Too Charming (2 page)

At his touch, shivers of awareness rippled through her. Quickly she stepped back. ‘Don't count on it,’ she replied stiffly, fleeing down the steps, away from him. When she’d reached what she deemed was a safe distance, she paused and glanced back over her shoulder. He was still watching her.  On a whim, she spun round to face him. ‘How can you do what you do?’ she asked, genuinely puzzled.

He looked nonplussed. ‘What, law?’

‘No, defend scum like you did today, even though you know damn well they're as guilty as hell.’

Scott gave a nonchalant shrug. ‘Everyone is entitled to a defence.’

‘I know, but how do you sleep at night when you win a case you know you shouldn't? When you free a criminal who should be locked away?’

‘It’s simple. If the police do their job properly, the bad men get locked up.’ There was a thread of irritation in his usually smooth voice.

‘Not always,’ she returned sharply. ‘Sometimes a clever lawyer can get in the way of true justice.’

‘Yeah and sometimes a clever lawyer can stop an innocent man from going down for a crime he didn't commit,’ he retorted equally sharply.

His brief flare of emotion surprised her, but it disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. In its place was the cool, slightly mocking expression she was used to. ‘Much as I’m enjoying this little conversation, I’m afraid I’ve got to go.’ Once more he turned on his smile as he made his way down towards her. ‘We'll take a rain check on the drink then? Better get it in quick though. Next time, no doubt, it will be you doing the buying, to congratulate me.’

Before her infuriated brain could think of a suitable reply, he was off, striding past her, a tall, broad-shouldered man wearing an expensively tailored suit and a cloak of staggering self-assurance.

Chapter Two

The phone on Scott’s cluttered desk sprang to life, the ring interrupting his train of thought. He swore under his breath. Hadn’t he asked the clerk to hold all calls this morning? Wading through great hulking textbooks of case law was bad enough without the disruption of the damn phone.

‘Yes, Penny,’ he barked unthinkingly into the receiver. Silence hit him, forcing him to restock and take a deep, controlling breath. He’d worked with Penny long enough now to know she was reliable, uncomplaining and highly efficient. Also to know that he couldn’t manage without her. He started again. ‘Sorry, what I meant to say was, how can I help?’

He heard the smile in her voice. ‘I know you asked not to be disturbed, but I’ve got Nancy on the line, anxious to speak to you about a new case. I thought you wouldn’t mind being disturbed for her.’

Acknowledging that he needed to add wise to Penny’s list of attributes, Scott settled back in his beloved antique brown leather chair – he hated modern office furniture with a vengeance – and waited for the call to come through. Nancy was a solicitor, former lover, great friend and now, increasingly, the source of many of his clients. Someone he was, indeed, happy to be disturbed for. ‘Nancy. How the devil are you?’

‘All the better for speaking to you.’

He could picture her sitting in her office, blonde hair tied up in a prim bun, tortoiseshell glasses on the tip of her nose. They’d met while he was training for the Bar. Ten years older than him, she’d taught him many things, not all of them to do with law. Thankfully, when they’d parted ways as lovers, they’d managed to remain friends. ‘What’s this about a new case coming my way?’ he asked, looking wistfully at the diving brochure on his desk. One of these days he
was
going to take that holiday.

‘You’re going to love this one, Scott. It’s just up your street. The client is Kevin Rogers, currently remanded in police custody, accused of raping a prostitute.’

He grimaced. ‘I’ll love this why, exactly?’

‘Because Kevin claims the police are trying to stitch him up. He’s had a few previous run-ins with them, once over a similar incident. On that occasion the victim changed her story before it came to court. Now, miraculously, another victim has come to light. Kevin swears blind it was consensual.’

Scott sighed and ran a hand through his hair. God, he needed a haircut. As well as a holiday. Not necessarily in that order. He knew why Nancy wanted him to take this case, or indeed any case to do with alleged miscarriages of justice by the police. It was fast becoming his specialty. ‘Okay, let me talk to him.’ He flicked through his diary. Maybe one day he would have a week with nothing more on than a round of golf. Maybe one day he could become a fat-cat lawyer, something he’d heard existed but was damned if he’d ever witnessed. ‘Frankly, the best time for me is probably this lunchtime. Today is a good day. Otherwise we’re looking at the end of the month.’

‘Lunchtime works for me. He’s still being held at the station. I’ll see you there. Shall we say noon?’ There was a pause as he imagined her typing the appointment into her electronic calendar. ‘How busy are your evenings then, Mr Hotshot Barrister? Too busy to share a meal with an old friend?’

