CHAPTER 22
Maria
After the meeting with Margolis, Maria headed back to the office, her head swimming with all she had learned. She stopped to visit with Jill and update her on the latest, but Jill wasn’t back from lunch. It reminded Maria that she hadn’t eaten, but then again, she couldn’t even fathom the thought of eating.
Stress. If it continued, she was going to have to buy a new wardrobe in a smaller size or have everything altered; her clothes were already getting loose.
Barney was finally back in the office, though he spent the next three hours behind closed doors, meeting with one paralegal after another. She assumed he was interviewing for Lynn’s replacement—who couldn’t come soon enough, in Maria’s opinion—and though she had a few questions for him about the hospital case, she knew better than to disturb him. Instead, she started organizing her questions, making notes in the margin of the complaint, until eventually she heard a knock at her door. Glancing up, she saw Barney standing in her doorway.
“Hi, Maria. Would you mind coming to my office?” he asked.
“Oh, hey, Barney,” she said, gathering her pages and placing them back in the file, feeling a surge of relief. “Thank goodness. I was hoping to talk to you about the complaint. I’ve been thinking that there are a few different angles we can take, and I wanted to make sure I was clear on what you were planning to do before I really started to dig in.”
“You can leave that for now,” he said. “We’ll go over the case later. Will you join me? There’s something we need to discuss in my office.”
Despite Barney’s outwardly pleasant demeanor, there was something in his tone that made her cautious as she rose from her desk. Whatever he wanted to talk about, she suddenly thought, it wasn’t going to be good.
Barney trailed half a step behind her, avoiding even small talk, and it wasn’t until they got to his door that he reached her side. Always the gentleman—even when about to lower the boom, no doubt—he opened the door and motioned toward the high-backed chair farthest from the window that faced his desk. It wasn’t until she’d moved closer to the chairs that she saw who was already seated in one of them. She came to a sudden halt.
Ken.
By then, Barney was already moving around his desk. She continued to stand in place even as Barney began pouring three glasses of water from a pitcher on his desk.
“Please,” he said, urging her to take a seat. “There’s nothing to worry about. We’re just here for a friendly discussion.”
I should simply tell him, no, thank you, and walk out the door, she suddenly thought. What were they going to do? Fire her? And yet, the old habits began kicking in—the ones about respecting her elders and obeying the boss—and she found herself almost on autopilot as she took her seat.
“Would you like a glass?” Barney asked. From the corner of her eye, she could see him studying her.
“No, thank you,” she said. She could still walk out, she told herself, but…
“I appreciate you joining us, Maria,” Barney said, his drawl just a bit heavier than usual, his cadence a beat slower. It was the same way he spoke when in the courtroom. “And I’m sure you might be wondering why we asked you to join us. Now…”
“You said there was something we needed to discuss,” she interrupted. “As in the two of us.”
Barney flinched ever so slightly, his surprise at being cut off evident but only for an instant. He smiled. “Excuse me?”
“You said ‘we,’ as in you and I. You didn’t say that anyone else would be here.”
“Of course,” he said, his voice smoothing once more. “You’re correct. I originally asked you to join me. My apologies for misspeaking.”
He offered an opening for her to respond—no doubt expecting her to dismiss the error—but Colin probably wouldn’t have said anything, so she didn’t, either. I’m learning, she thought.
Barney opened his hands. “I suppose we should just get to it, then, so as not to waste your time with preliminaries. The last thing I would want is for this meeting to extend your workday.”
“Okay.” Inwardly, she smiled to herself.
Again, it wasn’t what he expected her to say, but Barney was a master of recovery. He cleared his throat. “I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors in the office concerning potential allegations by various employees against Ken Martenson. Allegations, by the way, that have no factual basis.”
He waited, but this time she said nothing at all.
“Am I correct?” he finally asked.
She glanced over at Ken, then back to Barney. “I’m not sure.”
“You’re not sure if you’ve heard the rumors?”
“Oh, I’ve heard the rumors,” she said.
“Then what aren’t you sure about?”
“I’m not sure whether the allegations have a factual basis or not.”
“I can assure you, Maria, that they do not.”
