“Probably. Don’t see why not so long as I know where, and when, and who.” Same rules I had to live by. She wiped her hand over his forehead, smoothing out the dark hair that hung over his eyes. “Are you okay here, buddy? Living with Nona and Papa?”
Kyle shrugged his shoulders. “You know I am. Why would you ask?”
Have to stave off the guilt in my mind, that’s why. “I just wanted to make sure. I did promise you I would have more time for you and now Adam has offered me the dairy, I kind of wonder if I’ve rushed into things.” Why do I keep dissecting this? Probably because I don’t want to stuff up again and I’m being over cautious.
He gripped her hands and raised himself up on the pillows. “Mum, listen and don’t interrupt me. I want you to do this restaurant. Okay? I can’t bear the thought of you moping around in some dusty old office when you could be creating in your own kitchen. This is going to work for both of us because you’ll be happy which will make me happy. And you’re only next door if I need you.”
She dropped her head down onto his shoulder. “I can’t believe how lucky I got the day you were born, Kyle. You are the best kid a parent could ask for.”
He pushed her up so he could look at her face. “And, don’t forget - I want to work for you too when I finish school. So this is the best move for both of us.”
You’re a sweet kid, Kyle. I hit the jackpot when I had you. Lena smiled and brushed at a tear before it could fall. “You might have to go to cooking college then if you want to be taken seriously.”
“But you didn’t.” The pout on his face made her smile.
True, she kind of fell into it, but things were different now. “No and there was a good reason for that. I had you, no money, and no time to do that. But you have no excuse not to go and get a degree. Who knows, you might want to spread your wings one day and head overseas. Nobody’s going to give you a job in a restaurant if you haven’t done your time. Think about it for a while. Pretty sure you’ll agree eventually.”
He thought for a moment. “Maybe.”
“Sleep tight, Kyle. Love you.” She kissed his forehead and walked out, flicking the light off.
“Come and talk to your dear old dad.” Ben sat at the kitchen table with the newspaper in front of him. Sofia was taking a soak in the bath.
Lena pulled out a chair and sat. She knew that look.
“What’s wrong? You’ve had a frown on your face ever since you came back from Adam’s tonight.” Ben folded up the paper and put it aside, giving her his all.
“He said some funny things that got me thinking.” She pondered how to say what was going around in her mind. “He was quite drunk and as much as I don’t like it, I really can’t blame him after what he had to endure today but it triggered something. Do you ever remember Simon telling us if anyone else was involved in the fraud case?”
“Not really, why?” Ben leaned forward, his interest spiked.
“Well, Adam was going on about how his father would think what’s happened would be karma or some such rot. He let out that when he was sitting his bar exams, his girlfriend at the time got involved in some fraudulent business where she worked. Guess where? Newcombe First.”
“No way!”
“And guess who his father is?” Ben raised an eyebrow.
Got you. I never connected them either. “Judge Chapman. Can you have a look and see if that’s the guy that sentenced Simon?”
“I most certainly can. I’ll do it first thing when I get into the office tomorrow and if there is a connection I’ll be calling on Adam to find out more about it.”
“To me it smells fishy.” Something isn’t right, my spidery senses are going haywire. She drummed her fingertips on the table cloth.
“Let’s not get too excited over this yet. I might be just a coincidence, Lena.”
“But what if it’s not? It sounds like corruption more than anything. I wonder if it would be enough to get him a new trial?”
“Just leave it with me and I’ll look into it tomorrow. Now this old body is tired, I’m off to bed.” He stood up and pushed in his chair before he leaned down and kissed her on the top of her head. “Night, honey. Go and get a good sleep and try not to worry about it for now. You have enough on your plate as it is.”
Lena sat there for a good ten minutes stewing over what Adam had said before she took her father’s advice. As she pulled her nightgown over her head, she wondered what kind of man would let his father cover up a crime so as not to muddy his own image. I hope I’m wrong about him. I don’t want him to be the bad guy.
* * *
“Well, you had every right to be suspicious, Lena. Seems it was Adam’s father who sentenced Simon. I think I need to go and have a talk with that young man if I’m going to have any hope of getting a retrial for Simon.” Ben had walked in from work and put his brief case by the door.
“Adam’s involved in this?” Sofia turned from the pot she was stirring on the stove. “But Ben, how could he be? He seems like such a nice young man.”
“Don’t go rushing to judge him just yet. He may very well have a good reason for not telling us about it. He might not even know what happened to Simon. Just because his father
