by Regan Black
“Mr. Haywood, please hear me out.”
“Get out.” He was turning red above his crisp white collar. “I’ll see you disbarred for this.”
“But, Mr. H—”
“Get out!” he bellowed.
She jumped to her feet and scrambled backward for the door.
He came out of his chair and stalked after her, trailing her down the hall. “If our client dies because of your greed, Cooper, I guarantee the next time I see you it will be in a courtroom as accessory to murder!”
She pushed through the door and aimed for the stairs. The security guard assigned to her caught her and bodily ushered her to the elevator. As the car moved toward the ground floor, she felt the futility of her fight pressing in on all sides. Her dream job was over in a flurry of false accusations and manufactured evidence. Leo Falk had set this in motion, but why? They had evidence he had assistance from other sources, sure. What purpose did this stunt serve?
The elevator stopped on the first floor and the guard led her to the security station at the rear of the building. At least Arthur wasn’t there to see her disgraceful departure. The older man had been friendly to her from day one. The security guard at this desk shoved a banker’s box into her hands. She tried to peek under the lid for a quick inventory as they pushed her to the door.
The guard swiped his card and pushed opened the rear door. She stopped short at the threshold. “I can’t go out there,” she whispered. Mitch was at the hearing. Alone and exposed, Leo could do whatever he chose with her. Was that the purpose of this stunt?
“You can’t stay here,” the guard said.
“Just let me make a call first.” She shifted the box, reaching for the alternate cell phone in her pocket.
“Do it outside.”
“No. Wait.”
He grumbled a curse and forced her through the door and into the alley.
Julia could only stare as the door locked with finality, terror rooting her in place. She expected to hear a squeal of tires or a gunshot. She expected a team wearing black, on the orders of a man in an orange ball cap, to toss her into a panel van and speed away.
When none of it happened, she couldn’t muster up much relief. Leo had warned her she was useless if she was off the case. She didn’t hold out much hope that he’d leave her alone or fix the parts of her life he’d tampered with.
Her life. It was silly to stand here waiting to be attacked. She was still breathing—she’d best make the most of every minute until that status changed. Reluctantly, her feet cooperated, propelling her closer to the corner of Walnut and Sixth. She walked to the park where she’d enjoyed so many lunches and dropped the box on the first open bench. Pulling out her alternate cell phone, she sent a text message to update Mitch and Grant.
After that, she used her original phone and called her credit card company to file a fraud report. The call dropped before the computerized voice could direct her call. Checking that she had a good signal, she tried again. The call dropped and a moment later a new text message arrived, interrupting her third attempt.
You’re wasting time. I’ll fix everything if you share what you know.
As if she’d believe anything Leo said. She turned off her phone, too aggravated to play this game. Let him drive his other sources crazy. He was about to learn how scrappy she could be. She moved the box to the ground and propped her feet on it. Pulling out her tablet, she opened up an outdated email app. She hadn’t used this address since high school, when she’d needed to hide scholarship correspondence from her mother.
With the occasional glance around the park for an orange cap or Leo in all his arrogant glory, she composed her message. It would carry more weight if she could add the attachments, but she didn’t want to access anything linked to the accounts Leo had compromised. She filled in the recipient’s address from memory and hit Send, hoping for the best.
What now? A cab to the house or the club? She felt safer out here in public, among people who would notice if she got attacked or shot.
Somewhere along the line, before she’d made the ID, they’d misread Leo’s motives. Marburg represented Danny Falk, who was reportedly cooperating with investigators in several branches of law enforcement. All the witnesses who’d previously turned on the car-theft operation had been killed. Falk, in an undisclosed safe house, was out of reach. She’d read and reread the case. She’d talked it through repeatedly with Mitch. They agreed Leo must have something significant to lose if Falk exposed him, and yet Leo Falk was not among the names Danny offered up in exchange for his freedom.
A man with a criminal record as long as Leo’s wouldn’t put all of his hopes for success on one associate. He’d exhibited tremendous resources and access to hack into her life, yet he didn’t hide behind a computer. He’d personally followed her and persevered even after Mitch had nearly caught him.
“Pardon me. Are you Julia Cooper?”
The soft-spoken question startled her. She glanced up, expecting Leo, and found a skinny twentysomething kid with dark hair and black-framed glasses smiling at her. Physically, he didn’t pose a threat, but something in his eyes contradicted the quiet tone and slight smile.
“I am, yes.”
“Here.” He thrust a note card at her. “Have a good day.”
“Wait!”
He didn’t. She ignored the note in favor of watching him hurry off. He didn’t speak with anyone else before he was out of her sight.
Damn. Resuming her seat on the bench, she opened the note card. Turn on your phone.
She crumpled the note and shoved it into her coat pocket, refusing to obey him while she debated her options. In an hour, if she hadn’t heard from Mitch or Grant, she’d catch a taxi to the club. Until then, she’d wait and see what card Leo played next.
With a sigh, she donned her sunglasses and studied each and every person from behind the dark lenses. If he was close enough to get a handwritten note to her, he was close enough for her to spot him.
And when she did...
