Read Online Blood Relative by David Thomas - Free Book Online Page B

was the client and now I understood how helpless that could make one feel, paying the bills for a process that was totally out of your control.
    ‘It’s hard to take, that’s all,’ I said. ‘I feel like I should be doing something, for Mariana’s sake and Andy’s.’
    ‘Like what?’
    ‘I don’t know … finding out what really happened, and why?’
    ‘Well, that’s the police’s job, isn’t it?’
    ‘It should be. But as far as they’re concerned they’ve got their suspect, wrapped the whole thing up and put it to bed.’
    ‘Well, they know what they’re doing, and, frankly, you don’t. You’re an architect, not a detective. You can’t go around playing Hercule Poirot. You don’t know where to begin.’
    ‘I can’t stand this, people telling me not to worry, not to get involved, just go away and carry on as if nothing has happened.’
    ‘Yes, but what could you actually do? Listen, you’re a damn good architect, so why don’t you concentrate on that? Come back to work. Like the man said, try to get some normality back in your life. It’s for the best, I’m sure.’
    ‘But it isn’t normal, is it? I can’t even imagine what normality would feel like right now …’
    ‘OK, then, forget your imagination,’ Nick snapped. ‘Just concentrate on reality, and the reality is that we’re in the shit. The phones have been ringing off the hook, clients wondering what the hell’s going on.’
    ‘I know. I had to turn my phone off, just to hear myself think.’
    He gestured me into a meeting area that was sheltered by screens from the rest of our open-plan workspace. ‘Well, here’s what you’re missing, then …’ he went on, in a quieter, almost furtive voice. ‘Some of them, the women mostly, have asked after Mariana. But a lot of them are really edgy. Any minute now we’ll get the first email threatening to pull out of a contract. And we’re going to have a bloody hard time getting any new ones, either. Not with this hanging over us. So I’m not asking you to come back just for the good of your health. I’m saying, there are twenty-odd people here with jobs on the line because of what happened last night. You owe it to them to sort this shit out.’
    ‘OK, I get it. But I’ve got to go and see my mother, tell her that Andy’s dead. When I’ve done that, I’ll try to write some kind of round-robin email to all our clients. You know, expressing confidence in Mariana’s innocence, having confidence in the justice system, meantime it’s business as usual. All right?’
    Nick gave a grudging nod. ‘It’s a start, I suppose.’
    ‘Well, it’s all I can do right now. Mariana’s in court tomorrow. I have to sort out what’s going to happen to Andy’s body. I suppose there’ll be a funeral to arrange at some point. Give me a couple of weeks. That should do it.’
    ‘Two weeks?’ he said, his voice rising. ‘It could all fall apart by then …’
    ‘Calm down. Just tell the staff and the clients that I’m taking compassionate leave. Why wouldn’t I? It’s a lot more natural than swanning round the place like nothing’s happened.’
    ‘And what if the clients start marching?’
    ‘They won’t. Not all of them. Look, Nick, most of the big-money jobs are footballers, right? So they’re all used to media aggravation. I think we’ll get more support than you think. Plus, they all like Mariana. They’ve no reason to think badly of her.’
    ‘Except that the papers are basically saying that she’s a murderer.’
    ‘Yes, but we both know footballers hate the papers. Given a choice between believing in Mariana or believing in a bunch of reporters, what way do you think they’re going to go?’
    Nick sighed, letting some of the tension go: ‘All right … maybe …’
    ‘Good. I’ll still have my phone and my laptop. If anyone really needs me, I’ll be accessible.’
    ‘So what are you going to do? Apart from the funeral and stuff …?’
    ‘I don’t know, Nick, I