The Charlton Affair (18 page)

As she was walking along George St toward the nearest taxi rank she thought about what Amanda had said earlier that day. She was suddenly overtaken by a burning desire to know what Amanda had found in her investigation. Wondering if she had spoken to Charlie about it, Phoebe walked past the taxi rank and headed straight to Charlie’s chambers, only another block along. All the while her mind was telling her how much she wanted to know what Amanda had alluded to. Meanwhile, her heart was beating harder with each step.

*****

Charlie was finalizing an advice to a client, reading over what her temporary personal assistant had typed and marking in changes. It was a quiet time of day, a good time to do advice work. The phones had stopped ringing and the administration staff had all left the floor. She heard the lift stop in the foyer but wasn’t concerned. At that time of the evening she assumed it would be one of the other barristers in her chambers group. Then she heard hesitant footsteps near Amanda’s station at reception. Curious, she rose and went to her office door, leaning out to look. Her heart nearly came to a standstill when she saw Phoebe Rawlins peering down the corridor at her.

Charlie stepped out into the corridor and somehow managed to utter an invitation to Phoebe to come into her office and sit down. She couldn’t stop staring at Phoebe. She looked wonderful. Her trim beige suit hugged her perfect proportions. The lines of her shapely legs caught Charlie’s attention as she walked down the corridor toward her. Fighting for ascendency over her racing heart, Charlie motioned for Phoebe to enter. Unable to stop herself, she admired the way Phoebe’s skirt hugged her exquisite form as she followed her inside.

Phoebe looked around, choosing to stand near the floor to ceiling window instead of taking a seat. Clearly impatient and anxious, her hands fidgeted nervously as she glanced around the room, looking at everything but Charlie.

Charlie felt as if she knew Phoebe, even though she’d only met her a few times. Aware of the state of her marriage, her history and her nature, Charlie admired her deeply. Everything about the lovely woman in her office was a knockout combination. Overpowered by her attraction to this gorgeous woman and weak at the knees, she perched on the edge of her desk for support. As she admired Phoebe, she couldn’t help but notice she had lost a little weight. Her beautiful pale face seemed slightly thinner as well as forlorn. Phoebe’s brow was furrowed in concentration. She had an air of determination about her Charlie had never seen before, contrasting sharply with her vulnerability. She desperately wanted to take Phoebe in her arms and hold her, to tell her everything would be fine. Only she didn’t know that for sure. Right now the situation looked like a big mess and she had no idea when things might improve. The only thing she knew for sure was that never in her life had she reacted so strongly to a woman, any woman.

Both women started to speak at once.

Phoebe said, “No. Please, you go.”

Charlie replied, struggling to keep her composure, “No, it’s OK…What…What were you going to say?”

Sounding as if she were trying to be businesslike, Phoebe eventually said, “I’m sorry to bother you, I just want to chase up something Amanda said to me this morning.”

“I see,” Charlie replied softly, trying not to look at Phoebe’s eyes. She clutched the edge of her desk tightly.

Phoebe said questioningly, “Amanda said she’d made some progress. She didn’t see the harm in telling me about it. But she wanted to clear it with you first?”

Charlie nodded, swallowing nervously and looking down.

As she began to frame an answer, she saw Phoebe move closer. Distracted by the movement, she looked up into Phoebe’s blazing eyes. Seized by depths of intense green, Charlie forgot what she was about to say.

Phoebe moved closer still. It seemed like slow motion when Phoebe reached out and touched her cheek, caressed her jaw line and provocatively ran her fingers slowly across Charlie’s lips. Charlie’s breath caught. She stood involuntarily.

Both women gasped when they came together. Bodies pinioned, they kissed greedily, fiercely. Charlie’s hands gripped curvaceous hips, pressing them even closer against her own, moving into them. Leaning back momentarily, Phoebe impatiently released Charlie’s blouse buttons and lifted her bra up and out of the way, exposing perfect breasts. Gasping again, Charlie’s back arched in acceptance of Phoebe’s unabashed caresses. Moaning, Phoebe began to lower her head toward Charlie’s chest.

