Disordered Minds

'No, but we agreed I could keep the antiques and make it a mirror-free zone.' He gestured for her to sit down and placed himself in his ergonomic swivel seat. 'To be strictly accurate, she's my ex-wife, but don't let it worry you. We parted on amicable terms.' He watched her settle herself in the worn armchair and wondered why she and Jon had come to blows. She was smartly dressed in a navy blue suit, makeup had toned down the ruddiness of her cheeks and soft gray hair lay in fluffy curls on her forehead. She reminded Andrew of one of his aunts-a favorite of his-and he was predisposed to like her. 'I'd have invited you to my house, but it's in south London and difficult to find, so I thought this would be easier for both of you.'

'Is Jonathan coming?'

Andrew nodded. 'I told him twelve-thirty so that you and I could have a quick chat before he arrived.' He put his elbows on the desk and leaned forward. 'He's placed himself under a self-denying ordinance, George-keeps telling me this is your story, not his. He's happy to assist, but he wants you to write it and take the credit.' He lifted an eyebrow. 'How do you feel about that? If you have a facility with words you can make some money as well as highlighting the injustice against Howard. Jon's keen for me to act for you, and I'm willing to do so if you want to give it a shot.'

She watched him closely. 'Shouldn't you argue against that if you're his agent?'

'Not if he instructs me otherwise. In any case, he's not an easy man to argue with.'

'It sounds as if there's a 'but' coming.'

Andrew smiled. 'The book will be much easier to sell if Jon's the author. He's the one who put Howard on the map, and his publisher will be interested in a follow-up if there's good evidence that Howard was innocent.'

George shrugged. 'I didn't expect anything else. I only know how to write dissertations.' She flipped open the small case that she'd brought with her and removed a pile of notes. 'I'm quite happy for Jonathan to take what he can from these ... although I'm starting to question how valuable they are. I have a feeling I've been steered away from anything important, which is why I asked for this meeting. I hoped if we put our heads together we might come up with some fruitful leads.'

'Mm.' Andrew folded his hands under his chin. 'The trouble is, Jon wants to play the martyr at the moment. It's a very tedious side to his character. He beats himself up every time he falls short of whatever unachievable standard he's set himself. If he wasn't an atheist I'd sign him into a monastery and give myself a break.' He watched her face screw into a sympathetic twist. 'What I'd like to suggest is a joint enterprise, with Jon's name at the top because he'll be writing the book and your name underneath because you'll be providing the bulk of the research. You can negotiate percentages between yourselves, or I can give you the name of an arbiter. Either way, you should end up with a fair return for your work. Does that appeal to you?'

'Not at all,' she protested. 'I wasn't expecting to be paid when I first approached Jonathan, and I certainly wouldn't have proposed a second meeting if I thought it was going to be a discussion about property rights and money. I was hoping to do what we should have done the first time-pool information and see where it takes us.'

'Gre-eat!' said Andrew with mild irony. 'Now I have two martyrs on my hands. We have the potential for a book that can exonerate a man's name ... and no one to write it. What do you suggest I do? Postpone this meeting until I can find a ghostwriter to sit in on it and take notes? Offer the idea to another agent?'

George was a sensible woman whose only affectations were comical expressions and an inclination to giggle. 'I misunderstood,' she said. 'Do I gather the joint enterprise was less a suggestion than an order? Am I to insist on my name on the cover in order to make your friend feel comfortable?'

Andrew tipped a finger at her. 'The more insistent you are the better, as far as I'm concerned. Self-denying ordinances don't suit him. He's easier to live with when he's battling for his rights, a pain in the neck when he turns himself into a doormat.'

She looked amused. 'How's his blood pressure? Perhaps being a doormat is better for his health.'

'No chance. Sitting around twiddling his thumbs is sending it way up.'

'I'm no actress,' George warned. 'If you're expecting me to be angry, I won't be able to do it. I'm a negotiator, not a table-thumper.'

'Is that a yes?'

She shrugged. 'I suppose so ... as long as you ask him in front of me if he's still refusing to run with the project himself. I'd like to hear him say no for myself.'

'Agreed. If he does, are you willing for me to act as agent in the joint enterprise?'

'Do I have a choice?'

'Most certainly. I'm sure any agent would be willing to represent you-I can even recommend the better ones. The difficulty will be if Jon prefers to stay with me.'

'Then it'll have to be you.'

'Excellent!' He stood up and reached across the desk to shake her warmly by the hand. 'I'll have a contract drawn up tomorrow, but in the meantime you've given me authority to fight for your best interests ... which means I'd rather you said nothing until I ask for your agreement on a deal. Can you do that?'

'As long as you don't misrepresent anything I've said.'

'Other than emphasizing your insistence on a joint enterprise, there's nothing to misrepresent,' said Andrew. 'As part of the Spicer & Hardy stable, you're as valuable to me now as Jon is.'

When she looked back on it, George could only admire Andrew's skillful manipulation of his friend. As predicted, Jonathan arrived in metaphorical (and literal) sackcloth and ashes, having taken the trouble to dress down for the meeting while George had put on her glad rags, but he wasn't so crass as to draw attention to either. He merely complimented George on the work she'd done on the Cill Trevelyan story, then refused outright to take on the project when Andrew asked the question. His arguments were persuasive.

He had come across Howard by accident after reading Clinical Studies and most of his theories about the case were guesswork. To prepare a compelling rebuttal would require more definitive research, including interviews and legwork, and he couldn't commit the necessary time or energy. Andrew had worked with first-time authors before and was perfectly capable of editing an amateur up to publishable standard, or paying a mentor to help George achieve it herself. While Jonathan had a known interest in miscarriages of justice, his real commitment was to the mistakes made in the areas of asylum-seeking and economic migration. By