She waited a couple of beats. “Okay.” Colin, she thought, would be proud of her right now. More than that, she began to understand how the use of the word okay shifted the power dynamic in the room. Or at the very least, set the tone she wanted, even if Barney didn’t like it. He didn’t, but he was professional enough to hide it, the drawl and slower cadence continuing in his courtroom rhythm.
“Because Mr. Martenson is our managing director, the firm intends to vigorously contest these allegations in whatever manner the firm deems best. That includes litigation. Of course, as you know well, when reputations are at stake, cases like this are usually settled to avoid lengthy, expensive, and distracting legal proceedings. In this particular instance, any potential settlement would not reflect on the veracity of the claims, but rather the time, money, and inconvenience that contesting the charges would bring. Obviously, any settlement—if there is a settlement—would be sealed and confidential.”
Maria nodded, thinking, Just get to the point. Why did you ask me here?
“I’m sure I don’t need to review Mr. Martenson’s stellar reputation with you. Those who know him best—people like you and me—know that he has always kept the best interest of the firm at the forefront of his thoughts and actions. He has made tremendous sacrifices, and it’s simply not possible that he would have done anything to put either the firm or his own personal reputation at risk. The allegations, I might add, are preposterous. In his nearly three-decade career as an attorney in our community, no claims of sexual harassment have ever so much as seen the light of day in any courtroom. Three decades of hard work, now at risk because there are people in the world who are simply greedy.”
Claims that never reached the light of day because they were settled, Maria thought.
“Unfortunately, whenever there is a pot of money, there are those who believe themselves to be entitled to it. In some cases, these people may lie outright; in other instances, they distort the truth with a story that fits their agenda. Other times, people simply misinterpret behavior that nearly everyone else would find inoffensive. It’s my belief that a bit of all three is what is happening here, and that has led to—in colloquial terms—a feeding frenzy. Some people—these greedy sharks—now sense blood in the water and want to make sure they get their fair share because they believe it is owed them by birthright. But our fair Constitution does not say that you’re allowed to take someone else’s property because you believe that it should have been yours all along. Greed. It’s an awful, awful thing, and too many times, I’ve seen good people hurt by it, even my own kin. My neighbors—fine, churchgoing folk, mind you—were ruined by greedy people. But in these twilight years, I usually feel less anger than simple pity for them. Their lives are empty and they believe they can fill that emptiness with the coins from other people’s pockets. Still, Mr. Martenson’s reputation is at stake, as is the good name of our firm, and I feel a responsibility—even a duty—to ensure that both Mr. Martenson and the firm receive the most vigorous defense possible.”
He was good, Maria thought, even when distorting the truth himself. She could understand why juries liked him.
“Of course, I am certain that you feel just as strongly about integrity and maintaining the high-quality reputation of our firm. But I do have to tell you that I’m frightened, Maria. I’m frightened for the other people here. Your coworkers. Your friends. The young families with mortgages and heating bills. Their babies and their children. I feel an obligation to them to use all the skills the good Lord has given me in the hopes that right and fair and good can prevail over wrong and greedy. But then again, I’m an old man and out of touch with the way things work these days, so what do I know?”
When Barney trailed off after playing the “deeply troubled” card, Maria almost felt like applauding. Instead, she kept a poker face. In time, Barney sighed and went on.
“I know you, Maria. And I know you share my concerns. You’re too good of a person not to be scared for all your friends and coworkers here. And I know you’ll want to help them because you don’t desire a perversion of justice any more than I do. Our firm—all of us—need to stand united as one against these… these greed-mongers who have deluded themselves into believing that they’re entitled to your hard-earned money, even though they themselves did nothing to earn it.”
He shook his head.
“We just want the truth to come out, Maria. That’s all. Just the simple, God’s honest truth. And that’s why you’re here. Because I need your help.”
Here it comes, Maria thought.
“All we’re asking of you is the same thing we’re asking of all our employees. We want you to sign an affidavit that simply states the truth: that you have the greatest respect for Mr. Martenson’s character, and that in your tenure at the firm, you have never witnessed, or even heard about, Mr. Martenson engaging in anything that could be construed in any way as sexually offensive to any employee. In your case, and for our female employees, we’re also asking that they confirm that they never felt sexually harassed, in any fashion, at any time.”
