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"Most people wouldn't be willing to take that risk," said Beth. "They'd be quite happy to spend the rest of their lives as Sir Nicholas Moncrieff, with everything that goes with it."
"But that's the point, Beth. I'm not Sir Nicholas Moncrieff. I'm Da
"And I'm not Beth Moncrieff, but I'd rather be that than spending the next twenty years visiting you in Belmarsh on the first Sunday of every month."
"But not a day would go by when you weren't looking over your shoulder, misunderstanding the slightest i
"I know you're right, Da
"Mine, too, Beth, but they'll be happier still when I'm a free man. I have enough faith in human nature to believe that Alex Redmayne, Fraser Munro and even Sarah Davenport will not rest until they see that justice is done."
"You rather fancy Sarah Davenport, don't you," said Beth, ru
Da
"Why don't we spend one more day together," she said, "and make it something we'll never forget. And as it could be your last day of freedom, I'll let you do anything you desire."
"Let's stay in bed," said Da
"Men," sighed Beth with a smile.
"We could take Christy to the zoo in the morning, and then have lunch at Ramsey's fish and chip shop."
"Then what?" asked Beth.
"I'll go to Upton Park and watch the Hammers, while you take Christy back to your mother's."
"And in the evening?"
"You can choose whichever film you like… as long as it's the new James Bond."
"And after that?"
"Same as every night this week," he said taking her in his arms.
"In which case I think we'd better stick to plan A," said Beth, "and make sure you're on time for the appointment with Alex Redmayne tomorrow morning."
"I can't wait to see his face," said Da
"Alex will be delighted," said Beth. "He never stops saying, 'If only I had a second chance.' "
"Well, he's about to be given one. And I can tell you, Beth, I can't wait for that meeting, because it will make me free for the first time in years." Da
"This is something else you're going to have to go without for the next few months," whispered Beth, as a noise like a clap of thunder reverberated from the floor below.
"What the hell was that?" said Da
"She's done nothing!" he shouted as he broke away and began to charge toward them, but before he'd taken a second step, the full force of a baton landed on the back of his skull and he collapsed to the floor.
Two men leaped on top of him, one pressing a knee into the middle of his spine while the other sat on his legs. When Inspector Fuller walked into the room, they yanked Da
"Caution them," Fuller said as he sat on the end of the bed and lit a cigarette.
Once the ritual had been completed, he stood up and strolled across to Da
"This time, Cartwright," he said, their faces only inches apart, "I'm going to make sure they throw away the key. And as for your girlfriend, no more Sunday afternoon visits, because she's going to be safely locked away in a prison of her own."
"On what charge?" spat out Da
"Aiding and abetting should fit the bill. The usual tariff is about six years, if I remember correctly. Take them away."
Da
Da
Only one thought went through Da
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
"YOU HAVEN'T ARRIVED a moment too soon," she said.
"That bad?" said Alex.
"Worse," replied his mother. "When will the Home Office realize that when judges retire, not only are they sent home for the rest of their lives, but the only people they have left to judge are their i
"So what are you recommending?" asked Alex as they walked into the drawing room.
"That judges should be shot on their seventieth birthday, and their wives granted a royal pardon and given their pensions by a grateful nation."
"I may have come up with a more acceptable solution," suggested Alex.
"Like what? Making it legal to assist judges' wives to commit suicide?"
"Something a little less drastic," said Alex. "I don't know if his lordship has told you, but I sent him the details of a case I'm currently working on, and frankly I could do with his advice."
"If he turns you down, Alex, I won't feed him again."
"Then I must be in with a chance," said Alex as his father strolled into the room.
"A chance of what?" the old man asked.
"A chance of some help on a case that-"
"The Cartwright case?" said his father, staring out of the window. Alex nodded. "Yes, I've just finished reading the transcripts. As far as I can see, there aren't many more laws left for the lad to break: murder, escaping from prison, theft of fifty million dollars, cashing checks on two bank accounts that didn't belong to him, selling a stamp collection he didn't own, traveling abroad on someone else's passport, and even claiming a baronetcy that should rightfully have been inherited by someone else. You really can't blame the police for throwing the book at him."
"Does that mean you're not willing to help me?" asked Alex.