Chapter 14 #4
“Right. I didn’t bring my laptop.” Oliver grimaced.
“Well, hop on your bicycle and go get it. By the time you get back I should have more of this completed. Now shoo!”
Oliver saluted and spun on his heels.
It took twenty minutes for Oliver to get back to his flat.
Watson greeted him with suspicion. He sniffed Oliver’s shoes and sat down in front of them.
“Oh, my dear boy. You think I was cheating on you, do you now?” He picked up the disgruntled kitty, then draped the feline over his shoulder and rubbed Watson’s neck.
“I was simply doing a friend a favor. No one is going to replace you, mate.” Watson wriggled out of Oliver’s arms and marched over to his food bowl.
He stuck his paw into the empty vessel and attempted to turn it over.
Oliver chuckled. “So is this what you do all day? Learn new tricks, eh?” Oliver went to the pantry, grabbed a can of Watson’s favorite and dished it out while the cat watched with a discerning eye.
“There you go, pal.” Oliver placed the bowl on the floor and explained to his kitty that he had to go out for a bit but would be back without extraneous cat hair.
Oliver stuffed his laptop in his messenger bag and put the thumb drive in his shirt pocket. He wanted to keep it close. Another twenty minutes later he was securing his bike outside of the forensic offices.
The guard greeted him with a big hello and thank-you. “Now I smell like a cheese and garlic,” the young man joked.
Oliver replied, “Keeps the vampires away. It’s a full moon tonight.” He snickered and hurried to Helen’s office.
“Good, you’re back. Finished the second report.”
“Bloody good,” he replied and motioned to an empty standing desk. “Shall I?”
“Please.”
Oliver powered up his laptop and inserted the precious flash drive. He pulled up the arrest warrant and the original case files. “I’ll send everything in one file folder when you’re done.”
“Should be another half hour. This one is relatively easy.”
Oliver cleared his throat. “I made a reservation at Adam Reid, the place with no menu,” he said and raised his eyebrows.
“Good on you.” Helen didn’t bother to look up from her work.
After a few more keystrokes she saved the file to her computer, then to an external drive, as well as a flash drive.
Once everything was uploaded, she spun on her stool and handed the flash drive to Oliver. “There you go. All in a day’s work.”
Oliver chuckled. “More like a day and a half.”
“I wasn’t going to waste any time. The offices close early, and I want my promised dinner.” She spun back around and powered down her computer.
Oliver copied Helen’s files to his laptop and then added them to the folder with the case number, date, and name. He let out a very long breath. “If this doesn’t do it then I shall be terribly disillusioned with our legal system.”
“And you’re not already?” Helen folded her arms across her chest.
“Let’s not get into the mishandling of things.” Oliver knew the litany of political scandals from murder to faked deaths, and from Parliament to the royal family. “Although we’ve always been quite dignified at our indignities.”
Helen let out a laugh. “To think of all the havoc our small country as wreaked.”
“But we’ve produced some of the greatest minds in history,” Oliver exclaimed, “including yours.” He winked and finished compiling the report, including every bit of information he felt the lawyer would need. “What’s the password for the internet?”
Helen gave him the code and Oliver typed out an introductory email to Professor Kirkland and Blair.
He attached the documents and hit the send button.
“Toodle pip. May the gods be with you.” Once again, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Now it was in the hands of someone who could do something about this miscarriage of justice.
He checked the time. It was almost ten o’clock.
“Time to turn off the lights, dear Helen.”
The two walked out of the building together. “Shall I walk you home?” Oliver offered, realizing it was several miles away. “Unless you want to ride on the handlebars?”
“Thanks, but I’ll hop on the bus,” Helen replied.
“Have it your way,” Oliver teased. “So, Saturday. I’ll fetch you at six thirty.”
“Splendid. And not on your bike,” Helen said. It was becoming a running joke.
Oliver wheeled his bike next to him as he walked Helen to the bus stop, and the bus arrived within minutes. “Helen, you’re a peach.” He placed his hands on both of her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. “I’m looking forward to Saturday.”
Helen softened. “As am I,” she said as she disappeared onto the big, red, double-decker vehicle. Oliver waited until the bus pulled away, although he wasn’t sure why.
Before he mounted his two-wheeler, he sent a text to Emily and Kathleen.
Information sent. Now we wait.
Both replied:
Many thanks. Here’s hoping.
Oliver finished with:
It may take a few days. Show your visitors around. I’ll Venmo some dosh.
Emily replied:
You are the best Uncle Ollie.