He shrugged and sat back. “I feel like a new man. I want a new wife to go with my new look and my new money. You know I hit the Lotto, right?”
“Yes, Mr. Mills, you’ve mentioned that. Lets get down to business, shall we?”
The meeting with Mr. Mills lasted until noon, after which she went to the Legal Beagle for lunch, a popular eatery across from the City County Building, to go over her next case. Halfway through her Ruben and Dr. Pepper she was interrupted.
“Why is it I always end up working with the beautiful ones and never playing with them?”
She looked up into boyishly handsome face of Nicholas Michaels and smiled.
“I don’t know Nicky, maybe it’s just one of those you can look, but you can’t touch kind of things.”
“It’s Nicholas, Cairo, not Nicky. You know I hate that Nicky thing, besides, I‘ve already touched you, haven‘t I?”
“Yes and my skin still crawls from the memory.”
“Now, Cairo, be nice. I didn’t come to fight with you. I came to talk to you.”
“About what?” She bit her sandwich.
“Well, I heard that you were representing Mr. Mills in that Mills vs. Mills case. You know, that old couple from Beech Grove?”
“So.”
“So, I’m representing Mrs. Mills. I just wanted to give you a chance to come up with a deal, unofficially.”
“Deal? Why would I want to do that?” She sipped her drink.
He grinned. “Well, I’ve already mentioned that I was representing the wife that alone should be reason enough.”
She cut a look at him, but continued drinking waiting for him to continue.
“But besides that you don’t have a case.”
“How do you figure that?”
“He wants everything and he can‘t have everything. She has been his loyal and loving wife for 36 years. She’s raised his children. The three they had together and the one he had before they were married. She helped him through school to be an accountant at the job he’s soon going to retire from. She’s done all that and put up with his bullshit for over 30 years and he doesn’t want to give her anything, let alone what she rightly deserves.”
“And what would that be?”
“Come on, Cairo. She deserves ½ of his work pension, ½ of his army pension and at the very least ½ of his Lotto winnings.”
“The Lotto winnings aren’t all his. He went into that with someone else. He and his friend have been playing the same numbers for years. He said his wife discouraged his playing the Lotto, why should she benefit from something she never wanted him to do in the first place?”
“Because she’s his wife, that’s why. When he decided to take money from their joint account to play the Lotto she voiced her opinion, but didn’t stop him. When he lost and the money was just gone, she lost, too. She took the loss when he would lose, why shouldn’t she get paid now that he’s won? It was her money, too.” He scooted his chair closer to hers. “Come on, Cairo, you can’t really want this guy to win. He’s an asshole for treating his wife like this.”
“Most husbands behave like assholes, Nicky, that’s why I’m not married.”
“Nicholas.”
“Whatever.”
“Look, Cairo, let’s make this one quick and painless. You’re due for a loss and you’re going to lose this one. You get your guy to agree to my terms and we go back to my place for some victory sex. Remember when we used to do that? It was great. What do you say?”
She finished her sandwich, ate her pickle and drank the rest of her Dr. Pepper watching him the whole time.
“Well,” he asked impatiently.
She wiped her mouth slowly then looked back at him again. “I’m sorry, did you say something? My brain automatically filters out bull shit and deletes it before I can even process it. It’s a new tool I picked up since those traumatizing days of yesteryear when we dated.” She stood gathering her things and walked away. “Bye, Nicky,” she said with a flip of her hand.
“Nicholas!” he yelled at her back.
Back at Berkley, Townsend and Franklin a woman ran up to her as she walked down the hall to her office.
“Cairo, have you heard?”
“Heard what? I haven’t heard anything; I’m just getting back from lunch.”
“Old man Townsend and his wife are getting a divorce,” she said excitedly.
“What? What happened?” she closed her doors behind them.
The woman sat in one of the chairs in front of her desk. “Girl, you missed it. Mrs. Townsend came barreling in here a little while ago, madder than hell. She stomped into his office and dropped a stack of pictures on his desk, cussed him out and told him she wanted a divorce. It was not a discrete encounter.”
“Wow. I bet it wasn’t. What were the pictures of?”
“Pictures of him and his boy toy in several compromising positions. Apparently Mr. Townsend was on the down low.”
She sat back stunned. “What?”
“Yup. Susan said when he jumped up to stop his wife from leaving she went to close his office doors and she saw the pictures of him and his lover spread out across his desk. Mmm, hmm, a cutie pie, too, according to Susan. Black hair, goatee, a little young for me, but that‘s what a boy toy is I guess.”
“Holy cow. I would’ve never thought Mr. Townsend would ever cheat on his wife. They had old marriage…been together forever…kids, grand-kids,” Cairo mumbled, still working through her shock.
“With a man, girl! Not only did he cheat, he cheated with a man. Mr. Townsend is gay. He’s an old gay man. Susan said his boy toy had some pretty lips, too. To bad they were wrapped around Mr. Townsend’s shriveled, old--”
“Penny! Ok, I got it. You don’t have to put that visual in my head,” Cairo said with a chuckle.
“You want a visual? I got the picture right here.”
She slid the picture across her desk and before Cairo could stop herself she looked down.
