Authors: Andrew Hess
“You have no claim on this case. The victim washed up in our county, not yours. As for you, you’re the most arrogant piece of…”
“Your victim was last seen at a bar in our area. And as much as you want to deny it, Ambrose was likely thrown off the Dutchess County side of the bridge.”
“You’re still an arrogant prick.” My maturity level was reigning at an all-time low. I couldn’t dispute the facts. I just hated sharing a case with anyone but Rodney.
The light turned green and we pulled forward. He drove us down the road but detoured down a one way street. “I know you don’t like me. I made a horrible first impression and have been shoving my foot in my mouth ever since. As much as you hate the guy you met, I’m really not as bad as you think.”
“Sure you’re not.”
He stopped the car and turned towards me. “I don’t want there to be a problem between us. Give me a chance to prove I’m not a complete asshole. Maybe then we can work together and end this case.”
I bit my lip. I didn’t want to accept his offer, but I did. “Fine, on one condition.” His eyes peaked with curiosity. I get to drive back to the station.”
“Oh no, no one drives my baby but me.”
“Okay, but at least put the top down and stop driving like a grandma.”
He smiled graciously and took the roof off the car. “You’re a little thrill seeker, aren’t you?” I refused to respond but he knew what I was thinking. The faster the better. He put the Audi back into drive and slammed his foot on the gas. We were propelled forward. The wind was in my hair and I was loving every minute of it.
By the time we arrived at my station, all the anger that consumed me was blown away by the exhilarating drive. My smile was ear to ear.
Thornton laughed as I tried to fix my hair. “Damn, if I knew this was all it would take to get you to like me.”
Whoa buddy; let’s get one thing straight. I said I’d work with you and give you a chance to prove yourself. I never said anything about liking you.”
There was a glint in his eye that told me he took it as a personal challenge to him. It was one that he would inevitably lose. He leaned up against his car with his arms folded across his chest.
“You plan on just standing there or are you coming inside?”
“I was waiting for an invitation,” Thornton smirked.
“Detective Thornton, won’t you please enter my station,” I mockingly said with an air of aristocracy in my voice. I even tucked my right arm under my stomach, my legs crossed and I bowed from the waist.
He took my left hand and kissed it as if I was royalty. “It would be my honor.” I knew he was playing off my joke, but it felt nice to laugh with someone for once, even if it was with Mr. Personality.
The station was nearly empty, except for those coming back to fill out their paperwork so they could go home for the day. Much to my surprise, Rodney wasn’t at his desk. It was a weird feeling to walk into the station and not see him waiting for me or making his dumb comments about my personal life or even joking that I was his favorite partner.
The Lieutenant was sitting in his office with the door wide open. The chairs in front of his desk were empty. So I figured we’d make ourselves at home. I entered first and plopped down on one of the uncomfortable seats.
“Can I help you Detective,” Lieutenant Esposito asked.
“We just finished interrogating Wendy Fuller.”
“And?”
I smiled and looked back to Detective Thornton. “She didn’t give us much that we can actually use, but it was enough to confirm our suspicions about him being drugged and murdered.”
Esposito gestured for Detective Thornton to take a seat next to me. “I wanna know all about it.”
Detective Thornton sat down next to me. It was a lot closer than I would’ve liked him to be. “Apparently Wendy Fuller was discussing a possible lawsuit against her former employer for sexual harassment.”
“Who was her employer?”
“She was working at a software company in Poughkeepsie. She didn’t give us anything more than that.”
“A software company,” Esposito asked. “Depending on which one could paint a huge target on his back.”
“It would if they had gone through with the lawsuit,” I interrupted.
“What do you mean?”
“Wendy thought she had a solid case against her old boss and hired Blake Ambrose. He invited her out to the bar the other night, but was trying to hit on her rather than talk about her case. After about a half hour, he was blurting out stuff like; there’s no way you’re going to win this case.”
“Are we listing Ms. Fuller as a suspect?”
Thornton shook his head from side to side. “She was a sweet innocent girl. There was no way she’s the killer. Plus, video shows her leaving alone and left about a half hour before Ambrose did.”
“She could’ve returned.”
I could tell Esposito was desperate to hold someone accountable for Ambrose’s death. But I knew Wendy wasn’t the killer. Everything pointed to the other woman having a hand in the homicide.
“Ms. Fuller briefly mentioned the another woman pushing her way between her and Ambrose earlier in the night.” I needed for Lieutenant Esposito to see my side of the investigation before he sent us down the wrong path. “She couldn’t remember what the woman looked like, but said she was acting weird and kept talking about her purse.”
“And your point Ali?”
“She might’ve seen Ambrose slip something into Ms. Fuller’s drink and caused a distraction long enough for her to switch the drinks on him.”
“You realize you’re accusing a deceased well-known attorney of drugging and raping women?”
“No not officially, not yet anyway.”
“Let me guess, you want my permission to go ask for another warrant to search his house and office.” Esposito’s eyes flickered from me to Thornton and back. He knew we were on to something and the only way we would get anywhere in this case was by ripping through Blake Ambrose’s most private areas of his personal and professional life. “Okay fine, but you’re taking Detective Thornton with you.”
We turned to each other, both grinning with delight. He was just happy to spend more time with me, maybe find another way to have me fall for his charm. I was happy to make him put his money where his mouth was. Time for him to go toe to toe with A.D.A. Reed.
