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That was the moment Harry realized that this was a show trial with a difference Its sole purpose was to convince him that Anatoly Babakov was a fraud, so that he would return to England and tell everyone the truth, as it was being played out in that courtroom But the carefully orchestrated charade still required hin a confession, and he wondered just how far they would go to achieve their aim

“Comrade prosecutor,” said the tribunal chairman, “you may now call your next witness”

“Thank you, coain “I call Anatoly Babakov”

40

GILES SAT DOWN to breakfast and began to go through thepapers He was on his second cup of coffee by the time Sebastian joined him

“How do they read?”

“I think a theatre critic would describe the opening day as having mixed reviews”

“Then perhaps it’s a good thing,” said Seb, “that the judge instructed the jury not to read them”

“They’ll read thee refused to let Trelford tell theinia in her will Pour yourself a coffee and I’ll read it to you” Giles picked up the Daily Mail and waited for Seb to return to the breakfast table before he put his glasses back on and began to read “‘The rehters Emma and Grace to dispose of as they see fit, with the exception of inia Fenwick, because they have so roo, manipulative predators, who assume that everyone else was put on earth to serve the my besotted son, who I can only pray will break from the spell she has cast on him before it is too late’”

“Bravo,” said Seb when his uncle had put the paper down “What a formidable lady We could have done with her in the witness box But what about the broadsheets, how are they reporting it?”

&

nbsp; “The Telegraph is hedging its bets, although it does praise Makepeace for his forensic and analytical cross-examination of Emma The Times speculates about why the defense rather than the prosecution is calling Fisher You’ll see it under the headline ‘Hostile Witness,’” said Giles, sliding the Times across the table

“I have a feeling Fisher won’t get mixed reviews”

“Just be sure to keep staring at him while he’s in the witness box He won’t like that”

“Funnily enough,” said Seb, “one fe at me”