by Carsen Taite
Carly took a few more minutes to review the notes she’d made last night, and satisfied she was as ready as she ever would be, walked down the hall to Jane’s office. When Rhonda looked up, Carly gave her a smile and Rhonda’s eyes grew wide like she thought she was crazy. Carly pointed at the door. “Jane wants to see me. I’ll let myself in.” She strode past Rhonda’s desk and pushed open the partially closed door without knocking first. Jane was staring at her computer and didn’t immediately look up, a power play Carly recognized from many other similar occasions but had never challenged. Today was different.
“You wanted to see me?”
“Have a seat, Carly. I’ll be just a minute.”
“I’ll come back. I’m sure you’d rather have me working on cases than sitting here waiting while you finish up.”
Jane tugged off her glasses and turned to face her with a look of surprise. Carly didn’t look away, daring Jane to call her out for being insubordinate. The way she figured it, she had nothing to lose after what had happened yesterday, but if she left the firm, Jane would lose a lot. Carly might not be Landon Holt, full of charm and personality, but she was smart and thorough and a billing machine.
She owed most of her newfound confidence to Landon’s visit. They’d both ignored Jane’s repeated calls and texts, and spent the afternoon reviewing everything in their files about Trevor’s case and conferencing with Skye about what they needed from her. When the grand jury reported out, they’d be ready for whatever Donna Wilhelm had to throw their way.
Jane pushed her monitor to the side. “You’re right. Let’s talk about what happened yesterday.”
Carly took a deep breath. She’d practiced this, and she was ready. “We were ambushed, rather I was ambushed. I took a risk and it didn’t work. You’re not used to me taking risks because I always give you the sure thing—the solid research, the absolute answer. But you’ve asked me to step up and show you that I’m partner material, and that’s what I’m doing. Every move I make isn’t going to be a winning one. I bet not every move you made when you were building this firm was a winner, but you learned from every decision you made—good or bad. Am I right?”
To her surprise, Jane merely nodded and motioned for her to go on, but this was as much as she’d practiced. If she was going to show she was just as capable at litigating as Landon, then she needed to dig deep. “You can yank me out of the running for partner, but you can’t yank me off this case. I’ve worked with Trevor for a while now, and he trusts me. Ask him if you don’t believe me.”
“I already have. And you’re right. He won’t work with us unless you stay on the case.” Jane folded her arms and leaned back in her chair. “I have to say, I’ve always admired your smarts, but this more aggressive side of you is really something.”
Carly’s first instinct was to say thank you, but she decided instead to channel Landon. “I prefer to call it assertive, and I hope by ‘really something’ you mean you appreciate my candor. I’ve worked really hard for you over the years, and I’ve rarely made a bad call.”
Jane shook her head. “Ultimately the call was mine, and it was worth a shot. We make decisions based on the best information we have at the time. It’s not our fault if our client doesn’t give us all the facts.”
Jane’s words prickled Carly’s conscious. “You think he did it?”
“I have no idea, and I don’t care either way, but I find it pretty odd that two women he’s been serious about in the past two years have turned up dead, don’t you?”
“I guess.”
“But we have a more pressing matter. The NFL commissioner is putting pressure on the team to fire Trevor.”
“Will they? If they do, Donna might ask for a new bail hearing and assert that if he doesn’t have a steady job he doesn’t meet the qualifications of his bond. On top of that, the Houston DA could file charges any minute, and he could be arrested and dragged into court down there.”
“Exactly. I need you to get a copy of his contract from Shelby and see if there are any loopholes to the morality clause. Also, either you or Landon should talk to Donna and take her temperature about the bond. Trevor’s paying us out of his own pocket, and neither one of us can afford for those pockets to go empty. Understood?”
Carly nodded, deciding not to fight back on Jane’s characterization. She often talked about clients in terms of their ability to pay, and Carly hated it, but she recognized Jane had a duty to keep them all employed. She stood to leave the room, but Jane stopped her.
