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got anything to thank you for.’
    ‘I know.’ The shadows in the corner of the room where Leo stood made his face look tired and grim. ‘I shouldn’t have let it happen. And I’m sorry.’
    ‘Sorry?’
    ‘That it’s caused this – this bad feeling between us. Itwas never my intention to hurt you. I thought you knew the terms.’
    Anthony shook his head. ‘No, it turns out I didn’t. But it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to go back over that. It’s in the past now, and it’s going to stay there.’ He paused. ‘Don’t ask about friendship. We’re both here now. If you want my advice, you can have it, for what it’s worth.’
    ‘Thank you.’ Leo crossed the room and sat down again. ‘I’ve been going over the whole thing all afternoon, trying to decide what to do.’ He let out a sigh. ‘Eight hours ago I was all set to sue. The entire story is the most pathetic pack of lies, after all. The woman is not only obsessive and deluded, she’s also a calculating and vindictive bitch. This is a deliberate act of personal sabotage.’
    Anthony shrugged. ‘She must have a motive. And I assume there’s a basis in truth, that you had some kind of relationship with her. I seem to remember you telling me a few months ago that you’d gone back to her place after a few drinks – something like that.’
    ‘Not one of the cleverest things I’ve ever done, admittedly. But absolutely nothing happened. Quite the opposite. She had ideas, but I wasn’t interested. And that, I suspect, is where it all started. I won’t go into details, but I imagine she found the episode somewhat humiliating, and never quite forgave me. Hence the vendetta.’
    ‘Hence the suicide attempt?’
    ‘Hardly. Still, if you ask me, it’s a pity she failed.’
    ‘Except that that would have damned you completely.’
    ‘True.’
    ‘So there’s no truth in anything she says?’
    ‘Not a single word. She has a diseased imagination.’ He glanced at Anthony. ‘Did you believe there was any truth in it?’
    Anthony shook his head. ‘No. I don’t think anyone who knows you could possibly believe it.’
    ‘Which only leaves the great British public. A few million good reasons to sue her and the paper.’
    ‘Or not, as the case may be.’
    ‘Meaning?’
    Anthony picked up a length of red tape from the brief he’d been working on, and wound it round his fingers. ‘Think about it. In a few days’ time, the great British public will have other preoccupations.
The Sun
will be shafting some other poor bastard. Things move on, people’s memories are short.’
    ‘Not in the microcosmic world that you and I work in.’
    ‘That’s something you may just have to live with. The alternative, as I see it, is infinitely worse. Imagine. You sue for libel. Fine. Nothing happens for a few months. Then bang, just when everyone had more or less forgotten the original story, the case comes up for trial, and the publicity starts all over again. Only this time your private life comes in for some serious,
real
scrutiny. For each and every one of that woman’s allegations that you deny, the other side will try to find some basis in truth. Affairs with other men? Well, ask yourself, Leo– do you really want the best lawyers
The Sun
can buy investigating that particular aspect of your life? Then there are all the things she says about how you neglected Oliver, didn’t show up on visits – that means the spotlight gets turned on Rachel and Oliver. The allegations about your professional life – all untrue, but do you think your clients are going to enjoy seeing their QC held up to the light and given a thorough inspection and overhaul?’ Anthony chucked the red ribbon on to his desk. ‘I don’t know why I’m bothering to tell you all this. You already know it.’
    Leo nodded. ‘But the point is, if I do nothing, then everyone assumes that every word she’s written is true. Can I afford to let that happen?’
    ‘The people who know you, the