Mikael’s choice of café was a trendy converted warehouse that was frequented by his peers, who would all leave him alone, knowing that he wouldn’t want small talk this morning or best wishes for the day.
‘This is near the hotel where my brother and Trinity are,’ Layla commented.
‘Now do you see why I wanted you in different clothes?’ Mikael said, and she nodded. ‘Don’t worry,’ he added, ‘even if we see them, you’re having your week.’
Heads turned as they walked in. Not because Mikael was with a woman, more because Mikael was with a woman this close to the end of a trial—and what a woman she was!
Waving and smiling to anyone who caught her eye, Layla was surprised when they didn’t wave back.
‘Are you nervous about today?’ Layla asked, but then the waiter handed her a menu. She looked at it for a moment and then handed it back to him. ‘I can’t read or write English,’ she said, and beamed.
Mikael watched as Joel just about fell to the floor as she aimed her smile at him.
‘I’ll order,’ Mikael said, because Joel would clearly be only too happy to go through the entire menu for her. ‘Just fruit and pastries,’ Mikael said, ‘and two coffees—and two on sub. Actually, just a regular cappuccino for my guest,’ he said, because he always had an extra shot, and a high-on-caffeine Layla he wasn’t sure he could handle.
‘You drink a lot of coffee,’ she commented.
‘Because I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night,’ he said, and then realised what she meant. He had ordered four coffees. ‘Two are on sub…’
Mikael let out a breath as she frowned. Just one easy conversation where he didn’t have to explain everything would be welcome, but that wasn’t going to happen this century.
‘If someone needs a coffee and they don’t have any money then they can ask if there are any on sub.’
She still looked bemused.
‘Do you have homeless people in Ishla?’
‘I believe so, but my father refuses to discuss those sort of issues with me.’
Those sort of issues.
Mikael was less than impressed when she wrinkled up her nose.
‘They’re people, Layla,’ Mikael said. He didn’t order those coffees without reason. How much easier would his life have been had he been able to get a warm drink or a sandwich just by asking. For a long while Mikael had scrimped or scavenged for every morsel. He remembered that every time he ordered food, and he did not take kindly to some pampered princess screwing up her nose.
‘Of course they are people,’ Layla said, ‘but it is an issue, no?’ She shrugged her shoulders, but not in a dismissive way. ‘I am not to worry about such things, apparently.’
She looked over to him and Mikael realised that again he had misread her when she spoke on.
‘But I do.’
The coffee was lovely, Layla declared, thanking Joel profusely for the shake of chocolate on the top of her frothy milk. ‘What an amazing combination,’ Layla said, as if Joel himself had invented cappuccino.
‘You didn’t answer me before,’ Layla said once Joel had gone. ‘Are you nervous about today?’
‘I’m never nervous,’ Mikael said.
‘Never?’
‘No.’ He shook his head. ‘I’m prepared for today.’
‘Good! So I will start my magical week listening to you in court. I’m looking forward to it so much.’
She wasn’t being sarcastic, but Mikael took a second to realise it.
‘Layla—’ he started, because what had seemed the most sensible idea when he had fallen asleep in the small hours felt more than a touch uncomfortable now. ‘Some of the things that I say today…some of the things you might hear..’
‘It’s fine!’ she dismissed.
‘It’s really not fine…’ He breathed out, for today he was going to discredit the deceased. Today was not a day during which Mikael would be endearing himself to anyone. But immediately Layla waved his concerns away.
‘I’ve been following the trial. I know what he did.’
‘What he’s accused of doing,’ Mikael corrected, but she just shrugged.
‘He should be fed to the dogs!’ she said, and then looked straight at him. ‘And in my country that isn’t just a saying.’
The whole café seemed to fall silent as the impossible happened.
Mikael Romanov laughed.
At seven a.m. near the end of a trial.
‘So,’ Mikael said as their breakfast was served, ‘apart from dancing and getting drunk, what else is on your bucket list?’ He chose to explain that before she asked him to. ‘Your to-do list.’
‘Oh…’ Layla smiled. ‘This.’
‘What?’
‘This is on my list—I wanted to share a meal in a restaurant with a sexy man. But in my plan it was in the evening and we were holding hands.’
‘This is a café,’ Mikael said, ‘and I don’t hold hands. What else?’
‘I’m not telling you,’ Layla said, popping blueberries in her mouth.
‘Go on,’ he pushed, ‘tell me.’
‘If you take me dancing tonight I will tell you some more.’
‘I’m not dancing till the jury is in,’ Mikael said, ‘and if today goes well then you’ll be long gone by then.’
‘Then you won’t ever find out.’ Layla shrugged.
‘How about dinner tonight?’ he offered.
‘Somewhere romantic?’ Layla checked.
‘I don’t do romance.’
‘Oh. Well.’ She shrugged again. ‘Your loss. I might have to find another person to fulfil my wishes.’
* * *
When they arrived at chambers a rather bemused Wendy took Layla over to the court while Mikael showered and changed into a fresh suit, and then he sat for a long quiet hour going through everything in his mind, over and over. He scratched out phrases, honed in on words, re-examined every angle, just to plant that seed of beyond reasonable doubt.
As court resumed Mikael glanced up at the public gallery just once to check that she was there.
She was smiling down at him.
In black robes and a wig Mikael looked even more incredible than he had when he had been on her computer.
His voice, when finally he commenced his closing argument, had the goosebumps rising on Layla’s arms, for it was rich and deep and reached every corner of the courtroom. It was her privilege to sit, absolutely mesmerised, as Mikael set to work.
On many occasions throughout the long day Mikael rather wished that Layla had left, for what he had to say was not pretty.
There was a furious audible gasp from the gallery as he reminded the jury of a witness’s testimony—an ex-boyfriend of the deceased had stated that she preferred her sex rough.
God, no wonder he was loathed by so many, Mikael thought as the lights in court seemed to flicker as social media lit up, demanding that Romanov’s guts should be hated.
Still he did not look up