“How are you and Landon getting along?”
It was a loaded question, and Carly took her time sifting through potential responses before she settled on one. “Good. We both have the same goal. That’s what’s important, right?”
“Yes, yes, it is. Please close the door on your way out. Thanks.”
Carly walked out of the office, past Rhonda, who humphed as she went by. What she should do was go directly to her office and start researching whether the team ownership could break their contract with Trevor before he was actually found guilty of any wrongdoing. But her legs betrayed her by walking directly to Landon’s office. When she reached the open door, she spotted Landon on the phone and started to turn away, but Landon waved her in.
Landon placed a hand over the receiver. “It’s Skye. She found a former roommate of Jocelyn who’s willing to talk. She lived with Jocelyn when she was dating Trevor. She lives in Austin now, and Houston PD has been trying to get in touch with her, but she just got their messages. Thankfully, she called Skye back first and she’s willing to talk today if we can find the time. It’s a bit of a haul, but if we leave now, we could be back late tonight.”
“Set it up.” Carly mentally ran through her to-do list. She could get a lot of it done in the car on the drive down, assuming Landon would drive. She had a vision of her papers flying out of the convertible onto the highway as they raced down I-35. “I have some research to do today, but I can do it in the car if…”
“If I keep the top up and don’t drive like a speed demon. Got it.” Landon told Skye they’d be there in a few hours and hung up the phone. “This’ll be great. I need to check on my place anyway—just a quick drive-by to collect mail and pick up some more clothes.” She started scooping her notes and her laptop into her bag. “How soon can you be ready to go?”
“An hour?” Carly saw Landon’s frown and revised her answer. “Thirty minutes?” Still with the frown. “Fifteen? Give me a break. You should know by now that spontaneity is not my strong suit.”
Landon laughed. “I do know, and I’m making it my life’s mission to change that fact.” She stood and hefted her bag over her shoulder. “Meet you at the elevator in five minutes.”
Carly shook her head as she watched Landon take off. She ran through a mental checklist of what she needed to take to avoid having the time on the road become a work vacuum, and then she walked swiftly back to her office to gather her things. She was more excited than she was willing to admit about the prospect of a road trip, and her excitement had nothing to do with talking to a potential witness.
* * *
Landon sped down I-35, glad Skye’s call had come after rush hour. Once they were out of Dallas, they should make good time, although at any given time, stretches of this road were under construction. She set the cruise control to make Carly happy and settled in to enjoy the ride. “Did you talk to Jane this morning?”
“Why do I think you already know the answer to that question?” Carly asked.
“You know what they say. Never ask a question unless you already know the answer.”
“That goes for trial witnesses, not, you know…”
“Friends?”
“I was going to say coworkers.”
“Fine. How about coworkers who became friends? If I win the partnership, then we’ll be working in the same office. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a friend?”
“There are a bunch of things wrong with that assumption. First of all, you winni
ng is a big ‘if.’ And you’re assuming I don’t have other friends.”
Landon was assuming, but her assumption was based on observation. Carly arrived and left alone. She ate alone, she lived alone, and Landon never saw her glued to her phone on calls or texts. She bypassed Carly’s comment. “I guess I thought it would be nice to be friends with you, but if you have a wait list, that’s cool. Put me on it, and I’ll wait my turn.”
“What if things happen the other way?”
“Other way?”
“What if I make partner, not you?” Carly asked. “In the unlikely event everyone forgets I messed up with the grand jury. Will you stick around Dallas or go back to Austin?”
“I don’t know.” Landon wasn’t being cagey. She actually hadn’t let her mind drift to thoughts of what would happen if Carly got the partnership instead of her. The question was bigger than where would she live and work. Would she and Carly ever speak again? “I really don’t know,” she repeated. “I love Austin and Dallas for very different reasons, but life is simpler in Austin. For me anyway.”
