Devoted Defender

by Rachel Dylan

  She didn’t want to take her eyes off of him, but she glanced down quickly and read the warrant. This guy might actually be legitimate. The fact that he hadn’t hurt her yet added to his credibility. But what if he was trying to gain her trust only to hurt her? Hadn’t she had enough struggles in her life?

  “What do you want with me?”

  He stood with his hands in his pockets. “Information. I need to know what your involvement is with Carlos Nola.”

  She took a step back providing her a little distance. “Mr. Nola is a board member of Wakefield Corporation. My biggest client at Rice and Taylor. Or I guess I should say that Wakefield Corporation is technically a client of my firm. Not me specifically. I work on their cases. Have since I started working there.”

  “I know that.”

  “If you know so much about me, then why did you have to break into my apartment? Why not set up a meeting with me at the firm?”

  “Because I needed to be discreet. I’m working on a very sensitive case.”

  “I don’t understand what you’re after here.” She looked up into his dark eyes and wondered what was really going on. If he was really FBI and asking questions about her client, that couldn’t be good. He definitely had her attention.

  “We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Ms. Finch.”

  She crossed her arms not appreciative of his bossy tone. “I’m not saying another word, Mr. Marino, until you explain why you’re really here. If you really are a federal agent then you know that I can’t reveal privileged information about my firm’s client, Wakefield Corporation.”

  “It’s not Wakefield I’m that interested in. At least not directly. It’s Carlos Nola. Like I said, I have a reasonable suspicion that you’re involved with him and his questionable business practices. You’ll get much more leniency if you work with us rather than if you try to protect him. So let me help you.”

  Could this really be happening? What was Nola involved in that was getting this scrutiny from the FBI? “Mr. Nola lives in Georgia. I’ve worked with him, and met him about five or so times in person, and every single time he was entirely professional. I would like to help you, but I really have no idea what you’re talking about. He’s a legitimate businessman. Respected in his community.”

  “This is about what is going on in his community—Maxwell, Georgia. That’s where Wakefield’s home office is.”

  “I’m well aware of that,” she shot back. She wasn’t telling this suit anything. She wasn’t guilty, so that led her to believe that he was purely on a fishing expedition. She’d worked enough government investigations of big corporations to sense when there was actual evidence. If he had solid evidence he certainly wouldn’t be hounding her.

  “And you’re sure there’s nothing you want to tell me?” He took a step toward her.

  “How do I even know you’re from the FBI? For all I know you work for Cyber Future.”

  “Ah.” He smiled. “No, I’m definitely a federal agent. How is the litigation between Wakefield and Cyber Future going?”

  “That is not your concern, Mr. Marino. Now I’m going to have to ask you to leave my apartment.”

  “Are you sure you want to do that?”

  “Yes. Please leave.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “If you are innocent, it’s in your best interest not to say we had this conversation with anyone at your law firm. And if you’re working with Nola, you’re in danger. So don’t say that you haven’t been officially warned. This conversation isn’t over, though. We’ll be speaking again soon.”

  Before she could say anything he turned and walked out of her door.

  “No, we won’t,” she said to out loud to herself.

  What should she do? Should she tell the partners at the firm? No. First, she needed to figure out what was really going on. And that’s exactly what she planned to do. If she went to her supervising partner at the firm right now he might pull her off the case. So she’d have to get to the bottom of this on her own. A constant theme of her life.

  The litigation between Wakefield and Cyber Future had gotten ugly. The breach of contract case should have been all business and routine, but it had gotten personal between both the executives and the lawyers representing the two companies. Cyber Future wanted to take down her client. Cyber Future was quickly becoming a competitor of Wakefield. Was Cyber Future behind this FBI inquiry? She certainly wouldn’t put it past them. Cyber Future was out for blood.

  **

  Gabe Marino wrapped his navy scarf tightly around his neck and let out a deep breath. Hope Finch knew that he didn’t have a solid case against her. Even getting the warrant was difficult. She put on a good show that was for sure. When she looked at him with her big brown eyes and played dumb, he almost believed her. She would have most people fully believing her innocence, but she’d been working with Nola for five years. She admitted that much herself.

  He’d been watching her for the past few days. All she did was go back and forth from the office keeping very long hours. It didn’t even appear that she even took a lunch break. He pictured her eating some microwavable meal at her desk and drinking coffee made in a fancy espresso machine purchased by the law firm.

  He hadn’t really known what to expect. Her file had made clear that she was a rising star at Rice and Taylor. She’d graduated top of her law school class. Obviously smart. She was also an attractive woman. Not that he was taking particular note of that. Every time he’d seen her over the past few days she’d worn her long blonde hair pulled back in a low ponytail. Her suits looked expensive. Maybe even designer. But he wasn’t surprised given that she worked at one of the most prestigious law firms in the city and had the stellar salary to match. She would need to look the part. Her salary made his look laughable. It irked him that big firm lawyers were so grossly overpaid as they defended massive corporations. Meanwhile, federal agents who often put their lives on the line were often barely making ends meet.