For an instant, all Maria could do was stare at him. Ken, she noticed, had sunk lower in his seat, and before she could respond, Barney went on.
“Of course, you don’t have to do this. In the end, whatever you choose to do is completely up to you. There is no reason whatsoever to take into account the livelihoods of anyone else in this firm. All I truly want is for you to do the right thing.”
Barney finished; by then his eyes were downcast, his body humbly positioned. Barney: a bearer of righteousness in a world he no longer understood, shouldering a burden that had to be borne by someone. No wonder he was so successful.
But Maria could think of nothing to say. As persuasive as Barney was… he was lying, and he knew it. She also knew that Barney knew that she knew he was lying, which meant all of this was a game. No doubt he wanted Ken in the room as a form of punishment: Do you understand the level to which I’ve sunk by defending you? For his part, Ken hadn’t so much as mumbled a single word.
And yet…
Was it fair for the rest of the office—all of whom were innocent—to be penalized? Because of a single idiot? And how much money did the women want? Ken had harassed her, and she’d survived. In another couple of weeks, she would likely put it behind her entirely. In time, it might even become the subject of jokes. Ken was a jerk, but it wasn’t as though he’d exposed himself or tried to grope Maria in the hallway when they’d been at the conference. He was too insecure—too pathetic—to go that far. With her, anyway. But what about the others he’d harassed?
She wasn’t sure, and feeling the need to stall, she drew a deep breath. “Let me think about it.”
“Of course,” Barney said. “I appreciate your consideration. And remember, everyone at the firm, your coworkers and friends, just want you to do the right thing.”
At her desk, Maria forced herself to stare at the claim that had been filed against the hospital, but every few minutes she found herself replaying the conversation and thinking of ways she could have responded better. She found herself wondering what Colin would have done…
“There you are.”
Lost in thought, Maria looked up and saw Jill in the doorway. “Oh, hey…”
“Where were you?” Jill asked. “I came by a little while ago, but you weren’t in your office.”
“Barney wanted to talk to me,” she said.
“Figures,” Jill said, closing the door behind her. “How did the meeting with the detective go?”
Maria proceeded to update Jill on the things Margolis had told her. Like Maria, Jill wasn’t sure quite what to think. She asked the same questions that Maria had and was left with the same sense of confusion.
“I don’t know whether it’s good news or bad news,” Jill finally said. “It’s more confusing now than it was this morning.”
That’s not my only problem, Maria thought.
“What are you thinking about now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your expression just changed.”
“Uh… just thinking back on my meeting with Barney.”
“And?”
“Ken was there.”
Jill nodded. “Because of the lawsuit?”
“Of course.”
“And let me guess. Barney did all the talking… and he poured on the Southern charm and started talking about ‘doing the right thing’?”
“You know him well.”
“Sadly, I do. So… did you learn anything?”
“They want to present ‘a united front.’”
“Okaaay… but what exactly does that mean?”
“They want me to sign an affidavit that would essentially say that I never saw Ken do anything wrong, that he’s always professional, and that he never harassed me.”
“Did Barney ask that you sign? Or insist that you sign?”
“He asked. In fact, he made it perfectly clear that he wanted it to be my decision.”
“That’s good.”
“I guess.”
“You guess?”
When Maria didn’t answer, Jill looked at her. “Don’t tell me there’s even more,” she prodded. “Something you didn’t tell me this morning?”
“Well…”
“Let me guess. Ken has been harassing you for a while?”
Maria looked up. “How did you know?”
“Don’t you remember our lunch? After you’d gone paddleboarding with Colin, when I kept asking whether things at work were going okay? I knew you’d gone to the conference with Ken, and I’ve been around here long enough to know exactly what he might have tried to do. Even while you were swearing that everything was fine, I had my suspicions.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
Jill offered the kind of shrug that asked, Do you really need me to answer that? “Office politics suck. That’s why Leslie and I have already outlawed them. Back then, I didn’t want to put the idea in your head if it hadn’t happened, but I remember thinking that I was correct in my suspicions. Which is terrible, of course. But I was kind of happy, too, and I know how awful that is for a friend to say.”
