Dead in the Water by Stuart Woods Read Free Book Online Page B

without.." you know?" "I wouldn't worry about it. Leslie is very sharp when his mind is fully engaged. He'll manage." "God, I hope you're right." The phone rang, and picked it up. "Hello?" "It's Bill; I've got you a guy, but.." has this client of yours got any money?" "Iaybe." '
    "Maybe won't do it. This guy's fee is a retainer of two hundred thousand pounds sterling against an hourly
    'fee of two hundred pounds an hour, and travel time counts; he wants the retainer in his bank account before he even makes an airline reservation."
    "That's a fee of more than three hundred fifty thou sand dollars plus more than three hundred fifty dollars an hour. He must be an absolutely fucking wonderful lawyer," Stone said.
    "That's what he tells me; what do you want me to tell him?"
    i::'
    "If I had my druthers I'd tell him to go fuck himself,
    but I guess I'd better ask my client first." '
    "The fee is not out of line, Stone. After all, you're asking a top-flight barrister to fly halfway across the
    world on short notice and to stay indefinitely. A top
    ' New York man would cost at least that. Oh, by the way,
    he'll want to bring a clerk with him; that's seventy-five pounds an hour."
    "And he'll want to fly first class, too, I suppose." "Of course."
    "Tell him you'll get back to him after I've talked to my client."
    "Okay. When will you want him?"
    "We'll probably get a trial date set today," and it could be soon; things move quickly here."
    "I'll tell him. See you." Eggers hung up.
    Stone turned to Thomas. "Well, I hope her husband turns out to have had a hell of a lot of money."
    Thomas Hardy pulled into the Government House parking lot simultaneously with Sir Leslie Hewitt, who was driving an ancient Morris Minor station wagon festooned with rotting wood paneling.
    "Good morning, Leslie," Stone said, getting out of Thomas's car.
    "Good morning, Stone, Thomas," Sir Leslie called back. He reached into the rear of the little car and removed a long plastic garment bag and a small suitcase, then led the way into the building.
    They signed in to the jail, were searched for weapons, then were led to a small cell that held a table and four chairs.
    A moment later Allison Manning was led into the cell by a black matron. She was pale and rumpled and seemed to have had little sleep. She went to Stone and put her head on his shoulder. "I am so glad to see you," she whimpered.
    Stone patted her back awkwardly, then introduced
    Sir Leslie, "Sir Leslie is going to represent you at ithe hearing and apply for bail," he said.
    She shook the banister's hand. "Thank you so much
    here, Sir Leslie," she said.
    "I am happy to represent you," the little man replied. "Please sit down, and I'll tell you what is going to happen this morning." Everyone sat down, and Sir Leslie continued. "This will be a short meeting of the court at which the presiding judge will ask the prosecutor if he has sufficient evidence to bring a charge of murder to trial. Then we will ask for bail, and I'm told you have a yacht which might serve as your security."
    "Wait a minute," Stone said. "Won't the prosecution have to lresent evidence of the crime? I was hoping we might get a dismissal."
    "Oh, no," Sir Leslie replied. "The judge will simply take Sir Winston's affidavit that he has enough evidence for trial; it's all very gentlemanly."
    "It's all very unheard cfi" Stone said.
    "Stone, you must understand that although our court system is based on English law, over the years, in the interest of efficiency, certain procedures that the court thinks superfluous have been pared away from the process."
    "Superfluous? This court thinks that the presenting of evidence in a preliminary hearing is superfluous?"
    "I'm afraid so," Sir Leslie said. "I assure you that if Sir Winston wants this to go to trial, it will go to trial, no matter what evidence might be presented, and no matter how we might challenge that evidence."
    "Leslie," Stone said, "this crime--I mean the alleged crime--occurred