Chapter 76
The robing room at Exeter Crown Court was unusually quiet and Holly had a much-needed forty-five minutes to go through her papers. Her case was due to finish today, in plenty of time to get to Plymouth for their overnight sail to St Helen’s.
By evening, it would be two whole days since her son had been taken.
She’d had no idea how time could stretch.
Charlie had FaceTimed her again the previous night, possibly as a reward for the group’s capitulating to Quick’s demand that they meet him.
In the two minutes they’d been allowed to talk, she’d learned he’d spent the day on various boats and watching movies.
He’d been tearful, maybe starting to get a bit frightened, but OK.
Would he still be OK when he was no longer needed as a bargaining chip? She couldn’t think like that. Get to St Helen’s and Charlie would be fine. Get through today, and then the overnight sail, and she’d have Charlie back again.
The door opened and she glanced up. She’d already faced several barbed comments about her presence in court given the publicity over Logan Quick’s will and she was half prepared for some over-officious clerk deciding to pull her case on its final day.
‘Good morning, moneybags.’
Chris. He’d tracked her down and blagged his way to getting the access codes for the door. Or maybe he’d known them anyway; he’d worked at Exeter before now.
‘I’m due in court,’ she told him, gathering her papers.
‘You’ve been holding out on me, Holly.’ He didn’t come into the room, just stood directly in front of the door. She’d have to push past him to get out. ‘How long have you known?’
Holly got to her feet. She was already robed up. All she had to do was get out of the door. Even Chris wouldn’t dare follow her into the courtroom. ‘I’ve nothing to say to you. And my client’s waiting.’
He didn’t move.
‘You know what?’ she demanded. ‘I’m surprised it took you this long. What have you been doing since Friday night? Wrestling with your conscience?’
‘I’ve been in Barcelona for the weekend. Lovely this time of year. Not really paying much attention to the news.’
The bastard had been in Barcelona? On her money no doubt.
He said, ‘I think we need to revisit our agreement.’
‘I think you can go to hell.’
‘Fifty per cent. That feels fair.’
He wanted half the money Logan Quick was planning to leave her. Oh Christ, he’d be welcome to it as long as she never had to set eyes on him again. She’d hand over all of it if it would guarantee she got Charlie back.
The door behind Chris opened. He grunted and stepped out of the way as the newcomer appeared. Coffie.
‘Sorry, mate.’ Coffie spoke without looking at Chris; his eyes were fixed on Holly. ‘Doors open, though. It’s what they’re for. They told me I’d find you here. Got a sec?’
‘She’s due in court.’ Chris turned to face Coffie. ‘And she and I hadn’t quite finished.’
Great. A cockfight.
‘We are finished and I am due in court.’ Holly picked up her briefcase. ‘You can walk me to the door,’ she told Coffie.
‘Who was that?’ Coffie asked, as he and Holly made for the room where her case was to be heard.
‘University friend,’ Holly replied. ‘What did you want to see me about?’
‘That black Volvo you asked me to look into is registered to Logan Quick’s group of companies. I heard this morning. I thought you should know right away.’
Exhaustion washed through Holly. The man claiming to be an old friend of her father’s, who’d been hanging around her parents’ house, worked for Quick. Might even be Quick himself.
‘Tug’s seen the same car hanging around his place too,’ she said. ‘He’s probably had us all under surveillance.’
She’d have to warn her mother before she set off for Plymouth, make sure he wasn’t allowed in the house again.
Coffie said, ‘You’re not still planning to go tonight, are you?’
Holly didn’t reply as they walked the last few steps of the corridor. Her client was waiting outside the courtroom. His daughter, her hand on her father’s arm, spotted her and smiled.
‘I think we’ve set something in motion,’ she said. ‘And now we have to see it through.’