“What do you mean, you were kind of happy?”
“If you loved it here, you might not have been so eager to throw your lot in with us. Of course, at the time, I didn’t know about the potential lawsuits.”
“I’m glad you’re so concerned with my well-being.”
“You’re a strong woman, Maria. And frankly, I think you’re smarter than Ken. I knew you’d figure out a way to keep him at bay.”
“I did tell him my boyfriend, the MMA fighter, was the jealous type.”
Jill laughed. “Like I said. Way smarter than Ken. Okay, but back to the meeting you had with Barney and Ken, our illustrious leader. So Barney asked you to sign and you essentially told him that you’d think about it.”
Maria’s jaw dropped. “How could you know what I said?”
“Because I know Barney. He’s a master at masking the obvious, showing how his side is the righteous one, and then mixing in a dollop of guilt, in case you’re still wavering. It’s important for you to put all that aside and think about what actually happened. And by the way, what did happen?”
Maria then offered a recap of the conference—to which Jill didn’t raise an eyebrow—but when she told her about the subsequent encounters, Jill went stony.
“Hold on,” she said. “It’s one thing to offer the ‘my wife doesn’t understand me’ tale, but you’re saying he actually touched your chest?”
“Well, my collarbone… or maybe just below. He didn’t—”
“But his intent was obvious to you? And he wanted to have lunch and discuss being more of a ‘team player’?”
“Yes. But I stopped it from going any further… He didn’t—”
“Come with me,” Jill said, reaching for the doorknob.
“Where are we going?”
“To see Barney and Ken.”
“Let’s just let it go… I’m leaving anyway. And he didn’t actually touch my breast or anything…”
“Well, Barney doesn’t know the details. And I’m sure that the meeting wasn’t only about trying to protect the firm; it was also intended to keep you from joining the other women and filing with the EEOC.”
Maria shook her head. “I’m not going to file.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to?”
Maria thought about Barney and the other employees of the firm. Ken’s attentions had been awful and had caused her stress, but to her mind, simply putting it all behind her and moving on was a far more appealing option than pursuing the matter further.
“Yes, I’m sure. I’m leaving anyway.”
“But don’t you think Ken should be held accountable? At least a little? For all the stress he caused you?”
“I guess. But like I said, I don’t want to go to the EEOC.”
Jill smiled. “They don’t know that.”
“What are you going to say?”
“Exactly what should be said. And whatever you do, let me do all the talking. Don’t say a word.”
Before she even realized what was happening, Jill was marching toward Barney’s office, Maria racing just to keep up with her. Barney’s door was closed, but that didn’t deter Jill in the slightest.
Barney and Ken, occupying the same seats they’d been in only minutes earlier, were startled by Jill’s sudden appearance.
“What’s going on? We’re in a meeting—” Barney began, but Jill strode into the office, Maria right behind her.
“Would you mind closing the door, Maria?” Jill’s voice was steady and professional, but determined. Maria realized she’d never heard her like this.
“Did you hear me, Jill?” Barney asked.
“I think you need to hear me.”
“We’re supposed to interview another paralegal in five minutes.”
“Tell her that she’s going to have to wait. You’ll want to hear what I have to say. It’s about the lawsuit and it concerns both of you.”
Ken remained silent and Maria watched as he paled. Barney stared at her before finally reaching for his phone; Maria listened as he did as Jill instructed. After hanging up the phone, he stood from his seat. “Let me bring over the chair from the window—” he began, but Jill shook her head sharply.
“We’ll stand,” she said.
If Ken didn’t understand what that meant, there was no question in Maria’s mind that Barney did. She saw an ever-so-slight lifting of his eyebrows and assumed he was doing some rapid mental calculations. Most people would likely have taken their seat again, but Barney understood the value of maintaining eye level, even if Ken did not. He stood straighter.
“You said this matter concerns the firm?”
“Actually, I said that it concerns the both of you. But yes, in the end, it concerns the firm as well.”