“Because of your dad?”
“Mostly, but also because the name Holt doesn’t automatically conjure up unrealistic expectations for everyone I meet.”
“So having a chick-magnet name like Holt isn’t a good thing?”
Landon looked over at Carly, relieved to see her smiling. She needed to lighten up. “It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but too often the second date comes with not so subtle questions about how involved I am in the family business.”
“How do you handle it?”
“I don’t go on second dates.” The second she said the words, she regretted them, but she wasn’t entirely sure why. She glanced over at Carly, but she was looking out the window. For the next few minutes a weighted silence hung between them. Landon focused her attention on the road, trying to ignore her growing affection for Carly. She hadn’t forged any close friendships at the Austin office, partly because she’d never been certain she would stick around and partly for the same reason she didn’t go on second dates. But Carly didn’t care about her family name, and she liked that when Carly chose to be around her it was because she liked her company, despite their supposed rivalry. If she did wind up losing the partnership to Carly, she wouldn’t be surprised. Carly was not only a hard worker, she was a genius. With a little work on her people skills, she’d outpace most lawyers Landon knew.
The rest of the drive was spent discussing various aspects of the case, and Carly used portions of the road with a decent cell signal to do some internet research on contract terminations. By the time they pulled up at the Austin office of Sturges and Lloyd to pick up Skye, they’d exhausted all non-personal topics of conversation, and Landon was relieved to have a third person in the car.
Jocelyn’s old roommate, Mandy Hauser, lived in an area of north Austin not far from Landon’s condo. The neighborhood was lined with small bungalow houses, but Landon wasn’t fooled. “Pricey neighborhood. I thought you said she was a flight attendant.” She directed her comment to Skye.
“Key word ‘was.’ She got married about six months ago to some bigwig at Dell and quit her job with United. No more roommates for her. Not that it matters, but she’s pregnant and a tiny bit emotional, so be gentle, okay?”
“Gotcha.”
“How’s your little girl, Skye?” Carly asked.
Skye’s face broke out in a big grin. “Amazing. She just turned five, going on thirty. She definitely knows how to give us a run for our money.”
“You have pictures?”
Skye swiped through her phone and handed it over. Carly oohed and aahed as she viewed the photos. Landon watched the exchange, curious about this side of Carly. “You like kids?” She’d blurted out the question without thinking and instantly regretted her incredulous undertone.
“Sure. You know, before they get to the mean stage.” Carly looked back at Skye. “Not that Olivia ever will. She’s such a cutie.”
“Thanks,” Skye said with a broad grin. She pointed ahead. “That’s the house, up there on the right.” Landon turned into the drive. “She knows you’re coming, but let me go in first to give her a heads-up. Remember, go easy. She and Jocelyn were really close, and she’s pretty broken up.”
While Skye walked up to the door, Landon said, “How about I take the lead?”
“Let me guess. Because you’re the kinder, gentler lawyer?” Carly asked.
“Maybe.”
Landon braced for blowback, but Carly surprised her by saying, “It’s true, you are. Use some of that magic Holt charm and get her to tell us everything she knows. I’ll linger in the background and feed you questions.” Carly pointed to Skye who was waving from the front door. “Looks like they’re ready for us.”
Carly was out the door before Landon could reply, although she wasn’t sure what she would have said anyway. Magic Holt charm. What was that about? Was Carly being sarcastic or did she really think she was charming, and why did the idea make Landon flush with excitement? She’s only talking about your ability to talk to witnesses, so get over yourself. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a flutter of anticipation at the prospect of showing off her skills, and charming Carly in the process.
* * *
The house was small, but perfectly furnished. Unlike her own sterile apartment, Carly noted the furnishings here were eclectic, but not in a thrown together mishmash way, but in the “carefully selected by an interior designer” kind of way. This chick hadn’t ordered the already put together room from the Pottery Barn catalogue.
