Over the years, both George Channing and Jo Mills had got used with dealing taking on a new case as imponderables went beyond the bare facts as they were. It made a difference if Neumann Mason-Alan or Mr Machin was the opposing barrister or each other. The way the case was argued made all the difference since the defining mark of their profession was their combative nature. The other question was which judge was going to try the case as the particular balence struck by the judge was another factor making a trial like a free-floating game of poker. For example, John Deed could be irritatingly interventionist in stealing the barrister's thunder but he had a wealth of caselaw knowledge at his fingertips and that knack of getting to the heart of the matter. Monty Everard was solidly grounded and wasn't to be trifled with when he intervened. Others tended to sit back and let the two barristers slug it out, sometimes letting barristers to take Jackson was a different kettle of fish altogether as he had none of the learning of the older generation of judges and was the leading light in a new breed of judges that the two women cordially detested.
George had first found this to her cost seven years ago when she'd defended Mel Bridges, Jo's first love and a secret drugs baron against charges which, at heart, she knew to be justified. What burned itself into her mind was his declaration that he decided what was a leading question and this taught her that he covered up his basic lack of abilities by seeking to be both controlling and arbitrary. This was his way of operating and both she and Jo always flinched whenever they heard that they'd drawn him as presiding judge. Nevertheless, they did their best to battle through trials and this trial was no different to others they had endured except that George's prosecution case had prevailed.
"Tell me George, have you ever had thoughts of becoming a judge? Let's face it, if Jackson could become a judge anyone could," Jo asked sardonically of her friend in their time-honoured place of intimate discussions, the locker room where they stowed their black gowns and wigs.
"Very true Jo," George smiled freely at her friend's witticism as they pointedly made no reference to the outcome of the trial."I have thought about it from time to time but other considerations have held me back and it's not false modesty."
"Whatever other reason could there be?" asked a puzzled Jo artlessly.
"There are various reasons," George teasingly answered, placing her wig on the top shelf and drawing out her response."There'd be a drop in money for a start. I made quite a pile in the days when I was bad. My charitable 'social conscience' cases doesn't mean that I want to virtuously wear sackcloth and eat boiled rice. I also like my freedom too much to ever want to be a mere employee."
Jo laughed at her friend's display of wickedness. In her hands, these were attractive vices and this was her way of saying that she'd never become Jo's spiritual twin was a little surprised nevertheless as hadn't thought that George's ambitions had moderated over the years.
"But what about you Jo? What's holding you back?" she pursued sharply.
"Oh," Jo answered vaguely as she paused to consider."I suppose there are limits to my ambition. Committed relationships need plenty of work. Besides, my love life matters too much to me."
George laughed affectionately at the way Jo's high-mindedness came down to earth with a bump. It reminded her that her friend had loosened up a lot since the old days so that she didn't display that priggishness that had prompted George to endlessly bait her. They weren't in competition over John any more as they used to be and they were good friends. Nevertheless, she was surprised at her friend's laisser faire attitude even if the gorgeous Jane Lancaster was keeping her warm at nights.
"So you're going to appeal against the judgment," George added in flat tones, a statement rather than a question.
"You bet I will. If you don't mind me saying, your case was shaky to say the least. The evidence linking my client to the murder was circumstantial. It was completely wobbly yet he made a one-sided direction to the jury and they swallowed it hook, line and sinker."
"You said it. Another person imprisoned where he should never have been. Ah well, more work for Daddy," George said with restrained contempt in her allusion to the Court of Appeal.
At that very minute, Joseph Channing was snorting with contempt over a similar case that had landed on his desk through the legal pipeline from an Old Bailey case that was tried many months previously. This time, it was George's handiwork in the trial documents and she had appealed the judgment in her precise manner.
"Good God," he exclaimed to Monty Everard who had come sidling round for some company. "Take a look at this frightful bilge. I'm intending to reserve it for myself and it's odds on that I'd grant leave to appeal."