“I’m glad you came by, then,” he said, the drawl and syrupy cadence returning. “We just had a discussion with Maria about the false allegations, as I’m sure you’re aware, and I’m confident that Maria will do what’s right for all involved.”
“You shouldn’t be quite so confident,” Jill countered. “I wanted you two to be the first to know that Maria just informed me that Ken Martenson has been engaging in conduct that any jury would construe as sexual harassment and that she is strongly considering filing a report with the EEOC as a preliminary to filing her own lawsuit.”
“That’s not true!” Ken erupted, the first words Maria had heard him speak all day.
Jill turned toward him, her tone as even as before. “You told her she should try harder to be a team player. That having you in her corner could help her when she came up for partner. And then you groped her.”
“I did no such thing!”
“You touched her inappropriately, on her neck and chest.”
“I… I only touched her shoulder.”
“So you admit to touching her? And keeping your hands on her even though she clearly found it offensive?”
With her words, Ken realized it was probably better to shut his mouth, and he turned toward Barney. If Barney was angered by what Jill had said, he didn’t show it.
“Maria made no claim of sexual harassment in our meeting today, nor in fact has she ever said anything to me in all the months she’s been working here.”
“Why would she? She knew you’d cover for him. Just like before, when the other sexual harassment cases were settled.”
Barney drew a long breath. “I’m sure there’s been some sort of misunderstanding and we’ll be able to work this out amicably. There is no reason to resort to threats.”
“I haven’t resorted to threats. In fact, if anything, you should be thankful that we’re here so you aren’t surprised.”
“I am,” he agreed. “I do think we could discuss the matter more civilly if we take our seats. I would like to hear what Maria has to say.”
“I’m sure you would. We’ll let you read her statement in detail as soon as it’s filed. For now, I’ll speak for her.”
Ken’s eyes went wide, but Barney simply looked at Jill.
“You do understand that you can’t represent Maria for obvious conflict-of-interest reasons?”
“I’m here as her friend.”
“I’m not sure that makes a difference.”
“Then let’s start with this: Both Maria and I will be leaving the firm. We had no intention of informing you of that today, but considering that Maria can additionally make a case for retaliation, I thought it best to get it over with now.”
For the first time, even Barney wasn’t sure what to say. He looked from Jill to Maria and back to Jill. “Did you say you’re both leaving the firm?”
“Yes.”
“Where will you be working?”
“That’s not the issue we’re discussing. Right now, we’re talking about the lawsuit Maria intends to file. We all know that the allegations being made by Lynn and the others are serious, and can you imagine how much more heft their cases will have when Maria comes forward as well?”
“But I didn’t do anything,” Ken mumbled. Barney merely glared at him.
“Do you think anyone will believe that? After everything the others say in court? But of course, it won’t get that far. Everyone in this room knows that you’re going to settle. These cases are almost always settled. I’m not sure I can say the same for Maria. She was pretty upset when she spoke with me. Though I won’t be her counsel on this case, my suspicion is that she may elect to take this as far as it can go.”
Barney straightened his jacket. “I’m assuming that you’re here not simply to inform us in advance that you’re going to file or that you’re leaving. I assume you’re here because you would like to resolve this matter.”
“Why would you think that?”
“There is nothing to be gained by telling us in advance that you intend to make a report with the EEOC.”
“Maybe I just felt a remaining bit of loyalty to the firm.”
“Perhaps.”
“Or maybe I just wanted Ken to know that in addition to ruining the firm and having his savings wiped out, he’s probably going to have to sell that ridiculous car of his by the time Maria is through with him.”
Ken moaned ever so slightly. Barney ignored it.
“How can we resolve this?”
“For starters, Maria wants six weeks of vacation this year.”
“Why would she want six weeks’ vacation when she’s planning on leaving?”
“Because it’s on her bucket list. Because Ken is an ass. Because yesterday, she saw a rainbow when she was walking by a yard with the sprinklers on. Because Maria had to work evenings and weekends because of you and so she hasn’t had a day off since she’s been here. My point is, it doesn’t matter why she wants it. She does, and that’s that.”
“First-year employees are only entitled to a week.”
“Then make an exception. Paid vacation, mind you, which will be added to her final check.”
