Case of Barbara Lombardi

Virginia Close

Description

The Case of Barbara Lombardi is an exciting and intriguing romance, mystery and thriller that depicts life after the separation-the suffering, the grief and the laments. '...Committing infidelity is the same as hitting a woman.'Barbara Lombardi found herself in a situation much beyond what she bargained for, utterly beyond grasp. Her cyberspace love affair will bring her to the legendary city of Paris.A matter of the heart with the lost passion coming back, making her world eclipse over and over again...And the persistence of her ex-husband to win her back. To prove his love, he proposes to marry her again. But she declines. However, one of Barbara's clients asks to be represented in a murder case. Working with the former partner is the last thing on her mind...The mystery along the way-treacherous and deceiving.A few more lives are in grave danger.

Sujets

• Thriller

Informations

• Publié par: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Date de parution: 30 mars 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781528909075
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

The Case of Barbara Lombardi
Virginia Close
Austin Macauley Publishers
2018-03-30
The Case of Barbara Lombardi About the Author Dedication Copyright Information © Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Barbara Angela Lombardi Chapter 2 Cyberspace Versus Realism Chapter 3 The Husband and Wife Chapter 4 Surprise Chapter 5 The Friendship Chapter 6 The Operation Chapter 7 The Frenchman Chapter 8 The Lover Chapter 9 The Chaotic Moment Chapter 10 The Dinner with a Twist Chapter 11 Sing the Blues Chapter 12 The Escapade Chapter 13 Avenue des Champs-Élysées Chapter 14 Goodbye Paris, Goodbye Chapter 15 The Perfect Time Chapter 16 24 December Chapter 17 The Medical Finding Chapter 18 The Hoax Chapter 19 Lombardi-Heinrich Nuptial Chapter 20 The Mates Chapter 21 The Criminal Lawyer Chapter 22 The Email Chapter 23 The Supreme Court Chapter 24 Mikkos Chapter 25 The Accident Chapter 26 Celebratory Party Chapter 27 The Confusion Chapter 28 The Basement Chapter 29 The Infidelities Chapter 30 The Culprit Chapter 31 The Secret Room Chapter 32 Uncle Nick Chapter 33 Athena Chapter 34 The Case of Barbara Lombardi
About the Author
Virginia Close is a writer and poet of Filipino descent, living in Australia. She was a graduate with Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Manila, Philippines. She trained at Communication Foundation for Asia and at Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation.
In her early twenties, she moved to Australia. Her many travels around the world became an inspiration in her writing. Now in her fifties, she is taking the time rediscovering her first love – creative writing with a particular interest in mystery, drama, love, relationship and discovering oneself. Virginia’s book also brings out the insightful perspective of a migrant in Australia.
Dedication
To Michael Wilson and Juliette Vernet.
Copyright Information ©
Virginia Close (2018)
The right of Virginia Close to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781786935458 (Paperback)
ISBN 9781786935465 (E-Book)
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2018)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LQ
Acknowledgements
To Austin Macauley Publishing Ltd for believing in me, thank you.
I also wish to thank my family and friends for their encouragement; my children Victoria Close and Vincent G Close, my mother Teresita Tabuzo, my sister Belen Dameglio, my brother Virgilio Tabuzo, my nieces Toni-Marie Dameglio, Kristina Dameglio, and Vera Tabuzo, my nephew Venson Tabuzo, my brother-in-law Gino Dameglio, my sister-in-law Cora Tabuzo and my dearest friends Michael Gillean, Edna Gancia, and Evelyn Quinn.
Chapter 1

