Don't Get Caught

Chapter 15 - Ariel

My work had always been important to me. As a young woman starting out, I put in exceptionally long hours, leaving a part of my soul behind in every project I worked on. In my thirties I became what I considered to be good at my job, and finally, in my forties, a pro. One day soon, I believed I would take over from Oliver Mulligan. At least I would do, if I didn't get caught using my research for personal gain.

Now I knew some of the truth about Danny I had to find out more. While I waited impatiently for his lawyer to get in touch, I spent my time going back through all the work I'd done on the domestic abuse case from the previous years. I filed through hundreds of cases to see if I could potentially find Danny's sister and read through transcripts of interviews hoping to spot something familiar. If I found her, I could uncover more about her case, maybe even talk to her.

I didn't have much to go on as all my findings were organised by location and I didn't know where she might be from. All I knew was that her boyfriend was a policeman and he was killed. I couldn't assume she had the same surname as Danny, but I started there anyway. My search for 'Walker' drew a blank.

Four days into my personal investigation, I was interrupted by our receptionist, poking her head around the door.

"Ariel, there's a Peter Blackwood here to see you."

Flustered, I snapped the folder I had wide open on my desk shut. "Thanks, will you give it five minutes and then send him in?"

She nodded and left, allowing me a few minutes to close files I shouldn't have open and hide the incriminating paperwork. When my desk and computer were clear, I googled him. Peter Blackwood was a criminal lawyer! So perhaps Danny had given him my name after all. Not that it was unheard of for criminal lawyers to see me in my work capacity, but it was a big coincidence. I'd been so caught up in my investigations I hadn't planned for this scenario.

There was a knock on the door and Peter Blackwood emerged. I got up to meet him. He towered over me in height and was dressed in a sharp, dark suit, piercing blue eyes shone out at me. He smiled, flashing perfect white teeth. I certainly hoped he was Danny's lawyer as he had an air of confidence and charm about him that could convince any jury.

He shook my hand firmly and said my name in a beautiful Welsh accent.

Wow, when did lawyers get so hot? He must have been mid to late forties but his hair was still dark brown with no hint of grey yet. His nose was too big for his face but it didn't matter.

"What can I do for you? I see you're already sorted for coffee."

His eyes flickered to the coffee cup he had placed on my table. "Yes, all sorted. And I'm here about my client, Daniel Walker. I think you might have been expecting me."

"Yes," I agreed. "Well, not entirely. I hoped you'd come."

"You don't mind me dropping in on you at work?" he asked, eyeing the office I usually shared with a colleague. Today it looked like I was the CEO.

"I don't mind," I assured him. "In fact, it's to do with my job - the reason I told Danny to suggest you see me."

"He said you were a journalist," Peter agreed.

"An investigative journalist. And I've done a lot of work on domestic abuse. I thought some of my research might be useful."

Peter nodded slowly, but with a slight raise of an eyebrow that suggested he wasn't agreeing with me. "Maybe, but he's probably pleading guilty so not much we can do. If he does, it won't go to trial."

"But it might look favourable on him if we could show the judge all the statistics around it—what would have happened to his sister if he'd done nothing."