She would do what? Drag him up to Haywood’s office and force him to tell the truth? Hold her fingers like a gun and make him fix everything? Maybe she could persuade him to tell her what the hell was going on. All while pigs flew formation in the sky.
“That’s an expression designed to keep anyone at a distance.”
This time the voice was familiar. She smiled a little as Grant sat down beside her. “You’re on backup detail today?”
Grant nodded. “Simplified the scheduling issues. I got your text. This is an interesting place for a pity party. Didn’t Haywood believe you?”
“I never got a chance to say a word,” she replied. “And I thought staying in a public place would make things more difficult for Leo,” she raised her voice on the name. “Plenty of witnesses out here.”
“Fair enough,” Grant allowed.
She pushed her sunglasses up into her hair. “I called my credit card company to report the fraud. The call didn’t go through. Instead, I got a text from him.”
“And you turned off your phone.”
“Yup. Both of them.”
“That could’ve been disastrous.”
“Any more disastrous than what’s already happened? He’s here, watching me right now. Us.”
“You’re sure?”
She nodded. “He had some geeky guy drop off a note ordering me to turn on my phone.”
“But you haven’t done that.”
“No.” She knew she sounded belligerent, on the verge of a childish tantrum, and she didn’t care. Every time she thought the situation couldn’t get worse, Leo did something more foul. She filled in Grant on the bits of pertinent information from her disgraceful exit. “He gets nothing now that I’m fired.” She didn’t give Grant time to share an opinion. “He’s forced me out of my apartment, managed to screw up my career and my finances, and still he wants to know what I know. At this point, I only know Leo is alive and in Philly, which isn’t news to him.”
Grant laughed. “There are far better places for an attorney like you than Marburg.”
She snorted. Two weeks ago she would have pointed out all the good she could’ve accomplished in her dream job as she worked her way up the ranks. Now she’d have to take whatever position she could find just for the cash flow. “Is the public defender’s office hiring?”
“If not, I always am.”
She laughed at that. “Please. I waited tables through college. Customer service isn’t my strong suit.”
“Come on.” Grant reached down and pulled the box from under her feet. “It’s like I tell everyone who spends much time at Escape, this too shall pass.”
She walked with him out of the park, wondering how all of this would pass for her. “Did Mitch say anything about his hearing?”
“Not yet. I let him know you’re safe. He can meet us at the club when he’s done.”
“All right.” She felt a little guilty for turning off her phones. “I didn’t mean to make him worry. I was just so pissed off.”
Grant unlocked his truck and slid her box behind the seat. “I might’ve made a mistake assigning him to your situation,” he said, holding the passenger door open for her.
“How so?”
He shrugged a shoulder and urged her into the truck.
“Why would you say that?” she demanded when he was in the driver’s seat.
“Neither one of you is the patient sort.”
She frowned. Mitch had an impatient streak, she’d noticed that, but he’d demonstrated a wealth of compassion and patience with her. “I admit we both want to get back to our respective careers without all the drama.”
“That’s good.”
His tone didn’t match the words. “Ambition and determination are good things,” she said, going on the defensive. Mitch deserved to get his job back and she sure deserved better than being tossed out on her ear for a breach she had been forced to commit.
“Trying to convince me or yourself?” Grant asked as he merged with traffic.
“Could you just state your point clearly?” She sighed. “Please? I’ve had enough mind games for one lifetime.”
“I’m just saying it’s not enough to set a goal—you should know why you want to reach it.”
She wasn’t in much mood for philosophy, either, and she turned the conversation back on Grant. “You have good reasons to detest Marburg and I’m glad you didn’t leave me hanging because I worked there.”
“Do you have good reasons for wanting to stay with that kind of firm?”
“Yes! There’s no shortage of opportunity at a firm with Marburg’s reputation.”
Grant pulled into the reserved space behind the club. He turned off the engine and pulled the key. Shifting, he faced her. “My first career is over, but I don’t blame Marburg, his partners or anyone in that musty old building, Julia. If you keep your eyes open, you’ll find life is full of opportunities regardless of the circumstances.” He pushed open his door. “Come on. I could use some help with inventory. My supplier’s waiting on my order.”
“Counting is one of my many useful skills,” she said, hopping out of the truck. If nothing else, it would keep her brain busy while she waited for Mitch’s good news.
Grant smiled. “That’s great. Thank you.”
*
During the afternoon break, Mitch felt the vise on his chest loosen when Grant’s text came through that Julia was safe. He knew his mind should be on the hearing—his career was on the line, after all. But since the moment he’d dropped Julia off at the office, he’d been plagued by a bad feeling.
No, the bad feeling had started last night when he’d caught a glimpse of her stalker in the restaurant parking lot. He hadn’t wanted to hide it or lie to Julia, but he’d also refused to alarm her. She’d been so happy about his hearing, so sure it would go well. At the time he had decided notifying Grant was enough.
Now that he knew they’d been that close to the notorious Leo Falk, he couldn’t stop worrying about why she’d been fired. It helped knowing Grant was watching over her, but Leo was a dangerous piece of work with who-knew-how-many criminal connections around town.