  He had a job to do, and he couldn’t help the feeling that Hope was right in the middle of it all. He didn’t believe in coincidences. Too many unanswered questions made him uneasy. Was she part of the plot that Nola was cooking up, or was she in potential danger? Gabe believed that Nola was running several illegal businesses in Maxwell using Wakefield resources to help him. Those businesses included drug trafficking and money laundering. All things that had no place in Maxwell.

  As he walked to his hotel, he tried to focus. The cold New York City weather was messing with his brain. He could never live up there, and he couldn’t get back to Georgia soon enough.

  This case was personal for him. He worked in the Atlanta field office of the FBI, but he was born and raised in Maxwell, Georgia. And he planned to always live there. The commute to Atlanta was forty five minutes. But it was well worth the drive and extra gas to live in Maxwell and maintain his quiet lifestyle. A lifestyle that was threatened by people like Carlos Nola.

  There was something sinister going on in his town—the town he loved. And he intended to stop it. Hope Finch might be the key to unraveling the entire mystery. She knew more than she was letting on. She had to.

  Carlos Nola was up to no good. Gabe knew that Nola was using Wakefield Corporation to help further his criminal enterprise that was infecting Maxwell. What he didn’t know is if it was only Nola who was involved. How far did Nola’s influence reach?

  Hope had been telling the truth about her meetings with Nola. His research indicated that they’d met recently in New York and periodically at her firm before that. Even if she wasn’t working for him as part of his criminal ventures, she could still be useful in his investigation. As one of the Wakefield lawyers, she’d have unprecedented access to Nola. He wasn’t giving up on her. There was still a lot of work to do. And Hope Finch was the center of it all.

  **

  Hope didn’t know what to think when she’d gotten the email from her boss, Sam Upton, telling her that they needed to meet first thing in the mornin
g. Sam was the partner in charge of the litigation between Wakefield and Cyber Future. Hope worried that she’d done something wrong. She recounted the work she’d completed over the past week. Nothing stood out in her mind that she could’ve messed up, but Sam was such an important partner at the firm she couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. Not even a small one. If he removed her from the case, she’d be devastated.

  She took a deep breath and smoothed down her suit jacket before walking to his office. His door was open, but she still knocked. Sam was nice enough to work for, but there was still a gulf between him being a partner and her being a mid-level associate. A pretty gigantic gulf—he held all the power, and she held none.

  “Come in, Hope,” he said. Sam wore a custom made navy suit and blue striped tie. He’d been working at the firm for decades, and his personal tailor often visited him at the office.

  She started trying to figure out how to explain away whatever it was that she must have messed up.

  “So,” he said, “I’ve actually got some exciting news. Or at least I hope you’ll think so because I do.”

  “Okay,” she replied. Now he really had her attention.

  “First, let me say that you’ve been doing great work on the Wakefield case. Really performing above your level and everyone has noticed including the client. They’ve been highly impressed with your dedication to this case. You’ve really been keeping this train on the tracks.”

  “Thank you, sir.” She clasped her hands with nervous excitement.

  “How many times have I told you not to sir me, Hope?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He smiled. “And stop apologizing. Just listen up for a minute. You know I was supposed to try this case with Harry. But there’s been an emergency international arbitration for one of our biggest clients. Harry’s on a plane to Brussels right now and won’t be back for a couple of months. I decided to send him because they needed a partner over there right now with his international experience.”

  She started to try to process what all of this would mean. If Harry wasn’t going to try the case with Sam, then who was?

  He leaned forward in his chair. “Since you know the case so well, I want you to go to Maxwell, Georgia, and get us set up for trial next week. And then at trial you’ll be second chair. My number two. Also means a literal seat at counsel’s table and you examining and crossing select witnesses.”

  “Second chair?” She heard herself say the words out loud but couldn’t fathom it.

  “Yes, you’ve earned it. I know associates don’t get much trial experience around here since our cases have such a high dollar value. So you need to take this one head on. You’ll be working with our local counsel in Maxwell to prepare for trial. I’ll be coming down there in a few days, but I want you on the ground now. You up for this?”

  She didn’t even know how to respond. “Of course I am.” This is exactly what she wanted. What she’d been working so hard for five years at the firm to show that she had what it takes to make it in big law. This was her time to shine.

  “Great. Now have your secretary book you a flight for this afternoon. Get out of here and pack. I want you on a plane and in Maxwell by this evening.”

  She nodded realizing it was probably better not to start gushing to her boss. “Thank you, I won’t let you down.”

  She remained calm until she got back to her office and shut the door. Then she let out a squeal as she hopped around her small office. Second chair! And getting to go to Maxwell ahead of Sam to work with the client and the local law firm. This was a once in a career opportunity for someone like her. She hadn’t felt this happy in years. If ever.

  She couldn’t let this chance slip away. She’d have to be on the top of her game the entire time. While Sam cared about all of his clients, he’d been college roommates with Lee Wakefield, the CEO of Wakefield Corporation. So Sam took this case personally. He wouldn’t accept anything but her best—and then some. She’d proven herself to be a hard worker, and it was nice to see that it was actually paying off. But her work was far from done.

