Read Online The Last Enemy by Jim Eldridge - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jim Eldridge
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architecture, glass and steel, the reception area a vast open space decorated with sculptures and plants.
We really have walked right into the dragon’s den, reflected Jake nervously. He realised from the way Lauren tapped her fingers rhythmically on the arm of the chair that she felt the same apprehension.
Jake remembered when he’d last been here, over a year ago. Then, he’d been brought to meet Alex Munro for the first time and had been offered the chance to work in partnership with the law firm to recover the hidden books. Munro had appeared sincere, genuine, even caring. As Jake was to discover later, that had all been a front. The only things that Pierce Randall cared about were money and power. That was how they’d built up their financial empire. For them, the hidden books of Malichea represented both money and power. That was why Jake was dangling the offer of one in front of them now.
A tall man in a neat dark suit approached them.
‘Mr Wells? Ms Graham?’ he asked politely.
‘Yes.’ Jake and Lauren stood up.
‘My name’s James. I am Ms Clark’s personal assistant. I’m to take you up to see her, if you’ll follow me.’
Jake and Lauren exchanged nervous looks as they followed the tall man towards the security gates. This was it!
James swiped his pass through a security scanner, and kept the gate open while Jake and Lauren came through. He then headed towards the lifts.
The journey up in the lift was fast and smooth. They stopped at the fifteenth floor, and followed James along a plushly carpeted corridor to a glass-walled office. He tapped at the door and announced, ‘Mr Wells and Ms Graham, Ms Clark.’
‘Thank you, James,’ said Clark.
Sue Clark hadn’t changed much since Jake had last seen her, when she’d sprung him from a police interrogation room and a charge of murder. She was a woman in her mid-twenties, wearing a smart and expensive-looking charcoal-grey suit, and with a look of intense anger in her eyes, barely hidden beneath her stern expression.
Clark indicated the two chairs on the other side of the desk, and Jake and Lauren sat down as James left.
‘On the phone you said you had one of the books to offer,’ said Clark.
‘Straight down to business?’ queried Jake. ‘No social niceties?’
‘You are accused of killing someone who was very important to this firm, and to me personally,’ said Clark curtly. ‘I have no wish for us to be friends.’ She turned to Lauren and added, ‘You and I have never met, Ms Graham, but I have heard a lot about you. Anyone who can do what you did and get away with it is someone who deserves some kind of respect.’
The sneering way that Clark said it made Lauren feel anger rising inside her. Jake was obviously aware of her reaction, because he reached out a hand and rested it on Lauren’s thigh, warning her to stay calm.
Clark turned back to Jake and said curtly, ‘Now we’ve got the social niceties out of the way, can we get down to why you’re here. You said you have a book to offer us. Why, when you’ve spent all your energies so far opposing us getting hold of them?’
‘Because I’m charged with murder,’ said Jake. ‘The books will be no use to me if I’m in prison.’
‘You want us to represent you?’
‘Perhaps,’ said Jake. ‘But right now we need to see Guy de Courcey, and we’d like you to arrange that.’
Clark shook her head.
‘We’ve advised Lord de Courcey not to have any contact with you.’
‘Why?’
‘Because you are both accused of Alex Munro’s murder, with the suggestion of conspiracy. In our opinion, contact with you could compromise his position in this case. We think it best if you and he remain separate.’
‘What if I became your client?’ asked Jake.
‘Why would we want to take on your case?’ countered Clark.
‘You’ve always said you wanted to work with me before,’ Jake pointed out.
‘That was different,’ said Clark. Then she added carefully, ‘Unless you
We really have walked right into the dragon’s den, reflected Jake nervously. He realised from the way Lauren tapped her fingers rhythmically on the arm of the chair that she felt the same apprehension.
Jake remembered when he’d last been here, over a year ago. Then, he’d been brought to meet Alex Munro for the first time and had been offered the chance to work in partnership with the law firm to recover the hidden books. Munro had appeared sincere, genuine, even caring. As Jake was to discover later, that had all been a front. The only things that Pierce Randall cared about were money and power. That was how they’d built up their financial empire. For them, the hidden books of Malichea represented both money and power. That was why Jake was dangling the offer of one in front of them now.
A tall man in a neat dark suit approached them.
‘Mr Wells? Ms Graham?’ he asked politely.
‘Yes.’ Jake and Lauren stood up.
‘My name’s James. I am Ms Clark’s personal assistant. I’m to take you up to see her, if you’ll follow me.’
Jake and Lauren exchanged nervous looks as they followed the tall man towards the security gates. This was it!
James swiped his pass through a security scanner, and kept the gate open while Jake and Lauren came through. He then headed towards the lifts.
The journey up in the lift was fast and smooth. They stopped at the fifteenth floor, and followed James along a plushly carpeted corridor to a glass-walled office. He tapped at the door and announced, ‘Mr Wells and Ms Graham, Ms Clark.’
‘Thank you, James,’ said Clark.
Sue Clark hadn’t changed much since Jake had last seen her, when she’d sprung him from a police interrogation room and a charge of murder. She was a woman in her mid-twenties, wearing a smart and expensive-looking charcoal-grey suit, and with a look of intense anger in her eyes, barely hidden beneath her stern expression.
Clark indicated the two chairs on the other side of the desk, and Jake and Lauren sat down as James left.
‘On the phone you said you had one of the books to offer,’ said Clark.
‘Straight down to business?’ queried Jake. ‘No social niceties?’
‘You are accused of killing someone who was very important to this firm, and to me personally,’ said Clark curtly. ‘I have no wish for us to be friends.’ She turned to Lauren and added, ‘You and I have never met, Ms Graham, but I have heard a lot about you. Anyone who can do what you did and get away with it is someone who deserves some kind of respect.’
The sneering way that Clark said it made Lauren feel anger rising inside her. Jake was obviously aware of her reaction, because he reached out a hand and rested it on Lauren’s thigh, warning her to stay calm.
Clark turned back to Jake and said curtly, ‘Now we’ve got the social niceties out of the way, can we get down to why you’re here. You said you have a book to offer us. Why, when you’ve spent all your energies so far opposing us getting hold of them?’
‘Because I’m charged with murder,’ said Jake. ‘The books will be no use to me if I’m in prison.’
‘You want us to represent you?’
‘Perhaps,’ said Jake. ‘But right now we need to see Guy de Courcey, and we’d like you to arrange that.’
Clark shook her head.
‘We’ve advised Lord de Courcey not to have any contact with you.’
‘Why?’
‘Because you are both accused of Alex Munro’s murder, with the suggestion of conspiracy. In our opinion, contact with you could compromise his position in this case. We think it best if you and he remain separate.’
‘What if I became your client?’ asked Jake.
‘Why would we want to take on your case?’ countered Clark.
‘You’ve always said you wanted to work with me before,’ Jake pointed out.
‘That was different,’ said Clark. Then she added carefully, ‘Unless you
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