Prey to All by Natasha Cooper Read Free Book Online Page B

now. For the moment, Trish belonged to Magnus Hirson and his four-year-old son, Alex. She found them waiting with their solicitor outside the court, only about five yards away from Angela Hirson and her team.
    The two adults were carefully not looking at each other.
Alex was standing pressed against his father’s knee, staring at his mother in terror. Magnus had his right hand loosely draped over Alex’s shoulder. The boy was holding his father’s index finger in both hands. Trish had been determined to keep him with his father ever since she had read the brief, but the sight of him doubled her need to win. She wished Magnus hadn’t brought him, but she knew why he’d done it. The sight of such a child, so small and so vulnerable, occasionally made the aggressive parent think again. Alex’s nanny was waiting in the background, ready to take care of him while his parents’ lawyers fought over his future.
    Trish acknowledged the nanny with a slight smile, then set about talking to Magnus and his son, trying to ease the tension that was wound round them both like binding twine.
    The judge, a man Trish had known for a long time, listened patiently and smiled impartially at the two barristers and the court welfare officer as they spoke. Trish tempered her passionate determination with the sort of cool rationality she knew he liked. But in the end he went against her.
    She couldn’t believe it. She turned to her client. His face was white, stricken, but his eyes were blazing. Trish kept her own eyes still as he glared at her, the anger scorching her.
    Outside he put his hand on his son’s head, stroking the soft pale-brown hair and murmuring quietly that he would be seeing more of Mummy now and wouldn’t that be nice?
    ‘No,’ he wailed, with a noise like a seagull. He didn’t fling his arms around his father, just pressed himself tightly back against Magnus’s legs. ‘No.’
    Trish knew she should be used to this by now, but it hurt as much as it ever had. She moved slowly backwards, feeling a faint current of air from the flapping of her skirt. Magnus caught the movement and turned away from his desperate son for a second.
    ‘Goodbye, Ms Maguire,’ he said casually, not even trying to hide his feelings.
    Alex had dug his toes in and was being literally dragged away from his father’s side.
    ‘Come on, Trish,’ the solicitor whispered in her ear. ‘You can’t do any more. And this time it’s only for tea. He’s not being wrenched away for ever. He’ll get used to it before the move’s made permanent. Children always do.’
    They turned away and went downstairs.
    ‘It breaks your heart,’ said the solicitor, ‘I know. But you did your best, Trish. There’s no point tearing yourself apart over it.’
    ‘Hard not to in a case like this.’ Trish held out her hand. The solicitor shook it and they parted.
    Phil Redstone, she thought, forcing her mind away from Alex and his father. Thank God there was always more work and no time to think about lost cases.
    Phil’s chambers were quite close to hers, so she called in on her way back and asked the head clerk if she could write Mr Redstone a note. She was invited to use the table in the waiting room and sat down to the task.

    Dear Phil,
    Sorry I couldn’t stop. I had a residence hearing. Lost it. Happens to us all.
    I don’t know if you’ve heard about my research into the Deborah Gibbert case, but it’s nothing do with any appeal. Just for a telly programme about the law. There’s no witch-hunt. In any case, I don’t suppose there are any witches to go after, if you see what I mean.
    Let’s have a drink some time. El Vino’s? Give me a ring and let me know, if you’d like to.
    Best, Trish

    She hoped that would keep him reasonably happy. Her own clerk was waiting when she got back to chambers. When she told him what had happened to the Hirsons, he shrugged, saying: ‘Pity. But still, win some, lose some.’
    Trish had to grip her hands together