Until Then

by McLaughlin, Heidi

  On her way in to her office, she turned on her phone and waited for the onslaught of messages to come through. There weren’t as many as she’d thought, and she didn’t know if this was a good sign or not. She read the one from Brooklyn, which said to call her if she needed anything, and there was nothing from Graham.

  “Good morning, Ms. Wallace,” Ester said when Rennie stepped off the elevator. Ester handed her boss a file folder and followed her into her office. “Good weekend?”

  “Not really. What’s this?”

  “It’s a report I came across on Friday. It was left on the copier, and I thought it was something you’d like to see.”

  Rennie sat down and read the documents in the file. Case notes about the potential suit against Graham. As far as Rennie could tell, it was all circumstantial evidence and hearsay.

  “Ester, you’re a little devil, and I love it.”

  “Thank you.” Ester bowed. “I have something else. This came to me on Friday.” Ester handed her boss a printed email with a medical report attached to it. Rennie read it over twice.

  “No way.”

  “Perfect timing, right?”

  “Couldn’t be better. Nice job. Can you ask Mr. Perkins to come and see me before our staff meeting?”

  Ester nodded and excused herself. Rennie kept poring over the document and wished her divorce clients would hand her smoking guns like this. The knock on her door startled her. She jumped and closed the file before she looked to see who it was.

  “Oh, Jeff. Come in.” He closed the door behind him and took a seat across from her. “Remember my pro bono case?” He nodded. “My client is in rehab, thanks to your strategy, and he’s actually doing really well, according to him and his therapists. But his brother, who owns a bar, is the subject of a witch hunt.” Rennie went over everything Walter had told her when they spoke and handed Jefferson the file from Ester.

  “Who did he piss off?”

  “Odd, right? It’s like Graham has an enemy, which I don’t get. He’s literally one of the most loved members of the community. The same for his brother, despite everything. This is a stand-up family, and this delivery driver is trying to frame them for something they had no part in. Can they do that?”

  “That’s the thing about civil suits. You hash them out in court or pretrial. It’s up to a judge or a jury to find if there’s fault.”

  “Even if the plaintiff is lying?”

  Jeff nodded. “Do you remember the OJ Simpson case? He’s found not guilty by a jury of his peers, but when it comes to civil court, the families are awarded millions. It’s all in how the case is presented.”

  “That’s crazy.”

  “It is. Do you want my help with this? I’ll gladly take it over and keep you in the loop.”

  Rennie leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Donna is going to fight you on this. She’ll tell you that you can’t keep the case because of her client.”

  Jefferson laughed. “Let her. I’m not scared of her. Besides, we have a signed contract from your client—well, now mine—saying we represent him. She can cry wolf, whine to Lex. I don’t care. I’ll happily take her on in court, but by the looks of this, one conference and the plaintiffs will owe the Chamberlains money for harassment.” He rubbed his hands together. “I do love countersuits.” He picked up the folder and tapped it on her desk. “Let your clients know I’ll call them by the end of the week.”

  She hoped this would be the day her Soto case finally ended. She was optimistic when she went into the conference room and saw her client Kelly seated at the table. Kelly was a tiny woman with stick-straight, long jet-black hair. When she first came to Rennie, Kelly had given her a book to read and told Rennie that she wrote it. Since then, Rennie had read every novel her client had written.

  “Hey, Kelly,” Rennie said as she entered. “How was your holiday?”

  “Actually, it was nice. Andrew wished me a merry Christmas.”

  Before Rennie could respond, Andrew and his lawyer, Thomas Krouse, entered. “Good afternoon, gentlemen.” Rennie hated that term because these two were nothing close to gentlemen. They sat down across from Rennie and her client, and Ester sat at the end of the table with her pen poised and the tape recorder ready.

  “Are you ready to start?” Rennie asked. She opened her binder and waited.

  “Our settlement option remains the same,” Krouse said.