"Your daughter's handiwork. Don't get me wrong, her judgment is sound."
"Take a look for yourself Monty. You may end up as winger if you want to take it along with John. There's no substitute for the old gang," Joseph said, pushing the papers in the other man's direction, With practiced ease, he ran his eye over the main features of the trial and compared it with George's submission.
"This will be a quick one unless the opposing barrister comes up with a miracle. It does mean that the nincompoops amongst the police are going to have to reopen the investigation all over again and the trail has long since gone cold. What concerns me is how we can let this incompetent carry on as he is. What's worse is that he's not the only one," Monty grated out in disgusted fashion.
"The trouble is that he's a judge and he can't be sacked. The privileges that we enjoy also saved John's bacon on more than one occasion when we were more than glad of it. They also serve to protect Jackson, more's the pity," reminded Joseph with a sharp look.
"I know we're getting old," sighed Monty at last after he'd digested what his trained legal mind reminded him was the truth. It seemed apt that the setting sun was shining in through the leaded light windows and casting growing shadows into his world, "but I feel the country's going to the dogs. Second raters in all walks of life are creeping in everywhere into the system and they have no idea of atandards."
"You're sounding like Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells," chuckled Joseph, the wrinkles on his face being belied by his mental sharpness.
"I remember having a really good drinking session with John many years ago. What made it perfect was Nikki Wade and her partner Helen Stewart who were perfect company and matched our drinking as well. Very intelligent women. Those two modern minded lesbians have as much idea of standards as we have. I wonder what they're doing with their lives," Monty said with fond remembrance.
"I know what you mean. George comes round regularly with her partner Alice and we have interesting discussions,"Joseph agreed enthusiastically."The point is that we still matter. We're not dead yet."
This made perfect sense to Monty and restored his flagging spirits even set against the present influx of judges along with the state of the world in general.
"What about coming over to the pub across the road for a quick drink Jo? I weant to pick your brains about the judge's bash that's coming up in a week or so's time," George asked companionably enough. She was dressed in her formal black suit and white shirt, skirt slit at the side and whose high heels edged her up closer to Jo's height. They both had a little time on their hands with concluding one trial and the inevitable press jamboree outside court and before others came to take its place.
"Why not? I feel in the mood," Jo answered sociably.
Seated either side of a round mahogany table with wrought iron legs, both women recalled the adrenaline rush of past trials where they'd fought through personal and political feelings for high stakes. Right now, the pub was quiet and laid back as sunlight streamed through the leaded light windows and the ghosts of past conversations lingered in the corners.
"So what's on your mind George? Personally speaking, I've just about got used to my professional and private selves coexisting. I'm a bit conscious of being stared at when Jane and I come into the room and we have an unwritten agreement not to come over too gay. It's not Jane's scene so she doesn't give a shit."
"That's just it," exclaimed George in relief at this apt description of this collision of identities." John and Monty have been really good to us and Daddy will always stick up for us. Some of the others prefer to think of us as we've always been. It's Jackson and his kind that set my teeth on last time they were there, they looked on us as freaks of nature."
"I'm not sure we can do much about looks," mused Jo as she sipped her fruit juice."If they put one step over the line, either of us could squash them. We're outside the conventions of courtroom etiquette and I'm sure they're afraid of strong women. We've got strength on our side."
"I suppose you're right," conceded George before adroitly switching to another topic of discussion that made her friend smile."So how do you feel about you and Jane babysitting Rose."
"I've done my homework by talking to Trisha about their colourful account of their visit to Nikki and Helen. I'm rather looking forward to it as she sounds an interesting child and maybe it will be like the old days with my two sons," Jo said optimistically.
"So how does Jane feel about it?" asked George impishly.
"She's curious as she delivered her at St Mary's. She admits to not being used to children so she's a little bit nervous but she's content to rely on me. You know what it's like about riding a bike. Once you get the knack, you never lose it," Jo answered breezily.