Ken was about to say something, but Barney held up his hand to stop him. “Anything else?”
“Yes. As far as a two-week notice goes? That’s out. Today is Maria’s last day and she won’t be coming back. She gets paid for these two weeks as well.”
Barney looked like he had eaten something unpleasant. “Is that all? Two months’ salary?”
“Not quite. For her mental suffering, she needs a bonus. Let’s make it… three additional months’ salary on top of those two months.”
Barney was quiet. “And in exchange for that?”
“I’ll have to talk it over with her, but I’m fairly certain you’ll never hear anything from her about any of Ken’s deviant behavior. No reports, no lawsuits. Just over and done and we’ll go our own separate ways.”
Barney was quiet, probably debating how serious Maria might be about all of this. Jill, however, knew exactly what he was thinking.
“She’s not bluffing, Barney. You know how Ken is. You know what he’s done to others and you also know that he sexually harassed Maria. More than that, you know we’re not talking about a lot of money here. Essentially, she’s offering you a gift because as much as she despises Ken, she has great respect for you.”
“And the affidavit?”
“Don’t even go there,” Jill warned. “Maria is not going to lie. However, she won’t sign an affidavit as to what actually happened. It’ll just be forgotten.”
“And if she’s deposed by the other litigants?”
“She’ll be on the planet Jupiter by then, so there’s no reason to worry.”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh.” She smiled. “Sorry. I thought we’d detoured into fantasy land.”
“Fantasy?”
“You and I both know she won’t get deposed because you’re not going to let it get that far. You’ll end up settling. You have to, or it’s going to cost you a fortune, even if you win.”
Barney glanced at Ken, then back to Jill. “May I ask what your demands are? Since you’ll be leaving the firm as well?”
“Only one, and it’s not about money,” Jill answered. “In exchange, I’ll finish out the next couple of weeks here just as I planned to do, work with the partners to make sure any of my clients barely notice the transition, and after that, I’ll move on.”
“What’s the one demand?”
“I’d like you to throw me a small going-away party here at the office. Nothing fancy—just a cake at lunch or whatever—but I’d like the chance to say good-bye to everyone in one fell swoop. Obviously, until then, I think we all know it would be best to keep our departure as quiet as possible. The other partners have to know, but I don’t want to start a stampede of employees racing for the exits. Believe it or not, I hope you get this settled and are able to put it behind you as quickly and quietly as possible. There are a lot of good people here.”
While Barney may have appreciated Jill’s sentiment, Maria saw him twitch as he brought a hand to his chin. “Five months paid for Maria is a bit high. I’m sure the partners will balk at that. Now, three months I could probably swing…”
“Don’t misinterpret my high hopes for others here as a chance to negotiate, because we aren’t negotiating. This is a one-time, take-it-or-leave-it offer. Which ends the moment that Maria and I walk out the door and she starts on the EEOC paperwork. Frankly, she’s asking for far less than what you’re going to have to shell out to the others. So right now, you should be thanking her, not trying to lowball.”
Barney took his time before answering. “I’d still have to talk to the other partners,” he finally said. “I can’t make this kind of decision on my own.”
“Sure you can. We both know the partners will follow your lead, so let’s stop playing games, all right? Are you in or out?”
“Five months’ salary?” Maria exclaimed. They were standing in the parking lot near Maria’s car. A few minutes earlier, Maria had stashed the few personal items she’d had in the office—primarily photographs of her family and a few she’d taken while paddleboarding—into a small box and had carried it outside, placing it in the trunk. At Barney’s request, she hadn’t said good-bye to anyone, nor had anyone seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary regarding her departure. Jill had been waiting for her.
Jill smiled. “Pretty good, huh?”
Truthfully, she was reeling. No more Ken; no more weekends trying to keep up with Barney’s demands, and five months’ salary, straight into her savings account. She’d never, ever had anything close to that; what had just happened was akin to buying a winning scratch-off lottery ticket. “I’m still in shock.”
“I probably could have gotten you more.”
“That’s more than enough. I feel guilty for getting that much.”
