than she’d expect, even though the judge’s wife was clearly used to entertaining at a moment’s notice, judging by the way she automatically presented canapes and drinks.
“We didn’t have any more children. I couldn’t go through that again, or put another poor baby through the suffering.”
Dan seemed almost deflated, as if his anger had dissolved into compassion for Pascoe’s wife. He moved to the lounge chair beside her.
“We believe that your husband fathered a baby with my mother. She was stillborn, from the same tumor.”
“That is pure nonsense,” the judge declared, as if he were in control of everyone present. “This is a malignant effort to extort me during a trial. I’ll have your balls on a platter before this night ends.” He pulled a mobile phone from his pocket and dialed.
“Then just agree to the DNA test and it’ll be settled,” his wife snipped.
He abruptly ended the call.
Mrs. Pascoe turned to Dan. “Who was your mother?”
“Therese Brody, well, she was Therese Robilliard back then.”
“We used to play tennis when we were in our teens. Then she went away and when she came back she was married to William, her mixed doubles partner. There were rumors, of course, about her being ‘in trouble,’ as we used to say, but they didn’t have a child for a few more years. I remember because she was lovely. Unlike the others in the Catholic club, Therese never had a bad word about anyone.”
“What do you want, Brody? Let’s lay it on the table, then you can get out.”
Anya couldn’t believe he could be so dismissive of a child he had just found out was his. He assumed Dan wanted money and that would make him go away, and he could pretend that none of this had happened.
She couldn’t hold her tongue. “Judge, we came here to-”
“Anya, wait. Let’s see what he has to say.”
The judge hobbled over to a desk bureau and removed a checkbook. “How much do you want?”
“How much are you offering?” Dan asked.
Anya felt nauseated. How could Dan accept money from a man who had raped his mother? At this moment she realized how little she knew him. She stood to leave.
“Sit, Anya.” He sounded like the judge. “We’re not finished yet.”
“You may not be-”
“So your little man-hating friend wants to be paid off as well.”
“Before you sign anything,” Dan said, “how did you come to get my mother pregnant?”
“How the hell do you think? It was years ago, and before contraception. We were young. I barely even remember. In our day we all sowed our oats. From what I hear, you’re rather an expert at that yourself. Do you remember every detail of every woman you’ve ever slept with? At least I recall your mother’s name.”
It sounded as if Therese was privileged to have him remember that much. The arrogance of the man was overwhelming.
“Plenty of girls back then would have given their all to catch someone with money from a good family. And many did.”
The man spoke with no deference to his wife, whom he seemed to forget was in the room. She kept unnervingly silent.
“Did you go out often? I gather your family knew my grandfather, Judge Eugene Robilliard.”
“That’s right. My parents thought it could help my career if I got in with the judge, so I agreed to take your mother out. She used to have your no-hoper father salivating after her, and your grandfather wanted me to break them up.”
“Seems you failed.”
Anya tried to read Dan. One minute she thought he would take a bribe, now she wasn’t so sure.
“You claim I got her pregnant, but we only went out once. The odds aren’t too convincing. And retinoblastoma can occur sporadically.”
“With respect, Mr. Pascoe, may I ask what my mother was like? I always thought she was shy and reserved.”
Pascoe scoffed. “The quiet Catholic ones were always the biggest surprise.”
Dan sat still. Anya suspected he would launch at the judge at any second.
“Go on, I mean, did she make the first move?” Dan smirked. “I must have got my roving eye from somewhere.”
Mrs. Pascoe shifted in her seat, clearly uncomfortable.
Pascoe’s glass eye wandered as he seemed to be remembering. “If you want to know, we had sex in the car and she wanted to go straight home afterward.”
The judge’s wife closed her eyes and covered her face with one hand. “Oh my God, Philip, what did you do?”
The veins in Dan’s neck and forehead were bulging.
Seemingly oblivious, the self-absorbed judge shrugged. “She was dull so I didn’t bother calling her again. The first I’ve heard since is you turning up alleging I fathered her bastard child.”
“You son of a bitch, you raped my mother.” Before Anya could stop him, Dan crossed the floor and punched Pascoe to the floor.
The older man lay moaning, holding his jaw. “That’s assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm. And you were fool enough to do it in front of a witness.”
Anya bent down to help the judge up, who pushed her hand away. What she saw on his face was sheer hatred. She couldn’t help Brody now, he’d gone too far. God, why did he have to hit the judge?
Anya looked up to see Dan panting, as though he were waiting for Pascoe to get up so he could hit him again.
“Get off the floor, Philip, you’re making a fool of yourself.”
“Penny? You saw him come at me. Unprovoked. A man with one eye, he could have blinded me with one hit. Call the police. Right now!”
“Philip, I don’t know what you’re talking about. All I saw was you topple over. That prosthesis can be tricky to balance on.”
“Don’t do this, Penny. You’ll regret it.”
The mouse-like woman stood over her husband. “No more than I regret marrying you. You are a bully, no more, no less. Be man enough to admit that you raped Therese.”
Anya stared at Dan in disbelief.
“I’m not admitting anything. His mother didn’t complain at the time.”
Mrs. Pascoe held Dan’s wrist.
“This is the final straw. I’m leaving you.”
“I forbid you to go anywhere!” he bellowed. “They can’t prove anything. It’s a bluff. Get back here now and help me get up.”
She walked, with a new air of confidence, over to the bureau drawer and removed a notepad. “This is my number, Mr. Brody, should you need me to give a statement. I’m sorry about your mother, I really am.”
Anya moved over and had to know. “Why are you doing this?”
“I can’t live like this any more.” Mrs. Pascoe removed the sunglasses and the reason became obvious. She had a blackened eye.
“It’s no consolation, but your mother wasn’t the only one he’s hurt over the years.”
The judge struggled to his feet and Anya stood between him and his wife in case he lashed out. From the way Mrs. Pascoe positioned herself next to Dan, she feared the same.
“You are all going to regret this,” he yelled.
Without warning, a barrage of explosions shattered the large window and sent glass and bodies flying.
40
