Chapter 13

Astrid stared at the rigid shape of Hiccup, who was hardly breathing and looking as if he wanted to vanish through the floor. She could really sympathise because this was his first experience of dealing with a client and Johann Trader had a complex and shady history in business and with the law: he was a man who manipulated and misdirected. As ever, she had gone above and beyond what was expected and had extensively investigated the man's business history and knew he had been investigated frequently by the regulatory authorities, had been the subject of a swarm of litigation and had never lost a lawsuit against him or that he had brought. Viggo Grimborn had been his attorney for years and no doubt knew the man well-but even he couldn't get anything out of the man either. Hiccup seemed to have persuaded Johann to talk-and she knew she had to take the chance because it could be their only one.

"Okay," she said and rose, snapping her folder closed and heading for the door. "Call me back in where you're done, Hiccup." Johann watched her leave and his smile broadened.

"She is an excellent lawyer, isn't she?" he probed and Hiccup snapped his head back to face the prisoner from where he had been staring after the vanished Astrid. He nodded.

"She's excellent at everything," he replied without thinking as Johann chuckled.

"Ah...I see the beautiful Miss Hofferson has woven her magic on your inexperienced heart?" he asked and Hiccup nodded before he blinked and realised the man was trying to manipulate him.

"She is a great mentor and a very professional lawyer," he said stiffly. "So...this alibi?" Johann smiled.

"Miss Hofferson realises that to engage with a client, you need to gain their trust and make them believe that you will respect their wishes, no matter what," he advised Hiccup. "For example-my alibi. Viggo Grimborn would give a treasured internal organ for the details because it would give him an easy job in proving my innocence...or at least the 'reasonable doubt' demanded by the archaic legal system. But if it was that easy, I wouldn't need his overpriced services as a defender. My alibi is very, very personal and cannot be revealed to anyone. I expect my team to understand that. But Viggo-Thor protect him-believes in winning at all costs. His reputation is built upon his remarkable win rate in all cases. And while I appreciate the sentiment, some things are too private to publish, even to ensure his win ratio remains unexcelled." Hiccup frowned.

"Even at the cost of a life sentence for murder?" he asked. Johann chuckled.

"That is the correct question," he complimented the young man. "And the answer, alas, is yes."

"Wow," Hiccup said almost to himself. "That's gotta be one dynamite alibi..."

"I assure you, it is," Johann told him. Hiccup sighed.

"So what is it?" he asked. Johann steepled his fingers and tilted his head slightly.

"You understand that I am assessing you, Hiccup Haddock?" he told the younger man directly. "You lack confidence yet you must be exceptional because Grimborn would not award his coveted student internships to anyone less. You lack assurance in your manner and have limited experience in dealing with men of my stature. And you have a crush upon the luscious Miss Hofferson. You are honest. And I believe you are loyal and truthful. So if you swore to keep a secret, I believe that you would."

"A man is his word," he quoted without thinking.

"Charmingly simplistic," Johann commented. "You believe that?"

"My father taught me that," Hiccup replied with a hint of pride.

"Really? Mine taught me to trust no one, give no quarter in business and consider all rivals as enemies to be crushed until you are the most powerful and wealthy of them all," Johann replied, his tone hard. Hiccup grimaced.

"Not a totally healthy father-son relationship," he murmured.

"You may be right, Hiccup Haddock," Johann sighed. "And I believe you will respect my wishes. So here is my alibi. I insist you do not share it with anyone-even the delectable Miss Hofferson. Is that agreed?" Hiccup nodded.

"I swear on my father's life," he murmured, leaning forward. Johann leaned forward and rested his hand on Hiccup's.

"Thank you," he said. "I could not have committed the crime because at the time Drago Bludvist died, I was with a friend."

"A friend?" Hiccup echoed, frowning, staring into Johann's eyes.

"A friend friend," Johann smirked and waggled his eyebrows.

"A friend friend?" Johann sighed and rolled his eyes.

"A special friend," he suggested. Hiccup's brow furrowed.

"A special...?" he repeated.

"Thor above, are you only capable of repeating what I say?" Johann snapped. "My friend and I were engaged in some rather personal activities..." Hiccup gasped.

"You mean?"

"Yes," Johann sighed. "We were engaged in the throes of passion when Bludvist met his end. I was otherwise occupied and therefore could not have affected his demise..." Hiccup frowned.

"And couldn't your friend come forward and reveal herself to act as your alibi?" he asked. Johann squeezed Hiccup's hand.

"The reasons why my friend cannot reveal himself are personal and I am exceedingly unwilling to have my personal life debated in the tabloids," Johann snapped as Hiccup's eyes widened. "Though his eyes are nowhere near as beautiful as yours. Are you sure you don't swing both ways?"

"Agh!" Hiccup yelped and snatched his hand back. Johann chuckled.

"I'll take that as a no," he smirked. Hiccup swallowed and stared into Johann's eyes, seeing the malicious gleam at the younger man's discomfort and realising it was a ploy to keep Hiccup on the back foot-and not thinking properly.

"What's his name?' he asked. Raising his eyebrows, Johann frowned.

"I don't see how...?" he began but Hiccup looked directly into his face.

"His name and where you were," he insisted. "I don't trust you, Mr Trader. You have been manipulating me since I walked into this room. You-you have been deliberately making me uncomfortable and off balance. So if you want me to believe you-and honour your deal, you answer my questions honestly." Johann sat back and folded his arms.

"Very well," he said coldly. "His name is Ryker. I have known him for years, Our relationship is intermittent and based on need and desire, not affection and love. We met in my Hunting Lodge, up near Williamstown in the Vermont border-well away from prying eyes. As you will be aware, that is some considerable distance from Bludvist's home on Cape Cod." Johann admitted as he scrutinized Hiccup.

"It's an incredibly long way-maybe a couple of hundred miles," Hiccup guessed. "There is no way you could have been there and then back in..."

"I don't drive.... much," Johann revealed. "I almost always fly, which is far more direct and shorter than relying on our esteemed road system and the vagaries of traffic jams. My pilot, Krogan, has my personal helicopter waiting for my use at all hours. I was due to meet Drago at the time of his death but I notified him that I would be delayed. I arrived two hours later to find him deceased...and somehow, I was the prime suspect..."

"Johann-you gotta tell Professor Grimborn," Hiccup urged him. "This will completely exonerate you..." The man stood, his eyes narrowed in anger.

"You cannot say a word, boy," he snapped. "You break my confidence and I will deny everything-and I will ruin you, if it the last thing that I do. Understood?" And not waiting for an answer, he rose and hammered his hand on the door. "I wish to go back to my cell!" he announced as the guard entered.

"Johann wait!" Hiccup shouted urgently. The man peered coldly over his shoulder waiting for Hiccup to continue. "Did you know about Drago's allergy?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes," was all Johann answered before he walked out without a backwards glance. Astrid walked in as Johann left and sat by him, seeing his hands trembling.

"You okay?' she checked and he nodded dumbly. "Did you get it?" He nodded again. "Any good?" He nodded. She smiled and started making hand gestures. "Book? Film? TV programme?" He looked up and frowned. "Do I have to guess the alibi by playing charades, Hiccup?"

He sighed.

"No," he said miserably. "It's worse than that." She frowned and rested her hand gently on his, making him flashback to the unwanted contact. He shuddered.

"So the alibi is no good?" she probed gently.

"No, it's a good one," he confirmed. "Very very good."

"So what's the issue?" she asked him, her tone slightly sharper and he sighed, his shoulders slumped.

"I-I promised not to reveal the alibi to anyone," he said.