“Don’t feel bad. Because, believe it or not, you were sexually harassed. It may not have been as obvious to you as it was to others, but you were. You deserve this. And believe me when I say that Barney is breathing a massive sigh of relief right now, or we wouldn’t be standing here doing a mini-celebration.”
“Thank you so much.”
“You don’t have to thank me. If our positions were reversed, you would have done it for me.”
“I’m nowhere near as good as you are. You took on Barney. And you won.”
Jill offered a sheepish grin. “And you want to know the crazy thing?”
“What’s that?”
“Leslie is way, way better than me.”
The thought made Maria’s head spin. “Thank you again for taking a chance on me.”
“You’re welcome. But I know exactly what I’m getting.”
Maria motioned toward the building. “It’s strange to think that I’m not going to work tomorrow. And most likely, I will never walk through those doors again. It happened so… fast.”
“Like what they say about bankruptcy? It happened slow at first and then all at once?”
Maria nodded. “I guess. As much as I dislike what Barney was trying to do just now, I still hope he’ll be okay.”
“Barney’s the one attorney you never have to worry about. He’ll be fine, no matter what. And between you and me? It wouldn’t surprise me if he leaves the firm, too.”
“Why would he leave?”
“Because he can. And would you want to keep working with Ken?”
Maria didn’t answer, but then again she didn’t have to. Jill was right, and while Maria was still trying to process her day, she suddenly found herself thinking about Lester Manning and the things Margolis had told her. She crossed her arms.
“What would you do if you were me? About Lester, I mean?” Maria asked.
“I don’t think you know enough yet to reach any conclusions. I know that probably doesn’t help you, but…”
She trailed off, and Maria couldn’t blame her, since even to her, the pieces simply didn’t fit.
Maria drove through heavy traffic to Mayfaire, an upscale shopping complex. As she drove, she tried to process the fact that she wouldn’t be heading in to work tomorrow, or even on Monday. The last time that had happened had been after she’d quit her job in Charlotte…
She shook her head, forcing the thought away. She knew exactly where it would lead, and the last thing she wanted was to think about Lester or the boyfriend or anything Margolis had told her, since it would lead exactly nowhere. Unless confusion was a place.
No more Ken, she marveled. No more weekends that Barney could ruin. In two weeks, she’d be working with Jill. And five months’ salary. On the career front, she doubted it was possible for things to get any better, and that called for a celebration of sorts, maybe even a splurge. She could trade in her car and get something sportier—as long as it wasn’t a red Corvette—but as quickly as the thought entered her mind, she knew it was just a fantasy. She was too frugal and she had no intention of trying to explain to her dad why she’d bought a car instead of paying down some of the student debt she owed from law school or opening an investment account. Or simply saving the money, since she’d probably need to buy into the partnership in a few years.
Lost in the events of today was the idea that she could actually be a partner at a law firm someday—in her early thirties, even. Whoever could have predicted that?
By the time she reached Mayfaire, dusk had settled in. She texted Serena that she’d get to the house a few minutes before seven, but not to hold up dinner on her account.
Seconds later, her phone dinged with Serena’s response. I’ll just get there late, too. I’d hate for you to miss any of the scintillating conversation!
Maria smiled. She texted her parents and let them know when she’d arrive, then headed toward Williams-Sonoma. It was always a bit challenging to get her mom something special—Carmen always fretted about money spent on her, especially by her children—but since a new car was out of the question, Maria figured she could splurge a bit on some new pots and pans. Despite the restaurant and her own love of cooking, her mom had never considered buying new cookware. What she did have had been around since Maria was in elementary school. Or maybe even longer than that.
The shopping expedition ended up being more of a splurge than she’d planned. High-quality cookware was expensive, but Maria felt good about it. Her parents had paid for private schooling, a used car at sixteen that lasted until she got the one she owned now, four years of college, and half of law school, and never once had she done something like this. She knew her mom might fret—her dad would say nothing—but she deserved it.
She loaded the gifts in the trunk, next to the box of personal effects. Thankfully, the traffic had mostly cleared out. Before starting the car, she texted Serena that she was fifteen minutes away, and then realized she hadn’t yet told Colin what had happened at the office. She still felt the need to celebrate and with whom better than him? Later, at his place or hers… Who knew that money could be an aphrodisiac?
