‘You were right,’ she said. ‘Brett Ingram was murdered. And I know who did it. I got the answer from Susan Mills – and Zoe helped, but it took a while.’
‘Good,’ Judith said, picking up her blue exercise book. ‘I do too. Shall we compare notes?’
***
Judith and Constance found Nick and Lisa waiting outside the building, sitting next to each other on a bench in the sun. Lisa, arms folded, was leaning her head back against Nick’s shoulder and her eyes were closed. In different circumstances, they would have been an ordinary couple, at ease with each other, enjoying the beauty of the day. Constance hesitated, but at that moment Lisa’s eyes blinked open, she noticed them and beckoned them over.
‘Hello there,’ she said.
‘Hello there,’ Judith replied. ‘Nick. Constance and I need to speak to you. Is it possible we could find somewhere to talk to you alone?’
Nick regarded his lawyers blankly. ‘Whatever you want to say to me, you can say in front of Lisa. You know that already.’
‘I understand that we’ve discussed your case with both of you up till now but, really, if we could have a moment, just with you. It’s important.’
Lisa frowned. She took hold of Nick’s hand in her own and gripped it tightly. Nick put his free hand on top of hers, in a clear sign of their unity.
‘All right,’ Judith said. ‘There’s no easy way to say this, but we have to withdraw from representing you.’
‘What?’ Lisa released Nick and one hand went up to her neck. That was brutal, even by Judith’s standards.
‘But you can’t,’ Lisa protested. ‘It’s the middle of the trial. Isn’t Nick giving his evidence today?’
‘I’m sorry,’ Judith said.
‘He’s been practising and he’ll be very good. I know he will. He’ll explain about the fridge and the clearing up and he remembers he talked to Eleni in Greek – all those things you said.’
Judith was silent, unmoved by Lisa’s protest.
‘We don’t have any choice,’ Constance added, hoping that might end the matter.
‘Why?’ Lisa said.
Judith took over again. ‘I’d rather not say,’ she said.
‘That’s it! You’re not going to explain. Is it because you’re not getting paid enough? We have some savings – not much, but you can have it all. You can’t leave my husband now. He needs you.’
Constance looked at Judith but said nothing. They had agreed they should say as little as possible. That it was best for Nick, but Constance could see that it might look to Lisa as if they were just deserting him.
‘You know, when Nick said you were his lawyers, that time you came to our house, I wasn’t so sure,’ Lisa continued. ‘But when I met you, talked to you, I said to him, “these are clever women. They will help you”.’
Judith frowned. She was clearly unimpressed by Lisa’s sycophancy. ‘We have discovered some evidence which makes us believe that your husband has not told us the entire truth,’ Judith said. ‘If that is the case, the rules say that we are not able to defend him. We can make arrangements for another defence team to come in, but we have to stand down.’
‘We’ll tell the judge and the prosecution that we’re withdrawing,’ Constance joined in, pleased that Judith was providing a little further explanation, ‘and ask for a short adjournment, a break, for new lawyers to get up to speed. We’ll pass on all the papers.’
Lisa stood up and faced Constance. ‘We engaged you to defend Nick. You can’t just stop half way through.’
‘Mrs Demetriou, I’ve explained the difficulty.’
‘No, I don’t accept it. If you withdraw, what reason will you give the prosecution?’
‘We’ll say the minimum, but…they’ll draw their own conclusions.’
‘You mean they’ll think it means that Nick’s guilty?’ Lisa said, and Constance thought how quickly she had grasped what they were saying, despite Judith talking in riddles.
‘They might suspect something, but we can’t tell them what it is.’
‘But they’ll know there’s something and, if you found it, whatever it is, then they’ll find it too.’
‘Maybe, but the trial is nearly over. Although there might have to be an adjournment, like I said, for a few days, to allow the new lawyers to come in.’
Nick still didn’t speak, but a tear squeezed its way out of one eye.
‘You can’t do this,’ Lisa began to cry also. ‘You can’t leave us like this. I’ll complain. I’ll go to the newspapers. You’ll never work again!’
‘It’s over,’ Nick said suddenly.
‘What? No. Don’t be silly,’ Lisa grabbed Nick’s arm. He shrugged her off.
‘They’re trying to tell us it’s over,’ he said. ‘Don’t you understand? It was really over the moment that man died.’
Judith tried to correct him. ‘Mr Demetriou. That’s not exactly what I’m saying. With a new legal team…’
‘I don’t want a new legal team. We’ll end up in the same place and I’ll only have put Lisa and my family through even more of this.’
Lisa stepped back now and her eyes flashed daggers at her husband. ‘Now,’ she said. ‘Now you’re thinking about me. You didn’t think about me then, did you? You only thought about one person. You and your sister. You did for her what you would never do for the rest of us.’
‘Enough,’ Nick shouted, springing to his feet, and Lisa cowered away from him. ‘Bring Maria to court.’
‘What are you talking about? Are you crazy?’ Lisa kept her distance. ‘You saw Maria,’ she appealed to Judith now. ‘She’s on all this medication, for anxiety. She can’t even sit still. She’ll make a terrible scene. Then you’ll lose.’
Nick drew himself up to his full height. ‘I’m not asking you for anything else,’ he said. ‘I may not ask you for anything else ever again. Do this one thing for me.’ Then he turned to Constance. ‘When Maria arrives, then I’ll give my evidence.’
‘Mr Demetriou, we can’t…’ Constance began.
‘No,’ he said. ‘Either I do it with you, or I do it without you. I don’t care which way. But when Maria arrives, then I will explain.’