Free The Verdict by Nick Stone Page B

trade places with me right now if he could.’
    Sid Kopf smiled. His teeth were the same shade as his hair. A bright cosmetic white that looked ridiculous against his furrowed skin. He sat back a little and studied me, a distinct gleam in his eye.
    I felt sweat beading on my back.
    ‘This is already a media-intensive case. It’ll probably become a media-intensive trial. Do you know what that entails?’
    ‘I have an idea,’ I said.
    ‘Let’s say you have
no
idea,’ Kopf retorted, leaning forward. ‘You haven’t handled a media-magnet before. They’re a nightmare. There you are, trying to do the best for your client, and all the while you’ve got to keep the tabloid hacks just about on side so they don’t write the kind of prejudicial stories that’ll turn a jury. You’ve got to manage information, give them morsels, a taste but no swallowing. It’s a fine balancing act. Bella Hogan has worked media cases, twice before. And both times she’s come through with flying colours.’
    ‘Are you saying you’d like me to step aside?’ I said.
    ‘That’s
exactly
what I’m saying.’
    I couldn’t quite believe it. I almost smiled. I felt like punching the air and kissing the old man’s feet. Relief broke out in me. So I wouldn’t get to see VJ burn after all, but at least I’d have my job. I couldn’t wait to ring Karen. She’d laugh her head off at the irony, that I’d been unwittingly saved by my office nemesis.
    But, of course, here and now, I had to feign disappointment. Play at muted outrage, restrained hurt. Accepting his decision with a mere shrug and rollover would look like I was giving in too easily, lacked the ambition and fibre to stay in the job, wasn’t fit to be any kind of lawyer. I tightened my lips and jaw, to make believe I was propping up a drooping mouth – the old ‘stiff upper lip’ routine that never went out of style.
    ‘What about the ownership rule?’ I said.
    ‘I’ve made exceptions before.’
    ‘OK…’ I shrugged.
    ‘“
OK
”?’ he snorted. ‘Is that it? I’ve just suggested I might kick you off the biggest trial in the country, and that’s the best you can come up with?’
    ‘What else can I say?’ I said. ‘Your company, your rules. You don’t want me on this, fine. That’s your prerogative.’
    Kopf looked to Janet again. I didn’t know if she was smiling or frowning.
    ‘This isn’t a reflection on you or your abilities, Terry. Janet tells me you’re good. I’d like to believe it, because she wouldn’t have hired you if you weren’t,’ he said. ‘But you’re a wild card. And we don’t deal those in a case like this. We use what we know. The right barristers, the right solicitor and the right clerk. You’ve had no experience in this kind of trial.’
    ‘I understand,’ I said.
    ‘
But
…
’ He raised his hand to silence me. ‘Janet insists you’re up to the job. So I want you to tell me – are you?’
                      ‘Sorry?’
    ‘Why shouldn’t I give this to Bella?’
    ‘I can’t answer that. I’ve never worked with her,’ I said. That was the wrong thing to say. I should have turned into her cheerleader – extolled her track record, bigged up her experience at the expense of mine, persuaded him to reassign me. But I couldn’t bring myself to help out the office viper. She’d bite me anyway.
    ‘You work alongside her, don’t you?’
    ‘No. I sit opposite her. That’s the extent of our professional involvement,’ I said.
    Kopf smiled again – archly this time, telling me he knew damn well I couldn’t stand her. I think he liked my honesty. And, unfortunately, I also think he was starting to like me.
    ‘Do you want in?’
    ‘Of course,’ I said, immediately – even though my head was screaming
                            NOOOOOOOOOOO!
    He looked at Janet again, then back at me.
    ‘Good,’ he said. ‘Then welcome aboard.’
    Eh?
 
    He reached out his hand. Somewhere