Charlie begged in a whisper, “Yes… Please…”

A loud knocking startled them. Horrified, Charlie saw Amanda standing in the doorway, embarrassed, not looking at them.

Phoebe blushed violently, but stubbornly held Charlie close.

“Th…Thanks Amanda,” Charlie choked out, trying not to cry in disappointment, “just give us a moment, please.”

Amanda nodded.

Charlie could hear her retreating to the reception area.

Her breathing ragged, Charlie moved out of Phoebe’s close embrace, fumbling to adjust her bra and close her blouse. She could hear Phoebe swallowing a sob. When she looked at Phoebe, she saw the depth of her pain written across her beautiful features. Charlie ran her fingers over Phoebe’s pale cheek and gently pulled her face down to meet her own. Delicately, Charlie kissed her tear-laden eyes and her lips. Holding her close for a moment, she whispered, “I promise. When this is all over…”

Phoebe wrenched away. With tears streaming, she almost ran out of Charlie’s office. Charlie followed, worried. Stepping out into the corridor, she called out with as much dignity as she could muster, “Amanda, can you make sure Phoebe gets home safely? And please tell her whatever she wants to know.”

She stood and watched as Amanda nodded and reached under the reception desk to grab the keys to Charlie’s car before she ran after Phoebe, who was stabbing her fingers at the lift button in the foyer in her urgent need to escape.

Charlie went back to her desk, sank into her chair and sobbed.

*****

Amanda jumped into the lift with Phoebe just in time. Pressing the basement button, she said, “Please let me drive you home.”

Phoebe pressed the ground floor button, replying in a strangled sob, “I’ll take a cab.”

Amanda could see that she was trying desperately to regain control.

“Please, Phoebe, come with me. You know Charlie would be worried if I let you go home alone. Besides, she wants me to fill you in on the investigation details.” Amanda implored.

Phoebe slowly nodded as tears streamed down her cheeks. Amanda led her through the basement to Charlie’s Lexus. After opening the door for her, Amanda looked through the back seat until she found a small box of tissues. After handing them to Phoebe, she jumped in and drove them toward New Farm. Tactfully, Amanda said nothing, waiting for Phoebe to indicate she was ready to speak.

Eventually Phoebe said quietly, “I’d like to know those details.”

“Want me to come to your office tomorrow?” Amanda offered.

“No, I’d really like to know now. Can we go somewhere? I don’t want to go home like this. I need a chance to freshen up. Roman will be all over me if he sees me upset.”

“Er…I’m so very sorry about that, Phoebe. I should have walked away, but I was worried for Charlie.” Amanda offered softly.

“Is it really that bad?” Phoebe asked, blushing again, clearly still extremely embarrassed.

“How about we talk over something quick to eat?” Amanda replied. It was nearly eight and she was starving.

Phoebe nodded.

Amanda pulled the car over near a cafe in Brunswick Street, asking gently, “Is this place OK? There are plenty of others we can go to if it’s not.”

Phoebe replied without looking at the cafe, “It’s fine.”

Amanda realized Phoebe would be happy anywhere that had somewhere reasonably private to discuss the situation.

The cafe had an upstairs dining room that was mostly empty. Amanda waited at their table while Phoebe freshened up. She pulled out her mobile telephone and texted Charlie to say that Phoebe needed to talk and they were at a cafe, she would not be able to get the car back soon. Charlie texted straight back asking Amanda to take as much time as she needed, to make sure she got the bill, and to reimburse herself from petty cash tomorrow. She told Amanda to take the car home tonight. Charlie would see her in the morning. Amanda texted back she’d call after she dropped Phoebe off.

Phoebe returned to the table, her eye make up no longer smudged and her hair tidied. Her eyes were still red. They ordered light meals and Amanda began to explain.

“OK, so the er…conflict,” Amanda commenced.

Phoebe blushed, looking away.