"Like sex eh? Or at least the right kind of sex," grinned George as she emptied her glass.
In a couple of weeks since Claire had had a heart to heart talk with John Wade, she'd seen all the pressures of the world on his back at last start to ease as she had negotiated with Gill Wade's solicitor a way out of the log jam which her obstinacy had created. John had got reasonable access terms as she'd grudgingly conceded that there was no objective reason why she could deny him custody. After all, he'd been conventional in his lifestyle almost to a fault and she'd been made to consider that his public record and demeanour held all the aces in possible court proceedings. Claire had sensed that Gill had got the message that she was sailing pretty close to the wind in her obstructive attitude in his visits and it could rebound on her. While it was an obvious matter of pride with her to never surrender any of her prejudices, a less visible side of her personality was to duck out of a situation if it threatened her respectability. Thus it was that the flames of conflict had died down to a sense of formal politeness if nothing else for the children's sake, John had divined that while Gill demonstrated having the whip hand in family discussions, he needed to seek to quietly influence situations on his visits which imperceptibly became part of the furniture. They were less torn between their parents and learned to relax a little.
There was a further amount of haggling over John being able to take his children on outings and it was finally dinned into Gill's head that her separated husband was not out to corrupt his children and was wary of any blame being attached to him. She didn't approve of Nikki and Helen any more than she ever had but, when her solicitor confronted her with hard questioning, she couldn't come up with any cogent matter to hold against John and was driven to a fallback position of her children keeping her up to speed on his unknown to Gill, her solicitor had heard of Nikki Wade's reputation as a self-educated researcher whose abilities and connections weren't to be sneezed at.
Thus, John Wade's life had settled down to a kind of routine so that the existence of those who cared for him felt real amongst which was the periodic lunchtime meeting with his sister in some convenient pub or cafe.
"John, I'd gladly sound out a possible girlfriend for you among my contacts but there's a fatal flaw. All the women I know are into other women I'm afraid," apologised Nikki very prettily when John made a casual aside about there being an absence in his life. John blushed profusely at revealing his hidden thoughts but Nikki smiled softly and laid a comfoerting hand on his. It was a shame, he reflected with the honesty that had come to be habitual over the last number of years that he wasn't God's gift to women. He ruefully reflected on the fact that his sister always had been. He might have been priggishly jealous at one time and gone into reality denial but now he openly admitted his sense of inferiority in this respect.
"So what do I do, Nicola?" he said at last. in Nikki's eyes, this was a huge admission for his proud nature as Nikki's soft brown eyes acknowledged this with great respect. The Wades were a proud lot and this wasn't always a force for the good. The problem was that Nikki was short of practical answers as all she knew was the Chix ambience but she promised to think about it.
While John was out at lunch, Claire Walker had received a phone call about the latest judges' bash and smiled with satisfaction. She had originally accepted this invitation to a social event as an honour to her firm. She also saw that solicitors in her practice could socialise with barristers and judges who it was was to view through the formality of antique robes and ancient formalities as august 'd originally considered the work the layers did as some were attracted to the comfort zone of steady conveyancing work while others enjoyed the bargaining skills of matrimonial case and only a few bolder souls liked the leap into the unknown of court work and acting as reliable lieutenants of barristers who did the cut and thrust work in court. John Wade had internalised from his previous firm how not to handle court work and had come into his own since he'd joined her firm and had understood the nuances of court cases. Barristers had overcome their initial reluctance to take him on but he'd persevered and had developed a good reputation in his quiet way. He was natural first choice along with a couple of others.
"Hi John. You're up for the judges bash a week on Saturday? Peter's coming as well from his firm,"Claire asked him lightly.
"Count me in. I rather enjoy them unless you think I'm hogging the position," John replied. Claire looked closely at the man. Others were reluctant to give up their weekend preoccupations although others would express a vague interest which might not mean too much. She knew that he didn't have many outside distractions but on the other hand, his company was welcome and that was the main thing.