Chapter 18

I heard nothing from Milla until Wednesday. "Jack, Alex Chambers was in with me yesterday. I think we have an agreement that will suit you. Can you call in to discuss it with me?"

"Yes, I could call in about four, if that suits?"

"That's fine. I'll see you then."

I was on site most of the day and left in time to meet Milla. She cut to the chase immediately.

"Alex basically asked me what we wanted to make this all go away. He didn't put it in exactly those words, though. He was skirting around hoping we weren't going to press for a prosecution. So I asked what he was offering as a settlement. His first offer was twenty thousand, so I laughed at him and told him that the way they had dragged it out that wouldn't cover my fees this far."

"Christ, I knew you were at the top of the tree but I'll be hard pushed to cover much more Milla."

"Don't be silly, they'll end up paying my fees and David's for that matter."

"David's?"

"Yes, he was your brief when you were arrested in the first place. I'll make sure they are covered as well."

"OK, so what's this agreement you have thrashed out?"

"Graham will be discharged from the force; she'll forfeit all gratuities and pension rights. If she doesn't accept that she'll be prosecuted."

"Hang on; she has a track record of trying to get even with me for her father. That's going to give her more reason to hate me."

"Jack, if she tries anything, this will all come out and she'll go to jail. She will not want that, believe me."

"Fair enough. I just want to be able to get on with my life. It's been on hold for long enough. Get the papers drawn up and I'll sign them."

"Don't you want to know the settlement figure?"

"I'm sure you'll have done the best deal possible, I didn't go into this for the money." Milla looked a little crestfallen. "OK, OK, of course I want to know. I just don't want to appear mercenary about it."

"One hundred and twenty five thousand." "WHAT?"

"You heard."

"How the hell did you manage that? That's about ten times what I thought."

"When I mentioned I was also acting for Harry and Georgie after them being left on their own, he caved in. Basically what I've done is forfeited all other claims, including pursuing Graham for damages. That's why she's going to have to forfeit her gratuities and pension rights. You aren't the only one who wants to get on with their life. Everyone at her station knows how she set up the young probationer who came out with her. I'm pretty sure it'll be round the whole force by now. No-one will want to work with her."

"That's true. It was the same in the Navy."

"Anyway, those rights are going to offset the settlement. As I say, the whole thing goes away."

"And your fees, and David's?"

"They pay them. If this had gone to court you can guarantee they wouldn't see change out of half a million."

"Shit!"

"Look. They'd be paying for at least two barristers, theirs and ours. I'm sure Graham would retain someone as well, and as her employer they could be stuck with that bill. All we would have to do is retain two more for Harry and Georgie and they'd be totally screwed. Alex knows that. This is a good deal for them. Don't forget, we could also go after the Devon force. I'm sure we could prove they broke the Data Protection Act and haul them into it too. And that would be megabucks paying for computer experts, never mind having to give them access to the police system."

"You put that to Alex Chambers, didn't you?"

"Oh yes!" she grinned. "When I said one hundred and twenty five thou, I think he'd have written the cheque there and then, but he had to put it to the ACC first. Alex knows they haven't a leg to stand on. We have a meeting with the police again on Friday. I've made it for two o'clock. Can you make it?"

"Damn sure I'll make it. Diane wants to sell the house in Devon. The kids are really cut up about her selling off their childhood. They feel she is cutting them out of her life even more. That money might just allow me to buy it back."

"You loved that place, didn't you?"

"True. There was something more special about the time I spent down there when the children were younger. It was a little idyll; an oasis."

"How is the gym going?"

"On target to open on January the first."

"How is the hunt for staff going?"

"Fine. The franchisers have interviewed for coaching staff, but it is up to me to organise the administration and ancillary staff."

"Can you get time off to interview for them?"

"No, I've retained a recruitment agency, although I have final say on the management positions. It gives me a bit of protection from the sex discrimination legislation."

"Why do you need that?"

"It's a women only gym? I don't want male staff?"

"Good point. The courts have started interpreting it in favour of men now, too."

"I'll hold evening interviews for the senior positions, but they'll be pre-selected by the agency. Actually there are only the manager's positions to fill."

"How are you making sure you have enough staff to cover all the shifts?"

"The franchisers have a rota worked out. We'll use a combination of full time staff, job sharing, and part-time working."

"Quite the modern employer, aren't we? What prompted you to go into the ladies-only gym business, as if I couldn't guess?" I smiled, knowingly.

"I remember you very well when we were children, Jack. No-one ever got one over you," she put her hand on my forearm, "or your friends." Tears glistered her eyes, unshed. I leant in and gently kissed her. She returned the compliment with an embrace that turned me to stone, well one bit of me anyway. I held her close. "Sometimes, Jack, I wish..." I placed my fingertip to her lips.

"Shhh. It would never have worked between us. You know that."

"It could. I could make it work, Jack."

"No, Milla, it would not be fair to either of us. We would lose each other forever."

"Oh Jack! You always knew what was right for us. I love you so."

"I know. I love you too." I gave her my handkerchief. Yes, I still carry one. Knowing Milla as I do I recognised there was more to this than meets the eye. "Would you like to come home with me for supper with us?"

"I would like that very much."

Preparing supper gave Milla and me a chance to sort out details of the settlement, like when I would get the money. We also discussed the possible, or as it may now be, probable, purchase of the house in Devon.

"What exactly happened, Jack?"

"A burst pipe. It must have happened during the cold snap."

"I didn't think it got that cold in Devon." Milla looked at me with the same look she gave me in the office when she asked why I purchased the gym franchise.

"Fuck's sake, Milla! Not everything is my doing. Anyway, the usual method is arson. It's a damn sight easier. And it could easily be explained away as vagrants or hooligans." I'm not entirely sure she was convinced. But then, she probably knew more about me than anyone else, with the possible exception of David.