The Verdict, page 12
“I’d expect nothing less.”
He nodded. “I know this will be unusual, Mitch. And I don’t think I can keep you from being involved in this case. I’m not gonna ask you to second chair the case or anything, but I’m certainly open to hearing it if you have anything you’d like to share.”
Judging from the look on Keith’s face, it appeared there was something he expected me to tell him, though I couldn’t say what it was.
“Did Barbara tell you about Marc Guyton?”
Keith nodded. “My investigators are looking into him now. Anything you have would be useful.”
I nodded. “I’ll have Winston send you copies of what we have on Marc and Thomas. They’re cousins.”
I wasn’t sure why I didn’t tell him more, but I felt I should hold something back. Perhaps it was just my instincts or natural distrust for the man that couldn’t be so easily waved away.
“Were you able to find a connection between Clyde Montague and either of the Guytons?”
I wasn’t certain how to answer the question, but I eventually shook my head.
I suspected there was a connection between Thomas Guyton and Clyde Montague. My suspicions had only heightened after discovering that Thomas Guyton was indeed a drug dealer.
“Not that we could find. Winston looked hard for that. I’m convinced there is, but it isn’t obvious.”
Winston was still looking into it, but I wasn’t telling Keith Williams.
He frowned. “I’ll have my people dig in.” His tone seemed to suggest his investigators were better than mine. He was deluding himself if he honestly believed that. Winston was one of the best.
He studied me. “I know this isn’t easy, Mitch. I’ve tried to put myself in your shoes and couldn’t do what you have to do. My door’s always open if you have any questions about the case or want to review some of the files. I’ll gladly entertain any theories you want to bounce off me.”
“I appreciate that,” I said, surprised at his seeming openness. I was tempted to look around to see if anybody was listening, just in case he was saying this to impress somebody, but it seemed sincere. I doubted that he’d actually give me access to the files.
“We’ll get her out of this, Mitch.”
28
I opened the door and walked into my office, where I wasn’t surprised to find Ellie sitting at reception waiting for me, even though she’d said she’d leave early.
“How was Barbara’s arraignment?”
“A million dollar bail. She’ll have to wear a tracker. It could’ve been worse, I suppose.” I didn’t know that I’d have fared any better before the same judge. She’d probably already had the matter determined before the hearing started. I was curious to see how this judge continued to rule as time passed. I hadn’t heard anything about her yet. She was still too new on the bench. I was certain I’d hear about it over time if she continued to rule this way.
“Did you think about what I said?” Ellie asked. She was being vague on purpose in case one of the other office staff was nearby. Ellie knew I valued discretion.
I frowned. “Care to join me in my office?”
A few minutes later, I sat at my desk while Ellie sat in front of me with a notepad.
“First off, Ellie, how are you doing?”
The last time I’d spoken with Ellie about her cancer, she’d told me the prognosis wasn’t good and that there was one final test she was waiting on.
Her wig was slightly askew.
I hoped only I could tell since I knew what to look for. “I’m surprised you’re coming into the office with all you have going on.” I was cautious as I spoke, hoping I wouldn’t frustrate her or cause her to burst into tears. I wanted an update on that final test but didn’t know how to ask.
“I could tell you needed me.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
She hesitated, and I figured she was about to tell me to mind my own business.
“I’m doing okay.”
It was like getting a confession from a client that they’d committed a crime.
She wasn’t anxious to tell me everything.
“How’s the chemo going?” I hurried to add, “You look great, by the way. I don’t think anybody else can tell. I wouldn’t know that anything was off if I didn’t already know you were going through it.”
“They’ll know soon enough.” She paused. “Veronica knows. I had to tell her this morning. She was asking questions. I got a call from my doctor and had to step outside. She must’ve noticed because she was very inquisitive about what it was when I returned. I think she suspected something before that, even though she didn’t say so.”
“Wasn’t there a test you were waiting on?” I finally asked.
Ellie nodded. Her face was like a stone. “Yes, there is.” She paused. “Or at least there was. That’s what the call was about.” She hesitated. “It actually looks like things might be turning around.” She spoke slowly, her eyes watching me intently. Her voice ended in a whisper as if afraid speaking it aloud might change the result. She hadn’t led out with this because she didn’t dare hope there was truth to it.
I burst into a smile. “Hey, that’s great news, right?”
Ellie slowly nodded. “Yes, possibly. I’m still not out of the woods by a long stretch. It looks like the other tests might have been wrong. I’m going back for more testing later this week.”
“This is great news.” I glanced at my desk. I didn’t see anything pressing I had to get done. “You want to go out and celebrate?”
The question caught her off guard.
I could immediately tell this was not the right time for such a celebration.
“Actually, there’s something else,” Ellie said slowly. “Mitch, I need to give you my notice, assuming my test is really negative and I’m on the downhill slope.”
“You’re leaving?” I asked, feeling a tightening in my chest.
