‘Good, because it won’t be. Life’s cruel—anyone who thinks otherwise is living a lie.’
‘You’re wrong.’ Possibly he was right about Chris but she wasn’t ready to let go completely. She had to believe she’d find a way back to normality, to the kind of life she’d always imagined for her future. ‘I mean, I can see why you think that way but most people lead perfectly happy lives, and even when there are tragedies, they carry on, they have friends, people they love.’
He kept his eyes on the road. He looked like he was thinking about an answer, but if he was it never materialized. It left her feeling like he’d won the point, exasperated, unable to decide whether his social skills were nonexistent or highly advanced and manipulative.
She let it drop and said, ‘So where are we going?’
‘To see Max Caflisch. He’s a lawyer, and given the circumstances, he’s agreed to meet us at his office.’
‘You said he was a friend of yours.’
‘Well, the word “acquaintance” is a little anal, don’t you think?’ He was making another of his bizarre little jokes, but this time she was smiling, then laughing. Lucas almost looked put out, as if he never really expected anyone to find him funny.
They drove into the small town. She guessed it was the same one they’d arrived in the previous day but she couldn’t be sure. It looked traditional, like something operated by clockwork. For the most part, it was quiet and empty.
Lucas pulled up behind a parked car and as he came to a stop, two people got out, a man with dark hair and glasses and a girl of about Ella’s age, obviously his daughter. The man moved quickly, opening Ella’s door for her, and as she stepped out he said, ‘Delighted to meet you, Ella, and sorry only that it couldn’t be with better circumstances. I’m Max Caflisch.’ She shook his hand. ‘And my daughter, Katharina—she’ll be a witness for us.’
‘Hi.’
Ella shook her hand too and the girl said, ‘I’m sorry to hear about your family.’
‘Thank you. And thank you, Mr. Caflisch, for agreeing to see me.’
‘Of course. Now, let’s go into my office.’ He took the key and opened the door, leading them upstairs into a small wood-paneled reception and through to his office.
Once they were sitting down he said, ‘So, with my small understanding of your legal system, I believe a clearly worded and witnessed document is more than sufficient to be legal. But I must advise you, as soon as you return home, to attend to the issue there.’
‘Of course.’
‘Good. So, you know to whom you will leave your estate?’
‘Yes, I want to leave everything to my uncle, Simon Hatto, and if he dies before me, for it to be divided equally between my cousins, George and Harry Hatto.’
He handed her a piece of paper and said, ‘Please, write their full names and addresses, and yours also.’ When she passed it back, he said, ‘Fine. Now, you must excuse me.’ He got up and left the room.
She turned in her chair, noticing for the first time that Katharina had pulled the other chair to a discreet distance and sat down. Lucas was standing near the door like he was on duty, his face betraying a total lack of interest in what was going on here.
‘You are studying at college?’ Katharina asked.
‘Yes, English literature. And you?’
Katharina smiled, ‘Law.’ Ella felt acutely envious of this girl, following in the footsteps of her genial, provincial lawyer father.
Ella had never given much thought to what she wanted to do. She’d certainly never thought of following in her father’s footsteps, not least because she’d never known the truth, had never sought it, always happy to settle for the humdrum catchall descriptions—financial services, something in the city.
And now, by default, that’s who she’d become. She’d been handed a chalice that only someone like Lucas could consider untainted. She didn’t want it, and didn’t see why she couldn’t leave it in Simon’s hands or sell her way out and carry on with her life.
When Max came back in, it took only a few more minutes and they were done. She looked at Lucas and felt embarrassed, sensing now that maybe the whole business could have waited till she was back home.
As she made towards the door, she noticed a desk laid out with leaflets. In the middle of the selection was one with a rakish-looking puppy on it, staring out beseechingly. She stopped, and Max said, ‘Yes, these are charities. Some people like to give money to charity. Of course, some people have no one else to give it to, so . . .’ He pointed at the leaflet with the puppy on it and said, ‘This is for the dogs, naturally.’