Love, Lies & The D.A. (41 page)

“Thank
you for being there with me today.”

“Thank
you for letting me. You’re very good at handling situations. You work well
under pressure.”

“Thank
you. My staff depends on me… I depend on them.”

“That
was a nice thing you did with Abby.”

“I was
in a position to help, so I did; that’s all.”

He
smiles at me then kisses me on my forehead.

“It’s
been a long day. Why don’t I run you a bath then get us some dinner?”

“That
sounds perfect.”

“What
do you want to eat?”

“You
choose.”

Later
that night, Jonathan rubs my feet while we lie in bed. I notice he seems
somewhat distracted.

“Is
something wrong? I can tell something’s bothering you,” I ask.

“There’s
something you should know,” he murmurs.

I
feel my heart plummet to my toes.

What
now?

“What
is it?”

“I
filed a restraining order against Sophie today.”

“Was
that really necessary?”

“She
called on Sunday while you were in bed. She wanted to meet with me. When I told
her no… Let’s say, she got aggressive and nasty.”

“You’re
sure she won’t get over this with time?”

“I’m
not willing to take that chance. She called me from a number I didn’t recognize,
and then minutes after I hung up on her, your phone rang and she was trying to
call you.”

“How
did she get my number?”

“I don’t
know. But the fact that she went through the lengths she did to get me to
answer her call, then her call to you, tells me this is warranted.”

“If
you feel it is, that’s fine. But I’m not afraid of Sophie. She’s the least of
my worries.”

“I’m
not afraid of her either, but she’s been calling five, six, sometimes seven
times a day. I’ve been ignoring her calls, but now it’s getting out of hand. I’m
not going to underestimate her the same way I did Chris Hostin, especially when
it comes to you. She’s jealous of the relationship we share. At the very least,
I needed to document this. If she’s going as far as taking three-and-a-half
hour drives to Lake Tahoe so she can spy on us, that tells me something is off
about her.”

“Well,
I hate to say this, but if you played her fiddle the way you played mine, I can
understand why she’s having problems staying away,” I laugh.

He
smiles at me. “I never got
that
intimate with Sophie.”

“Really?”

“No, I
wasn’t. I don’t want to be disrespectful or crass, but it was purely just a
fuck. I was single. She was single. I had needs, and she was a friend who was
more than happy to fulfill them. More importantly, because of my position, I
didn’t want to come across as a philanderer, so when she offered, I took her up
on it. That’s how it started.”

“You
didn’t find her attractive?”

“In a
physical sense, yes. Emotionally, I wasn’t sure. When I thought about getting
to know her better on that level, that was when I invited her to go to Lake
Tahoe with me, but I soon realized I wasn’t attracted to her in that way. Not
to mention some things she did pissed me off, so I ended things.”

“Well,
I can see why she’s going crazy.”

“I can’t.
She understood and backed off once I spoke to her. It wasn’t until you came
along that this shit with her started to develop.”

“Well,
I can’t explain that. Maybe she thought you would have eventually gotten
together.”

“We
were never together,” he sighs. “I don’t know… All I know is I want her to stay
away from you, and I want this garbage to stop.”

I
spend the
rest of the week at home trying to get back to normal
health. I have daily visits from a physiotherapist, and the ultrasound therapy
has worked wonders on my ankle. Of course, it got worse before it got better.
By Friday, I am happy to be using a walking stick instead of crutches.

I keep
in touch with Allan and Patrick. Allan was released from the hospital on
Thursday. He is at home recuperating comfortably. Patrick and his mother are
doing well at the hospital, but it will be some time before he is released.

*     *     *

It’s
Friday. I am on my official last day of work. I wrapped up my two pending
cases, one yesterday and the other this morning. I ensure that all my filing is
done correctly, and I should be complete with any pending matters by the time I
make my exit tonight.

I am
extremely humbled by late evening when I’m about to leave. All the staff in the
department
—
US State Attorneys, Assistant District
Attorneys, etcetera
—
have stayed back to bid me
farewell. It’s a chapter in my life that ended sooner than planned. However, I
still believe that I made the right decision.

After
impromptu drinks at a bar the lawyers in the department usually frequent, I say
my final goodbyes and head home. Monday… another chapter begins.

I stay
with Jada for the weekend but spend most of my time working in her office as I
prepare for my new job on Monday. Maggie and Micky keep me company. I spend the
entire day Sunday familiarizing myself with the cases we’re currently handling
at the firm.

Jada’s
file eventually comes up. For the first time, I listen to her account and read
the file from beginning to end. I start to thoroughly understand how deeply the
betrayal went. Listening in her own words and voice to the details of the day
she walked in on Koto and her ex was hard, even for me. Especially because it
was her voice and not just a transcript of her words. It also happened in the
very space I sit.

In the
time we’ve gotten to know each other, details of her case would periodically
come up, but we agreed to never thoroughly discuss it while I was a DA. Now
that I lead the firm that is representing her, I make it my business to know
every aspect of her case. I now realize there are so many details I didn’t know.

Once I
am done with the files, I peruse through mail and correspondence sent to Dad
since he died, as well as a few addressed to me. I’ve received an invitation
from the Bar Association to attend their annual dinner. Dad was supposed to be
their keynote speaker, but because he died, they’ve asked me to replace him.
They will also be honoring him that night.

