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“Then why did he run, instead of staying in Washington and challenging the accusation?”
“Come on! What chance would he have had, in a foreign country, and with a victim like Rebecca? With Tobias Thorwood swearing it was him?”
Patrick stiffened subtly, just an angle of his shoulders. “Are you saying American law is unjust? Unfair? What…?”
This could rapidly descend into a quarrel.
“Would you want to face a French court on such a charge, if a French girl and her father accused you?” Daniel asked quickly.
“I don’t know French law,” Patrick began.
“Nor do I,” Daniel agreed. “But I know French emotions!”
“What’s different about them?” Patrick was puzzled, and indignant.
“Nothing! That’s the point. We’re all stacked a little against foreigners, and for our own people. Don’t you cheer your own side at an international game? Whether you know the players or not? And for that matter, even if you do, and you don’t like them?”
“I don’t cheer men who attack women, whoever they are!” Patrick said sharply.
“Of course you don’t. None of us does. We just don’t believe, if they are ours, that they are attempted rapists, or thieves, or anything else. Which is my point. He might have run because he was scared, or he might even have been told to.”
“By whom? The British ambassador? Bad advice…and unbelievably arrogant.”
“And whoever heard of an arrogant ambassador?” Daniel said sarcastically. “Especially a British one!”
Patrick gave a slightly jerky laugh, in spite of himself. “All right. Running doesn’t prove him guilty. Don’t ask where the evidence came from, but there is evidence on paper. And it’s not stolen or forged. Or obtained dishonestly. It is enough to prove him guilty of embezzlement. It’s not a fortune, but it’s still stealing.” His voice grew more urgent. “We can make him answer for it. But even if he was found not guilty, or if they couldn’t come to a verdict at all, all sorts of evidence would still come out.”
“Not about assaulting Rebecca Thorwood.”
“He took the pendant, for heaven’s sake! Apart from it having belonged to Rebecca’s godmother, it’s also valuable. It’s a theft. In fact, even if it weren’t real, it’s still a miserable, violent, mean-hearted crime. Would you want to have anything to do with a man who would do such a thing?”
“No,” Daniel said without hesitation. “Look, I’m not saying any of it is excusable. If he’s guilty, he’s a complete rotter! But he can be tried only for the embezzlement. How much was it for, by the way?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think they’ve got to the bottom of it yet. It could have been going on for years.”
“It can’t have been going on any longer than Sidney’s been there, or it can’t be him.”
“If we can just get him into court, we can expose him!” Patrick insisted. “That’s all we need!”
“We?”
Patrick was losing patience. “Yes, we. I thought you were in on it, too, but it’s definitely Tobias Thorwood, and it’s me!”
“Rebecca?”
“She will be, when she realizes she can win.” There was certainty in Patrick’s voice.
“She can also lose,” Daniel pointed out.
“Are you always this passionate for justice?” Patrick said with more than a touch of sarcasm. “I thought Jem was argumentative, but you take the prize.”
Perhaps that was a compliment. “Does she think this is a good idea?” he asked.
“Sometimes she does, and sometimes she doesn’t.”
“Then she takes the prize,” Daniel said, deliberately chuckling. “She can argue even with herself.”
Patrick reluctantly smiled as well, then instantly was serious again. “Daniel, will you take the case? You know the law, but you know justice, too. Jem says you’re good. More to the point, so does your father.”