“Eeewww! Penny!”
She chuckled. “I took that from the desk when Susan was shooing us out.”
Her office doors flew open and Penny snatched the picture back putting it away.
“Cairo! Wait until I tell you everything that’s happened while you were at lunch!” Keisha said excitedly as she stopped short in the doorway. “Penny, what are you doing in here?”
She stood up and walked slowly toward the doors. “I was just catching Cairo up with the happenings, Keisha, that’s all.”
“What? What makes you think you can come in here and tell my boss what’s going? That’s my job, now get out!” She grabbed by the arm and ushered her out the double doors and closed them behind her. “She makes me sick.”
Cairo chuckled. “She’s not all that bad.”
She sat in the chair Penny left vacant. “She is to me. So, did she tell you everything?”
“I don’t know. She said Mrs. Townsend came in and asked Mr. Townsend for a divorce because of some nasty pictures she had. Is there more?”
“Well, I heard Mr. Berkley tell Mr. Franklin that they don’t need or want that kind of negative publicity. They’re talking about removing him as partner, forcing him to retire early or something like that. They were saying they think it’s time for some young, new blood as partner.”
She leaned back in her chair and wrapped her arms around her chest. “Really? And how is it that you came across this much information? This doesn’t sound like water cooler chat to me.”
“I was just walking by Mr. Franklin’s office and heard them talking.”
“Just walking by, huh?”
She smiled. “Well, I might have slowed down a little to catch a word here and there more clearly.”
Cairo twisted her lips.
“Ok, maybe I strolled by…” She looked at her boss whose look didn’t change and she threw her hands up. “Ok, fine. I saw them go into the office and I stuck my ear to the keyhole.”
Cairo laughed.
“How else
am I supposed to keep my favorite boss one step ahead of everyone else around here?”
“Girl, I’m your only boss. Now get out of here and let me know what’s up for my afternoon.”
Keisha walked to the doors laughing. “You’ve got 15 minutes before your next meeting. I’ll bring the file back in to you.”
Cairo shooed her out and continued her work day.
Chapter 5
Cairo walked into a scene of total chaos when she arrived to work the next morning. The main reception area was filled to capacity with people that didn’t belong there. It looked like everyone from her firm, the two firms that shared the building with hers and the insurance company on the first floor was all stuffed into the waiting area of Berkley, Townsend and Franklin. As she excused herself and pushed her way through the crowd she finally saw a familiar face.
“Penny! What the hell is going on? What are all these people doing here?”
Penny helped her through the crowd and to her office closing the doors behind them.
She slipped out of her jacket and went to her desk. “Ok, now tell me what’s happening,” she said as she emptied her briefcase.
Penny sat in the chair and sighed. “They found him this morning, Cairo.”
“Found who?”
“Mr. Townsend. It must have happened late last night. The maintenance men said he was ok when they left.”
“Slow down, Penny. What are we talking about?”
“Cairo, haven’t you been listening? Mr. Townsend is dead. Susan found him this morning. She always comes in before him to get his daily schedule together and to finish stuff he might have left undone the night before.”
Cairo sat down stunned. “What? Dead?”
“Yeah. She said she came in and saw his doors were left opened. You know he hates that, they’re never left open. She figured he came in earlier then she did this time and poked her head in to see. She said he was slumped over his desk and blood was everywhere.”
Her hand went to her mouth. “Oh, my God,” she whispered. “Did he kill himself?”
She shrugged. “I don’t think so. Rumor has it that the wife killed him. She stabbed him with his own letter opener.”
“His wife! How do you know she did it?”
“Hello! He just got busted fucking another man. Who else would want him dead right now but the wife?”
“Well, that’s true, but--”
Cairo stopped as she watched her doors slowly open and Keisha’s head pop in.
“I’m sorry, Cairo, but there are two detectives here that would like to speak to you. Penny! Didn’t I tell you yesterday--”
“Thank you, Keisha. Penny was just leaving. You can send the officers in now,” she said with a smile.
Penny took her cue to leave and pass the officers on the way out as Keisha’s glare followed her out as she closed the doors behind them.
“Ms. Ivory?”
She stood and extended her hand. “Yes, I’m Cairo Ivory. How can I help you detective?”
The first detective, a young handsome black man, shook her hand, it was warm and friendly like his eyes. “I’m Detective Campbell and this is my partner, Detective Rabbitt.”
The other detective shook her hand, one firm, solid jerk. He was an older white man with strong handsome features that were weathered and aged from his years on the force.
“Ma’am,” was the only greeting he offered her and his attention went elsewhere.
Cairo not knowing what to say to that just nodded.
“We just need to ask you a few questions, Ms. Ivory,” Detective Campbell said. “If you have the time,” he added.
“Of course.” She sat and extended her hand to offer them a chair.
“Where were you last night between the hours of 10:30 and 1am?” he asked pulling out his pad.
“What? You can’t possibly think that I did this?”
“We are questioning everyone at this point, ma’am,” Detective Rabbitt said coming to life. “Everyone is a suspect,” he added and went inanimate again.
