Page 80 of Crocodile Tears

“Yeah. If not on anti-IS feeling, then they’d find him guilty on his past notoriety alone.”

“Probably. If heisinnocent, then you might be the only person who can save his life, Joe.”

“And he’s going to do his best to make that as hard as possible,” Josiah sighed.

“Well, you know how much you love a challenge.” She gave an impish grin. “You have five hours to decide. How you handle the situation is up to you. You’re the chief investigator, and I know you’ll get it right. You always do – I’d expect nothing less from the man who arrested his own husband.”

Chapter Fourteen

OCTOBER 2086

Alex

Alex put his finger under his shirt collar to relieve its tightness. He was dressed for his first day at work in a navy-blue suit with wide, fashionable lapels that he’d teamed with a crisp white shirt and a new, improved prototype of Bax’s holotie, which he’d set to change from grey-and-white to red-and-purple stripes at regular intervals. He found the tie faintly ridiculous, but he had to impose some kind of artistic flair on the conservative work suit.

He’d stayed holed up in the flat in Oxford for a few more weeks to hide from the ghastly post-Paralympics press frenzy, which was now, thankfully, starting to die down. He’d moved into the spacious Lytton AV apartment a week ago with Neil and had been studiously ignoring his unwanted flatmate ever since.

He glanced at his watch – he’d arrived early to make a good impression but had been sitting in the reception area outside his father’s office for the past fifteen minutes, waiting for him to come out.

“Can I get you anything, Mr Lytton?” his father’s executive assistant asked. “A cup of tea, or coffee, or some water?”

“No, I’m fine. What’s taking all the time?” Alex jerked his head at his father’s office door.

“He’s just finishing a meeting. I’m sure he won’t be long.”

The executive assistant was probably about his own age, with thick blond hair, baby blue eyes, and an Adam’s apple that bobbed ferociously for no apparent reason. He was wearing the Lytton livery – a cheap brown suit with the Lytton AV insignia embroidered on the lapel in yellow thread – and an ugly brown pin attached to his shirt, showing his ID tag.

“It’s no trouble. I’m having one,” the young man offered, with a sweet smile.

“Okay, I’ll have a cup of tea. It looks like it’ll be a while before Dad – um, Mr Lytton – is ready to see me.” Alex wondered if his father was keeping him waiting on purpose, as some kind of test, and felt a familiar surge of irritation.

Returning from the kitchen a couple of minutes later with two mugs, the young man handed him one.

“So, um, what’s your name?” Alex asked.

“Spencer – Spencer Brown.”

“Well, thank you for making me feel so welcome on my first day, Spencer.”

“You’re welcome, sir.”

“Please, call me Alex. We must be about the same age – it’s weird to hear you calling me sir.”

“You should get used to it. I think everyone here will be calling you sir, sir.” Spencer grinned. “Your dad will insist.”

“I hope not.” Alex grimaced. “I want to be friends, uh, Spencer, if that’s okay?”

“Oh. Okay. Yes, of course.” Spencer’s Adam’s apple bobbed vigorously. “I’m a huge fan of your brother.” He pointed to one of several nanopics on his desk. “He visited us here when he got back from Mexico. He brought his gold medals in and showed them around. It was the most exciting day of my life.”

The nanopic showed a beaming Charles in his wheelchair, holding up his two gold medals, with a starstruck Spencer standing next to him.

“Charles does love to show off his medals,” Alex said.

“He’s such a lovely person! He spent the entire day here. There wasn’t a single person who didn’t take a selfie with him.”

“Yeah, that sounds like Charles’s idea of a good day out.”

Alex had visited The Orchard for Sunday lunch on his brother’s return from Mexico and had been forced to admire the newest gong, too. Charles’s good mood, as always, had been infectious, despite the fact that Alex had zero interest in how fast anyone could row a small boat along a stretch of water.

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