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‘I believe that is none of your business,’ she said, a stern expression appearing on her face. ‘Now, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to spend some time on my own. I saw my father with a knife sticking out of his chest a few hours ago, and I’m struggling to keep hold of my sanity, and my emotions.’
‘Of course,’ Terry said. He drained what was left of his coffee before standing up. ‘Thank you for your time. And the coffee.’
‘You’re welcome.’
Dawn remained on the pine chair. She didn’t move and didn’t watch Terry as he went over to the front door and let himself out.
She stared at the wall, shrouded in silence. DI Braithwaite seemed like a competent detective, but it was obvious he was a man haunted by his past, a past that was connected to Dominic Griffiths. Despite it being proven that Dominic had not been in control of his own mind when he killed Stephanie, the fact still remained that he had killed her. How deep would Terry dig to find the murderer of the man who had caused so much upset in his life? Would he care all that much if Dominic’s killer was allowed to remain free?
Dawn leaned forwards in her seat and rummaged around in her snack tub. She smiled when she found a packet of Maltesers. They were her favourite.
Chapter Thirty-Four
‘Kyra, have you been to see the solicitor yet?’ Terry asked, standing outside Dawn’s block of flats with his phone to his ear. A strong gust of wind made him shiver. He seemed to be feeling the cold more lately. He was going to have to change his lifestyle. There were days when he’d hardly eat, surviving only on coffee and whatever was in the vending machine at the station.
‘No. I’ve got an appointment at three o’clock.’
He looked at his scratched watch. He’d make it into town in plenty of time. ‘Text me the address of her office, and I’ll come with you.’
‘Something up?’
‘Possibly. Before we meet, could you do me a favour and try and get hold of Dominic’s bank statements?’
Kyra had been vague about the details when arranging the meeting with Clare Delaney. She had told her it was related to one of her clients but didn’t say which one. Before they entered the building of Ripley, Blumenthal and Partners, Terry checked with the station, and online, that the story of Dominic’s murder hadn’t been released. He didn’t want Clare being forewarned. He knew how sneaky solicitors could be. Fortunately, the press was still clueless.
‘How much do you reckon they charge for the hour?’ Kyra asked in a low whisper.
They were sat on Chesterfield sofas in the expensively decorated waiting room.
‘I shudder to think,’ Terry replied, not bothering to whisper. ‘Don’t be intimidated though. I bet, behind the scenes, the rooms the public don’t see are a complete shithole.’
‘Do you think?’
‘Of course. Look at that chandelier – it’s caked in cobwebs. But how many people look up? The law business is shallow. It’s all about impressions. Nothing else. Don’t be fooled if she starts talking about the importance of justice. That goes out of the window the moment you get your name engraved on a brass plaque.’
‘Your cynicism is incredibly sad at times,’ Kyra said.
‘On this occasion, it’s spot-on.’
The door opened, and Angelina led them towards Clare’s office. The receptionist didn’t smile once.
Clare stood up from behind her unnecessarily large desk when the detectives entered the room. She was wearing a pin-striped suit, white shirt and dark grey tie. Her dark red hair rested on her shoulders. It was huge, like a mane.
‘Clare Delaney. Lovely to meet you,’ she said in a strong, deep voice that screamed insincerity.
‘Detective Inspector Terry Braithwaite. This is Detective Sergeant Kyra Willis,’ Terry said, emphasising his Geordie accent.
They all shook hands, and Clare told them both to take a seat. She waited until they were seated before she did the same. She seemed to know all the rules in the book about how to give the impression she was powerful and in charge.
‘So, you want to talk about one of my clients. Before you do, I must remind you of the laws relating to client confidentiality.’
Terry was itching to make a sarcastic comment but decided against it, for now. ‘We are aware of the law, Ms Delaney. First of all, just to confirm, you were the solicitor who represented Dominic Griffiths in his early release from prison and his subsequent compensation claim against Maxton-Schwarz?’
‘I was,’ she said, with a proud grin.
‘When was the last time you saw Dominic?’
She seemed taken aback by the question. ‘It would have been the day we settled the claim. We were prepared to take the case to court. That was my intention. However, at the eleventh hour, Maxton-Schwarz made a generous offer that Dominic chose to accept. I arranged the paperwork, he signed, we shook hands and that was that.’
