Faith - Lesley Pearse [77]
‘No, you’ve demonstrated how well-formed and sturdy your legs are on numerous occasions.’ Stuart grinned as he got a mental picture of the TV detective who solved his cases in a wheelchair. ‘I know it isn’t your department of expertise, but you are the only lawyer I know. I don’t for one moment expect you to drop everything and handle the case yourself. But you must know other lawyers who might. You see, it seems to me that because both Laura and Jackie were English, the Scottish police didn’t really put themselves out to investigate fully. There’s the track by the farm for a start, which could have been the escape route for the real killer. I don’t think they questioned guests who’d stayed at Brodie Farm just before the event. And they definitely didn’t make much effort to discover who Jackie’s lovers were. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them was actually in the police. So I think Laura needs someone to act for her who has no connection with anyone in Edinburgh or Fife.’
‘It’s an interesting case,’ David said thoughtfully. ‘And I do know a couple of criminal lawyers who could probably be tempted, if we had something really strong and juicy as bait.’
Stuart noted that David said ‘we’. That could have been just a manner of speaking, but then he knew David liked a challenge, and he had often remarked in the past that company law was very dry and there was precious little satisfaction to be had from it.
‘Are you involved in anything much at the moment?’ Stuart asked in what he hoped sounded like a casual manner.
David laughed and reached across the small table to slap Stuart on the shoulder. ‘As it happens, I’m doing very little. Julia loves the Highlands and with the school hols coming up, we could rent a cottage up there somewhere. I could do a bit of climbing with you, and maybe get to see the scene of the crime and speak to the law firm that defended Laura.’
Stuart’s grin spread from ear to ear. ‘I knew I could count on you. Best day’s work I ever did was sit next to you on that plane.’
It was after midnight when David got home, a little wobbly on his feet from too much to drink. Julia was lying on the settee in her pyjamas, reading.
‘So what did the Flying Scotsman want?’ she asked.
David smiled. He thought Julia looked very cute and schoolgirlish in her pyjamas, her hair tumbling over her shoulders.
‘I think I’ve found where he left his heart,’ David said. ‘And we’ve got to spring her from prison.’
As he expected, Julia’s face lit up with keen interest. Over the years they had seen Stuart with dozens of different women because he attracted them like moths to a lantern. But Julia had always said she thought he’d left his heart somewhere, for no matter how promising any new relationship looked, Stuart appeared uninterested in it becoming permanent. It drove her mad, for she really liked the man; he was kind, honest, generous and great fun. Sensitive when necessary, tough at the right times too.
Because she and David were so happy together, she wanted the same for everyone she liked. And especially Stuart because she always felt that he actually longed for permanence, to give up travelling and return to his native Scotland and have a real home.
David told her the bare bones of the story. Julia gasped, for she vaguely remembered reading about the murder at the time. ‘And Laura was an ex-girlfriend?’
‘His first and perhaps only love,’ David replied thoughtfully. ‘Of course, he isn’t the kind to wear his heart on his sleeve, but there was something about the way he spoke of her that made me feel it.’
‘If I’d been there I would have dug deeper,’ Julia said eagerly.
‘I’m sure Stuart knew that and it was part of the reason why he wanted to meet me alone,’ David laughed. ‘But he sent his love to you and the kids. We’ll see him again pretty soon. He’s staying at a hotel near Baker Street.’
‘You should have asked him to come and stay with us,’ she said a little indignantly.
David smiled, for he knew Julia enjoyed