We were all a bit tense, not quite sure what anyone else actually knew, concentrating on plates and knives and ‘Have you got a napkin?’‘I’ll just get the strawberry jam,’ type conversation. Polite and, particularly to those who didn’t like jam, meaningless chitchat.
And then Fabian started. ‘This is all my fault,’ he said. ‘I was arrogant enough to think I could keep Darren Singleton’s lot at arm’s length.’
‘But what did they want from you?’ I asked. ‘What have you got that they wanted?’
‘What do youthink, Jess?’ Robyn tutted.
‘I’ve no idea. The White House?’
‘After I’d been able to refer Joel Sinclair to the National Referral Mechanism and managed to show he was a victim of modern slavery, Singleton’s lot were after me to join them.’
‘Right?’
‘They’d pay me exceptionally good money to work for them.’
‘Youknow, Jess! Don’t be thick.’ Robyn was obviously stressed. ‘Like Tom Hagen inThe Godfather?’
‘You’re the literary one round here,’ I snapped, smarting at being called thick.
‘Well, you must have seen the film, Jess,’ Mum interrupted, giving Robyn a warning look.
‘I’m probably the only one on the planet who hasn’t,’ I said. ‘Fill me in.’
‘Tom Hagen was the Corleone’s family solicitor.’
‘Consigliere,’ Fabian put in. ‘Basically, Jess, I was being offered a load of dosh to defend an organised crime network that appears to be getting bigger all the time.’
‘You turned them down?’ I asked.
‘’Course he turned them down, Jess! For heaven’s sake.’ This from Robyn.
‘I was polite, tried to keep out of their way, but he was fairly insistent.’
‘Henry was?’ I asked. ‘Darren, I mean?’
‘He’s just a small fish in probably a much bigger pond. Thinks he’s a head honcho but, as far as I can see, he really isn’t overly bright. He certainly isn’t at international level.’ Fabian gave a little laugh. ‘But yes, he was the one I met on a couple of occasions.’
‘Really?’ I pulled a face. ‘A blooming big posh house, to say he’s a tiddler. Where do the sharks and whales live then?’
‘Oh, London, Spain, Italy. All over the place. Ndrangheta, one of the world’s most powerful criminal organisations, is based in Calabria, Italy and dominates the European cocaine trade. Apparently launders billions through companies, construction projects, and international real estate.’
‘You seem to know enough about it, Fabian,’ Mum said, obviously worried.
‘Part of my job; all part of my law training,’ Fabian replied seriously. ‘A world I’m not interested in.’
‘I should think not,’ Robyn snapped. ‘I told you all along not to take Joel’s case on.’
‘So, is this Henry bloke part of this Ndrangheta gang then?’ Mum asked.
‘I wouldn’t know,’ Fabian said tiredly. ‘I doubt it very much. Darren Singleton’s pretty insignificant really. The National Crime Agency will question him to find out what he knows, I would think. Hope he leads them to the really bad boys, but I doubt he’ll be able.’
‘So, when you politely turned down his job offer – what then?’ I leaned forward, my croissant untouched.
‘Oh, the usual…’
‘Theusual?’ Mum looked horrified. ‘Not a horse’s head in your bed?’
I actually laughed out loud at that. ‘Horse’s head?’