When his hearing resumed, he answered questions from the board members who weren’t sure about reinstating him, while part of his mind worked on the trouble dogging Julia.
“We have a reputation to protect, Mr. Galway,” Chief Johannson said.
Mitch nodded.
“Community is at the core of what we do.”
He nodded again. He understood the philosophy, having firefighters all over his family tree.
“We expected you to serve your suspension without incident and yet you’ve managed to create more trouble with this car fire and another fire the next day.”
Mitch waited until he was sure they wanted him to reply. “I had nothing to do with either incident. The police report stating the same fact is in the file.”
“I’ve read it.” Chief Johannson tapped the paper on top of Mitch’s file. “It boils down to fact versus public opinion and perception. That’s a difficult hurdle when trust has been violated.”
Trust? What exactly did they expect him to do? He’d defended himself against an unruly, negligent father. He thought of Julia’s poker face and tried to mimic her sphinx-like expression. “I understand, sir. All I’ve ever wanted is to do my job well, with the highest integrity and commitment to the department and the people we serve.”
“Uh-huh.” Chief Johannson stacked one hand over the other on the table. “Those are the right words, Mr. Galway. Did your attorney help you rehearse them?”
“No, sir.” What the hell was going on here? He bit back the rant building in his chest. Losing his temper would undermine any progress. He couldn’t afford another setback. The better he played the game here and now, the sooner he could get back to unraveling Julia’s problems.
“Mr. Galway, we’ll review your case and have a decision for you by tomorrow. You may go.”
He stood tall and made eye contact with each of the five members on the disciplinary committee. “Thank you for your time.” He tried to mean it.
The moment he was out of sight, he checked his phone. Nothing new from Julia. Damn it. He broke into a jog and took the stairs two at a time to the ground floor. Knowing Grant was there helped, but he wanted to hear her voice or imagine her voice as he read one of her text messages.
Leo must be intercepting messages again. He started the car and used his speaker feature to call Grant.
“She’s fine,” Grant said in lieu of a greeting. “We’re doing an inventory.”
“Inventory?” A vision of Julia, dressed in the white flowy blouse and the sleek black skirt and heels, traipsing around after Grant, filled his head.
“You’re on speaker, Galway.”
“How was your meeting?” Julia asked. “Did they reinstate you?”
His entire body relaxed at the sound of her hope-filled voice. The ridiculous reaction didn’t faze him. Much. For good or bad, he was hooked on this woman. In his career, he was exposed frequently to how fragile and short life could be. Whatever came of this relationship, he planned to enjoy every minute. That way if she walked out of his life when her situation was stable, he wouldn’t be left with any regrets. “Not yet,” he replied, smiling.
“What is the holdup?”
He grinned at her instant outrage. “There was talk of trust, community and department reputation.”
“Oh, please,” she snapped. “You’re the poster child for community dedication.”
Mitch could hear Grant smothering a laugh with a fake cough in the background. “You think so?”
“As if none of them ever made a mistake,” she continued. “Who do they think created the reputation and trust issues in this city?”
“The board will come around,” he said, trying to appease her. He wasn’t at all sure he wanted to be reinstated right this minute. He’d feel better about returning to work once they had Leo behind bars
with no hope of bail.
When he reached the club it felt like a ghost town. The lunch rush was over and the kitchen staff had left. He strode into the empty club and turned a circle, his pulse kicking with apprehension. Had Leo made a bold move on the club?
He called out Julia’s name, then Grant’s. When neither answered him, apprehension morphed to dread. He’d seen Grant’s truck in the parking lot. They should be here counting beer or glassware or something.
He pulled out his phone and dialed Grant’s number. Mitch’s stomach sank when the call went straight to voice mail. A clatter from behind the stage had him jogging that direction. If Leo had his hands on Julia—
Mitch skidded to a stop as Grant leaned against a door, his arms full of boxes, holding it open for Julia, who was equally burdened. Mitch stepped in and relieved her of the load, giving her a kiss on the cheek as he did. “What are you doing?”
“We finished the inventory,” she said, dusting off her palms. “And started shifting things around back here.”
Her cheeks were pink and her hair curled at her temples from the exertion. Her clothes were a mess, but she looked beautiful and relaxed. Something inside his chest unfurled, suffusing him with happiness. “You do have a gift for organization.”
She tipped her head to the side, thinking about it, then laughed. “Order is good for the soul,” she replied. She circled her finger at him. “This will go over there.”
When things were in place, he rounded on her. “Why did they fire you?”
“Haywood claims I leaked sensitive case details to a reporter. Oh, and they claim I took money for it, too,” she added, avoiding eye contact.
“What?” He glanced at Grant over her shoulder and got no help. “Didn’t you tell Haywood about Leo being alive?”
She laced her fingers together, squeezing tight. “No. I’ve been waiting to tell you both at the same time.” She stepped back so she could include Grant. “Haywood told me they hired a new cyber team for this case. Leo must be manipulating someone on that team. It’s the best explanation for the thorough access to my financial information and how they planted false email evidence against me.”
