Authors: Linda Hill
Life began to change rather quickly from there. Within another week, Donald was in my office with a big smile on his face.
“I just wanted to let you know that everything’s been finalized. I had a check sent to Annie this morning, so everything should be squared away now.”
I had no idea what he expected for a response, or why he had bothered to come in and tell me about it. My interaction with the senior partner had been limited in recent weeks to brief hellos in the hallway.
“I’m glad to hear it,” was my lame reply.
“Now that everything has settled down, I just wanted to come by and thank you again for everything you did. My wife and I appreciate the fact that you were able to circumvent a disaster before it blew up in our faces.” I’d rarely heard such a long monolog from his lips.
“It was my pleasure, sir.” What else could I say?
“No, dear. I don’t think that it was.” He seemed to search his brain to come up with the right words. “I think that I underestimated both you and your abilities. I treated you poorly, and I’d like to make up for that.”
He lifted one hand and reached into his breast pocket. He removed a long thin white envelope and placed in on my desk in front of me.
I stared at the envelope, and then at him.
“Open it,” he insisted, and I complied. Inside the envelope was a check for twenty thousand dollars. I counted the zeros twice before raising my eyes back to his.
“I can’t accept this, Donald.” I placed the check back in the envelope and pushed it to the end of the desk.
“It’s just a small thank-you. A bonus, if you like.”
“I appreciate your generosity Donald. But I can’t take the money.” It was bad enough that I had essentially lied and manipulated him into dropping the petition against Annie. It was another thing entirely to take his money for doing it. I may have been pleased that I was able to make sure that Annie kept her house, but I still continued to deal with some guilt.
Donald appeared stunned. I supposed that no one had ever turned down his money before.
“But why not, Kate? You did a fine job for me, and I promised to make it worth your while. And believe me, the pain and suffering that you saved my family is worth many times the amount of that check.”
I didn’t want to offend him, but I was resolute.
“As I said, Donald, I appreciate it. But I can’t accept it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He was growing angry.
“Donald” — I interrupted him — “I can’t accept it because I’m leaving the firm.”
I don’t know which one of us was more surprised. I’d certainly been thinking about the possibility, but I hadn’t known I’d made the decision.
He no longer appeared surprised. Instead, he accepted my declaration with a nod of his head.
“You’re not cut out for corporate law, are you.” It was a statement, not a question. Obviously he had noticed my lack of enthusiasm.
I wrinkled my nose. “I’m afraid my heart’s just not in it, sir.”
He nodded. For a moment it occurred to me that I should be mad that he wasn’t trying to talk me out of it. But apparently I hadn’t been fooling anyone.
“When will you be leaving?”
I honestly didn’t know. Now that I’d committed to leaving, I guess I had some decisions to make.
“I’m not quite sure. There are a number of decisions that I have to make. I have to find another firm that’s willing to take me on.” I laughed and watched him smile.
“Then why don’t you accept this check as your severance package,” he suggested. “Clean up a few things here and turn your cases over to Barbara. Then you can take some time to decide what you really want to do.”
I returned his gaze for a few moments, ready to protest.
“I won’t take no for an answer, Kate. Take the check as our thanks.” He turned to head for the door. “Best of luck to you, Kate.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, but he was already gone.
I suppose it was inevitable that I would rejoin Melanie at the Cambridge Family Law Center. Within Weeks I had leased space in the building and had begun the task of moving my law books and necessities into my office.
There was the small task of having to buy office furniture, and it was Beth who made the obvious observation.
“Gee, too bad you didn’t know you were going to be moving before we took all your old office furniture to Treasured Past.”
I grimaced at the memory.
“Did she ever sell it?” Beth asked.
“I have no idea. It hadn’t sold the last time I was there.” My eyes floated over Beth. “Don’t go getting any ideas, sweetie. If you think I’m going over there to retrieve that furniture, you’re out of your mind.”
Beth shrugged. “I’ll go.”
“No you won’t.” I was adamant.
“Why not? It makes perfect sense.” She was matter-of-fact.
“You will not go over there for me, Beth.”
“Ooh.” She glared at me. “Are you telling me what I can and cannot do?”
“When it comes to this, yes, I am.”
She slid me a mischievous look. “Don’t push my buttons, Kate. You’re giving me ideas.”
“Well, don’t. Please.” I faked a smile. “Besides, I’m really thinking about going with something a lot more modern. Something kind of light and less imposing.”
Beth didn’t believe me. “That doesn’t sound like you.”
“It’s what I want,” I snapped. “Do you want to go shopping for office furniture with me?”
