“That’s why you said you suspected something,” I concluded, her statement piquing my interest.
“Yes,” she agreed with a nod. “I was the one who found your mother. The poor thing died in her sleep. I asked my physician about it. She said that eight times out of ten, people die in their sleep of heart failure. But, isn’t that unusual for a woman like Anna? She was just forty-seven years old. She didn’t smoke, didn’t drink much, and she even used to exercise.”
“You’re right, she did,” I told the old lady. “I didn’t visit my mother a lot, but she was healthy as a horse as far as I knew.” I collected myself and then struggled to ask, “Where can I find her body?”
“The police put her in their morgue, I believe at Union County Medical Examiner,” she was quick to reply. “Mr. Marshall, I know this may not be appropriate, but if it’s okay with you, I’d like to take care of all the arrangements. Anna was very dear to me.”
“Oh, I… well, I haven’t thought of any of that yet, but I can do all that. I wouldn’t want to trouble you.”
Mrs. Feldman placed her hand on mine, “Please. I’d like to do this one last thing for Anna.”
I nodded, accepting her offer, impressed by her kindness.
“Is there anyone else you’d like me to call?” She inquired, her voice once again breaking.
“No,” I shook my head sideways. “I was the only family she had left. Thanks a lot, Mrs. Feldman. Here,” I pulled my business card out of my pocket, “give me a call when everything’s ready and please let me know if you need anything.”
Strutting back outside, I glanced over at my mother’s house to the right. Memories began to pour into my head, tearing my heart to pieces. The oldest of those memories was by far the most precious. I had found family in that tiny little front yard.
But, before that scene could replay in my mind, I spotted two, young men standing next to my Ferrari, pointing down at its exhaust and laughing.
“Is there anything I can do for you, boys?” I addressed them in a stiff tone, pressing the unlock button on my key fob.
“Nice car,” the one closer to me commented. “It’s a 458 Italia, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” I confirmed, settling my gaze on him.
“You must be David Marshall,” he presumed. “I’m sorry for your loss, sir. I’m John Eckhart, my colleague’s name is Tim Harris. We represent Consolidated Building.” He added, offering his hand for a handshake.
Under normal circumstances, I would have shaken his hand. Yet, these were anything but normal circumstances. I had just lost my mother, and I was looking at one of the people who could be responsible for her untimely death.
“You’re pretty damn quick off the mark,” I sneered, intensifying my stare. “My mother passed away just a couple of days ago.”
“That’s our job, sir,” Eckhart spoke, his polite smile staying on. “Mr. Marshall, I can understand how you feel right now, but these are hard times we live in. We cannot let opportunities just pass us by. We’re willing to pay up to a hundred-and-twenty thousand for your mother’s house. I believe this is a very generous offer, considering the state of the building. What do you say?”
“Get the fuck out of my sight,” I grumbled, narrowing my eyes at him. “The house is not for sale.”
“Sir…”
“Shut up!” I yelled, my blood pumping through my veins. “I just lost my mother, you piece of shit! Show some respect! You and the vultures you work for can kiss my ass. Now, get the hell out of here.”
“As you wish, sir,” he muttered, dropping his gaze from mine. He and his colleague strode off up the street, without looking back. If they dared to come back or even talk back at me, I’d be glad to shove their offer up their asses. Those pricks hadn’t wasted any time. Apparently, they had big plans for the whole neighborhood, but I couldn’t care any less. That house was crap, yes; but it was my mother’s home, and it held so many precious memories for me. I wasn’t going to sell it to them or anyone else for that matter.
My drive over to the morgue was filled with apprehension.
The view of my pale mother lying on that cold metal slab devastated me.
We still had so much to do, and she was taken from me…
It was this simple thought that defined my actions.
The odds of a forty-seven-year-old woman—who for all appearances had been healthy—dying like that were very slim indeed. I knew what had to be done. I requested an investigation into her death and I even told the cops who I suspected, in the hope that I would hear back from them soon…
Chapter 8
Stacy
A couple weeks after having both David and Kate visit me that day, the situation at the office hadn’t changed much. I was struggling to keep up with work, taking phone calls, studying cases and attending trials. The occasional video chat with Michelle was the only thing that broke the monotony.
During that time, I had the strangest of thoughts. I pictured David, walking back into my office, and having an actual conversation with me. We didn’t shout at each other. We just talked like normal human beings. There was no tension in the atmosphere whatsoever. On the contrary, we joked about the several mishaps we could encounter in our line of work, similar to the phone call he had witnessed on his last visit. I might have found it weird at first, but pondering over it helped me understand why that thought had crossed my mind.
That’s what I wanted from him.
No compliments, no flowers, no date proposals. Just a casual discussion about everyday things. It was much safer than going to fancy restaurants or dance clubs. I wouldn’t have to worry about his intentions, and I would get to know the professional behind the playboy. Regardless of his personal life, David was very successful. I was sure there was something I could learn from him.
Having to focus on yet another divorce suit, I started highlighting the key points. It was rather unfortunate that divorces comprised more than eighty percent of my cases, but it was still work.
