“What that means is that Isabelle can take credit for designing a theme park owned by a friend in California. She can also take credit for a brand-new mall that’s about to open in Chicago. Another friend. Anyone curious enough to make inquiries will run up against a brick wall.
“The new offices will have impressive plaques, citations, blow-your-mind pictures of Isabelle with dignitaries. There will also be an article in the papers today, courtesy of the AP wire service, announcing that my friend on the other side of the pond is requesting Isabelle’s presence for a memorial she is considering. It doesn’t matter if the event materializes or not.”
“Whoa! Way to go, Charles!” the girls squealed in unison.
Charles preened and bowed low. In spite of himself, he burst out laughing. “Sometimes it pays to have friends in high places.”
Myra was so excited she almost broke her pearls, which she was never without. “Can you imagine the look on this Rosemary’s face when she hears about that? Whatever would we do without this dear man?”
Charles’s cheeks turned pink as he cleared his throat so he could continue. “Now, if the sale goes through and Myra is able to purchase the adjacent property, she’s going to contact several architects to bid on the project she’s considering. There are several very large firms in the District, but the two we are going to be interested in are Rosemary’s and Isabelle’s. Rosemary will know she’s being pitted against the woman she ruined. It should prove interesting.”
“Charles, that is so devilishly clever,” Nikki said in awe.
Charles twinkled. “Yes, I thought so. Since today is Valentine’s Day, I’m taking my lady love to town. We’re going to pick up Judge Easter and have a nice dinner out. You’re all more than welcome to stay or leave. We’ll reconvene tomorrow at the same time.”
Nikki felt enormous relief. She’d been wondering for hours how she could possibly get away to join Jack on this all-important lovers’ day. She did her best to feign indifference by saying, “I think I’ll head for my office. I’ll see all of you tomorrow.”
Isabelle was the only one who opted to stay at the farm. The others said their goodbyes and drove away.
Left to her own devices, Isabelle sat down at the kitchen table and sipped at her cold cup of coffee. A mighty sigh escaped her lips. What would she do when her mission was over and she was vindicated? Neither Charles nor Myra had said anything about her continuing to work in the fancy new offices and she didn’t have the nerve to ask if she could take it over. The rent alone scared her out of her wits. Maybe she could open a small office somewhere and just be a one-woman operation. The thought of being vindicated left her feeling light-headed. Maybe she needed to go outdoors and run till she dropped.
She wished then, as she often did, that she had family to call on, but there was no one but a great-aunt that was so distant she couldn’t even remember her name. All her friends were gone and she hadn’t bothered to make new ones. The Sisterhood was her family now, Myra and Charles her surrogate parents. Maybe someday she’d meet a man who would make her blood sing the way Bobby had. So many maybes.
Life was suddenly becoming interesting again.
Isabelle smiled, then grabbed her lightweight jacket and went for her run. Seven miles today.
In the car, Nikki called Jack on her cell phone. “I’ve been sprung. I’m all yours for the rest of the day and night.”
Jack groaned. “Nik, I can’t get away until at least four. I’ll try for earlier but I can’t promise.”
“Do your best. I’ll cook us a nice dinner and…”
“And?”
Nikki laughed. “And I’ll leave it to you to fill in the blanks. Bye.” She heard Jack groan again as she ended the call.
Jack gathered up his topcoat and briefcase and left his office. He had fifteen minutes to get to court. It was sleeting when he hit the street, the stinging spray hitting him smack in the face. He walked with his head down, hunkered into his topcoat.
“Hey, Jack, slow down!” a voice called to be heard over the driving wind. Jack turned to see Ted Robinson on his right.
“Can’t. Gotta be in court. Walk along with me. I hope to hell you aren’t here to ask me what to buy your lady love, the one with the bodacious ass, for Valentine’s Day.”
The reporter loped alongside Jack, his breathing heavy. Finally, he had to slow down. “Well, yeah, that too, but I need to talk to you about something else first. How long are you gonna be in court?”
“Thirty minutes if all goes well. Wanna grab some lunch? Listen, I have to sprint the rest of the way. I’ll meet you in the lobby, OK? Forty minutes tops.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Jack felt bad for his friend as he sprinted off. Ted still wasn’t up to snuff since he’d had his spleen removed following an almost fatal beating by some very special federal agents. Jack had taken care of that little matter, but he still felt guilty over the beating Ted had suffered.
Jack barreled through security and raced down the hall to Judge Easter’s courtroom. He blew in like a gust of wind, shrugging out of his topcoat as he raced to take his place just as Judge Easter stomped her way to the front of the room and saw Jack wiping at the sleet on his face.
“Nice to see you this morning, Mr. Emery,” she barked.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Your Honor,” Jack replied, grinning.
The judge blinked before she settled back in her chair.
“All stand. The Honorable Judge Cornelia Easter presiding,” the bailiff barked to be heard in the back of the courtroom.
Forty minutes later Jack was on his way to the ground floor where Ted Robinson was waiting for him.
“How about the Rusty Nail?” Jack asked, referring to a steak house a block away.
“Sure. I’m in the mood for a big thick steak with onions and mushrooms. I’m getting tired of eating tofu. Maggie is a vegetarian so I have to be carnivorous on my own time. So what do you think, Jack? Flowers, candy, jewelry, or all of the above? What? Are you seeing anyone? What are you getting her? Who is it?”
“Like I’m really going to tell you her name! Tomorrow I’ll see it in the damn paper of yours. I’m going the flower route. Champagne-colored roses. I ordered them yesterday. You’re only going to get leftovers now. Why’d you wait so long?”
“Because I didn’t know what to get her. She does have a bodacious ass, doesn’t she?”
Jack held the door to the Rusty Nail open for Ted to enter. “That she does, my friend. Now, if you really want to win some points with Maggie, get something for her dog. Women love it when you include their pets. I read that somewhere, so don’t blame me if it doesn’t work.” He shrugged out of his wet topcoat and hung it up next to the booth. Then he plopped down and swiped at his wet head with a wad of napkins. “What a shitty day,” he mumbled. “So, I know damn well you didn’t come all the way to the office to ask me about Valentine’s Day. What’s up?”
Ted grimaced as he waited for the waitress in her skimpy, almost nonexistent uniform to take their order. “I’ll have a porterhouse steak, medium, twice-baked potato and a side of onion rings and I’ll have a Miller Lite.”
“I’ll have the same,” Jack said.
“She must be freezing,” Ted said, jerking his head in the waitress’s direction.
“Nah, those girls have to hustle. In case you don’t know this, buddy, they wear those skimpy outfits so dumb schmucks like us tip big. So, what’s up?”
“I don’t know for sure. Maybe something, maybe nothing. I’d like your spin on it.” Ted whipped out a folded section of the Post, a small column highlighted in yellow.
Jack reached for the paper, his eyebrows shooting upward. Shit, shit, shit! The ladies of Pinewood were on the march again.
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4. The Jury Page 23
