Page 109 of Fe
There was no need for a round two. No one else managed to get the needle through the coin. One man almost drove it through his wife’s finger.
“Ripley and Fen are the winners,” Matthew said. “Well done!”
“Good thing Spencer and his wife don’t have laser eyes,” Fen said. “Or we’d be toast.”
“I’m feeling a little warm.”
“Have I made you unpopular?”
“Spencer has never been a fan of mine. We’ve come up against each other three times in court and he’s lost on each occasion.”
“Barristers in the same chambers can act on opposing sides in the same trial?”
“It’s not uncommon. Sensible people don’t hold grudges about it. We’re merely doing our job.”
“Can we go soon?”
Ripley glanced at his watch. “Harry will be outside in twenty minutes.”
“Okay.”
Cressida came over to them. “Very impressive.”
“All Fen’s doing,” Ripley said.
“Lawyers tend not to be very practical. When I saw Ripley check the dates on the pennies, I guessed you might be able to do it.”
“It wouldn’t work with a new penny. There’s hardly any copper in them,” Fen said.
“Do you know much about coins?” she asked.
“Not really. I like really old ones though. We sometimes used to get those in the shop.”
“You work in a shop?”
“I did. I’m self-employed now. Thank you for a lovely evening. The food was spectacular, as is your home.”
“Very kind of you to say so. By the way, I’ve heard so many explanations for why you’re using a crutch I’m beginning to wonder if you need it at all.”
“I have muscular dystrophy.”
Her eyes widened. “Duchenne’s?”
“Becker.”
“That’s something. Sorry to hear it anyway.” She patted his shoulder, then wandered off and Fen exhaled. Ripley put his arm over Fen’s shoulders and hugged him.
“Do you actually want the holiday?” Fen asked.
“No.”
Well, that solved the issue of Fen not being around.
“Do you?” Ripley added.
“Golf and tennis aren’t my sort of thing.” Though a free holiday was. “Can you give it to Billy instead?”
“You’d have to ask Matthew.”
