The Girl You Left Behind

that happen to you
     again,’ Paul says, taking a step towards her. ‘Really. I’m – I’m
     so sorry.’
    She glances up at him, her eyes narrow and
     she takes a step backwards.
    ‘What?’
    ‘Why should I trust you?’
    Before he can reply Henry is at her elbow
     and she isgone, shepherded down the corridor and into the court by
     her legal team, somehow too small in her dark jacket, blind to the fact that her
     ponytail is still half out of its band.
    Paul walks slowly across the road,
     straightening his shoulders in his jacket. Greg is standing by his car, holding out his
     scattered files and leather briefcase. It has started to rain.
    ‘You okay?’
    He nods.
    ‘Is she?’
    ‘Uh …’ Paul glances back
     towards the court, rubs at his hair. ‘Sort of. Look. I’ve got to go in.
     I’ll see you both later.’
    Greg looks at him, then at the crowd, which
     is now a loose, tame thing, people milling around and chatting as if the last ten
     minutes hadn’t happened. His expression is uncharacteristically cold.
     ‘So,’ he says, as he climbs back into the car, ‘that whole
     I’m-on-the-side-of-the-angels thing, how’s it working out for
     you?’
    He doesn’t look at Paul as he drives
     away. Jake’s face, pale against the back windscreen, gazes impassively at him
     until the car disappears from view.
    Janey is at his side as he walks up the
     steps towards the courtroom. Her hair is neatly pinned, and she is wearing bright red
     lipstick. ‘Touching,’ she says.
    He pretends he hasn’t heard her.
    Sean Flaherty dumps his folders on a bench
     and prepares to go through Security. ‘This is getting a bit out of hand. Never
     seen anything like it.’
    ‘Yeah,’ says Paul, rubbing his
     jaw. ‘It’s almost like … Oh, I don’t know. Like all this
     inflammatory crap being fed to the media is having an effect.’ He turns to
     Janey.
    ‘Meaning?’ says Janey,
     coolly.
    ‘Meaning that whoever is briefing
     journalists and winding up interest groups obviously couldn’t give a flying fuck
     how unpleasant this is going to get.’
    ‘Whereas you are all chivalry.’
     Janey looks back at him steadily.
    ‘Janey? Did you have anything to do
     with that protest?’
    The pause is just a nanosecond too long.
    ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
    ‘Jesus Christ.’
    Sean’s gaze flickers between them, as
     if he is only just registering that a whole separate conversation is taking place before
     him. He excuses himself, muttering about briefing the barrister. And it is just Paul and
     Janey in the long stone corridor.
    He runs a hand through his hair, gazes back
     towards the courtroom. ‘I don’t like this. I don’t like this at
     all.’
    ‘It’s business. And you never
     minded before.’ She glances at her watch, then out of the window. The Strand is
     not visible from back here, but the chanting of the protesters can still be heard,
     barely muffled by the buildings. Her arms are folded across her chest.
    ‘Anyway, I don’t think you can
     exactly play the innocent.’
    ‘Meaning?’
    ‘You want to tell me what’s
     going on? With you and Mrs Halston?’
    ‘Nothing’s going on.’
    ‘Don’t insult my
     intelligence.’
    ‘Okay. Nothing that’s any of
     your business.’
    ‘If you’re having a relationship
     with the subject of our claim, I think that’s very much my business.’
    ‘I am not in a relationship with
     her.’
    Janey moves closer to him.
     ‘Don’t fuck me around, Paul. You approached the Lefèvres behind my
     back, trying to negotiate a settlement.’
    ‘Yeah. I was going to talk to you
     about –’
    ‘I saw that little display out there.
     And you try to cut a deal for her, days before the ruling?’
    ‘Okay.’ Paul removes his jacket
     and sits down heavily on a bench. ‘Okay.’
    She waits.
    ‘I had a brief relationship with her
     before I realized who she was. It ended when we discovered we were on opposing sides.
     That’s it.’
    Janey studies something high up in the
     vaulted ceiling. When she speaks again her words are casual. ‘Are you planning on
     getting together with her again? After this is over?’
    ‘That’s nobody’s
     business.’
    ‘The hell it is. I need to know that
     you’ve been working as hard as you can for me. That this case hasn’t been
     compromised.’
    His voice explodes into the empty space.
     ‘We’re winning, aren’t we? What more do you want?’
    The last of the legal team is going into
     court.