“Have a seat,” Mandy said. “Would you like something to drink or eat? Skye said you drove down from Dallas?”
“We did,” Landon said. “We have an office here in Austin, and I had to get some things from there anyway, so we thought it would be nice to talk to you while we were here.”
Mandy visibly relaxed, and Carly noted how Landon’s explanation for their trip put Mandy at ease. “I’d love a glass of water,” Carly said, in her own attempt to act like this was a friendly visit instead of an interrogation. “If it’s not too much trouble.”
“No trouble at all.” Mandy looked at Landon and Skye, who both shook their heads, and then she wandered off to the kitchen. Carly took advantage of Mandy’s absence to look around. The mantel was lined with a grouping of photos. Mandy, wrapped in a hug with a man who was probably her husband. A family portrait, that based on the resemblance, must be Mandy’s parents and siblings, and finally a shot of Mandy with Jocelyn.
“I miss her every day. She was my best friend.”
Carly turned and almost bumped into Mandy, who was holding out a glass of water. Carly took the glass and thanked her. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Do you think he killed her?” Mandy asked. “The police think he may have killed her.”
Damn. Way to jump right in. Carly resisted the urge to look over at Landon. Mandy seemed fixated on her, and she wanted to show she could be just as gentle with the witness as Landon could. “No, but it doesn’t really matter what we think, only what the state can prove. We need to know the truth, which is why we’re here.” Not entirely true, but not a lie either. “Anything you can tell us will be helpful.”
“I don’t know much. We were both flying a lot during their relationship, but she did talk to me about things.”
Carly motioned to the dining room table in the room adjacent. “How about we have a seat and talk?”
“Of course. Sorry.”
When they were all four settled around the table, Skye started the conversation. “I think it would be helpful if you tell Carly and Landon what you told me.”
Mandy drummed her fingers on the table. “I have this tremendous guilt that I never mentioned this to anyone, but Jocelyn always brushed it off and I suppose I just took her lead.”
Carly resisted grabbing her by the collar, shaking her, and demanding to know what “it” was. She injected her voice with as much calm as she could muster. �
��What was going on with her?”
“About three months into dating Trevor, she started getting hate mail. Well, I called it that. She referred to it as what comes with the territory when you’re dating a big star. She was completely smitten with Trevor at that point, so she’d do anything to keep the status quo. When she mentioned the messages to him, he brushed her off.”
“Were they messages or actual mail?”
Mandy abruptly stood and left the room. Carly looked at Landon, who merely shrugged. A moment later, Mandy returned holding a laptop and an envelope. She set the envelope on the end table, settled in next to Carly, and pointed at the screen. “Jocelyn’s laptop was always on the fritz, so she used mine quite a bit. She shut down her social media accounts when she and Trevor broke up, but her password is saved on here, and you can sign in and see the kind of messages she was getting.” She booted up the laptop and used the saved password to sign onto Facebook Messenger. A smiling profile pic of Jocelyn greeted them along with a list of messages. Mandy started typing, “Some of these are from friends, but there’s one in particular from someone named Only One that I thought was a little disturbing.” She clicked a few more keys and then turned the laptop so they could all see. “Here you go.”
Landon stood up and read over Carly’s shoulder, and she struggled to ignore the disconcerting proximity and focus on the words on the screen.
He doesn’t love you. He only loves one person, and he only ever will. You’re just one of the many pretty girls he parades around for the cameras.
Carly skimmed the rest, but it was more of the same. On the surface, the message wasn’t threatening—more like the ramblings of a jealous fan, but there were a total of six similar messages, and it was hard to ignore the repetition.
“What do you think?” Landon asked, placing her hand on Carly’s shoulder.
Carly’s first instinct was to reach up and touch Landon to complete the connection, but she was all too conscious they were not alone. “Hard to tell.” She directed her attention back to Mandy. “Did Jocelyn have any idea who was sending her these messages?”
