For Joe, the hearing had been about getting it finished. His client had paid Joe to defend an assault allegation, expected some fight, some enthusiasm. Instead, Joe had bullied his client into pleading guilty on a promise that he would avoid prison. It was a promise Joe couldn’t keep, it was out of his control, but it got the case finished early. He called the office as he headed towards Deansgate, to see whether Gina had returned. She hadn’t. He tried her phone. It was switched off. He didn’t want that. He needed Gina with him. She was right, he shouldn’t have kept the secret, but he had, and there was nothing he could do to change that. His focus was on Mark Proctor. He had to find out more. Melissa’s number was in his wallet. He stopped as he dug it out. The traffic noise was getting louder so he hung back as he thought about calling her. He closed his eyes for a moment. He felt conflicted.