Instinctively Scott started to sigh, a reaction unlikely to go down well with the person on the other end of the phone, so he quickly tried to smother it. The trouble was, he had a nagging feeling that friendship wasn’t all Nancy had in mind. Lately, ever since she’d split from her last boyfriend, she’d been a little too flirtatious for his liking. He might have been interested once, but that had been a long time ago and he had no intention of going there again. Mind you, that didn’t mean he couldn’t take her out to dinner, he reasoned. He just had to make the ground rules clear. Besides, the amount of cases she was putting his way, she was practically paying his salary. ‘I’m never too busy for you,’ he replied smoothly, playing the part she expected of him. ‘By the way, who is the detective in charge of the Rogers case?’

‘It’s not Megan Taylor, if that’s what you’re angling for.’

Caught red handed, Scott could do nothing but laugh. Nancy certainly had the measure of him. ‘Guilty as charged. I’ll see you down at the station shortly.’

As he put down the phone, Scott tried to ignore the nagging sense of disappointment at the knowledge that he wouldn’t be sparring against the sexy Detective Sergeant on this one. Not that he was surprised. He had a sense that Megan was a police officer who did things properly, by the book. One who was honest to the core and would never be seen misusing her power. Officers like that did exist. In fact, the vast majority of the police force were decent people trying to do a very difficult job. He knew that, just as he knew that it was past experience that soured his view, making him more than a touch cynical. Something that stood him in good stead when he was defending his clients. Alas, it didn’t necessarily help in his relations with the police in general, or with a certain hot-looking DS in particular.

Megan was walking through the doors of the station and into the welcome fresh air when her mobile rang. Absently she answered it, her mind more focused on the steaming cup of real coffee she was about to get her hands on than the person on the other end of the phone. Proper coffee was something she’d spent the morning dreaming about as she’d sipped at the dark sludge from the station vending machines. Seconds after taking the call, however, Megan was sitting down on the station steps in shock, her legs too unsteady to support her, all thoughts of coffee banished from her mind. With trembling hands she clutched the phone closer to her ear. ‘Sorry Dad, speak up. I can’t hear you properly. Did you say Mum’s fallen down the stairs?’

‘Yes, dear, we’re at the hospital now.’ Before she could picture the worst, her Dad’s calm, soothing voice continued. ‘They say we haven’t to worry, she’ll be fine, she’s just a bit shaken up. They’re checking to see whether she’s broken anything.’

‘Oh God, poor Mum.’ Shutting her eyes, Megan held a hand to her forehead and tried not to picture her mother lying in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs. ‘Are you sure she’s okay?’

‘I’m sure, Meg. She’s more embarrassed than anything. You know your mother. She hates to be a burden to anyone.’ He cleared his throat. ‘She also hates to let you down, but really, I’m not sure we can look after Sally this afternoon. I mean I could leave your mother and pick Sally up but …’

‘Don’t be ridiculous, Dad,’ Megan interrupted quickly. ‘You need to stay at the hospital. I’ll take care of Sally. You just concentrate on looking after Mum.’

After saying their goodbyes, Megan slipped the phone into her pocket and took a deep, shuddering breath. Then she buried her head in her hands, fighting to recover her control. For a minute there, when she’d first heard about the fall … God, she’d thought that was it. That her mother was gone. But that hadn’t happened, she reminded herself, letting the knowledge sink in. Mum was going to be fine.

Dazed, she tried to get up, but her body was still weak with shock and relief. Sagging back on
to the steps she decided to give herself another minute or two before going back inside. The call had shaken her up more than she wanted to admit. A harsh reminder not only of how much she loved her parents, but of how much she relied on them. How much she took it for granted that they were always there.

‘Problem?’

Moments ago her heart had been racing with adrenaline. At the sound of
that
voice, it sank like a stone in her chest. She really wasn’t up to another round with Scott Armstrong, not when her defences were down. Raising her head she found his tall, dark figure looming over her, blocking out the sunlight. Steel-grey eyes, usually full of mockery, were looking at her with what seemed to be genuine concern. Still, she shook her head. ‘No problem.’

His eyes narrowed. ‘You’re telling me it’s your usual practice to sit on the steps of the station with a face as white as a sheet, trembling?’

‘Of course it isn’t,’ she snapped back. It was pure instinct, but still, she was ashamed of her harsh tone. What was wrong with her? For once Scott was trying to be nice. The least she could do was be civil in return. ‘Sorry. My dad’s just phoned to say Mum’s fallen down the stairs. He’s taken her to hospital.’

‘Ouch. Is she okay?’

