Part of me wants to say yes, but my professional pride stands in the way. ‘No, not just yet. I’ll see how I get on with him today.’
‘You need to try to convince him to accede to some of the points.’ Leonard fixes me with one of his stares. ‘Remind him that it will do neither him nor us any favours if we end up with egg on our face over a fucking dismissal that has been blown out of proportion.’
‘I take it you don’t want me to quote you on that,’ I say, in a bid to lighten the mood.
I get Leonard’s infamous death stare. ‘Just get on with it.’
I know Tom has shot a look my way, but I avoid eye contact as Leonard leaves.
‘So, when did you become the henchman?’ asks Tom.
‘Take no notice of Leonard,’ I say. ‘He’s in a bad mood and throwing his weight around, as he likes to do from time to time. I’ve known him long enough not to let it bother me.’
‘He’s not been himself lately,’ says Tom.
‘How do you mean?’
‘More stressed than usual. I went in to speak to him the other day about something and I don’t know what he was up to, but he nearly shut his own fingers in the lid of his laptop, he slammed it down so fast and hard when he saw me. And then he shoved a load of papers into a folder and grumbled about not wanting to be disturbed.’
‘Really? That’s not like him. To be honest, I haven’t noticed anything different. He’s just the same as always, sugar one minute, arsenic the next.’
‘How’s things at home with Alice?’
‘Funny you should mention Alice,’ I say. ‘I’ve been meaning to ask you all week about that conversation you had with her at the party. The one in the garden?’
‘What about it?’
‘Just wondered what you two were talking about. It looked very serious. Poor old Alice had to go and have a lie-down afterwards.’
‘Ah, now that would be telling,’ says Tom, with a wink. ‘Anyway, I asked you first. Is this you trying to deflect the question?’
We eye each other for an uneasy few seconds, as an undercurrent of tension ripples between us. I fold first.
‘There’s nothing to tell, really,’ I say. Tom raises his eyebrows and I relent. ‘Okay, I’m still adjusting, that’s all.’
‘How’s everyone else getting on with her?’ Tom sits down in the chair.
‘Good.’ What else can I say?
‘Leonard seems to be making a fuss of her,’ says Tom.
‘Really? In what way?’
‘Didn’t you know? Shit, sorry. I think I may just have put my foot in it.’
‘You’ll have to tell me now.’
‘I saw them having a coffee together, over the road at the deli.’
‘When was that?’ I’m surprised that Leonard hasn’t mentioned it, but even more surprised that Alice herself hasn’t said anything.
‘Erm, last week. Friday, I think. They didn’t see me. I was going to grab a coffee, but they looked so engrossed in their conversation that I detoured to the little café down the road. Didn’t like to disturb them.’
‘Really? Alice never said she’d met Leonard. Wonder what that was all about?’ It seems odd that they would meet up and, not only that, but not to meet at the office either.
‘Maybe it was something to do with the trust fund. Which reminds me, I forgot to say, when I went into Leonard and he was all cagey about those files, I’m sure there was a client’s account statement with your Mum’s name on it amongst those papers.’
‘Well, that’s easily explained,’ I say, feeling the need to put some sort of order and reason behind Leonard’s actions. ‘He’s the trustee for the trust fund; he was probably just checking some figures. Maybe it’s even to do with the meeting he had with Alice.’ My voice reveals a hint of scepticism on my part. Although this is what I want to believe, I can’t help feeling that I’m not seeing the whole picture. It doesn’t explain why the meeting was not at the office or why Leonard, according to Tom, was cagey.
‘I just thought it was a bit odd,’ says Tom.
I sigh and lean back in my chair, tapping my biro on the edge of the desk. ‘I don’t know what that’s all about, but then, that seems par for the course lately,’ I say. ‘Maybe it’s to do with the trust fund. Now she’s back, she’ll be entitled to her share. It’s due to be paid out sometime next year, March I think. Leonard has all the details.’
‘Ah, that’s probably it,’ says Tom.
‘No doubt,’ I say, although I’m not sure either of us is entirely convinced. The secrecy around the meeting is nagging at me. Tom, being the sharp-minded solicitor, is probably struggling with the same point. ‘I really ought to get on.’ I shuffle some papers on my desk, indicating that the conversation has drawn to a close. Tom takes the hint and rises from his seat.
‘So, nothing from the deli, then?’