As he listened to the ringing tone, he tried to recall how Jack Budgen played tennis. Steve had been concentrating on Jeannie, of course, but he remembered a fit, bald man of about fifty, playing a well-paced, wily game. Budgen had defeated Jeannie even though she was younger and stronger. Steve vowed not to underestimate him.
The phone was answered in a quiet, cultured voice. "Hello?"
"Professor Budgen, my name is Steven Logan."
There was a short pause. "Do I know you, Mr. Logan?"
"No, sir. I'm calling you in your capacity as chair of the discipline committee of Jones Falls University, to let you know that I'll be accompanying Dr. Ferrami tomorrow. She's looking forward to the hearing and she's eager to lay these charges to rest."
Budgen's tone was cool. "Are you a lawyer?"
Steve found his breath coming fast, as if he had been running, and he made an effort to stay calm. "I'm at law school. Dr. Ferrami can't afford a lawyer. However, I'm going to do my best to help her present her case clearly, and if I go wrong I'll have to throw myself on your mercy." He paused, giving Budgen the chance to make a friendly remark or even just a sympathetic grunt; but there was a cold silence. Steve plowed on. "May I ask who will be representing the college?"
"I understand they've hired Henry Quinn, from Harvey Horrocks Quinn."
Steve was awestruck. It was one of the oldest firms in Washington. He tried to sound relaxed. "A deeply respectable WASP law firm," he remarked with a small chuckle.
"Indeed?"
Steve's charm was not working on this man. It was time to sound tough. "One thing I should perhaps mention. We must now tell the true story of why Berrington Jones has acted against Dr. Ferrami in this way. We will not accept any cancellation of the hearing, on any terms. That would leave a cloud over her head. The truth must come out, I'm afraid."
"I know of no proposal to cancel the hearing."
Of course not. There was no such proposal. Steve carried on with his bravado. "But if there should be one, please be advised that it would be unacceptable to Dr Ferrami." He decided to wind this up before he got himself in too deep. "Professor, I thank you for your courtesy and I look forward to seeing you in the morning."
"Good-bye."
Steve hung up. "Wow, what an iceberg."
Jeannie looked puzzled. "He's not normally like that. Maybe he was just being formal."
Steve was pretty sure Budgen had already made up his mind and was hostile to Jeannie, but he did not tell her that. "Anyway, I got our three points across. And I discovered that JFU has hired Henry Quinn."
"Is he good?"
He was legendary. It made Steve go cold to think he was going to go up against Henry Quinn. But he did not want to depress Jeannie. "Quinn used to be very good, but he may be past his prime."
She accepted that. "What should we do now?"
Steve looked at her. The pink bathrobe had gaped open at the front, and he could see one neat breast nestling in the folds of soft terrycloth. "We should go over the questions you'll be asked at the hearing," he said regretfully. "We've got a lot of work to do tonight."
Chapter 37
JANE EDELSBOROUGH LOOKED A LOT BETTER NAKED THAN she did dressed.
She lay on a pale pink sheet, lit by the flame of a scented candle. Her clear, soft skin was more attractive than the muddy earth colors she always wore. The loose clothes she favored tended to hide her body; she was something of an amazon, with a deep bosom and broad hips. She was heavy, but it suited her.
Lying on the bed, she smiled languidly at Berrington as he pulled on his blue boxer shorts. "Wow, that was better than I expected," she said.
Berrington felt the same, although he was not crass enough to say so. Jane knew things that he normally had to teach to the younger women he usually took to bed. He wondered idly where she had learned to be such a good lay. She had been married once; her husband, a cigarette smoker, had died of lung cancer ten years ago. They must have had a great sex life together.
He had enjoyed it so much that he had not needed his usual fantasy, in which he had just made love to a famous beauty, Cindy Crawford or Bridget Fonda or Princess Diana, and