“What my partner means, Ms. Ivory, is that we have to question everyone to find the guilty party as well as exclude the innocent,” he explained in a soothing tone. “So, please, where were you last night between 10:30 and 1 am?”
She sighed. “I was at home.”
“Will your husband corroborate that?”
“I’m not married.”
He looked up from his pad. “No husband?” He watched her shake her head negatively. “Boyfriend?” She shook her head again. “No one special at home, there at night to keep you company?”
Detective Rabbitt cleared his throat.
“To corroborate your story, I mean. You know, someone else to say you were at home,” the detective added quickly.
Cairo smiled. “No, detective, no one like that. I was home alone.”
He smiled and they exchanged at long look and detective Rabbitt cleared his throat again and shifted in his chair.
“Yes, well, Ms. Ivory, do you know what transpired here last night?” he continued.
“Only what Penny told me. Mr. Townsend was found dead this morning, stabbed by his wife with his letter opener.”
“Mrs. Townsend has not been officially charged with a crime at this time. She is being detained for questioning while we’re in the information gathering stage,” Detective Rabbitt supplied and turned his attention elsewhere again.
Detective Campbell glared at his partner before turning his attention back to Cairo.
“Ms. Ivory, we’re just asking questions right now. It’s routine to question the spouse in matters such as this, now, back to my questions. How would you describe your relationship with Mr. Townsend?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know.” She pushed her glasses up as she thought. “Well, he was my boss. I think we had a positive work relationship. He was pleased with my work and he said so from time to time. He taught me a lot over the last few years about law. I liked him.”
“Mmm, hmm,” he said jotting down her answers. “Did he have any enemies that you know of?”
“Enemies?”
“Yes. You know, disgruntled ex-employees, people wanting revenge for sending them to jail, taking more than half… I don’t know what type of enemies a lawyer would have, but everyone in high places ends up with an enemy or two on the way up.”
She shook her head. “No, no enemies, not that I know of anyway.”
He gave her quizzical look. “None? He was your boss. Hasn’t he ever fired anyone? They never got pissed?”
“Well, yes he’s fired people before, but the partners come together on who’s terminated not just one person. Since I’ve been here a few have been fired, but none have left in a huff. I wouldn’t think there was any hard feeling because Mr. Townsend has always sent them with a glowing reference letter so they could settle somewhere else.”
He stopped writing. “That’s strange. If he fired them, how is it that he could send them away with a good reference?”
She smiled. “Mr. Townsend always said just because you don’t fit in well at this firm doesn’t mean you won’t fit in at someone else’s.”
He nodded and wrote on his pad. “He sounds like a good enough man. Why would someone want him dead?”
She shrugged. “Well, he did have an affair, you know.”
He nodded. “Yes, the pictures. We’ll be checking into that next.” He stuffed his pad back inside his jacket pocket and stood. “Thank you Ms. Ivory, you’ve been helpful.”
She stood and shook his hand again. “Sure, glad I could help.”
“If you can think of anything else, have any questions or need me for anything, here’s my card. All my numbers are on there. You can catch me anytime. Don’t hesitate to call.” He handed her the card and walked toward the door then paused. “The bottom number is my home number in case you need something and it’s an emergency…or something.”
She looked at the card then to him and smiled. Detective Rabbitt grabbed he
r hand and gave it another firm jerk like he did earlier then followed his partner out the door. Cairo shook her head and picked up the phone.
“Hey, Jose, when you get this message give me a call. I think this time I need to go dancing. I just had a helluva day and need to get out.”
***
The death of a partner in the number one law firm in the state’s capitol city travels swiftly on the grapevine to everyone, especially the second leading law firm, Masters, Smith and Hopkins. Pamela followed her boss into her office for their morning briefing.
“Ms. Davies did you hear what happened over at Berkley, Townsend and Franklin?
“I don’t make it a practice to keep up with their gossip, but since it seems that you do, do share.”
“I just got a call from one of the secretaries over there; she said Mr. Townsend is dead.”
“Dead? What happened?”
“Well, word has it that his wife killed him last night. She found out that he was messing around with a man. How disgusting is that? Anyway, she killed him with a letter opener.”
“Really? Sounds like he got exactly what he deserved to me.”
“Well, I think killing him might have been a bit over board. Maybe a severe beat down--”
“This is all very educational, Pamela, but can we get back to the happenings of this firm? I’d like to get back to today’s agenda, if you don’t mind.”
“I apologize, Ms. Davies. I just got a little carried away. I just figured since you used to work there that you might want to offer your condolences or have me send something.”
“Yes, yes, if I have time I’ll do that, but since I don’t know if I’ll have time because I don’t have my agenda yet, I’m kind of in a catch 22. Now, can we please get back on track with today’s work?” she asked impatiently.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Kimberly and her assistant spent the next hour arranging and rearranging her schedule for the day and the next day before they were interrupted by the phone. She reached over and hit the speaker button.
“Yes, this Kimberly Davies.”
“Kim, we need to talk. We can’t just leave things unsaid between us. We have to talk about this.”
“What do you want, Rick? This isn’t a good time. I’m busy.”
The Sun Rose over Cairo Page 4
