Chapter 19

Leo

Jon and I had just stepped off the elevator after returning from the parking garage where he showed me his new car stereo and speakers when Tabby rounded the corner. “There you are. Edith is looking for you. I told her you were around here somewhere.”

“You should have called me,” I said, patting my coat for my phone, which a moment later Tabby held up.

“You mean this phone? You left it on your desk.”

About that time, Edith rounded the corner from my father’s end of the hall. “I thought I heard your voice. Your father wants to see you.”

“So I hear,” I said, giving Jon a pat on the back. “It must be important. I better get down there. Oh, and I loved the speakers, by the way. Great choice.” He had wanted to improve his system for a while now, and I knew it meant a lot to him.

Jon stepped away. “Thanks. We’ll have to take it for a spin and see how loud we can stand it.”

I hurried off to Dad’s office wondering if I was about to get my ass chewed or if he was going to ask me a million questions I didn’t know the answer to. Edith gave me a blank look as I walked by, and I wondered how long she’d been looking for me. I noticed three missed calls, but I didn’t think Jon and I had taken that long.

I knocked on the door and stuck my head inside. “You wanted to see me?”

“Yeah, where the hell have you been?”

I walked in and helped myself to a cup of coffee from his private Keurig. “Sorry. Jon and I stepped out for a minute, and I forgot my phone on my desk.”

He shook his head and didn’t wait for the coffee to pour. “Tell me how the case is going. Did you find anything useful that could help the client?”

“Actually, no. It’s just like I said, a total nightmare, and in fact, the other side has enough fraud for him to do quite a long time in prison when we lose the case.”

“That’s not very optimistic talk.”

“No, it’s realistic talk, Dad. I’ve tried to warn you. It’s so bad, I suggested that if offered, he take a deal.”

My father’s face turned as red as his tie. “A plea deal? Are you out of your mind? I want to get this man off the hook.”

As my coffee finished pouring, I turned off the machine and brought my cup with me to the closest chair in front of his desk. “It’s a pretty big hook, Dad.” I’d done all I could to warn him, but he was always so damned determined.

“I didn’t put you on the case to take the easy road, and we’re not throwing our client under the bus so we can. There’s always an angle. Dig up some dirt on that Kya girl. See if you can find if she was somehow involved or knew about it. Paint her as a jilted partner in crime for all I care, but make this happen!”

His phone rang, and while I let what he’d said sink in, holding back the urge to kick the old man’s teeth in, he answered it. “Hello?” His face fell into a somber expression. “I see. Well, is she going to make it?” I could tell it was bad. Perhaps dead relative bad. But then my father hung up the phone and was suddenly frowning again.

“Well?”

“That was Edith. Word just came in that Susan Costanzo had a heart attack earlier. She’s in the hospital in intensive care, and her condition is critical.”

All of my anger subsided for a moment, and as much as I hated Susan, I never wanted anyone to be hurt or in danger. “Shit.”

“Yeah, so we’ll have to see how we can work this to our advantage. If someone comes in, say a rookie, to take over the case, there might be one hell of a communication gap, and hopefully, we can turn this around. I want you to figure it out as soon as you find out who’s replacing her.”

“You’re kidding, right? After the shit you said a minute ago, I’m not even sure I know who the hell you are, and now a woman, granted a complete asshole of a woman, but a human being is in the hospital and the first thing you think about is the next angle.” I got to my feet and put the coffee on his desk. I couldn’t stand to look at him, much less sip coffee and conspire with him.

Dad leaned forward. “I think you’re overreacting.”

“No, I think you are, Dad. I have tried to talk reason to you about this case from the start, and for some reason, you don’t want to hear it. Are you trying to ruin my record? Can’t let me get ahead, right? You only want to me to look good enough to make you look good, but when I start to look way better than you, you can’t handle it.”

“You’re out of line.” His face was back to deep burgundy, and any moment, he might start pumping steam from his ears.

“Did you even hear yourself a minute ago? Throw Kya, our neighbor and my oldest friend, under the bus and make her look like an accomplice?”

“I barely knew her.”

“I know her better than anyone else in this whole fucking, sick world, and I’m not going to do her that way. Furthermore, I’m done with this case.” I walked around the chair, and he stood up behind his desk.

“Get back here, son. You don’t want to do this.”

“Yeah, Dad. I so fucking want to do this.” I had looked for a reason for years to tell my father to shove it, and today was the day.

“I mean it, Leonard, if you walk out that door, you can kiss your job goodbye. You can clean out that office and take your ass to the house!”

“Bye, Dad.” I walked out and found Edith standing behind her desk, her mouth wide open and one hand on her heart.

But I didn’t stop to say anything. I continued out the door, around the corner, and down to my end of the hall. When I passed Tabby, I stopped and took a deep breath.

