Court Out - By Elle Wynne Page 0,31
that I have to take over. Me! Prosecuting a murder. How on earth have I ended up with this brief?
I sit and reflect on my good fortune for a few minutes but I’m hit by thoughts of Samantha and sobered instantly. A quick call to the hospital tells me that she’s currently in surgery and won’t be able to accept any visitors who aren’t immediate family for at least a week. I ask the nurse to pass on my regards and look up the number of a local florist. I’m torn between a garish arrangement of orange and yellow lilies and calming white roses when Serena bursts through the door.
“Fancy a cuppa?” she asks, holding up my usual ‘Buffy’ mug.
I can tell she’s bored senseless by the way she’s managed to plait her hair into cornrows; an endeavour that must have taken the best part of an hour.
“Sure” I respond.
As she makes her way to the kitchen I quickly place an online order with ‘Floral and Hardy’ for an enormous bouquet of sunflowers and close my laptop. She returns with two mugs and sits at the desk opposite mine that belongs to a quite family law barrister called Malcolm. He’s very rarely in Chambers so Serena often takes over his desk when she comes in. She hands me my drink and places hers on top of a large brief in front of her, staining it with tea in the process.
“Have you heard the news?” she asks.
“Everyone’s talking about it, Sam Harte’s in hospital. Crazy. I heard that her married lover’s wife found out about their affaire and attacked her. Can you imagine! Although, Bill said that she’d been found doing loads of coke and attempted to commit suicide to prevent the scandal getting out.”
This is so typical of the Bar grapevine.
“Sorry to disappoint, but she was in a car crash. No sex, drugs or rock and roll involved.”
Serena rolls her eyes at me.
“Whatever. I bet she’s just having loads of plastic surgery.”
I throw my stapler at her.
“No, really. She had an accident last night. She’s broken pretty much everything but thank God she’ll be ok.”
Bizarrely, Serena looks quite deflated by this piece of information. Obviously the rumour mill has no use for the truth.
“You’re such a ghoul,” I add. “The reason I know is because I’ve been asked to take over from her in the Hobbs case.”
Serena’s face freezes “What?” she whispers.
“I know, I can hardly believe it myself.”
“Seriously? You, you’ve picked up the brief?”
She looks at me with an expression of absolute amazement on her face.
“Yep. God, that means we’ll be working together doesn’t it!” I laugh as I remember Serena’s role in the trial. “That’s fantastic, you’re being paid to take a note so I don’t have to!”
She winces slightly and a troubled look crosses her face. It passes and she smiles broadly.
“Well this warrants a proper drink! Come on, first round’s on me!”
“But it’s half twelve?”
“Doesn’t matter, it’s six somewhere in the world! This needs to be celebrated!”
As expected the bar already has four members of Chambers in it despite the early hour. We buy our drinks, apple juice for me and a gin and tonic for Serena and go to sit near them. I can hear them talking. Unsurprisingly, the topic of conversation is Samantha’s accident.
“Well I heard that her brakes just went and she shot across into the path of an oncoming lorry,” comments one.
“Yeah, that’s what she was apparently saying to the paramedics when they got to her,” confirms another.
“Matthew called me last night,” continues the first “Absolutely devastated. At least they haven’t got any kids to look after. He’s just relieved she’s vaguely in one piece.”
I turn my chair away from them, still feeling guilty that I’ve benefited from someone else’s misfortune. Roger’s words come floating back to me “...I’ve spoken to Corr and whilst he’s not happy about this...” What was that meant to mean? I can understand that Corr is unhappy about the whole situation, but for him to be unhappy he has me specifically? That’s a bit unwarranted. I know I’m not as senior as Samantha and there’s not much time for me to learn the ropes but... but... oh God, there really isn’t much time for me to learn the ropes. Less than two weeks to go and I’m sat in the pub? I look at Serena who, alarmingly has already polished off her g and t.
“I’d better get back. They’ve taken all of my cases out but I