I’d be
thrilled to do this, but it also means I’d have to bring a date, and for the
first time in I don’t know how long, I am nervous about asking Jada. Up until
now, our relationship has been complete speculation by the media. Appearing at
a high profile event with her by my side would be an announcement to the world
that the rumors are true. An announcement I’m not certain that Jada is ready to
make. I’m afraid that simply asking her might scare her away.

The
easy thing to do would be to simply decline their invitation, but this is the
type of occasion Dad would never turn down. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had
already written his speech. I think I will do this in memory of him. They’ve
asked me to respond by Wednesday next week, so this gives me some time to
ponder and get the guts to ask Jada.

I’ve
just slipped the invitation into a pile of correspondence when she walks in
with a mug in one hand, her walking stick in the other.

“You’ve
been working so hard. I made you a cup of coffee,” she says, setting it on the
glass top desk.

“
Awww
.
Thanks, Babe. You okay?”

“Just
a little tired. You?” she asks, sitting at the chair across from me.

“I’m
good… I read your file. I’m really sorry.”

She
looks at me, and there’s still sorrow in her eyes. I know she’s still hurting
from this.

“Great.
Now you know every nasty detail of my breakup… and I don’t even have to tell
you myself.”

“I did
sort of hear it from you. I listened to the recording of you and my dad.”

“Was it
difficult for you to hear his voice?”

“A
little. It was more difficult for me to hear the pain and the fear in yours.”

“It
was scary… it still is, and it’s so far from being over.”

“The
FBI will get to the bottom of it. They have evidence of laws being broken, but
up until now, they haven’t been able to find out who is behind this. At a time
when jurors expect cases to be like what they might watch on CSI, if they can’t
see and understand what’s going on, it may mean a weak case.”

“They
can get away with this?”

“Highly
unlikely. We don’t have to prove motive in a case, but jurors like to see it.
That’s the reason the FBI haven’t pulled the plug or made an arrest yet. They’re
hoping to discover who the king pin is.”

“Do
they have any idea who it might be?”

“No.
But until they find out why Richard was making those large payments to the
Chief of Police, Senator Rice, and these other characters, or who he was making
these payments for, we won’t have the full picture.”

“Let’s
not talk about it anymore… Are you done working?”

“I
could be. Why?”

“I
thought I could take you to dinner. We could celebrate your new job.”

“We
can go anywhere you want, on the condition I pay the bill.”

“What’s
the problem, Counselor, you like controlling the finances too?”

“I
thought I was compromising.”

She
laughs. “Fine. Have it your way. I found this marvelous new place on the water
under the bridge. It looks awesome. The reviews are great.”

“So no
secret rendezvous?”

“I
didn’t think we were intentionally hiding anything.”

“Well,
we’ve neither confirmed nor denied any questions about us being in a
relationship.”

I hate
to admit it, but I’m testing the waters here. Maybe I’ll get a clue as to
whether or not I should even entertain asking her.

“Well,
I’ve never had to do that in the past. I never announced any of my
relationships to anyone. Then again, I’ve never been in a relationship with a
public figure either. That being the case, I leave those details for you to
decide.”

Somehow,
I didn’t see that working out this way, but the conversation is over, and I’m
still no closer to making a decision.

*     *     *

We
arrive at the restaurant located near the Bay Bridge. The lights of the bridge
reflect against the midnight blue waters. The space is elegant, with limestone
walls and palm plants that kiss the tall ceilings. A fireplace roars through in
the center of the space, setting a romantic mood.

“Nice
find, Babe,” he says, pulling my chair as we are ushered to the table located
by an oversized window.

“I’m
happy you like. Let’s hope the food is great.”

We
place our order moments later and sip on champagne while we await our food.

“Excited
about returning to the firm tomorrow?”

“Yes.
There’s no shortage of work to do. Dad was working on lots of cases when he
died. The first few weeks will be crazy.”

Perhaps
this is my opportunity to settle his insecurities about Charles.

“Your dad
would be proud of your decision.”

“I
suppose…” he replies unconvincingly.

“Johnny,”
I whisper, placing my hand on his. Slowly, his eyes meet mine.

“Your
father told me you were his pride and joy.”

“I
think you’re trying to make me feel better about that fight.”

“I am.
But I’m not making this up. He told me that the proudest day of his life was
when his son turned down a two million dollar football contract and chose to
finish school because he wanted to follow in his footsteps.”

“He
did?”

“Yes.”

He
sighs, like he’s relieved.

“I
wanted to tell you the other day, but you didn’t seem like you were ready to
hear it.”

“Perhaps
you were right. Now that I know all the details of your case, I understand why
he was so protective of you.”

“That
morning, no matter what he might have said to you, it was completely out of
love for you, and his apparent desire to protect me. He was grateful that you
were with me. He told me that he felt better about me being stuck in Lake Tahoe
because he knew you would keep me safe.”

He
smiles, but remains quiet.

“Do
you think you can let this go?” I ask.

“I
have a little, thanks to you…”

I
sense a but coming.

“I
suppose, it’s just that…” He pauses, and I realize this is difficult.