‘Yes, apparently she’ll be fine, though they’re checking to see if she’s broken anything.’ She took in a deep breath. ‘You must think I’m crazy to react like this over a simple fall, it’s just that …’ she trailed off. How could she explain to someone as shallow as him what an important role her parents played in her life?

‘You’ve just started to realise they’re not young any more.’

His perception took her by surprise. As did the quiet understanding she saw in his eyes. ‘Well, yes, I guess I have. They’re more than just parents to me. They’re my rocks. I live with them. They look after my daughter while I’m at work. Without them … shit!’ She suddenly remembered Sally.

Again he looked at her, waiting for her to elaborate, but she was already preoccupied looking through her mobile phonebook. He frowned. ‘Anything I can help with?’

Once more she shook her head. ‘No, thanks.’ He was still staring at her, clearly waiting for an explanation. She decided there was no harm in giving him one. ‘My parents were going to look after Sally for me this afternoon because I’ve got to be in court. It’s typical that today, of all days, the school is finishing early. Now I’ll need to find someone else to look after her.’ Glancing down at her watch she swore again, only this time under her breath. ‘In just over an hour.’ Quickly she got to her feet. ‘Excuse me. I’ve got a lot of phone calls to make.’

‘What about Sally’s father?’

Megan laughed, though there was nothing remotely funny about that question. ‘What father?’

The corner of Scott’s lips twitched upwards. ‘Well, I’m sure I remember from biology lessons that to make a baby there needs to be an egg and a sperm.’

‘Yeah, that part was easy enough,’ she acknowledged sourly. ‘It was the bit after that he couldn’t cope with.’ She was about to leave it at that, but realised it sounded bitter and ungracious. ‘Sally doesn’t have a father, at least not in the usual sense of the word. He’s no longer in our lives.’

‘That must be hard on you.’

And wasn’t that the truth. But she’d had her parents to help, and Sally was easily the best thing that had ever happened to her, so not all that hard, really.

‘Look, I can shuffle things around and pick Sally up, if it helps.’ The words shot out of Scott’s mouth before he had a chance to sanction them. It was only when they were out there, hanging between them, that he wondered where on earth they’d come from. Looking after her kid. Was he nuts? Then again, he thought as he looked at those gorgeous legs peeking out from her skirt, playing the Sir Galahad card wasn’t a bad idea. It was bound to get him that little bit closer towards what he wanted. Him and her in bed together. Naked. Actually, he didn’t even need the bed part.

Feeling pretty pleased with himself, he glanced over at her, only to find she was gaping at him in open-mouthed astonishment.

‘Pick my daughter up?’ she repeated slowly, incredulity dripping off every word. ‘You’ve got to be joking. Aside from the fact that we’re always at loggerheads, have you even got any experience with children?’

Okay, maybe she had a point there, but he was damned if he was going to back down now. ‘I used to be one,’ he countered.

‘Umm, in case it’s slipped your notice, Sally’s a girl.’

Another good point, but Scott was losing interest now. Sure, there might have been an ulterior motive to his offer, but if she didn’t trust him to look after her kid for a few hours then she could inconvenience someone else for the afternoon. ‘Well, the offer stands.’ He shrugged, hoping to convey indifference. ‘It’s up to you.’

Megan hesitated. She’d known Scott for over a year now and though they were hardly best buddies – on occasions it felt more like mortal enemies – he was a highly respected barrister. At times a very annoying one, true, but one she knew she could trust.

But trusting him to keep her daughter safe was one thing. Letting him meet that very precious part of her life was another. Glancing sideways she caught him casually studying her, the slight smirk indicating he knew where her thoughts were going.  Even as her mind circled round the concept, she realised it didn’t actually matter what she thought of Scott. The man was a stranger to her daughter. Sally might be a confident little girl, but Megan wasn’t so sure she’d be happy to spend the afternoon with a man she didn’t know. Even if he was a friend of her mother’s. Which, of course, he wasn’t. ‘Thanks, but I’ll give the afterschool club a call. Hopefully they’ll have a place for her.’

‘Suit yourself.’

Before she had a chance to say anything further, he'd turned his back on her and was striding down the steps. She was left with a view of his rapidly retreating back and an odd impression that she’d upset him. Of course that was highly unlikely. Much more likely was the fact that he was, right now, laughing with relief at his close escape.

Ten minutes and several phone calls later, Megan anxiously looked down at her watch. The afterschool club was apparently full, Ann was tied up with work, the mother of Sally’s best friend was off for a long weekend and Megan was fast running out of options. She could just about manage to collect Sally; she wasn’t actually due to give evidence in court until around 3 p.m., though the prosecution team wanted her in earlier so she could go through her statement. Then what was she going to do with her?