Claire continued to push the events of the last week from her mind until she had nearly forgotten all of it. Any thoughts of Blake Ambrose and his death had vanished. There was no word on any evidence appearing. It was almost as if the police had been taking the accidental death or suicide approach to the investigation. Even if someone did suspect murder, no one was sniffing around her, and that boosted Claire’s confidence. She strutted around the halls as if she owned them. She held her head high, applied more than her basic amount of make-up, and had a genuine smile on her face.
Hours of seeing patients soured her mood. An older man that came in a few days ago took a turn for the worse. Claire wasn’t close with him. She only met him a couple of times. Then he came in complaining of abdominal pains. They took him in for x-rays finding a large tumor. She had the hospital run dozens of tests, but all pointed to the same conclusion; he was going to die in a few weeks to two months tops.
With one hour left, Claire focused on her plans for the night. A meeting was scheduled for that night. It had been weeks since the last meeting she attended, and that was the night Mr. Lewis asked her out. The date had gone awkwardly well, but Claire wasn’t ready for it. Her confidence was shaken and didn’t know if she could handle a relationship or anything physical. She was scared, but not anymore. After what she did to Ambrose, there was nothing that was going to stop her from getting what she wanted.
Claire checked on the website earlier in the day and found out the night’s speaker would be Mr. Lewis. Her confidence was at an all-time high, making that night the perfect opportunity for her to show him what he was missing out on. Claire’s mind ignited with fantasies starring her and Mr. Lewis. They were intense, brief, but long enough for her to be startled by the woman blocking her doorway.
“Sorry; didn’t mean to scare you, Claire’s assistant said.
Sheila was one of Claire’s best friends that had been hired as her assistant once Claire began working private practice. She continued blocking the way to the office with her downplayed appearance and annoyed look on her face. Sheila hated her work attire; knee length skirts, black flats, and a blouse that buttoned up to her collarbone. She preferred low-cut blouses, mid-thigh skirts and five inch heels which showcased her long tan legs. The only redeeming part of her work attire was the pair of paper thin glasses that diverted the attention away from her icy blue eyes. But she used them as a toy to reel in the male doctors.
Claire stopped inches from Sheila with a hand clasped against her chest. The beating of her heart increased with every breath. “It’s fine.” She brushed off incident and tried to re-focus.
“So who is he?”
“Who?”
“The guy you were thinking about; who is he?”
“I wasn’t thinking about a guy,” Claire snapped. “I was thinking about a patient.”
“Uh huh; sure you were.”
Claire shoved her aside and entered the office. “Do you mind telling me why you were hanging out in the hall instead of at your desk?”
“Would you believe I was looking for you?”
“Not likely.”
“Well, for once I was.” Sheila grabbed Claire’s hand and pulled her into the office, closing the door behind them. “So Becky just called. One of her former clients hooked her up with VIP access tonight.”
Claire ripped her hand away from Sheila. “Good for her. I’m sure she’ll have a blast.”
“No, we’re going to have a blast. All three of our names are on that list tonight. It’s ladies night.” Sheila swayed her hips from side to side.
“Sorry, but it’ll just be the two of you tonight.”
“Oh no, we’re not taking no for an answer this time. You’re coming.”
“But I have plans.”
“What plans?”
Claire thought about the meeting she desperately wanted to go to. There was no way she could tell Sheila about it. She wouldn’t understand, not without telling her the full truth. She paused as if trying to formulate another lie to tell her friend.
“Uh huh, that’s what I thought,” Sheila said. “We’re picking you up at your house. Be ready by ten and make sure you look hot. We’ll have the boys at the club eating out of the palm of our hands.”
Claire thought about going out with the girls. It was long overdue. Becky bailed the last time Claire wanted to go out and it turned out disastrous. She couldn’t afford to let another mishap like that occur. Maybe with her girlfriends there nothing bad would happen.
“Okay fine, I’ll go,” Claire said with a deep sigh. “It beats you two breaking into my house to kidnap me or tricking me into going some other way.”
Sheila smiled as she recalled begging Claire to pick them up from a club one night because they were so drunk. When Claire showed up, they tried dragging her inside the bar to hang out with them.
“Well, make sure you’re ready by ten and we won’t have to.” Sheila laughed and went back to her desk.
Claire shook her head and sat down behind her desk. She logged in her notes on a few cases and was getting ready to leave for the night when her phone rang.
“Afternoon Dr. Cain,” a man said in an authoritative tone. Claire recognized the voice instantly as one of the partners she worked for. Working in private practice had its benefits, but it still required her to answer to a group of men that believed they were god. “Sorry to bother you so late in the day. The partners are scheduling a meeting Monday and would like for you to attend.”
Claire was never pulled into one of their meetings. Anything discussed there was typically communicated down to her in an email. The fact that they wanted her to be present during their next meeting was a huge surprise.
“Sure, what time?”
“We’ll be meeting sharply at ten Monday morning.”
Claire’s cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. “I will see you then sir.” A squeal of delight emanated from her office the moment she hung up the phone.
Sheila darted into the room instantly. “What? What happened?”
“I’m meeting with the partners on Monday.” Sheila looked on in confusion. “They’ve never asked me to be a part of their meetings.”
“So what does that mean?”
“It means they might be making me a partner.”
Both girls jumped up and down with complete and utter joy. Sheila had a grin a mile wide. “That seals it. Now you have to come out with us tonight. We need to celebrate.”
Claire didn’t hesitate before agreeing to go. For the first time in a long time, things were going her way. She had control over her life again. She was on her way to the top and that was right where she belonged.