Knowing he was probably behind the bar already, she texted him and asked that he call when he had the chance. He’d probably work until around ten or eleven, and that would give her enough time after leaving her parents’ to head back home, light a couple of candles, maybe even have a glass of wine. She knew it would end up being a late night, but he didn’t have class in the morning and she didn’t have to go to work, so why did it matter?
She set the phone on the passenger seat and headed toward her parents’ house. After turning into the neighborhood, she found herself wondering how many times in her life she’d made that exact turn. Tens of thousands, probably, she thought, which amazed her, as did the neighborhood itself. While people had moved in and moved out, the houses seemed largely unaffected by the passage of time, and every corner brought with it memories: lemonade stands or roller-skating, driveway fireworks on the Fourth of July. Trick-or-treating. Walking home with friends. Her phone began to ring, disrupting the flow of images. Glancing over, she saw Colin’s name and answered with a smile.
“Hey,” she said. “I didn’t think you were allowed to make calls while at work.”
“I’m not supposed to, but I saw your text. I asked the other bartender to cover for me for a few minutes. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said. “I’m almost at Mom and Dad’s.”
“I thought you were supposed to be there already.”
“I had to buy my mom a gift first and that took forever,” she said. “But hey—you’ll never guess what happened today.”
“Did Margolis call again?”
“No. It’s about work,” she said, and as she approached her parents’ home, she told Colin what had transpired. “Which means I’m kinda rich right now.”
“Sounds like it.”
“I bought my mom some fabulous cookware.”
“I’ll bet she’s going to love it.”
“Once she gets over the guilt, she will. But the real reason I’m calling is that I’ve decided that I’d like you to come over tonight. To my place.”
“Didn’t we already agree that I’d come over? And that I’d call when I got off?”
“Yes, but when we decided that, I wasn’t in the mood to celebrate. Now I am, and I wanted to warn you in advance.”
“Warn me about what?”
“Well, now that I’m sorta rich, I might make a few demands on you this evening. Physical ones, I mean.”
He laughed, and she could tell he liked what she was suggesting. “Okay.”
Up ahead, she saw Serena’s car parked in front of her parents’ house; on either side of the street, the sidewalks were deserted. Up and down the block, houses were lit from the inside, lamps on and televisions flickering, families relaxing at the end of a long day. “Whatever you do, don’t let the anticipation ruin your concentration at work. I’d hate for you to get in trouble with your boss.”
“I’ll do my best.”
She pulled in behind Serena’s car and shut down the engine. “And one more thing. Remember what I told Margolis? When he asked why I was still with you?”
“Yes.”
She got out and rounded the car to the trunk. “I just want you to know that I meant every word,” she said.
He laughed again. “Okay.”
She opened the trunk. “Unfortunately, I’m going to have to cut this call a little short. I’m going to need both hands to carry everything.”
“I get it. I’ve got to get back to work anyway.”
“Oh, before you go—”
As she eyed the boxes, she registered movement in her peripheral vision and she turned. A man was crossing the street toward her, moving fast. There was a split second when she wasn’t sure how to react. This was a safe place; in this neighborhood, she’d never so much as heard of a burglary or a domestic dispute that had gotten out of hand, and she’d never been afraid. She was only yards from her parents’ front door, on a street so safe she used to camp out in the backyard on warm summer nights. And yet, the stranger’s purposeful gait made the hairs on the back of her neck suddenly rise because she knew instinctively that whoever it was didn’t belong here.
Darkness made clear recognition impossible, but in that instant the man’s shadowed face was suddenly illuminated by the lights that spilled from her parents’ living room. She saw a glint of metal in his hand and with the sight of the gun, fear took hold. She couldn’t move and could barely breathe; only vaguely did she hear Colin say her name on the phone.
Colin repeated her name a second and third time, his mounting concern enough to finally bring her back.
“He’s here,” she finally whispered.
“Who’s there?” Colin demanded. “What’s going on?”
“He has a gun,” she said.
“Who has a gun?”
“Lester Manning,” she said. “He’s here at the house.”