“What’s the matter, Leo?” She got up and came around her desk so quickly, I didn’t have time to tell her to stay seated. I didn’t want to deal with her and the whole packing my office just yet. By law, I had a little time to get out, and I’d get her situated somewhere else with me.

“It’s fine, Tabs. We may be changing our address is all. Don’t worry.”

Her eyes widened, and she nodded. “Okay, Leo. Is there anything I can do?”

“No, but since I’m leaving for the day, you can leave too. Tomorrow, you can start looking for listings and see if we can find a new place.”

“I’m sure whatever is going on with you and your father will resolve quickly, Leo, and then we won’t have to go anywhere.”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s time I go on my own.” I gave her a pat on the back, and she hurried around her desk as I went to my office. I needed a moment, so I shut the door and took out my phone.

As Kya’s phone rang, I tried to collect my thoughts and my breath. I had gotten so angry, my blood was pumping, and my adrenaline was through the roof.

“Leonard?”

I smiled, wondering if she would ever call me Leo. “Hey, Kya. How are you?”

“Let’s just say, if you’ve called to give me bad news, I could do without it.”

“I heard about Susan. I guess they called you already?”

“Called me? No, I was there when it happened. She looked so frazzled and pale, I knew something had to be wrong, but she kept insisting she was fine right up until she dropped right in front of me.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that. I hope she’s okay.”

“Me, too, but I got another call that they’re looking for a replacement for me. No one wants to take her cases because her life is a mess and so is her office. There are files everywhere. She fell right into a stack of them. Thank heavens the top two were empty, and they kind of cushioned her fall.”

“Damn, that’s rough.” I hated to think of her on her own in this, and worse that Whit was going to team up with whoever my father left in charge and try to drag her through the mud with him. “Look, can I come see you?”

She hesitated a little, a humming sound bubbling from her throat like she had to think about it. “Are you sure it’s a good idea? I mean, with this case falling apart, I didn’t think you’d want to keep complicating things even more by seeing me again.”

I let out a long sigh. There was nothing I wanted more than to be with her at that moment. “Trust me. I can’t wait to see you again. I meant can I come now?”

“Now? Sure.”

“Good, I have something to tell you. I think you’re going to like it.”

She gave a soft laugh. “If you want to tell me in person, I like it already.”

“Give me twenty minutes.”

“You got it.” She ended the call, and I hurried out of the office, not bothering to stop and tell anyone, not even Jon, what happened. Even though I owed it to him, I’d have to tell him later.

I got to my car and hauled ass out of the garage and went even faster once I hit the freeway.

Making it to her house in what I was certain was record time, I got out of the car, and she met me at the door. I greeted her with a kiss and kicked the door shut behind me as I walked her backward into her front room.

She pulled away and searched my eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m more than okay now.” Over the moon was more like it, or maybe since it was daytime, walking on sunshine, my head in the clouds, I could think of a hundred different ways, but mostly I was relieved. The dark cloud of the case had dissipated, no longer looming over my head.

She lay her head against my chest. “I’m glad you’re here. My day has sucked up until now. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I guess I can’t exactly ask you for any advice. That would be weird, right?”

I gave a soft laugh, so relieved I could in fact help. “Actually, I’m all yours.”

“Thanks, but I don’t want to put you in a strange position. You could tell me what’s on your mind, though. I know you have something to tell me.”

“Yes, and what I’m trying to tell you is that I’m all yours. I’m off Whit’s case.”

“You are?”

“Yeah, I told my old man I quit. I couldn’t go up against you, Kya. Not when I care so much about you. It’s not only a conflict of interest but impossible. I told my father I didn’t agree with his ideas and bailed.”

“Holy shit. So that means that Whit’s out of an attorney too?” She still wasn’t getting it.

“Well, he’s the only one. I’d like to represent you.”

Her face shadowed with uncertainty. “Leonard, is that even possible? I mean, for you to switch teams like that?”

“Yeah, it’s not usually done, no, but in this case, I don’t give a shit. I can take over for Susan. I already know the case, so you won’t have to worry about anyone coming in and fucking things up, and more than that, I already know their tactics. So if you’ll let me?”

She backed away and walked over to the back of her couch where she leaned with her head down.

“What’s wrong? I thought you’d be excited.”

Her shoulders sloped. “It’s just that I can’t pay you, Leonard.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll do this one for free.”

“I can’t let you do that, either.”

I walked over and brought my arms around her as I straddled her legs. “You can make it up to me in other ways like kisses for instance.” I brought my mouth down on hers. “Mm. Yes, pay me in kisses, Kya. Your money is no good with me anyway.”

She stood, bringing her arms around my neck. “If you’re sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Kya smiled wickedly. “I might need a little more convincing.” She took my hand and led me to her room.