A Chance Encounter: Hide or Confront? (Julianna Baptiste Series Book 1) by Rae Shaw

Author:Rae Shaw [Shaw, Rae]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Spare Time Press
Published: 2021-03-23T16:00:00+00:00

23

Julianna

The last place Julianna wanted to be on a wet afternoon was stuck inside a car. Even though it was a luxury vehicle, she wasn't comfortable being cooped up. Her twitchy legs needed exercising. There were other drawbacks: when she drove, she didn't get to choose the radio station. She was a taxi driver without any perks.

Her first pick up at 4 p.m. was Sophia Crawford, long term girlfriend of Luke Haynes, and close friend of Hettie. Sophia's office was in Aldgate. A narrow building slotted amongst other equally unremarkable facades that stretched along the street. She waited outside at the appointed time. Hooting the horn was forbidden, as was texting to alert anyone of her arrival. Julianna couldn't demand a passenger hurry up. Her time wasn't precious; it was already paid for.

Sophia dashed out of the office under the cover of an umbrella. Julianna held the rear car door open for her. She didn't need to be told where to go, she had the itinerary printed on a sheet. Holland Park, then onto Fasleigh, far outside the city. The children had gone on ahead with the nanny in a car driven by Tess, hence the need for an extra driver. The family was gathering for the weekend.

Before collecting Hettie, she and Sophia had half an hour alone in the car. Julianna itched to ask Sophia about Mark's father, but it wasn't her place to initiate conversations. Her analytical mind buzzed with a barrage of questions, especially about the mysterious witness Sophia had successfully tracked down. The minutes ticked by, wasted minutes. She tried a smattering of random coughs and tapping her fingers on the steering wheel.

‘So,’ said Sophia, dropping her mobile out of sight, ‘done any more investigations?’

Julianna avoided a wandering cyclist with a gentle swerve before answering. ‘Yes, just finished one today with Mark. Dodgy investments, skimming profits and tax evasion.’

In the mirror, Julianna saw Sophia sweep her hand over her head in a mock gesture. ‘Beyond me.’

‘Your clients aren't into that kind of thing, I guess.’

‘Mine? Er, no. It's mainly petty, repeat offenders. Never their fault, of course. Always the police that stitched them up. I'm their agony aunt, a shoulder to cry on.’

‘Couldn't do that myself.’ Julianna was the tough arm of the law. The cynic in her would listen to those sob stories and pitiful excuses, and shrug them off.

‘Neither can I sometimes.’ The laugh was half-hearted. ‘Taking responsibility is sadly not part of a criminal's psyche. They feel forgotten by society, and will take what they can. To be honest, I can't blame some of them.’

‘Except the violent ones?’

‘Yes, except them.’ Sophia's voice drifted away behind the roar of a motorcycle.

Julianna decided to use the acknowledgement. ‘Mark's father must have been a disappointment?’

‘For Mark, naturally, but I wasn't the slightest bit surprised to confirm his guilt. The evidence Mark passed on to me was pretty damning.’

‘If you don't mind me asking, how did your find that witness? Eight, nine years, have passed, and nobody else managed.

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