  “Which is fine.” Rennie pulled a sheet of paper out of her folder and slid it across the table to Andrew. “Mr. Soto, can you please tell me what this is?”

  Before Andrew could read it, his attorney took the document from his hand. His eyes went wide, and he leaned in to confer with his client. Kelly looked at Rennie with confusion written all over her face. Rennie waved her hand a little and hoped Kelly understood that what was happening before them needed to play out.

  Thomas Krouse cleared his throat. “My client is willing to negotiate a twenty-five percent stake of Ms. Soto’s current and future royalties. Same conditions as before—gross wages, of course.”

  “Of course, Mr. Krouse. But I would like for you to turn to page three of our already agreed-to stipulations and look at item five. I’ll read aloud for your benefit. ‘If at any time Mr. Soto, during the five years this stipulation is in effect, is to marry or father a child, he will forfeit his right to royalties.’ Your words, Mr. Krouse.”

  “You got someone pregnant?” Kelly blurted out. She reached forward and took the paper from the lawyer’s hand and read the results of an amniocentesis done on Andrew’s behalf. “Wow, Andrew. Doesn’t she live in the apartment next to you?”

  The next stack of papers Rennie pushed across the table was the original divorce settlement assuring that Kelly retained 100 percent of her company and royalties. “Let’s go ahead and sign these so my client can move on with her life, and yours can build a crib.”

  “I still want money,” Andrew yelled. “I’m entitled.”

  Rennie wanted to laugh, but she kept things professional. “I’m sorry, Andrew. You already agreed to the stipulation, and we’re not willing to change it. You can sign the papers, or we can go to court.”

  Thomas leaned over again and whispered in his client’s ear. Andrew grabbed the pen hastily and signed where he needed to sign. Once he signed, he abruptly left the room.

  “I’ll have your copy sent over later today after we file,” Ester said as she gathered the documents.

  “That was shady, Renee. Even for you,” Thomas said as he packed his briefcase.

  “I’m not the one who asked for the clause. That’s all on your client.”

  As soon as Thomas left, Kelly tackled Rennie in a fierce hug. “How did you find this out?”

  “I didn’t. As part of the divorce proceedings, we requested medical records. I had to see if he was ill or needed treatment for anything that you’d normally provide for. Because of this, when he had the test done, everything was sent to us.”

  “Freaking brilliant. I’m going to use this in a book someday. How am I ever going to thank you?”

  Rennie didn’t have an answer. “Keep in touch, Kelly. I’m interested in your career.”

  “I will. Thank you, Ms. Wallace.”

  “Congratulations. You’ll be a free woman soon. Now, go sign that contract.”

  Rennie bid her client farewell, dropped her files off on her desk, and decided she needed some fresh air. She grabbed her purse, made sure she had her phone, and checked messages on her ride down to the lobby. She was in the midst of texting Graham, telling him about Jefferson taking over his case, when she heard her name. She stopped and looked around and saw a woman approaching her.

  “Are you Renee Wallace?”

  Rennie froze. She’d seen one too many movies where someone answered yes, and they ended up with a shotgun hole in their chest. She remained quiet, her mouth and brain unable to work properly.

  “I’m Angela Wright. Do you have a place where we can talk?”

  “I hav
e nothing to say to you.” Rennie sidestepped, but the woman grabbed her arm.

  “Please.”

  Rennie could see the desperation in her eyes. They were crystal blue but lacked life. She gave the woman in front of her a good hard look. Her hair was limp, and her clothes looked frumpy. Theo had done this to her, his wife. Reluctantly, she nodded and told Angela to follow her. Rennie led them to a restaurant attached to her building. It was late enough that they missed the lunch rush and were able to get a booth in the back, which gave them some privacy.

  “Did you bring my husband here?”

  With that question, Rennie reached for the strap on her purse and started to leave, but once again, Angela held on to her arm. “I’m sorry. That was rude. I’m just . . . I’m lost, and everything hurts.”