I’d always known she might one day go, but I’d started to think she was planning to stick around forever.
“Yes. This experience has left me feeling drained. I’m not leaving right away. I won’t leave for a month or so, not until you either find a suitable replacement or you’ve decided Zoey will work out long-term. You still have time. This is all based on me continuing to improve. I have things I want to do if that’s the case. And even if not, I still might try, though it might be much more difficult.”
I couldn’t process her words. “Where are you going? What are you going to do?”
“Well, the chemo is getting pretty bad. That will continue regardless, at least for a time. I don’t think I can continue to come in as often. It’s getting too painful.” She pointed at her face. “I’m starting to get puffy, and it’s just gonna get worse from here until it starts to get better. My hair hasn’t actually fallen out yet. I just shaved my head the other day in anticipation, knowing I’d prefer to take control rather than let it come out in patches.”
“Understandable,” I said slowly. The wig was a good match. I doubted others would notice. “If you want to take an extended vacation, your job will still be here—”
“I’m not coming back, Mitch.”
Something in her tone told me this was something she’d been thinking about for a long time. I got the feeling she’d hedged on timing to let me down softly.
She’d leave regardless of how this played out.
It was a sudden and unexpected blow, though in retrospect, I should have seen it coming.
“Is it something I said or did?”
“No, nothing like that. You’ve been great to work with.” She gave me a bemused smile. “Well, most of the time, to be totally honest. You have your moments.” She studied my face. I wanted to ask her more, but I could tell she was on the verge of telling me, so I waited. “It’s just that I’ve started to wonder if this is really what I want to do with my life.”
“Are you finally going to law school?”
She chuckled. “No, that was always your dream for me. It was never mine. I’ve told you countless times I couldn’t stand the contention. It’s one thing for me to watch you do the dance. It would be another thing entirely for me to do it myself. I’m sure there’s lots of people out there who can do what you do. It’s just not for me, that’s all.”
“You’ve handled it pretty well whenever it’s bled out of my office.”
“And those few times have been difficult.” She smiled briefly. “I’m not like you, Mitch. You aren’t afraid to take on a fight.” She shook her head. “That’s just not me. That’s not who I am. Or at least it’s not who I want to be.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. I’m going to recover, assuming these other tests come back and the cancer is going into full remission. They prepared me for the possibility I’d need multiple rounds of chemo, but I’m hoping it will be done with one. Once I’m in a good place, I’ll spend a month in Europe. I want to see Rome. I want to see France and London.”
“And after that?”
She hesitated.
It seemed for a moment she was gonna say one thing, but then she shook her head and changed what it was. I couldn’t tell from her expression what she wanted to say. “Then we’ll see. All I know is that I need to take some time to recover mentally and physically. The drain has been immense.”
“There will always be a position here for you, even if I have another secretary. I’ll find a place, one way or another.”
“Thanks, Mitch.”
It seemed like I’d said the wrong thing.
I almost asked another question but decided it was best if we turned our discussion to work-related matters.
“I’m definitely asking Winston to work the Cruz case, just like you suggested. You’re right that he’d feel slighted if I had somebody else do it.”
“Winston is a talented investigator, and you have to treat him right. Not saying you haven’t, but you’re too emotionally involved with this Barbara situation.” She paused, opened her mouth, but stopped. She continued a moment later. “Anyhow, your emotions are likely to get worse before they get better, so just be careful how you treat him and Zoey in the meantime. You can become abrasive if you’re not paying attention.”
I nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“Are you still going to keep Winston working on Barbara’s case?”
“Absolutely.”
I could tell there was more she wanted to say, but she held back.
“Do you have a final day for the last chemo treatment?” I finally asked.
“No.” She paused. “I don’t want to leave you with false hope, Mitch. I’m going.”
It appeared her resolve to leave had firmed up while we’d been speaking.
What had made her do that?
After Ellie had gone, I sat in my office, trying to decide what I’d do without her. I liked Zoey. She was doing a good job for me when Ellie was out, but I didn’t think that she was a good fit long-term.
I’d picked her up from a temp agency, so there was no commitment.
Also, I got the impression that much of what I perceived as Zoey’s organization was actually the remnants of everything Ellie had been doing.
I’d never asked Ellie about it before, but I would now, just to make sure my decision not to stick with Zoey was the right one.
It seemed like there was something I was forgetting, but I couldn’t quite remember what it was.
After that, I turned my attention to other matters that I wanted to get done before my meeting with Winston.
29
My work had piled up while I’d been out of the office handling the Candy Carlisle trial and then dealing with Barbara’s situation right on the heels of that. As I sorted through the priorities and came up with a punch list for everything I needed to get done before I went home for the day, I wondered if it might be time to bring on an associate attorney to help with some of my work. The Candy Carlisle matter had taken up much of my time, and some of my other cases had suffered, but I didn’t think that would be anything compared with how I would now focus on Barbara’s case.
