Design for Murder by Roy Lewis Read Free Book Online Page A

hoped to keep the lid on that relationship, I’ll never know.’
    ‘She denied they had an affair,’ Sharon reminded him.
    ‘But she didn’t deny going to his flat. I think Abernethy had no choice other than to throw the case out of court. Anyway, it’s finished as far as we’re concerned.’
    ‘We have no other responsibility in the matter, you mean,’Sharon murmured uncertainly. ‘Even though we might have been instrumental in putting a killer back on the streets.’
    Eric grimaced. ‘Precisely. Anyway, let’s not dwell on it. The business is over and done with for us.’
    ‘It’s not quite the same for some other people,’ she commented wryly. ‘That couple at the back of the room, for instance.’
    ‘The red-haired guy doing the shouting. Yes, I gather he was the father of one of the murdered women, Jean Capaldi. But it’s time for us all to move on.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘And we’ll start by going out to dinner tonight.’
    Sharon put her head back on the chair, and her eyes held a mischievous glint as she looked at him. ‘This some way of looking for a discount from the fee I’m charging?’
    Eric laughed. ‘No, just seeking an opportunity for you to wear the dress that’s hanging in the closet in my bedroom.’
    ‘There’s only the one. Doesn’t give me much choice to create a stir in the town.’
    ‘Maybe you ought to bring more of your clothes to the apartment. To cover eventualities.’
    She smiled. ‘Maybe it’s not just my clothes that should move in.’
    ‘Permanently?’
    ‘I wouldn’t want to rush matters,’ she asserted, ‘but the way things have been going between us, maybe we could sort of start trialing the relationship a bit more intensely. I mean, one has to be careful. I might find your personal habits too gross to handle on a regular basis.’
    ‘I have been on my best behaviour while I’m with you,’ Eric admitted with a smile.
    ‘And if we’re to shack up seriously, you need to be sure that I come from the right stock. After all, you know nothing about my background. It might be more unsavoury thanyou imagine.’ She paused, the mocking tone fading and a slight frown appearing on her brow. ‘Talking of which, there’s something we should discuss. I need a lawyer.’
    ‘You are one.’
    ‘Tell me about it! But like they say, a lawyer who acts for himself has a fool for a client. I’ll tell you about it over dinner. First, I need to finish this drink, and take a shower. I feel as though a certain grubbiness has rubbed off on me. Raymond Conroy – not one of the more savoury of my clients, and that’s saying something. I’m glad we’ve more or less seen the last of that creepy, cold-hearted bastard.’
     
    They left the apartment at eight in the evening. Eric had thought about driving into Newcastle to visit one of their favourite restaurants but finally was persuaded by Sharon that it would be more sensible to use one of the brasseries that had sprung up in the High Street in Gosforth. It had changed radically over recent years, with new restaurants and pavement cafés appearing to cater for university students: a café society, in spite of the northern climate. It never seemed to affect the youngsters, Eric considered: mid-thigh skirts and low-cut tops, in spite of the whistling winds of the north. Kidney trouble in the future.
    They found a restaurant which advertised the excellence of its Mediterranean cuisine and they both settled for John Dory, agreeing also on the starters: scallops. Eric ordered a bottle of Pinot Grigio and they settled down in the surprisingly large room, decorated with scenes of Spanish and Portuguese villages and lifestyle.
    ‘Somewhat forced,’ Sharon murmured.
    ‘A Gosforth view of exotic climes,’ Eric suggested. ‘Anyway, what’s this about needing a lawyer?’
    Sharon smiled and sipped her wine. ‘It’s a bit of a long-running affair. As is often the case with family quarrels. But that’s one of the reasons