As I read the last few lines on page one, a large hand entered my line of sight. I looked up at the person in front of me, my heart skipping a beat.
It was David.
But he hardly resembled the suave, well-dressed man I had known. He had grown a beard; his hair wasn’t parted to the side. It was rather messy. He wasn’t wearing a suit, but a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans.
“One of the tenants let me in.” Even his voice was much fainter than usual. “I can come back if you’re busy.”
“If you’re going to ask me out again, please, don’t,” I requested, my tone calm and steady. “I don’t want to repeat the same…”
“My mother is dead, Stacy.” His statement forced me to shut up. “They murdered her.”
“What?!” I squeaked, my face loosening with surprise.
“Yeah,” he uttered, his voice a little more than a whisper. “Her toxicology report indicated an overdose of prescription drugs.”
I sucked in a deep breath. “Okay, let’s take this from the top. When did your mother, um…” I faltered. “Pass on, again?”
“Two weeks ago,” he murmured, sitting in the chair to my left. “She was just forty-seven! She supposedly died in her sleep, which raised red flags. I asked for a criminal investigation. I’m positive that someone did this to her. They killed her. I’m pretty sure she wasn't on any prescriptions and there was nothing to be found in her house. The case was assigned to a Detective Graham. He didn’t find much. He interviewed a few of her old neighbors, couldn’t establish motive and left the case open, but doesn’t seem too enthusiastic about solving it. The son of a bitch wouldn’t even see me beyond taking my statement. I get the feeling he’s dirty and that someone might be paying him off to keep quiet.”
“And who do you think that someone is?” I asked, leaning forward.
“My mom lived in an old neighborhood in New Jersey,” he informed, his eyes on the edge of my desk. “Lately, a construction company bought everyone out of that ne
ighborhood, but she wouldn’t sell. So…”
“Jersey?” I interrupted, raising my voice over his. “I thought your mother lived in Manhattan.”
“That’s my adoptive mother.” He pointed out, rolling his gaze up to mine. “My birth mother had me when she was just seventeen. She was still in school, and my father wasn’t on the scene, so, she had to give me away.” He went on, tears forming in his eyes. “I met her…” He paused and pressed his wrist to his mouth. “I met her just five years ago at that house.”
“Wow, that’s…” I squeezed my lips together, not knowing how to respond. “Unbelievable.”
“I didn’t know I was adopted,” David continued, tears spilling from his eyes. “Not ‘til my adoptive father told me. He confessed it on his deathbed.”
“David, I’m sorry, I really am.” I made my voice sound sweeter, interlocking my fingers over my desk. “I’m also confused, though. Why are you telling me all this?”
“Well…” He exhaled hard, holding in a sniffle. “One? I just had to get this off my chest. Two? You’re a lawyer, Stacy. Your firm can stay afloat with all these divorce cases, but they won’t boost your reputation. But, if you go up against a major developer like Consolidated Building and win, trust me, your clients will multiply within days.”
“That’s the construction company you’re referring to?” I wondered, recalling Kate’s recent announcement.
“Yeah, why?”
“A friend of mine and Michelle’s just got engaged to their CEO,” I explained, tension building up within me. “I don’t know, David. It’s a huge gamble, and you said the police haven’t found much. Plus, my friend is not going to appreciate me trying to prosecute her fiancé.”
“It’d be a gamble if you had something to lose. You don’t,” he disagreed, his voice gaining in strength. “Big firms won’t even touch this, because their reputation’s on the line, whilst you’re still a start-up. If they lose, they’ll kiss goodbye a lot of their clients.”
“Even if I accepted to do this, I can’t do it until Michelle gets back from her honeymoon,” I claimed. “It’s been crazy around here. I’ve been running around like a headless chicken. I have other priorities and just don’t have the time or the energy to look into this.”
“Right,” he nodded, shoving his hand into his pocket. He eased a piece of paper out and set it down on my desk, before flipping it around. It was a check made out to Miles & Briar for fifty thousand dollars. “This is just an advance,” David assumed a businesslike tone. “I’ll give you another fifty at the end, whether you win or you lose.”
“Holy cow…” I whispered, unable to take my eyes off the check. “David, this is just too much.”
“I don’t think so,” he disagreed once more. “It’s good for a start. Now, will you take the case or not? And before you accuse me of anything, let me state that I’m not trying to get in your pants. I want to help you, so that you can help me.”
Although I refrained from making eye contact with him, I listened to everything he had to say. So far, Michelle and I had been bothering ourselves with minor cases, which was good, but our firm couldn’t grow like that. It was a challenge, a challenge that could put us on the map.
“All right, Mr. Marshall,” I said, focusing my attention on him. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
“Excellent,” he said, a faint smile appearing on his face. “I’ll email you more details when I get home. I’ve been able to track down some of my mother’s old neighbors. You’ll have to find the rest of them yourself. Also, I’d like regular updates. Daily if possible. We can meet at your place or mine. I’m okay with either.”
“Don’t you think we should meet here or at your workplace?” I posed, somewhat puzzled by his suggestion.