  “I don’t know what talking to me is going to do for you.”

  “Can you answer my questions?”

  Rennie was hesitant. “I reserve the right not to answer anything, especially if it might incriminate me in a divorce hearing.”

  “I understand. Maybe you could give me some legal advice?”

  She shook her head. “Hire a lawyer. A good one. A shark. Take him for everything he has.”

  Angela nodded. A server came over and brought them menus. Rennie pushed hers aside. She had lost her appetite. “The people you ran into at the resort—they golf with my parents. Karen called me right away to tell me. Part of me wishes she hadn’t, because then maybe Theo would tell me when he got home. I tried calling him, but he didn’t answer, and he never returned any of my messages. I spent four days wondering what the two of you were doing. Crazy thoughts, ya know. Like, how many times did you and my husband make love while you were in Canada? Did you wear lingerie? Shower together? Is he spontaneous, or does he schedule everything? Does he act animalistic and throw you against the wall? Every time I tried to close my eyes, all I could see was the two of you making love, and I had no idea who you even were, and I couldn’t understand why he took this woman to where we spent our honeymoon.”

  Angela’s statement made Rennie’s stomach twist. Theo was the worst type of man she had ever known. “I wasn’t there,” she told her. “I left right after the encounter with Karen.”

  “That’s not what Theo told me. He said you stayed.”

  Rennie huffed. “He’s a liar. I spent the weekend in the San Juan Islands with a friend.”

  “Then where was my husband?”

  “Well, I know he went to my friend’s house looking for me, but I don’t know much after that.”

  “Are you still seeing him?”

  “Hell no. I’m not a home-wrecker.”

  “But you went away on a trip with a married man.”

  The fact that Angela was referring only to the trip confused Rennie. She convinced herself Theo was lying to his wife. “Listen, I don’t know what Theo has told you, and I don’t care, because I want no part of his life. We didn’t just go away for New Year’s. We’ve been dating for over a year. We met at a college job fair thing in Spokane and have been together ever since—well, at least until I met Karen. He never once mentioned he was married. If he had, I would’ve kicked him in the balls and bailed.”

  Angela sat there for a moment and then started to cry. Rennie was torn on whether to comfort her. She chose not to and kept her hands to herself. Rennie felt terrible for the woman but wanted to avoid their marital issues.

  “I remember that weekend. He called and said he wouldn’t be home, that he needed to stay there. I was so confused because we live down the street from the convention center, and he could’ve easily been back first thing in the morning. Did you sleep with him that night?”

  She had nothing to gain by being dishonest. Rennie nodded.

  “And the next day?”

  Rennie nodded again.

  Angela looked at her in disbelief. “And the following weekend, right? He had a business trip. You know, I’m just going to assume that every time my husband was out of town, he was with you. He wears a ring. Why wasn’t that enough to stop you?” Angela pointed out.

  “Like I said, I didn’t know. He may wear one when he’s home, but the day I met Theo, he did not have a ring on and hasn’t since that day.” Which made her wonder if she was truly the only woman he had cheated on Angela with. The more she sat there, the more she hated him.

  “You know, I’m sitting here and wondering why you. What do you have that I don’t? What did my husband, my high school sweetheart, see in you that he doesn’t see in me? I’ve given him everything, and I don’t understand why he’s done this to me.”

  Slowly, Rennie shook her head back and forth. “I don’t know. From my experience at work, sometimes it’s nothing. Sometimes, men cheat, or women do. Some say they’re bored or their partner isn’t satisfying in bed. Others do it because they don’t get caught. I can tell you anything you want about our relationship, but as to his state of mind and why he’s done this, I don’t have an answer for you. If I knew he was married, I would’ve never entertained the idea. I would’ve walked away. I deal with divorce on a daily basis. I’m not going to be the catalyst for one. That’s not who I am as a person.”

  “Are you in love with him?”

