The smell of the coffee just about made it over the receptionist’s perfume when the door opened. Even the mugs had the Oxenden Hart logo on them. ‘There’s milk and cream,’ she said, before beating a hasty retreat.
‘We’ve got three dead and one person visited by our killer, but not killed. All were bridge players,’ said Dixon. ‘And my understanding is that all four of them were parties to the litigation.’
‘Allam and Baxter against the Somerset County Bridge Union and’ – Page frowned – ‘Sampson and Fowler. You never forget the names of some files. Actually it was a very interesting case. Lucrative too. Certainly made a change from the usual landlord and tenant, neighbour disputes and stuff like that. Glad to be out of it, to be honest.’
‘How did you get the case?’
‘Pure luck, really. I think they just picked us at random and I was prepared to see them quickly, so they came in.’ Page was sorting through the sugar bowl, looking for a lump that was the right size. ‘They were good players and had won the Pairs Cup at the County Finals. Then they were accused of cheating and it all got rather nasty. There was no proper investigation, and the Somerset County Bridge Union turned up at Deirdre’s house and took back the trophy. Just like that. A letter arrived the next day by recorded delivery telling them they were banned for life.’
‘And it was Sampson and Fowler who made the allegations?’
‘Yes. They were the runners up. You can imagine it, can’t you?’
‘What did you do?’
‘The first thing I did was to write a letter before action to the Bridge Union telling them that unless the ban was withdrawn immediately and their win reinstated, we’d be applying to the court for an injunction. There’d also be an action for damages and costs. A libel action too, because it had found its way into the newspapers.’ Page was stirring his coffee. ‘I got witness statements from Deirdre and Michael – several other players too. Got no reply from the Bridge Union, so we applied to the court. We instructed a silk from Bristol – a QC as they were back then, no expense spared – and the injunction was granted. They were reinstated and went to the Regional Qualifier as part of the Somerset Pairs team.’ A sip of coffee. ‘Mind you, it must have been a difficult trip because Sampson and Fowler were also on the team.’ He chuckled at the thought. ‘I’d love to have been a fly on the wall.’
‘Were any of the defendants represented at the hearing?’
‘The initial injunction was against the Bridge Union and they were represented. A solicitor from Yeovil, from memory, and they instructed junior counsel from Exeter chambers. Our QC made mincemeat of him and the injunction was granted. It was after that, when it became a claim for damages, that we joined Sampson and Fowler as additional defendants. After all, they were the ones making the libellous allegations.’
‘Was there any evidence that your clients had cheated?’ asked Dixon.
‘Not that I could see. There was certainly nothing apart from the witness statements from Sampson and Fowler, and they were pretty vague. Suggestions of signalling, coughing, touching ears and noses, that sort of stuff.’ Page was watching Louise scribbling notes. ‘The sort of stuff you do naturally when you’re concentrating hard, our QC said, and the judge agreed.’
‘What happened after that?’
‘Well, we were busy getting the case ready for trial, getting witness statements in place. We’d applied for disclosure of the Bridge Union’s documents, which turned up some minutes of a meeting the day after the County Finals when they imposed the ban, but that was it, really. I suspect they just felt they had no alternative once the allegations had been made, but there should have been a proper investigation before such drastic steps were taken.’
Dixon had finished his coffee and placed the mug back on the tray. ‘How did the case finish?’ he asked.
‘Well, that’s the funny thing. They went off to the Regional Qualifier and when they came back they instructed us to discontinue.’ Page looked disappointed, even after all this time. ‘All parties agreed they would pay their own costs; Sampson and Fowler were separately represented by then, so that’s three sets of solicitors’ fees, counsel for us and the Bridge Union. It was a bit of shame, to be honest. It would’ve been a belter of a trial. I think Deirdre and Michael would’ve won too, and so did our silk, but we did as we were instructed, agreed an order for discontinuance with no order as to costs and that was that.’
‘How much were your fees?’
‘About fifty thousand, all told, including counsel’s fees and VAT. Michael and Deirdre would’ve split it between them, I suppose, but it was still a hell of a lot of money to walk away from. We told them they might well win if they pressed on, but they were adamant. We had counsel’s opinion too, and he said they had a strong case.’
‘Was there an apology?’
‘No, although it had been reported in the press that the ban had been lifted and that Deirdre and Michael had been reinstated. You know what the local press are like for gossipy stories. We had another a few years ago, allegations of cheating at Taunton Vale Golf Club; that ended with a withdrawal of the allegations and an apology, but you should have seen the local rag. I think it even got in the nationals – the tabloids, you know. Clickbait more than anything.’
‘Have you acted for Deirdre or Michael since then?’
‘I certainly haven’t, but the firm may have done. Would you like me to check?’
‘Yes, please.’
Louise used the opportunity to drink her coffee, which looked as if it had gone stone cold, a film of something floating on the surface like an oil slick. ‘Bitter,’ she said, through gritted teeth.
‘Hideously expensive, no doubt.’
‘Still horrible.’
Dixon was watching through the glass walls of the interview suite, Page leaning over the receptionist’s computer.
‘We did a new will for Deirdre about five years ago, and it looks like a colleague went to see her recently about a lasting power of attorney,’ offered Page, when he reappeared in the doorway. ‘And some conveyancing for Michael. Seems he moved to Sidmouth and we did the sale of his old place and purchase of the new one.’
‘Thank you,’ said Dixon, standing up.
Page was blocking his exit, his hand outstretched. ‘Look, I’m sorry about before, the interview. I wouldn’t want you to think that’s the way we usually treat people at OH.’
‘Of course not, Sir,’ replied Dixon, hoping his smile looked sincere.
‘I take it you changed your mind about leaving the police?’
‘I did.’
‘Our loss, their gain. And between you and me, I can’t really see you as a corporate finance solicitor.’
‘I’ll take that as a compliment,’ replied Dixon.
‘Believe me, it was meant as one.’
Chapter Nineteen
‘Here,’ said Dixon, sitting back in the driver’s seat of his Land Rover. ‘Have a pen, courtesy of Oxenden Hart.’ He’d already put three in the glovebox.
‘Thank you, Sir,’ replied Louise, grinning.
