Read Online Friday on My Mind by Nicci French - Free Book Online Page A

Hopkins’s office overlooked the canal basin in Islington. Children in bright yellow life jackets were paddling in two canoes.
    ‘Are you involved in the investigation in any way?’ Hopkins asked.
    ‘No.’
    ‘Have you had any privileged access?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘I’m Frieda’s lawyer, not yours. If I
were
yours, I’d drag you out of this room by the scruff of your neck.’
    ‘So I’ve been warned.’
    The three of them sat down on chairs around a low glass coffee table. Hopkins opened a pad of paper. She took out a pen and removed the cap. ‘We have been instructed to report to Altham police station tomorrow at ten. It’s all but certain that they’ll charge you with Alexander Holland’s murder.’
    She looked around as if she were expecting a response but there was none. Karlsson was staring at the floor. Frieda seemed to be thinking hard but she didn’t speak.
    ‘You’ll be granted bail,’ said Hopkins. ‘But you’ll haveto surrender your passport. There’ll be certain conditions attached, but they shouldn’t be a problem. So, now we need to think of our strategy.’
    ‘Our strategy?’ said Frieda.
    ‘I’ve got a barrister in mind. Jennifer Sidney would be a perfect fit.’
    ‘She did the Somersham trial,’ said Karlsson, with a grim smile.
    ‘Is there something funny?’ asked Frieda.
    ‘Not exactly funny. But if she can get Andrew Somersham off, she can get anyone off.’
    ‘It was the right verdict,’ said Hopkins. ‘On the evidence.’
    ‘That’s one way of putting it.’
    ‘Well, we want the right verdict as well.’
    ‘Why have a lawyer at all?’ said Frieda.
    ‘What?’
    ‘If I’m charged …’
    ‘You’re going to be charged.’
    ‘All right, when I’m charged, I would just like to go into court and tell my story, truthfully, and then they choose to believe me or not believe me.’
    Hopkins laid her pen down softly. Karlsson saw that she had gone quite pale. ‘Frieda,’ she said quietly. ‘This isn’t a time for grandstanding or giving a philosophy lecture. This is an adversarial system. The Crown has to make a case against you. All you have to do is to rebut the specific accusations they make. You don’t have to prove that you’re innocent, you don’t have to win a prize for virtue. You have to not be definitely guilty. That’s the way the system works.’
    Frieda started to speak but Hopkins held up her hand. ‘Stop,’ she said. ‘So far, I’ve had to stand by while you’vesabotaged your own case. If you want to carry on doing that, you can get yourself another lawyer or no lawyer at all. But, first, hear me out.’
    Frieda nodded her acquiescence and Hopkins continued: ‘The basic strategy is obvious. It all comes down to the wallet. There’s a whole lot of other prejudicial evidence – or so-called evidence – but they can’t use it. Just so long as you stay disciplined.’
    ‘What do you mean by that?’
    ‘You mustn’t mention your Dean Reeve theory.’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘If you even mention his name, they can bring up everything. Your involvement in the death of Beth Kersey, the death of Ewan Shaw, the arson attack on Hal Bradshaw’s house, your various arrests for assault.’
    ‘And?’
    ‘
And?
’ said Hopkins. ‘It’s my belief that if those incidents are put before a jury you are overwhelmingly likely to be convicted and you will spend the next fifteen to twenty years in prison. But, as I said, there is no reason for them to be introduced. No, it all comes down to the wallet. Now, isn’t it possible that the last time you met Mr Holland, he left his wallet by mistake?’
    ‘No,’ said Frieda.
    There was a pause.
    ‘Frieda,’ said Karlsson. ‘I’m not sure if you quite appreciate how serious this is.’
    ‘They found the wallet hidden in a drawer,’ said Frieda. ‘If Sandy could have left it there – with his cash and credit cards removed – I would have said.’
    ‘I was never happy about that search. Did they warn you of