The Blind Goddess Read Online Free PDF Page B

telephone rang. It was her secretary. Karen Borg pressed the loudspeaker button. This was uncomfortable for the person phoning, because her voice was surrounded by an echo that made it
indistinct. She felt it gave her an advantage.
    “There’s a lawyer called Peter Strup on the line. Are you in, at a meeting, or have you left for the day?”
    “Peter Strup? What can he want with me?”
    It was impossible to hide her astonishment. Peter Strup was—besides much else—the chairman of the Defence Group, the special union of defence lawyers who regarded themselves as
either too good or too bad simply to be members of the Norwegian Lawyers’ Association like everyone else. A year or so previously he had been voted Norway’s most eligible man, and was
well known as one of the most frequent media pundits on just about any subject. He was in his sixties, but looked forty, and his time for the Birkebeiner Ski Race was up among the best. He was also
said to be a friend of the Royal Family, though he would never confirm this in the presence of journalists.
    Karen Borg had neither met him nor spoken to him. She had often read about him, of course.
    “Put him through,” she said, after some slight hesitation, and picked up the receiver in an unconsciously respectful gesture.
    “Karen Borg,” she said, in a flat and expressionless voice.
    “Good afternoon, this is Peter Strup. I won’t take up much of your time. I hear you’ve been appointed defence counsel for a Dutchman charged with last Friday’s murder by
the River Aker. Is that right?”
    “Yes, that’s correct as far as it goes.”
    “As far as it goes?”
    “Well, I mean, it’s true that I’ve been appointed, but I haven’t talked to him very much yet.”
    She riffled involuntarily through the papers in front of her, the defence counsel’s copies of the murder case. She heard Strup laugh, a charming laugh.
    “Since when have you been working for four hundred and ninety-five kroner an hour? I didn’t think legal aid rates would even cover the rent on Aker Brygge! Have things got so bad
that you’re having to poach on our territory?”
    She didn’t take offence at this. Her hourly rate was often well in excess of two thousand kroner, partly depending on who the client was. Even she had to laugh a little.
    “We get by. It’s purely a matter of chance that I’m helping this chap.”
    “Yes, that’s what I thought. I’ve got enough to do, but I’ve been approached by a friend of his enquiring whether I can help the boy. An old client of mine, this friend,
and we defence lawyers have to look after our clients, as you know!”
    He laughed again.
    “In other words, I don’t mind taking the case on, and I can imagine you’re not particularly keen on it.”
    Karen wasn’t quite sure what to say. The chance to put the whole matter in the hands of the best defence counsel in the country was very tempting. Peter Strup would undoubtedly do it
better than she could.
    “Thanks, that’s kind of you. But he’s insisted on having me, and in a way I’ve promised him I’ll continue. Of course I’ll pass on the offer to him, and
I’ll ring you back if he wants to take it up.”
    “Okay, we’ll leave it at that, then. But you obviously appreciate I’ll need to know soon. I’d have to familiarise myself with the case, and see if there’s anything
that can be done.”
    Their conversation drew to a close.
    She felt a little perplexed. Even though she knew it was far more common among criminal lawyers to steal clients, or make strategic changes of lawyer, as it was more likely to be described, she
was very surprised that Peter Strup had to have recourse to such measures. She’d seen his name recently in a newspaper report as one of three examples of the way cases were being delayed for
months or even years because the most well-known lawyers had such long waiting lists. On the other hand, it was nice that he wanted to help, especially when the