Chapter Six
ADAM
I returned to my penthouse that evening. It was creepy being there, knowing that Marjorie’s dead body had been here only a few days prior. I didn’t believe I would ever be able to use the bathroom where they had found her again. Thankfully, the penthouse offered two other choices.
I mixed myself a drink and after taking off my suit jacket and tie, I sat down on the couch to watch the news. The break-in at the firm was the top story of the evening. The news anchors of course had to link what had happened to the “recent murder” of the “firm’s leader.”
They re-hashed the sordid details of Marjorie’s death and even included an interview with that rat-bastard Hal Rogers. He told the story of how he was helping this poor woman fight in court for what was legally hers and made me out to sound like some kind of Simon Legree in the process. He said that when she had finally gotten some “small” resolution, someone had viciously taken her life. He worked up a tear as he said how his heart went out to her family and what a tremendous loss to society her death would be. I wanted to throw my drink at the television.
Rogers hadn’t said a word about how he happened to be screwing poor, dead Marjorie while trying to help her steal every dime she could from me, whether I deserved it or not. He also hadn’t mentioned how large his cut of what Marjorie had gained was. I knew it was upwards of a million dollars. The bastard was using Marjorie’s death and now what was happening at my firm as publicity for his ramshackle practice.
I drained my glass and started to turn off the TV. As I picked up the remote, however, I heard the bleached-blonde anchorman with the too-white smile say,
“This just in, it seems that a source close to the investigation of the break-in at the Hanson law firm has said that information from one of the files had just been released to the authorities. This source also said that the information this file contained held clues to an unsolved murder. Keep watching as the story unfolds for up to the minute details.”
I flipped off the set. The sounds of my world crashing down around me could almost be heard out loud now. Once Miles realized the “information” they were talking about was probably his son, he alone would make sure that I never practiced law again in this city.
I knew that I should call Alicia. I didn’t want her to see her client’s business splayed across the evening news. She took her work and her clients’ privacy to heart. This was going to upset her badly. It would be better if she heard it from me. I reluctantly reached for my phone just as it started to ring. The caller ID said it was Alex.
“Hey,” I answered, actually looking forward to hearing a friendly voice.
“Hey, buddy, I’ve been listening to the news. I’m sorry; it seems like everything that could go wrong for you lately has. How are you holding up?”
“I don’t know, Alex. This all really sucks, you know?”
“I know. You have to keep your chin up, though, and believe that you’ll get through this. I have faith in you.”
I laughed – it was the alternative to completely losing it. “I think you and maybe Alicia are the only ones in the greater Manhattan area who still feel that way.”
“Whatever I can do to help,” he told me.
“Have you seen Miles today?”
“I spoke with him a while ago. I’ll bet he gave you hell about all of this, huh?”
“That’s putting it mildly. I’m afraid of what he will do when he hears what the press is saying we have now.”
“Yeah, it’s about Miles V, right?”
“It has to be. We didn’t have anything else even remotely that damaging to anyone else in those files that were taken.”
“Is it enough for the authorities to arrest him, you think?”
“No, but it will definitely prompt them to reopen the case, I believe.”
“What about the civil case?” Alex asked. “How damaging will the files being public be to Miles’s business, if that were to happen?”
“Like the black plague,” I said with a sigh. “Alex, there were things in there to indicate that Miles and all of the executives knew their tankers weren’t up to code. If that gets out, we’re all screwed.”
“I’m sorry, buddy. Again, if there’s anything I can do…”
“I’ll let you know, thank you.”
“No problem,” Alex told me. “Get some rest, huh?”
“Yeah, sure,” I said, hanging up the phone and looking around the penthouse that I used to love. It smelled like death to me now. “I’m sure I’ll do that.”
********
I didn’t call Alicia. After talking to Alex, I decided it was too late and I would call her in the morning. I hoped that she had been too busy with her parents to have watched the news. I would try to catch her early in the morning before she saw the paper. I went to bed missing her, remembering the last night we spent together. I loved the way she smelled and the soft feel of her skin and her hair. God, I hoped that all of this drama wouldn’t drive her away – or worse yet home to the UK. I needed her now, more than ever.
In the morning before I called Alicia, she called me. “Hi, baby,” I said. “Did you sleep well?”
“Would have been so much better with you curled up by my side,” she said.
“Ditto over here, too.”
I was about to ask if she heard the news when she said, “Adam, I got a phone call this morning, from David.”
“David? What did he want? How did he get your number?”
“I asked him that, he never gave me an answer. He says he wants to meet with me. He claims he has some information that I need.”
“You’re not meeting with him alone. This guy has a finger in everything that’s been going on lately. I don’t trust him.”
“Me neither,” she said. “But I’m really interested in what he has to say. He mentioned Jack, Adam. Isn’t that strange?”
“I knew that guy was up to no good. What did David say exactly?”