Beth laughed. “You sure know how to have a good time.” She complained for a while longer before we got in my car and began the search.
After three days, Beth made it clear that she’d had enough. “You hate everything you look at and you’re driving me crazy. Why don’t you just start looking at some antiques? You’ll be much happier.”
“And you will be too?” I teased.
“Exactly.”
I considered her suggestion. “I don’t think I have it in me. It could take weeks to find something that I like.”
Beth groaned. “There is one other possibility.”
“Don’t even say it, Beth.”
She was annoyed. “Then you’re on your own, sweetie. I’ve had enough.” She left me sulking on my front porch steps.
Fine, I decided, I’d begin searching antique stores in the morning. Except that tomorrow was Sunday. Fine, I’ll start on Monday. What I wouldn’t do, though, was start going to auctions. I wanted to make sure there was no chance of running into Annie.
On Sunday evening I received a call from Melanie, asking if I could meet her the following morning. “I’m running into some trouble on a case that I’m working on, and I think you might be able to help me.”
“But I’m not officially there yet,” I told her.
“Only because you don’t have any flipping furniture,” she retorted. “No excuse. I need your help.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll be there.”
Damn.
Why was everyone getting so upset about this furniture thing?
There was a box of office supplies that had been sitting beside my front door for weeks. As I left the next morning, I remembered to pick it up and bring it along. Time to stop screwing around, I decided. I’d have to pick up some furniture that week.
Melanie wasn’t in her office when I arrived, so I tacked my box of supplies under one arm and headed down the hall to my office. Sliding the key in the lock,
I turned the knob and pushed open the door.
I stopped in my tracks, staring into the room. My old mahogany desk stood in the center. The matching credenza stood behind it, and the bookcase was against one wall. My emotions ran from wanting to cry to wanting to kill someone.
“Looks good, doesn’t it?” Melanie sneaked up behind me.
“Perfect,” I admitted, stepping into the room and setting the box down on the floor. I let my fingers run across the smooth surface of the desk and felt my heart ache. Annie had to have been involved in this. At least partially.
“So is this your doing?” I asked Mel.
“Only partially,” she admitted. “It’s mostly Beth’s fault. She did the dirty work and went to pick it up. I met her here and helped her unload it.”
I searched her eyes and she knew what I was thinking.
“No. Annie isn’t here.”
My lips clamped together, and I nodded. Standing back to take another look around, I was more than satisfied.
“It really looks great, Mel. Thank you.”
“You should thank Beth,” she told me.
I laughed. “I may throttle her instead. I told her not to do this.”
“I know. But it really did make sense.”
I couldn’t argue. Besides, it really did seem perfect.
“Why don’t we take a look at this case that you dragged me down here for. How can I help?”
“I lied,” she grinned. “I just wanted to get you here before you had a chance to pick up something else.”
I laughed. “You’re so devious,” I teased. “What are you doing now? Want to help me unpack?”
“Ooh. Physical labor? Are you kidding?” She started backing away. “I don’t think so, Kate. You’re on your own.”
Without another word, she disappeared from my office and left me alone to stand and look around, taking it all in. Eagerness settled over me, and I began opening boxes, emptying their contents everywhere, and finding the perfect spot for each and every item.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Something felt strange the moment that I walked into my house. I walked into the living room and stopped to look around and listen. Nothing seemed out of place, and the house was silent. But the goose bumps rising on my arms told me that something wasn’t right.
Had someone been here? I glanced out the front window but saw nothing out of the ordinary except for the older model Volvo wagon parked in front of my house. I’d never seen the car before, and the sight of it only managed to cause more shivers to slide along my spine. Something was definitely not right.
I set my car keys down on the coffee table and went to the kitchen, but found nothing out of place. Returning to the living room, I saw that the pocket doors to the great room were cracked open by a few inches. My skin began to crawl.
Cautiously, I inched my way to the doorway and peered through one of the panes of glass.
I held my breath. Annie was sitting on the window seat, only her profile visible as she stared out through the glass. I was frozen in place, my eyes taking in a vision that I didn’t think I would ever see again. She was wearing one of the sundresses that I’d grown so fond of, her hair tied back in a single braid.
If she knew that I was watching her, she gave no indication. She looked calm and peaceful, oblivious of my watching eyes.
Taking a deep breath, I reached for the handle to the door and slid it open. I waited for her to look my way, but she continued to gaze out the window, her eyes steady.
It was apparent that I would have to make the first move, so I stepped cautiously into the room.
“It’s quite lovely.” Her voice reached my ears when I was several feet away from her, and I stopped.