It might be nice to have some help.
I’d always made do with a secretary and the occasional use of a paralegal before because Ellie was far more capable than most. I might need to hire two people to make up for her loss, so I could probably justify hiring an associate, but I’d also have to take on more cases than I currently had.
That was one of my chief criticisms of Keith Williams. He had a slew of associates and far more cases than he could personally handle or even sufficiently supervise.
I’d made it more than halfway through my task list by the time Ellie knocked on my door to announce Winston’s arrival.
He walked in with a motorcycle helmet in hand, setting it in the other guest chair before plopping down and folding his cowboy boots in front of him.
“How long are we gonna continue this wild-goose chase?”
“Until Barb is free,” I said without blinking or looking away.
Winston stared back.
“Look, Mitch, I don’t want to tell you how to spend your money or do your job, but we’re running a serious risk if we continue to poke around since you aren’t the attorney on the case. Keith’s investigators will notice. I guarantee you they will, and they’re not going to like it when they do. You’ll hear about it.”
“What if you just investigate from a distance?” I asked. “I’ll leave it to your discretion. If you feel like it’s too much risk to do something, you just back off.” I shrugged. “Maybe see if there is a different way to get the information without taking the risk. How’s that sound?”
Winston wasn’t sold.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Have you found anything useful?”
“Useful? Yes, if you’re looking for some insight. Pertinent?” He shook his head. “If you’re hoping to find something to free Barbara from all suspicion, I’m afraid not. Thomas Guyton was one bad dude, something we were beginning to suspect before this happened. There have been enough disappearances both from Thomas Guyton’s and Marc Guyton’s teams that it makes me think there was an assassination game or something like that going on.
“I obviously don’t have evidence to back this up, other than the unexplained disappearances, but it’s not too much of a leap to believe Marc finally had his revenge on Thomas.”
“What if Marc set something up so that a hitman would take Thomas out if he ever got arrested? That’s a definite possibility if what you’ve told me is true. I have to believe it’s not just a coincidence that Marc Guyton was arrested and then Thomas Guyton was killed on the same day. There’s a connection. The police are wrong to ignore it.”
“What if there’s a third party cleaning up his competitors?”
I pointed at Winston. “That’s the most plausible explanation I’ve heard. Who?”
“I don’t know.” He studied me. “Any chance it’s Candy Carlisle? Perhaps she only appeared to be holding back on Marc but was really hoping you’d figure it out and remove some of the competition. Events have played out in her favor in more than one way.”
I frowned. I wouldn’t put it past Candy Carlisle to do something like that, and while it would’ve been a gutsy move to pull off in the middle of a murder trial, it wasn’t impossible.
It was unlikely.
She’d promised me she was going clean, but I’d heard that before. She’d also be foolish to try something like that because she was now on law enforcement’s radar. They’d watch her closely for any signs of criminal activity.
“Let’s stay open to the possibility. We won’t discount anything at this point. We’ll look for whatever evidence we can find and go with it. I’ll review my interactions with Candy to see if there’s a chance this was something she was hoping for, but nothing comes to mind.”
He studied me. “I’ll be careful during my investigation, which I’ll continue for now.”
It was as good of a commitment as I’d get from him.
“Please do.” I studied Winston, trying to decide if he was holding back. I’d never suspected him of doing that in the past, but since he was so concerned about our involvement with Barbara, I wondered if I needed to be more careful in what I told him regarding all of this.
“I have another case. I just picked it up. I believe I mentioned it. The client is Vince Cruz.”
Winston sat up, pulling a notepad and pen from the pocket of his leather coat. “What are the facts?”
I was happy I had his attention. It appeared Ellie’s instincts were right on the money. I was glad I’d listened. The last thing I wanted was to create a rift with Winston.
I briefly gave him a quick rundown of everything I knew.
“This isn’t going to be one of those cases where you intentionally hold back, is it?”
There was an edge to Winston’s voice I hadn’t noticed before. I could plainly see now how vital it was I’d given Winston something else to do.
“No, I’ll tell you everything on this one,” I said with a wry smile. “I usually tell you if there’s something I’m keeping back.” I waited, hoping to entice him to let me know if there was anything he was hiding about Barbara.
He said nothing.
The man was a stone.
He could have been holding back all sorts of things that I’d never know about.
“When you were checking out Barbara’s case,” I said, primarily to make sure he knew I expected him to keep working this, too, “switching back to that for a moment. Did anything come up in your investigation that pointed to a prior criminal history for Barbara?”
Winston shook his head as his eyes narrowed. “Not that I saw. Why?”
“There was an in camera meeting during the arraignment today where Frank relayed information to the judge he didn’t want public. I suspect it had something to do with a juvenile record.” I’d run a few internet searches on Barbara and had even done a national criminal search but hadn’t discovered anything. “Can you get past that?”
