military.’
Dickson’s eyes widened. ‘The military ? What does the military have to do with family law?’
Laila explained her speciality, then briefly mentioned the class action she was working on.
‘What kind of class action?’ Before she could answer, he was pulling his phone from his pocket. ‘Do you mind if I record this?’
‘Yes, I do mind. I can’t give you details about the case, Detective Inspector Cross — client confidentiality. Suffice to say, the military won’t be happy when they hear about it.’
‘If they haven’t already.’ Dickson’s keen eyes narrowed. ‘Okay, tell me this. Would they try and stop you, do you think?’
Laila looked squarely at him, trying not to let her inner turmoil show. ‘I honestly don’t know.’
He held her gaze for long seconds. ‘Does this have something to do with the feeling you’re being watched?’
‘It crossed my mind.’
Crossed her mind?
It was close to a week since she’d slept properly. Still, part of that was because of Evan, and the Peyton case.
‘Take this.’ Dickson slid a card across the desk. ‘You can call me any time, day or night. Don’t hesitate, okay?’
Laila picked up the card and scanned it briefly. ‘Thank you, detective.’
‘My pleasure. I’ll get someone up here as soon as I can to go over the computer and the phone.’
Laila reached across the desk to shake hands, but when she went to follow him out, he waved her away.
‘Stay there, I can show myself out.’
The next instant, he was gone.
Chapter Thirteen
Noon Wednesday
‘You wanted to see me?’
Evan looked up to find Allegra Greenwood standing in the doorway of his corner office. Graceful in a pale blue suit, blonde hair styled into some kind of French twist, she could have stepped straight from the runway in Milan.
‘Allegra. Come in.’
It seemed strange to invite a partner of the firm into his office but, unlike Simon Poole, Allegra simply didn’t walk in. She was respectful of the staff like that.
‘You should have buzzed me. I would have come up.’
He shut the door and pulled out a chair. There were many things he liked about Allegra; her grace, her razor-sharp mind, her ability as a criminal lawyer. Some people found her cool, formidable even, but he admired her straightforward manner. You always knew where you stood with the ‘perfumed steamroller’. And she made herself accessible to everyone at the firm.
Now she sat in one of the client chairs and looked squarely at him. ‘So, what couldn’t wait until the case meeting?’
‘I need more manpower.’ He didn’t ask, just stated his need. If you asked, there was a good chance you’d get no for an answer.
‘I’m assuming this is to do with the Peyton case?’
He nodded. ‘We have a mediation in twenty-four hours.’
When she didn’t say anything, Evan swept a hand towards the mountains of files stacked on his desk. ‘We’re drowning in a sea of financial statements. There are so many companies, we’ll be working with the accountants through the night just to get a rough picture of their position.’
Allegra’s gaze shifted to his desk. ‘You’re moving very quickly on this.’
It was an observation, with a ‘please explain’ question attached.
‘Duncan has to show goodwill by making some kind of fair offer to his wife, something in the ballpark of what she’ll ultimately end up with. We can offer her a part payment, provided she agrees to have the current orders lifted. We need to make some real progress tomorrow.’
He paused, Laila’s sweet face forming in his mind. ‘Laila Richards has us on the run.’
It felt odd speaking about her like this, and it struck him then that there were similarities between Laila and Allegra. Laila was warmer though, more animated. More inclined to take up a cause close to her heart.
‘And if you don’t make headway tomorrow?’ Allegra asked.
‘The matrimonial assets stay frozen. That puts the hotel development at
Dickson’s eyes widened. ‘The military ? What does the military have to do with family law?’
Laila explained her speciality, then briefly mentioned the class action she was working on.
‘What kind of class action?’ Before she could answer, he was pulling his phone from his pocket. ‘Do you mind if I record this?’
‘Yes, I do mind. I can’t give you details about the case, Detective Inspector Cross — client confidentiality. Suffice to say, the military won’t be happy when they hear about it.’
‘If they haven’t already.’ Dickson’s keen eyes narrowed. ‘Okay, tell me this. Would they try and stop you, do you think?’
Laila looked squarely at him, trying not to let her inner turmoil show. ‘I honestly don’t know.’
He held her gaze for long seconds. ‘Does this have something to do with the feeling you’re being watched?’
‘It crossed my mind.’
Crossed her mind?
It was close to a week since she’d slept properly. Still, part of that was because of Evan, and the Peyton case.
‘Take this.’ Dickson slid a card across the desk. ‘You can call me any time, day or night. Don’t hesitate, okay?’
Laila picked up the card and scanned it briefly. ‘Thank you, detective.’
‘My pleasure. I’ll get someone up here as soon as I can to go over the computer and the phone.’
Laila reached across the desk to shake hands, but when she went to follow him out, he waved her away.
‘Stay there, I can show myself out.’
The next instant, he was gone.
Chapter Thirteen
Noon Wednesday
‘You wanted to see me?’
Evan looked up to find Allegra Greenwood standing in the doorway of his corner office. Graceful in a pale blue suit, blonde hair styled into some kind of French twist, she could have stepped straight from the runway in Milan.
‘Allegra. Come in.’
It seemed strange to invite a partner of the firm into his office but, unlike Simon Poole, Allegra simply didn’t walk in. She was respectful of the staff like that.
‘You should have buzzed me. I would have come up.’
He shut the door and pulled out a chair. There were many things he liked about Allegra; her grace, her razor-sharp mind, her ability as a criminal lawyer. Some people found her cool, formidable even, but he admired her straightforward manner. You always knew where you stood with the ‘perfumed steamroller’. And she made herself accessible to everyone at the firm.
Now she sat in one of the client chairs and looked squarely at him. ‘So, what couldn’t wait until the case meeting?’
‘I need more manpower.’ He didn’t ask, just stated his need. If you asked, there was a good chance you’d get no for an answer.
‘I’m assuming this is to do with the Peyton case?’
He nodded. ‘We have a mediation in twenty-four hours.’
When she didn’t say anything, Evan swept a hand towards the mountains of files stacked on his desk. ‘We’re drowning in a sea of financial statements. There are so many companies, we’ll be working with the accountants through the night just to get a rough picture of their position.’
Allegra’s gaze shifted to his desk. ‘You’re moving very quickly on this.’
It was an observation, with a ‘please explain’ question attached.
‘Duncan has to show goodwill by making some kind of fair offer to his wife, something in the ballpark of what she’ll ultimately end up with. We can offer her a part payment, provided she agrees to have the current orders lifted. We need to make some real progress tomorrow.’
He paused, Laila’s sweet face forming in his mind. ‘Laila Richards has us on the run.’
It felt odd speaking about her like this, and it struck him then that there were similarities between Laila and Allegra. Laila was warmer though, more animated. More inclined to take up a cause close to her heart.
‘And if you don’t make headway tomorrow?’ Allegra asked.
‘The matrimonial assets stay frozen. That puts the hotel development at
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