“I pretty much guessed what was going on, so please don’t be embarrassed. It’s OK, really,” Amanda tried to reassure Phoebe.

“How did you guess?” Phoebe asked, intrigued.

“I connected the dots.” Amanda ticked items off on her fingers as she spoke, “Charlie was majorly depressed after Roman’s party. Sometime that week, I found a picture of you on her computer. She tried to get rid of Michael’s brief very smartly after the party, but of course she couldn’t. That’s out of character for her.” Amanda concluded before adding, “And she never wanted to interview you or speak to you directly. Instead she got me and Darren to do that.”

Phoebe nodded, saying, “I see. I know it’s a conflict, but how bad could it be if we were to…”

“Have an affair?”

“Yes,” Phoebe replied softly, blushing again.

Amanda replied gently, “Imagine if you were to sleep with one of your client’s wives, and your client’s financial interests were potentially harmed by that… and then all of your fellow professionals found out.”

“I’d be out of a job pretty quickly.” Phoebe replied, “They might even remove my certification.” Phoebe’s head sank.

“Exactly. It’s even worse in a small place like Brisbane. The scandal would be huge and Charlie’s reputation would be incredibly damaged by having a lesbian affair with a client’s wife, also the vulnerable victim of a crime, a crime her client has been accused of no less. It would kill her business even if the Legal Services Commission didn’t censure her.”

Phoebe flinched when Amanda laid it out so bluntly.

“I’m really sorry for interrupting you. But this just can’t happen right now, for her sake, and for yours. I mean, can you imagine the media attention you’d get?”

Phoebe flinched once more, “I never want to go through that again. But what if we kept it quiet? It’s just that I don’t think I can stand it…”

Amanda felt awful seeing Phoebe’s pain. She couldn’t believe how bad her luck was.
Someone tried to kill her. Then her husband’s catastrophic past came out. The media shredded her on every channel. She couldn’t even help her husband. Her sternum was broken and on top of that, she’s fallen in love with someone she can’t go anywhere near.
She wondered,
could it be any worse?

“If it’s any consolation to you, I’ve never seen Charlie like this. She actually goes gooey whenever your name is mentioned. Not only that, but do you remember how she avoided you at the bail hearing?”

Phoebe nodded, her expression avid.

“I have a theory she’s having trouble controlling herself around you. Tonight is a prime example. Charlie is the most disciplined person I know. She works harder than any other barrister I’ve ever worked for. She would normally never allow something like that to happen. For her, it would be like betraying her client.” Amanda paused, thinking. Then she added, “She was almost grateful when I interrupted you. She’s really struggling with this.”

“I know how she feels.” Phoebe replied, clearly relieved to have someone to talk to about the situation, “I even thought about divorcing Michael. Can you imagine how bad I’d feel if I let him down like that? The media would take that information and make it into something it’s not. The whole situation is so awful.” Phoebe looked as though she was going to cry again.

Amanda said gently, “There’s really no way an affair would stay secret for long, you know. Darren probably already suspects, or Roman would let it slip accidentally. Besides, they way she looks at you is a dead give away. Most people are well aware of Charlie’s sexual orientation and if they so much as saw you having lunch with her, there’d be gossip. Don’t forget, your face was on TV not long ago. A lot of people know who you are these days.”

Phoebe nodded, picking at her food despondently.

Amanda said, “I’m afraid the rest of the information is more depressing and upsetting than our last topic.”

Phoebe nodded glumly for her to continue, saying, “We may as well get through all of it.”

Amanda told her everything she knew about the Rawlins’ deaths, how the muscular man had arrived when was breaking into the house and then everything Edna Baxter had said. She left the contents of Honore’s childhood journal until last.

Amanda could see Phoebe was beyond saddened. She was devastated.

“Does Michael know any of this?” Phoebe asked tearfully.

“Not yet,” Amanda replied, “he seems a bit fragile at the moment.”

“Please don’t tell him until he’s stronger,” Phoebe begged.