“Maybe they’ll get the best of both worlds,” I said. “Drive and decency.”
Miles laughed. “Exactly the answer I would have expected an all-around decent bloke to give. Come on, let’s get another.”
* * *
—
AND THEN THERE WAS a moment, halfway through the fourth and last pint of the evening, when—our tongues loosened by drink—we were reliving the drama of our first meeting. It seemed almost funny now, looking back.
“You know what I thought, when you first told me Theo was your son?” I demanded.
Miles shook his head. “Elucidate me, Pete. Whadidya think, when I first told you Theo was my son?”
“Just for a moment, I thought you meant you’d shagged Maddie. That you and she…” I shook my head in disbelief at how stupid I’d been. “So that’s a silver lining, anyway.”
“True,” Miles said sagely. “Silver lining for you, anyway. But I tell you what, Pete old son.” He swayed in close and whispered in my ear. “I. Totally. Would. She’s gorgeous. And ballsy with it. You are a lucky bastard, Pete. A very lucky bastard.” He stuck out his hand for me to shake. “Congratulations. You got the girl. You got the kid. Well done.”
21
Case no. 12675/PU78B65, Exhibit 15: Extracts from the internet history of Peter Riley.
Secret Escapes, retrieved 23:12 P.M.:
Tremerrion House, Trevose Head, Cornwall: This stunning property offers up to ten guests luxury self-catering accommodation just a stone’s throw from the sea and the South West Coastal Path. From £8,400 pw (low season). Check availability here.
Washington Post, retrieved 23:18 P.M.:
MOTHER OF SWITCHED BABY SUES FOR $31M
The mother of a girl switched at birth with another baby is suing the Virginia hospital she claims is responsible for $31 million, to compensate her for the pain and suffering she says the mix-up inflicted. The other family involved has already accepted a multimillion-dollar settlement from the state.
The Guardian, retrieved 00:14 A.M.:
“STAGGERING” RISE IN NHS PAYOUTS BLAMED ON NO-FEE LAWYERS
A total of £22.7 billion—nearly one-fifth of the health service’s annual budget—is being set aside each year to settle compensation claims, new figures have revealed.
Experts last night said the scale of the NHS’s liabilities was “staggering,” with English damages now among the highest in the world.
MPs and other commentators have blamed the courts, saying that the UK’s broad definitions of medical negligence and malpractice, along with the rise of no-win no-fee legal firms, have made litigation “almost ridiculously easy.”
22
MADDIE
I’M IN BED WHEN Pete stumbles in from his drink with Miles. I’m not asleep, but I’ve finished most of a bottle of wine myself and don’t feel like chatting, let alone cuddling, so I don’t answer when he whispers, “You awake, babe?”
By half past five, Theo’s wriggling into our bed. We both try to ignore him, but there’s only so long you can ignore being hit over the head with a woolly rabbit. Eventually I give up and turn over. Luckily, Pete succumbed just before I did. Theo is now straddling his stomach as if riding a horse, impatiently bouncing his bottom whenever Pete stops jiggling.
“How was last night?” I say blearily.
“It was all right.” Pete thinks for a moment. “He brought up schools again.”
“Bloody hell. What did you say?”
“A very firm no. Ouff! Gently, Theo.”
“Did he get the message this time?”
Pete yawns. “Yes, actually. Took it quite well. That’s the thing about these City types. They don’t go in for nuance. You have to be forceful with them.”
“Well, I’m glad you were forceful.”
Pete gives me a look, unsure if I’m teasing. “We talked about suing St. Alexander’s, too.”
“Gee up, Daddeee,” Theo complains. Reluctantly, Pete resumes bucking.
“And?”
“Maybe it’s not such a bad idea. Quite apart from anything else, it’ll level the playing field between us and them. Stop it being quite so asymmetric.”
I consider. “Well, it’ll make Dad happy. And he did say he’d send us money for a lawyer.”
“I don’t think we’ll need it. The solicitors Miles are using are no-win no-fee. If we use someone from the same firm, he thinks they can coordinate to get us both the best payout.”
I nod. I’ve never shared Pete’s qualms about suing a hospital anyway. Like many Brits, he seems to have a love-hate relationship with the National Health Service, both incredibly proud of it in principle and totally despairing and frustrated by it in practice. To me, it seems no different from suing any other large organization that’s made a mistake. But I am a bit surprised that Miles has managed to get Pete to overcome his scruples so quickly.
23
Case no. 12675/PU78B65, Exhibits 16A–C: Emails from (A) Miles Lambert to Peter Riley, (B) Peter Riley to Miles Lambert, and (C) Miles Lambert to Peter Riley.
Hey Pete,
Great to see you last night. Bit of a sore head on the 7:03 this morning (even skipped the run beforehand)…
Just did a quick search for sports lessons for two-year-olds and came across these. They look ace!
May be worth checking out?
Best, Miles
Hi Miles,
Thanks for the links. To be honest we’re pretty snowed under right now, what with Monkey Music, Swim Starz, and SmartyPilates, but I’ll add them to the list for when we have time!
Spoke to Maddie about the lawsuit—we’re in. What do we do next? Speak to your lawyer?
Best, Pete
Pete,
I’ll call you.
M
24
MADDIE
LATER THAT DAY, I get a Facebook request from Lucy. I’m not really into social media—I sometimes dip into it as an alternative to reading before I drift off to sleep, but only for a few minutes; I certainly never manage to get to the bottom of my news feed. But I accept Lucy’s request and spend a few minutes glancing through her posts on my phone while I eat a sandwich at my desk.