Chapter 2
Sam
“What do you think of the color?”
“It is good Sir. You have an eye for this sort of thing.”
It was not the best complement, but what I wore said something to the world about who I was. I had a huge court date set for next week and there was going to be press. I didn’t want to think of myself as vain, but there was a part of me that knew I was. I wanted the pictures to go well and everyone always said I looked good in blue. My vanity was part of the reason that I was able to do what I do. I had to look the part, long before I was actually living it.
“I will need three by Friday.”
Charles was the same man that had been dressing me for years and never once had he missed a deadline. He was the best in the city, but never once as he even an hour late for a pick up. That was part of the reason that I went exclusively to him for all of my dressing needs. “Get up on the stand. It looks like you have filled out a bit, working out again?”
“Just a little. I didn’t have to work out as much before, but with age comes more time in the gym.”
I got on the stand, taking the jacket off I was wearing and letting him do some measurements so that they could be taken down a little and added to in the shoulders. I had a big week next week and all I could think about was how it was all going to go. If I won, it would be huge for my career, but if I lost, then I would lose in front of a lot of people. I didn’t like to lose, rarely did, but I knew that it was my healthy dose of fear that kept me in line. Complacency was the devil.
I got off the podium when Charles was done with his measurements and I picked out a few more things to have resized for me. When I left I was five figures lighter, but it was worth the weight lifted off of my shoulders to know that it was finally done and with Charles doing it, it would be done well.
When I left out of there, I could feel my phone vibrating in my inside chest pocket and I checked to see who it was. I didn’t recognize the number at first, but then I remembered that it was Ashlyn’s new number. I made a note to myself to put her name in the phone after I got off with her. I almost didn’t answer and she was one call that I would have regretted missing.
“Hey Ashlyn, how are you?”
“Good Sam. Are you busy?”
“Not too much. I just left the tailor and I was about to go grab some lunch. Are you downtown? We could meet for some lunch if you wanted to. I haven’t seen you in quite some time.”
“No, I am not downtown right now. I was actually calling to see if you could do me a huge favor Sam. A friend of mine is in a jam and needs a good lawyer to help her out of it.”
“You know that I don’t really do criminal cases Ashlyn. I don’t know how effective I would be.”
“Please Sam. Can you just come down here and hear me out at least?”
I owed her for some life changing introductions, but Ashlyn was never the type of person to bring something like that up. She never asked me for anything, so I figured that this had to be serious. It was going to be a hell of a week for me next week, but I did have now. I could do what I could or at least point her in the right direction of someone that would be better suited to help her.
Agreeing to meet with her, I took the car down to the address that she gave me. I didn’t know the area all that well. It was an up and coming neighborhood, but one that was way below my price range. It would have been the kind of neighborhood that I would have moved into when I first came here, before I made my fortune.
Getting out, I told the driver to keep the car running. I didn’t imagine that I would be there that long. Ashlyn sounded upset and I was willing to help her, but I was sure that it would be something that was easy to fix. All I had to know was the problem and I would help her find a way to solve it. That as what I did after all. It was my job to fix problems for everyone else.
Knocking briskly, I pulled the jacket tighter around me. I had forgotten how cold it was outside because of the heat in the car. Now I was reminded that it was the middle of winter and miserable in New York. It was the type of weather that made me want to pack up and go somewhere warm for a time.
Ashlyn answered after a second row of knocks. When she answered the door, her eye makeup was runny and I could tell that she had been crying. Her face was a little puffy and her eyes themselves were red with grief. I didn’t know what happened, but it was not as small of a deal as I had imagined. She had been so blasé about it on the phone, yet now I could see that it was something weighing heavily on her.
“Hey, what is going on?”
I moved to touch her face and assure her that everything was going to be okay. I didn’t know that of course, had no idea and certainly no right to make such promises, but I hated to see a woman cry. It was my downfall and I cared deeply for Ashlyn. She had helped me in many ways, showing me the whose-who of the city.
“I need your help Sam. I don’t know who else to go to. You are the best lawyer that I know and I need you to help someone very special to me.”
“What happened?”
She was very upset, which was understandable, but if I was going to find out what was going on, I was going to have to somehow get her to relax enough so that I could understand her. Right now she was two seconds from balling and finally I just hugged her to my chest and let her cry it out. It took several minutes for it to ease, but when she finally pulled away, there was a bit of relief in her eyes. “It is going to be okay. Let’s get some coffee, or wine, hell it is after five and see what we can do to fix this.”
