Suspicious Minds

“You – er – mentioned an apology.”

“Yes, Mr. Stirrup. To seek a retraction is the usual first step in litigation of this kind.”

“A climb-down?”

“Yes, that is a fair description. In practice, few of these cases reach the courts. Usually, the factors which I have mentioned deter those involved from taking matters so far and the point at issue is settled in correspondence.”

“Well, shouldn’t we be asking for the woman to apologise?”

Hamer appeared to give the question serious thought. “It would be the orthodox initial move, certainly. But there would be scant likelihood of compensation being paid. We would ask for damages, of course, but you can expect the response to be negative.”

“I’m not in this for the money, you know.”

“Indeed, and as I have explained, you can expect to incur a financial loss as the outcome of a full trial.”

Stirrup glanced at Harry, who had already taken the precaution of arranging his features into the worried expression to which they were well suited.

“I must congratulate you, Mr. Stirrup.” A sentence of imprisonment might have been pronounced with less gravity.

“I don’t follow.”

Jonah drained his glass. “Needed that. Get us another, will you? Have one yourself if you want.”

He made no offer to pay but Harry went to The Pump House anyway. When he returned with two full glasses, Jonah wandered over to the walkway leading to the riverside.

“Used to come here as a ki

ere just the other side of the horizon.”

He took his beer without comment. “Did he kill her, d’you think?”

“Stirrup?”

“Who else? Does he want to look like an anxious husband? Hiring me when the trail’s gone cold?”

“What more can he do? You work on the assumption he’s innocent till proven guilty.”

“Said like a true lawyer.” A lifetime’s cynicism packed into five words.

“So you’re turning the job down?”

“Never said that. I’ll look for her.” The old man shrugged his shoulders. “Besides, you said yourself, Stirrup is loaded, don’t mind taking a few quid off him.”

“Now who’s talking like a lawyer?”

“Don’t play hard to get. The money’s good.”