  Hope gave her secretary instructions on booking the flight to leave New York around lunchtime and then went home to pack. She’d never been to Georgia. Much less the small town of Maxwell. This would be an experience she’d never forget. And there was also an added bonus. Now she could ensure she wouldn’t run into agent whatever his name was again. Their altercation last night was strange, and it bothered her that he was making allegations against Carlos Nola.

  A tiny shred of doubt crept into her thoughts. What if the FBI agent was right and Nola was involved in some illegal activity? Could her work actually be protecting and aiding a criminal? No. She refused to believe that.

  She’d had a few meetings with Nola in New York, and he always seemed entirely professional. Friendly, a gentleman, and with a shrewd business acumen. There had never been any hint of impropriety in any of their discussions. She’d spoken to him on the phone quite a bit lately because of trial preparation, and she’d experienced no red flags of any kind. Wakefield Corporation was also a very well thought of business with board members who were highly respected in the community. No, there simply had to be some mistake on the FBI’s part.

  The FBI was mistaken, and it was her job to protect her client, Wakefield Corporation. Nola wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the business, because as a board member, he had a vested interest to stay above board with all of his business dealings.

  She wasn’t one to just sit back, though. She planned to find out what the FBI was really after before it was too late.

  Windy Ridge Legal Thriller Series

  Book 1: Trial & Tribulations (A 2016 Selah Awards Finalist)

  Book 2: Fatal Accusation

  Excerpt from Trial & Tribulations: A Windy Ridge Legal Thriller

  When managing partner Chet Carter called, you answered—and you answered promptly. Just yesterday Olivia Murray had been summoned to Chet’s corner office and told to pack her bags for a new case that would take her from Washington, DC to the Windy Ridge suburb of Chicago.

  But this wasn’t just any case. She would be defending a New Age tech company called Astral Tech in a lawsuit filed by its biggest competitor.

  As she stepped out of her red Jeep rental, the summer breeze blew gently against her face. She stared up at the mid sized office building with a prominent sparkling blue moon on the outside, and she had to admit she was a bit intimidated. It wasn’t the litigation aspect that bothered her, though. It was the subject matter.

  She threw her laptop bag over her shoulder, adjusted her black suit jacket, and walked toward the door. Ready for anything. Or at least she hoped she was.

  The strong smell of incense hit her as her first heeled foot stepped through the door. She thought it was a bit cliché for a New Age company to be burning incense in the reception area, but maybe it was to be expected. It reinforced her thoughts that this was all a money making operation—not a group of actual believers in this stuff.

  The perky young blonde behind the minimalist glass desk looked up at her. “How can I help you?”

  “Hi, I’m Olivia Murray from the law firm of Brown, Carter, and Reed.”

  The young woman’s brown eyes widened. “Oh, yes, Ms. Murray. I’m Melanie.” She stood and shook Olivia’s hand. “Let me know if you need anything while you’re here. The team is expecting you. I’ll take you to the main conference room now.”

  “Thank you.” Everything was already proceeding as normal. She couldn’t let this whole New Age thing mess with her head. And besides that, she had her faith to get her through this.

  Melanie led her down the hall to a conference room and knocked loudly before opening the large door. “Ms. Murray, please go on in.”

  Olivia didn’t really know what she expected, but what she saw was a table full of suits arguing. She let out a breath. Regular litigation. Just like she had thought.

  A man stood up from the table. “You must be our lawyer
from BCR?” He wore an impeccably tailored navy suit with a red tie. He had short dark hair with a little gray at the temples and piercing green eyes.

  “Yes, I’m Olivia Murray.”

  “Great. This is the Astral Tech leadership team. Don’t let our yelling worry you. That’s how we best communicate.” He laughed. “I’m Clive Township, the CEO of Astral Tech, and this is my trusted inner circle.”

  A striking woman rose and offered her hand. “I’m Nina Marie Crane, our Chief Operating Officer.”

  “Wonderful to meet you,” Olivia said.

  Clive nodded toward a tall thin man with black hair who stood and shook her hand. “And this is our financial voice of reason, Matt Tinley.”

  “I serve as our Chief Financial Officer,” Matt said.

  Everyone greeted her warmly, but she felt an undercurrent of tension in the room. It was now her job as their attorney to get this litigation under control and that also meant getting them under control. Half the battle of litigation was controlling your own client before you could even begin to take on the adversary.

  “Have a seat and we’ll get you up to speed,” Clive said.

  She sat down in a comfortable dark blue chair at the oblong oak table and pulled out her laptop to take any relevant notes. She opened up her computer, but mainly she wanted to get the lay of the land.

  “So the more I can learn about your company and the complaint that Optimism has filed against you the better. One of the first things I’ll have to work on is the document collection and fact discovery effort. To be able to do that, I need the necessary background. I’ll be happy to go over the discovery process with you, too, at some point so we’re all on the same page.”

  “Where do you want to start?” Nina Marie asked.

  “It would be helpful if you gave me a more detailed explanation of your company. I did my own research, but I’d love to hear it from you. Then we can move onto the legal claims brought against you by Optimism.”