  Rennie adjusted in her seat. “At one time, yes, I was. But we drifted apart a little. We planned the trip for a few months, and we were going to use it to reconnect. Again, I knew nothing about you, so I had no idea you spent your honeymoon there.”

  “Whose idea was the trip?”

  “His. I don’t ski. I agreed because it was something he wanted to do.” Rennie paused and contemplated what she was about to tell Angela. “You should know, he asked me to move to Spokane, to live with him. And a few days ago, he sat in my friend’s bar, demanding my friend help him get me back.”

  Angela nodded. “So, no business trip?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t seen or spoken to him since the beginning of last week.” Rennie reached for her bag again. “Look, I’m really sorry. I am. If you decide to stay in your marriage, I wish you the best of luck, but if you decide to leave him, you’ll need a damn good lawyer. He’s a manipulator. I really have to go.” Rennie walked away. She left Theo’s wife at the restaurant and never looked back.

  THIRTY

  The saying “The writing is on the wall” never meant much to Graham. He wasn’t the type of guy who looked for signs or omens or believed in superstition, which hadn’t made a ton of sense since he ran what many considered to be a haunted bar. Graham chalked those stories up to old wives’ tales or stories that had been embellished over time. He likened most of them to the game of telephone that he played in kindergarten. By the time the message got to the last kid, it was nothing like the way it had started.

  It had been weeks since Rennie had visited Cape Harbor. She was busy; that was the excuse she gave Graham every Thursday or Friday. Her caseload was heavy, and she didn’t have time to drive north; she had court, too many meetings, mediation. When Graham suggested he come down, her excuse was that he would be a distraction. He tried not to let the rejection hurt, but it had, and he had gone back to the ridiculous what-if game. What if he had told her no when they were on the boat? What if he had dropped her off at Brooklyn’s instead of bringing her to his house? Graham could come up with a dozen or more questions, all with no answer. His hindsight game was strong, and at this point in his life, he should’ve made a career out of it.

  As much as Rennie’s absence bothered him, he refused to show it. He went about his day, returned her text messages when she would return his, and made every-other-day trips to see Grady. For everything Rennie was doing to Graham in regard to their relationship, he couldn’t be mad at her, because she was there when he needed her most, and because of her swift actions, she had brought Grady back to Graham.

  Grady thrived in rehab. Their weekly family therapy sessions weren’t always serious. There had been a lot of laughter, jokes, and overdue apologies. Grady was apologetic for what he’d put ever
yone through, and they, in turn, were sorry they’d waited so long to get him the help he needed.

  When Graham arrived at the facility, he carried a box of doughnuts. Bringing one to Grady had become a habit, and he told his brother that the staff hinted they would like one. Graham was happy to oblige and started bringing a dozen. He checked in, waited for the security guard to take his doughnut, and then made his way to the rec room, where visitation started.

  It wasn’t long until Grady came in; he was looking more and more like Graham every day. If someone who didn’t already know they were identical twins met the brothers now, they’d at least know they were related. Grady looked like an older version of Graham. But he was healthy, and that was the only thing that mattered.

  “They’re seriously going to miss you when I get out of here,” Grady said as he sat down. He chose his maple bar and took a bite. Following Grady’s last checkup, Dr. Field informed the family that Grady’s organs were healing, but he needed to stay clean. One relapse would kill him. Thankfully, they removed Grady’s feeding tube, and he could start eating more substantial meals.

  “They’ll have to con someone else into bringing them treats.”

  Grady looked at his brother and smiled. “You visit more than anyone out of everyone here.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded. “I appreciate it. I’ve missed being your brother.”

  Graham reached across the table and squeezed Grady’s hand. “Me too, brother.” The boys shared a moment, and when Graham pulled his hand back, he had to look away. He didn’t want his brother to see him cry. “So, you have about a month left.”

  “Yeah,” Grady said as he picked at the pastry. “I have a new lawyer. His name is Jeff something or other. He works with Rennie. She said he’s more equipped to handle my case. I like him.”