Barbara Angela Lombardi
“All rise!” the court clerk announced.
A middle-aged lady, Magistrate Louise Manning, appeared, went straight to her portal and sat down. The courtroom was jam-packed; people were waiting for the Law Lord to read the cases. Barbara Angela Lombardi, a Family Law solicitor, sat anxiously in the first chair. The courtroom was a space that she had been in many times before. The woman of the law looked at her surroundings with a different mind-set and could not fathom the obscurity of the scene considering the many occasions she had been present. For the very first time she took notice of the structure of the chamber; modern with a neutral colour on the walls. Countless tables were side by side in between the many chairs and the magistrate. The atmosphere that she was accustomed to brought a grimace and a squirm. To her discontent, the awkwardness beneath her tailored suit writhed at the duty with embarrassment. Although Barbara wanted to cry, she repressed it and instead imagined what it would be like in the times of yore. The chair of the magistrate formed her imagination; the waywardness of the situation; the sight of the malicious people waiting for the Law Lord to utter the names of the petitioners and the respondents. At the brink of it all, Barbara directed her vision further into the chamber. The women wore long dresses with weary faces; the men camouflaged nicely in black suits with subdued semblances, like innocent boys reprimanded by parents. The whole politics of the situation; the dull and scary moments of the plot mixed with the guilt and shame. Illusory of the Victorian era, the hall was no way near the modern aeon ‒ a 19th-century building carried the epoch’s architecture, from the outside right through the very heart. The dreadful, disgusting sensations that creep to the softness of one’s central core; a delectable arena for provoking fear in each other; fighting between husband and wife; located at 300 William Street, in the Central Business District ‒ THE FAMILY LAW COURT BUILDING.
Albeit the Family Law Court was an almost everyday picture to the brilliant lawyer, her mind was on a different path – the past. The abstract illusion was the courtroom with Judge Manning sitting on the old mahogany chair; in front were files of paperwork. The antediluvian table in front of the judge carried the many secrets of various sad and gruesome happenstances. Barbara focused her eyes on the magistrate. She imagined Louise Manning changed into a dragon and spoke words in jargon and all of a sudden started to spit fire. Barbara stood frozen as the dragon’s blast furnace was about to swallow everyone; she wanted to run but her feet were glued to the ground.
A woman carrying a child behind burst into tears, and squealed like hell near Barbara’s earlobes. The solicitor came back to her senses. The authoritative look in the magistrate’s eyes made everyone silent. Louise Manning did not even utter a word. Barbara anticipated that the soul with authority would say, “Silence!” and use a gavel. But, in Barbara’s many years as a lawyer, she had never seen a magistrate use a ceremonial mallet. And she thought, Fuck, use your gavel. C’mon, hurry up. I want to pee. I want to get out of this shit fucking dungeon.
She glanced over her right shoulder and saw that another woman comforted the one who burst into tears. Dying to get out of the courtroom, her eyes centred on the magistrate again. However, she started to get fidgety and her gaze roamed like a surveillance camera. Not far from where Barbara was sitting was a uniformed police officer escorting a Caucasian man. He suddenly coughed and could not rest. The magistrate stopped talking again which made the cop hold his breath. Thenceforth, Barbara switched her eyes at every angle. There were children, men and women, lawyers and even policemen with various expressions on their faces. Some kids were sitting down on the floor. A boy was holding a balloon when all of a sudden he cried because the youngest sister snatched it from his hand. Another girl shouted when an older child did not want to give her the doll. The kids tackled each other whilst the mother pacified. The lawyers whom Barbara had seen in countless junctures seemed apprehensive, and two of them were sweating although the room was cold. A boy who appeared no more than nine years old sitting quietly with his mother quickly shouted and ran to his father. Magistrate Manning paused once again and banged the table with a gavel for the very first time and hollered like a mad dog, “Shit! Fuck you all! I want this finished and done with!” She pounded the desk with the wooden hammer repeatedly until it shattered and flew in the air. Virgin moment: Barbara saw a magistrate use the ceremonial mallet. Could it be that she really was in the court of the olden days? Am I going crazy?
Barbara thoroughly knew that the Family Law Court was not pleasant and could be a theatrical arena. It was one hour after Barbara’s case was heard; three in the afternoon, the eleventh day of August 2014 and the magistrate handed down the decree nisi. Barbara rattled upon hearing her name; she approached the bench. With no emotion, Barbara, the petitioner, accepted the divorce paper. Immediately, she glanced at the wretched and went back to her chair. She opened her bag and threw the white manuscript inside carelessly, put on her coat, picked up the briefcase and the bag. Her poker face could not be controlled; she burst into tears and immediately got out of the chamber. The petitioner, Barbara Angela Lombardi, perambulated straight through the corridor and hobbled absentmindedly. Quickly, she ran to the ladies’ room, mumbling and throwing her bag and briefcase to the floor and carried on swearing at her settlement whilst sitting on the throne; done. Like a tornado, she picked up her Hermès sack and LV briefcase and got out. She walked out in haste and tears. Instead of crossing the road to board bus 34 to go home, she took the tram that stopped in front of her. She got out of the tram on the second stop, the Botanical Garden. The beaming sun was up, although it was a cold afternoon, with the little precipitation showering on the misty and damp Melbourne. Barbara tottered along the brumous path unmindful of the rain. Her woollen coat absorbed the droplets of water from the sky. The despondency of heaven was prolonged. In spite of the cold and moist weather, the magnificent bed of flowers glistened to the sparkle of her soul. Sanguine, her spirit savoured the unique ambience ‒ the rain was drizzling and at the same time the sun was shining. The majestic surroundings pleasured her heart. After all, the gladness f