“He was really cryptic about it all. He said he had some things I’d really like to discuss with you, in person. When I asked what things he said they involved my clients the Brigham’s, my boyfriend Adam Hanson, and my ex-boyfriend, Jack Grant.”
I tried to let the ex-boyfriend go, I really did. It wasn’t important now. But before I caught myself I said, “I thought you and Jack were only ever friends.”
“We were. We dated for a minute in high school and that was it. Adam, this is no time for jealousy.”
“I know, babe, I’m sorry. Listen, tell him you’ll meet with him, but only if I can be there as well, okay? Don’t agree to go alone, promise me.”
“Okay, I promise,” she said.
“Did you happen to see the news?”
She groaned. “Yeah, actually the morning paper. I found my father reading it when I got up.”
I felt so fucking bad for all of this. I have no idea why she’s still with me. “What did the paper have to say?”
“The article began by re-capping Marjorie’s murder. It called you a person of interest and referred to me as your “Love Interest.” After all of that, they finally got to the break-in. They knew that my office and yours were the only ones broken into and the reporter speculated on what, if anything this may have to do with Marjorie’s death. They talked about possible ramifications on our open cases and then they talked about Miles.”
I groaned. “Specifically?”
“Yeah, too specifically. They quoted things out of his file – most sickeningly when he said, ‘My son killed my wife.’”
“Shit.”
“Yep.”
“What did your parents say about all of this? Are they ready to kidnap you and take you back to the U.K.?”
“Mother didn’t read it. Hopefully, she won’t get a chance. My father is more understanding. We had a great evening together last night and Mother is in a great mood. I plan on trying to keep her that way.”
“Good luck, baby. I love you. Let me know what David says.”
“I will. I love you, too. I miss you.”
“I miss you like an amputated limb. When this is all over, we need to find a new place to live, together.”
“Really?”
“You’re still marrying me, right? We might have to go to Vegas because I’ll be destitute…”
She laughed. “I’d marry you on the street in Brooklyn. I love you. I can’t wait to be your wife. I will see you in a few hours. I got my parents tickets to the Met and after I drop them off, I’ll be into the office.”
“I can’t wait to see you,” I told her honestly. It was what would get me thorough another wretched day.
I showered and dressed after I spoke to Alicia and headed into the office. I had a meeting at nine a.m. with the judge presiding over Brigham’s civil case and I wanted to be well-prepared. Judge Newman was a no-nonsense type. When I made it into court, I found him not amused, at all.
“Pretty shoddy alarm system you must have over there, Hanson. Thieves in and out with over twenty files before the authorities arrived? You’ll be lucky if this doesn’t destroy you, boy.”
“Yes, sir,” I said, feeling as if I were sitting in the principal’s office in middle school. “I’m hoping that’s not going to be the case, however.”
“Well, for now, I haven’t found any reason not to proceed on this case as we have been. I’ll have the jury sequestered if need be to keep them from being tainted by the press. Meanwhile, I don’t want my courtroom made into a circus by you and Rogers.”
Hal Rogers was the attorney for the plaintiffs in the oil spill case. Somehow, I just couldn’t get away from that clown. He hadn’t been able to make it to the meeting this morning, so it was almost postponed. Instead, he sent an associate and said he “trusted” me and Judge Newman not to have any ex-parte discussions. The associate was there just mainly to make sure things were kept legal, and the court stenographer was busy taking it all down as the judge and I talked.
“It won’t be, sir, I assure you,” I told him sincerely. I just wanted to get back to business as usual, if that was going to be possible. I glanced over at Cyrus, the associate Hal had sent in his place.
“No theatrics, Judge,” Cyrus assured. “Mr. Rogers is very serious about this case and the press is only a distraction to him, as well.”
“Okay then,” Judge Newman told us. “We will commence with the opening statements on Monday as planned. Thank you for coming, gentlemen.”
Cyrus and I both thanked the judge and went separate directions after leaving his chambers.
As I was leaving, I met Mac coming up the steps of the courthouse.
“I’m sorry, I got held up in traffic,” he told me. “How did it go?”
“Good, I think. He agreed we could go on with the case as if none of this had happened, as long as we promise not to create a circus in his courtroom, as he put it.”
Mac chuckled. “Did you tell him we would try, but we can’t speak for that clown, Rogers?”
I laughed. “I would have, if I thought the judge had a sense of humor,”
“So, how about we get an early lunch, or late breakfast? I’m starved.”
“I’m going to pass, thanks,” I told him. “I have something kind of important I need to take care of.”
I left the courthouse and headed for the office. After checking in with Marie, I returned a few calls, and then asked her to let anyone who was looking for me know that I’d be in conference the rest of the afternoon. I then called Romaletti’s and made a few arrangements. I hoped Alicia didn’t have a big lunch while she was out with her mother; I had plans for her this afternoon.