“Sorry, Stacy. I can’t,” he said, pursing his lips. “Golden Media may be just down the street, but I’ve got multiple meetings a day. You might have to wait hours for a chance to talk to me for five minutes.”
“I see,” I nodded, looking up into his reddened eyes. “Well, thank you for this, David. I’ll do my best not to let you down.”
“I know you will,” he assumed an emphatic tone, getting up on his feet. “I’ll be seeing you.”
As soon as he was out of my office, I picked up the check, brought it closer to my face and leaned back in my seat.
Fifty. Thousand. Dollars.
It was my firm’s first ever big check. It didn’t matter to me that it had come from the same man who had been a constant pain in the past few months. All that did matter was that he required my services, and he was going to pay very well for them. This could boost Miles & Briar, but, for the time being, it had boosted my ego…
Chapter 9
David
Unbeknownst to Stacy, she had done me a favor. Consolidated Building was one of the biggest real estate players in the northeast. They had deep pockets and friends in high places. And this meant it would be near impossible to find a law firm who would dare to piss them off.
Miles & Briar, on the other hand, was just a fledgling firm. What could they do to them? Tell the press that Stacy or Michelle had outstanding parking tickets? Because that was pretty much the extent of their unlawfulness. They didn’t have any other sources of income, and they weren’t exactly swimming in money, either.
The following night, I headed to my apartment in Manhattan, exhausted from a hard day’s work. I had spent all morning going over sales statistics from New York, Jersey, Philadelphia, and Boston. This was the boring part of my job. Studying charts, age groups, YouTube video views, and the list went just on and on. It was important because it gave us a good idea about fan preferences, but reading charts for well over six hours gave me a huge headache. I much preferred press conferences, where I could discuss the potential of a singer, announce tour dates and crack a few jokes with reporters. PR was a nightmare to most people, but it was my personal playground. As a matter of fact, I had no idea what I would do if I ever had to work outside the music industry.
I got rid of my clothes in haste, desperate for a shave and a shower. A beard would be bearable in the winter, but it was pure torment in the summer. It was like having thousands and thousands of tiny nails pricking my skin and heating me up all the time. On my way to the bathroom though, my phone buzzed with an incoming call from Stacy.
“Hello?”
“David, hi. I talked to a few of your mother’s neighbors this morning. They had some interesting things to say. Are you home yet? I’m just asking because I’m two blocks away.”
“Yeah, I just got in. I’ll leave the door open for you, okay?”
“OK. I’ll see you in a bit.”
***
Stacy
Michelle had mentioned David’s luxury apartment building more than once. Yet, her descriptions didn’t do it justice. First of all, it was as wide as four regular apartment buildings put together. I was still fifty or so yards away, and I thought I was approaching some sort of beacon. The lights in almost all the houses were lit, illuminating the road up ahead.
Its underground parking lot was more like an international car show. Corvettes, Porsches, Ferraris, Lamborghinis and gigantic SUVs were everywhere. Still, this was something I had to get used to. David was a rich man, and I had no doubt that the majority of those cars belonged to him. Supercars were by far his favorite topic. They were one of the few things he could rant about.
With a dossier of notes in my grasp, I entered the elevator, trying to collect my thoughts. It wasn’t an easy task by any means. I had been driving for hours in the blazing heat, and had to endure rush hour traffic while I searched for Anna’s old neighbors in New Jersey. This was just further proof of what I had told David about the time I would need to put in. However, I couldn’t complain. My reward was more than handsome.
I came across a thick, open door, the moment the elevator opened up on the seventh floor. Strolling inside, I pushed it shut, scanning the interior.
Four sparkling light fix
tures were needed to illuminate the spacious living room. To the right, a winding staircase led upstairs. To the left, a granite counter separated the huge kitchen from the living room. But what drew my gaze right from the start wasn’t the layout or any of the appliances. The massive glass façade on the far end offered an unobstructed view of the myriads of city lights in the distance.
Lured by the spectacle, I shuffled off towards the façade. But, I hadn’t covered more than four or five yards, when a mix of two sounds reached my ears. The shower was running, while David was singing an old song by Lenny Kravitz called ‘I Belong To You’.
In an instant, a rush of images flashed through my mind.
David was singing the exact same song, walking down a wide corridor. There were gray carpets on the floor and appliqués on the white walls. I was hanging over his shoulder, and with every step he took, my chin was bumping into his back, my hair hanging from my head while we bypassed brown room doors.
That memory sent shockwaves down my spine.
He was the one who took me back to my room on Jake and Michelle’s wedding night.
Seconds afterwards, another picture rushed back into my head, shocking me even further. I was fumbling with his belt, staring at his crotch.
Some good, casual sex.
Fuck… did I really say that?!
David hadn’t lied to me.
I had indeed tried to seduce him, but he had refused to take advantage of the situation. And I humiliated him when he tried to tell me about it. I screamed at him, accused him of making up an elaborate lie, just to make me think better of him.
In essence, I had kicked him out of my office for what I believed were his lies. But, he had been telling the truth.
B10 - His Desire Page 4
