One Tango by Stephen Leather

Author:Stephen Leather [Leather, Stephen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2010-03-25T00:00:00+00:00

"Yeah, it'd look better turned around," said Donovan.

"It's just something to look at. Makes the clients feel that we've got a creative side."

Donovan chuckled.

"You've got that all right," he said. Patterson's creativity had got him out of more than his fair share of scrapes, especially when he'd been named as Tango One.

There was a double knock on the door. It opened before Patterson had time to react, and Julia Lau walked in. She was one of the most unattractive women that Donovan had ever seen. She was overweight, bordering on obese, and her thighs rubbed together in a dark green trouser suit as she waddled over to the sofas, clutching a stack of files and notebooks to her large chest. Her face was almost circular, with thick-lensed spectacles perched precariously on the end of a bulbous nose. When she smiled she showed a mouthful of grey teeth.

"Mr. Donovan, so happy to meet you," she said, extending a hand. Her accent was faultless, pure English public school.

Donovan shook hands with her. She had pudgy, sausage-like fingers with ornate gold rings on each one and fingernails that were bitten to the quick.

"Laurence has told me so much about you."

Donovan looked at Patterson and arched an eyebrow.

"Has he now?"

"Just that you were a valued client with a matrimonial problem," said Patterson.

Lau dropped her files and notebooks on to the coffee table and lowered herself down on the sofa next to Donovan. It creaked under her weight and Donovan found himself sliding along the black leather towards her. He pushed himself away from her to the far end of the sofa.

Patterson handed Lau the injunction and she read through it quickly, her brow furrowed. Donovan looked across at Patterson, who nodded encouragingly. Donovan shrugged. Lau clearly hadn't been hired for her looks, so he could only assume that she was a first-class lawyer.

"Your wife says she believes that you intend to take your son to Anguilla. Is that true?"

"I have a house there."

"But your matrimonial home is here in London?"

"If you can call it that," said Donovan bitterly.

"It didn't stop her screwing my accountant there."

"Your primary residence is here in the UK, though? Is that the case?"

"It's complicated."

Lau peered at him over the top of her bottle-bottom lenses.

"Try to enlighten me, Mr. Donovan. I'll do my best to keep up." She flashed him a cold smile.

Donovan nodded, accepting that he had been patronising.

"I'm sorry. Yes, the family home is in London, but for various reasons I don't spend much time in the country. I have a home in Anguilla Robbie and his mother have stayed with me there for weeks at a time. I don't see why he shouldn't be allowed to go there now."

Lau nodded thoughtfully. Her lips had almost disappeared, leaving her mouth little more than a fine horizontal slash.

"I think it might be best if you enlighten Julia as to the nature of your problems in the UK," said Patterson.

Donovan grimaced.

"Den, it stays in this office," said Patterson.

Donovan sighed.

"Okay." He turned towards Lau.

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