Ana and I arrived at the Community Law Centre together. I didn’t want to carry out any of the little subterfuges that couples use if they’re fucking and they want to pretend that they aren’t. I could’ve dropped Ana off, out of sight but in easy walking distance of the Centre, and waited ten minutes before trying to find a parking place for myself. No-one would ever guess that we’d both come from my place!

So I parked as close to the centre as I could and we walked together from there. 

It’d be a bad idea to do anything that looked as though we had anything to hide. Nothing sexual had happened, except for Ana’s flashing me from my couch. I could hardly help that, and anyway I assumed that on her side that had mostly been mischief rather than sex. I hadn’t forgotten the glimpse of her body, but I couldn’t help that either. At least I hadn’t acted on anything I’d felt. 

So we walked in, facing an ironical smile from Commissioner Maynard, and an accusing glare from Jock. Well, if either of them of them made an issue of it, Sa’afia could tell them who’d been in my bed. And then they could explain why I’d had to defend my client against a system that was supposed to protect her.

So Jane sat Ana down and let the men do glares and shoulders at each other for a while, since she thought it was hilarious. Then she started the meeting.