“What would I do without you Sam?”
“You never have to find out.”
She smiled at me, making the comment about wishing she was more my type. I waved her off, telling her that she was, though we both knew that we lacked a chemistry which was pretty important in a relationship.
“Good because Stone is always out of town when I need him.”
“Stone?”?
She laughed and waved me off. “I don’t want to hear it. That’s his name.”
There were so many things I could say about it and I did let a few slip while I poured us some wine. “Are you done?”
“Yes, now what has you all in a frazzle that you called me in to save the day?”
“Humble as ever I see.”
“You caught me passed noon, what can I say.”
She giggled at my crummy joke and that let me know that she was feeling a little bit better. I don’t know what was going on, but seeing a smile on her face was worth the trip.
“So are you with me enough for some legal help?”
I nodded that I was and decided to hold off on the wine because I may actually need my wits about me for a little bit longer. This could be serious.
“So I have this friend from back when I first moved to the city…”
“Ah, do you know how many great stories that I have heard starting out that exact same way?”
“Stop interrupting or I will forget. This is serious Sam.”
I took that sip anyways and waited for more.
“So she went to Thailand for a small vacation. Just graduated with her Masters and this was like her gift to herself.”
I nodded my head and understood perfectly. I had always put built in incentives into my goals so that when I reached one, I would look forward to whatever the prize was.
“And?”
“Well, I don’t really know all of the details about what or how it happened, all l know is that Meri is now in jail down there and she can’t talk to anyone on the phone and only her lawyer can see her there in person.”
I could see where this was going and already I was trying to figure out my schedule in my mind. It was more fluid than anything else and I knew that I could move a few things around and I would be able to commit. As I said before, I owed Ashlyn and if she wanted me to go talk to the authorities in Thailand on behalf of her friend, I would be more than willing to.
“Okay, so I see where this is going. I will go get your friend out. Do you know what she is in there for? It would help me to prepare before I get there. The laws there are very different than they are here.”
“I don’t know exactly, but there is something about a missing person and they are trying to say that Meri had something to do with it.”
“Could she?”
Ashlyn looked offended that I had even made the wrong idea of thinking that. It was to me, one of the most obviously conclusions to come to, so I didn’t feel so wrong about it, not at all.
“No, she is not like that at all. There is no way that she had anything to with it. Carol was her friend. They went there together. Had one last little party before they were supposed to board the plane to come home. I don’t know why they think she had anything to do with the disappearance, but she is stuck there and I need her home.”
“That is a lot.”
“I know Sam and I wouldn’t be asking you if I could do something more. You are the only one that I trust with something like this. Will you help me?”
I had already decided that I would help her, long before I even knew what it was that she needed, but I was afraid she was asking for an impossible request. I don’t know how I would fix it or if I could, but I was going to try nonetheless.
“I will see what I can do Ashlyn.” I didn’t mention how busy I was, but I did warn her that I may not be able to help. If her friend got into too big of a mess, there may be repercussions. But I was going to go to Thailand and figure out what I could do. If there was something to be done, I would bring the girl home.
She launched into my arms and thanked me with a hug. I didn’t feel the way I usually did with a woman pressed against me like this. Ashlyn was different. She always had been. She was a beautiful woman, but she was more like one of the guys than some of my girlfriends. She saw things differently and I had never seen her so emotional. I had to know what was so special about this girl.
“So how do you know her?”
“We met not too long after I moved here to change my fate. I got in with the wrong people. Meri helped me out of a really bad spot and I owe her. I am always a woman that repays my debts. She would never take it before, but now she needs me and I want to do anything I can for her.”
“Including calling in your own debts?”
Ashlyn shook her head no. “You help me because you want to. I have told you before you don’t owe me anything Sam, but please help me.”
I did owe her and I assured her that I would. I hoped more than anything that I was able to help her and her friend. If Ashlyn cared so much, then I was supposed to as well.
“I will go over there and figure this out. We will have her back before you know it.”
“I really hope so Sam. I know if anyone could help me, it would be you.”
I wasn’t so sure, but I was sure that I was going to do my best. I left Ashlyn’s apartment and made my way home to pack. My assistant settled all of the slight arrangements that were necessary in less than an hour. I was on a redeye to Thailand. I wasn’t sure what was ahead of me, but I knew for sure that it was going to be interesting. With very few facts to go off of, at this point it was all assumptions and conjectures.