Alan lowered himself onto the vacant piece of bench. "The police have come up with a bizarre theory about Simon Harris' suicide," he said in a conversational tone. "They seem to think Jinx might have given his name to her father in order to have him dealt with once and for all." He glanced sideways. "However, she's persuaded them that she didn't remember anything until yesterday morning, which means neither she nor any of her friends here could have passed the information on."
Matthew looked straight ahead. "Why are you telling me?"
"Because I know how you like to keep abreast of the facts."
The young man turned to grin at him. "Plus, you don't want my cred as the clinic networker destroyed by getting the story wrong. Isn't that right. Doc?"
"I couldn't have put it better myself, Matthew."
"Well, I reckon good faith is all about justice." Matthew turned the cigarette between his fingers. "Have you ever wondered what a murderer's victims would demand if their voices hadn't been silenced? At the very least they would ask to be heard as loudly as their killers, wouldn't they?"
"There's a difference between justice and revenge, Matthew."
"Is there? The only difference I see is that justice comes damned expensive. If it didn't my father couldn't afford to keep me here."
Half an hour later, Alan stood with Jinx at her window and watched a tall, well-built man in an immaculate suit emerge from the back seat of a Rolls Royce. "Your father?"
"Yes."
"You've never explained why you call him Adam."
"What makes you think there is an explanation?"
He smiled. "Your expression every time the subject comes up."
She watched the tall figure disappear from view into the build-ins. "I wanted to punish him, so I did what God did and cursed Adam for allowing his wife to seduce him." She turned to Alan. "I was seven years old. I've called him Adam ever since."
"You were jealous of Betty."
"Of course. I didn't want to share my father with anyone. I adored him."
Alan nodded. "In spite of everything, I suspect you still do."
"No," she said, "I'm long past adoration. But I do admire him. I always have. He achieves while the rest of us get by."
"Well, I hope you recognize that he's making the first move," said Alan casually. "Will you be generous to him?"
"If I'm not, the clinic won't get paid." She smiled slightly at his expression. "Don't go sentimental on me, Dr. Protheroe. The one thing you can be sure of is that my father will never change. He'd sue if he thought you'd deliberately poisoned my mind against him."
"So what happens now?"
"I'm discharging myself. I'm not your patient anymore. I think we say good-bye."
"Where will you go?"
"Back to Richmond."
"Does your father know Miles and Fergus are there?"
"Not unless they've told him."
"If they need a good barrister, then don't forget Matthew's father. I'm told he's one of the best."
Jinx smiled and tapped her pocket. "Matthew's given me his card. I thought I'd use the gains I've made on the Franchise Holdings shares to pay his fees. Matthew says they'll be exorbitant." She shrugged. "Then with luck and a little emotional blackmail, I may persuade Adam to acknowledge Betty and the boys again once it's all over."
"You don't think it might be better to let Miles and Fergus fight this battle alone?"
"Probably."
"Then why don't you?"
"Because they're my brothers," she said, "and their mother's the only one I've ever known. It's worth another try, don't you think?"
"It depends whether you believe in the triumph of hope over experience."
"I do. Look at me. Look at Matthew."
He nodded. "Matthew's very fond of you, Jinx."
"Yes." She listened for footsteps approaching down the corridor. "But only because I have the same black eyes as his dying fox. He wants to train as a vet when he leaves here. Has he told you that?"
Alan shook his head.
"He's a sucker for wounded animals. People, he can take or leave."
"He's not so different from you then."
She gave a little jump as Adam's footsteps sounded at the top of the stairs. "On the whole," she said in a rush, "I'm not quite so prepared to leave them as I used to be. Perhaps my judgment's improving."
"That's good." He smiled down at her. "The Nightingale's achieved something then."
"Except that I don't think it was the Nightingale." She crossed to the door and stood with her back to it. "I don't always look like a dog, you know. You'd be amazed what a little hair does for me." She hesitated. "I-er-I suppose you wouldn't like to look me up in a month or two when I'm presentable?"
He shook his head. "Not really."
She blushed with embarrassment. "It was just a thought, Dr. Protheroe. Rather a stupid one. Sorry."
There was a loud knock on the door. "Jane, are you in there? It's your father."
Alan lowered his voice. "The name is Alan, Jinx, and who the hell needs hair? I only ever fantasize about bald women."
Another knock. "Jane? It's your father."
Her eyes gleamed. "I'll be with you in ten minutes, Adam," she called. "There's something I have to do first. Can you wait in the foyer for me?"
"Why can't I wait in there?" Adam Kingsley demanded.
The Nightingale's administrator lifted an eyebrow. "I'll be psychotic in two months," he murmured. "It does a man no good no keep his feelings zipped up as tightly as this. I'm in considerable pain here."
Jinx was shaking with laughter as she quietly locked the door. "It's a woman's thing, Adam," she called to him in a quivering voice. "You'd only be embarrassed."
"Oh, I see. Well, no rush," said her father gruffly. "I passed Dr. Protheroe's office on my way in. I'll have a word with him while I'm waiting."
"You do that," she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You'll like him, Adam. He's your sort of man. Straight as a die and larger than life."
-=*@*=-