Beware the Roasburies! Pt. 06

"Her mother was dead against me from the start," I said. "She saw to it that Penny and I broke up. She tried to get Connie away from me as well, and has failed so far. I'm wondering this is another attempt on her part to destroy our life together."

"Good God!" Gresty said, shaking his head.

"Before I close this meeting," David said, ever the lawyer. "Things were said here which are defamatory. The written declaration by Caroline Gresty is libellous and Mr Proctor is entitled to sue her since she's now an adult, and by implication yourself, Mr Gresty, for damages.

"The matter is very serious, since if her statement were to be accepted, this disciplinary hearing, and later the Law Society's hearing, would deprive Mr Proctor of his reputation and his livelihood. He would never be able to practise law again. His life would be in ruins.

"Mr Proctor, do you wish to take out an action against Mr Gresty or his daughter?"

Gresty paled.

"What I would like," I said, "is a face to face meeting with Caroline Gresty to get to the root of this. Depending on her answers, I may possibly be taking out an action against one or both of Connie's parents but not Mr Gresty, or his daughter."

Mr Gresty looked relieved. "I'll see to it. We'll come to see you tomorrow if that's convenient."

"If you ask at reception, they will book you in for tomorrow," I said. "You can encourage Caroline with the threat of the libel action if you need to, but Mr Gresty, rest assured, I will not be taking that road with your family. Another family and a relative of theirs? Perhaps."

A frown crossed Kieran Walsh's face. I thought I knew why and wondered afresh if it were he that had altered the PI's report, and now realised the danger he was in. it was a monumental lapse of judgement on his part to be involved with it at all.

David closed the meeting, and Mr Gresty shook hands vigorously with me, and hugged Connie to her surprise, but she smiled: she liked the man, and later said she always had. He was always kind to her when her mother was constantly belittling her.

The three senior partners retired.

" 'Bye, Uncle Kieran!" Connie called as they moved toward the door. He did not react or reply. "Typical," she muttered.

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during that subsequent meeting between the three partners. In fact something good did come out of it, but later.

On the way home Connie was quiet.

"Problem?" I asked.

"I didn't know Uncle Kieran worked with you," she said woodenly. "You never said."

"I assume he's your mother's brother. I'm sure I mentioned his name when I was telling you what had happened at work. You never reacted."

"I never made the connection. I only knew him as Uncle Kieran. I don't think I ever knew his surname or Mother's maiden name. Funny that. He rarely came to visit – I seem to remember he disapproved of mother marrying a divorcee. We hardly ever met him. Mother used to phone him. Dad didn't have anything to do with him. He didn't like him at all."

"Hmm," I said. "So your mother and he did keep in touch."

There was a pause.

Then came a gasp from Connie. "It was him! He got the PI's report! The two of them were working together! He hates you, and so does mother. He must have told her you were sleeping around with Zena and Colette: added ammunition against you."

"Seems so, though I don't think your mother liked me from the start, but if Walsh was trying to frame me..."

When we got home, I phoned Patrick Jenkins and asked if he would see me after the Gresty's had been the next day. He agreed. Time to nail Mr Walsh.