Tides of Truth [02] Higher Hope (43 page)

“I still think you have to respect her motives,” I said.

Julie threw her hands up in the air. “Will someone beam me up and out of this planet?”

“Don’t get so worked up,” Vince said. “You love every minute of this. Didn’t you tell me boredom was your greatest enemy?”

“That was before Tami and Dabney cross-pollinated to produce an alien life-form. Now I’m scared.”

“What is it Mr. Carpenter is always saying?” Vince replied with a grin. “Step into your fear. It will make you a stronger person.”

“I’m stepping into the break room for an afternoon cup of coffee,” Julie said. “A shot of caffeine will jar me back to reality.”

After Julie left, I turned to the two men. “Mr. Carpenter is going to do his part to silence her. At least at the Gillespie Street address. He’s going to file a motion for summary judgment within the next few days.”

“Did he tell her?” Vince asked.

“No, he told me. I have to prepare the motion and an affidavit for Mr. Paulding to sign stating that Sister Dabney’s allegations are false.”

“Are you going to do it?” Zach asked.

I thought about Sister Dabney’s words. The law firm was a wicked place where I’d been walking in the fire without being burned.

“I didn’t quit when he gave the order.”

Zach and Vince looked at each other, then me.

“What are you thinking?” I asked them.

“Now?” Zach asked Vince.

Vince nodded.

“We’ve been talking about you,” Zach began.

“Behind my back?”

“Yes. We think you’ve been under too much pressure.”

Vince held up four fingers. “There’s Mrs. Fairmont’s stroke, the turmoil of the Dabney case, trying to figure out where you stand at the firm, and not knowing if you had a place to live.”

“And interacting with us,” Zach added, touching his thumb. “We want to make things easier for you, not harder, and thought maybe we should give you some space.”

A wave of rejection hit me. Hot tears stung the corners of my eyes.

“Why bring this up now? I just spent four hours with Mr. Carpenter and Sister Dabney.”

Vince looked at Zach. “I wasn’t sure this would work.”

“Work?” I asked. “I’m not interested in how you two have planned out my life. But you’re right about one thing. I need some space, and I need it now!”

I stood, my eyes flashing. The two men left the room. I collapsed in a chair. The door opened. Julie came in with a cup of coffee in her hand.

“Vinny and Zach looked shell-shocked,” she said, then stopped. “What happened? Did you pull a Dabney on them?”

It was my turn to cry. It was hard to get out a cohesive sentence, but Julie quickly picked up on the gist of the conversation. She came around the table and put her arm around me.

“I’m sorry. I know it hurts.”

I blubbered for a few more seconds, then blew my nose on a tissue.

“They’re ganging up on me.”

Julie patted me on the shoulder. “Two hardly qualifies as a gang.

Did they say anything besides wanting to give you some space?”

“No.” I sniffled. “Supposedly it’s because of all the pressure I’ve been under in other areas.”

Julie gave my shoulder a final squeeze and released me. “It’s a typical male response. A damsel in physical danger is a welcome challenge; a woman who needs emotional support is a liability.”

I nodded. “That’s right.”

“The separation is probably more for them than you. Vinny and Zach are feeling insecure themselves trying to compete for your attention and decided to call a truce, which pushes you to the side.”

I wiped my eyes.

“What should I do?”

“You don’t drink, so picking up a guy at a bar isn’t an option.

You and I are around each other so much during the day that it would stress our friendship to hang out after work.” Julie patted the Dabney file. “That leaves you with nothing to do but pour yourself into your work. Men have been doing it for generations, so there must be something therapeutic about it. And I think you could probably hold your breath for as long as Zach and Vinny will stay away. Both of them are crazy about you, so this ‘giving you space thing’ is temporary.”

“I’m not so sure you’re right,” I replied with a final sniffle.

I TOOK JULIE’S ADVICE to get my mind focused on work and started preparing the motion for summary judgment against Sister Dabney. True to Mr. Carpenter’s instructions, I kept it simple. The affidavit for Jason Paulding was more troublesome. Every time I typed his denial of Sister Dabney’s allegations of criminal conduct, I felt as if I were committing perjury. If Mr. Paulding swore to the truthfulness of the statements in the affidavit, and they ultimately proved false, he would have more to worry about than a perjury charge. When it was close to time to leave the office, I asked Julie to give me a ride home.

“You don’t want to wait and see if Zach comes by?”

“No.”

Julie nodded. “Good strategy. Make the man realize he’s expend-able, a plaything you can discard at your whim.”

“That’s not what I’m thinking. I just don’t want to walk home in the heat.”

“A boring reason, but I’ll still give you a ride.”

GRACIE HAD PREPARED a supper of salmon, asparagus, and scalloped potatoes. Mrs. Fairmont was wearing a nice dress, and we ate in the dining room, much like we did the first day I arrived. I couldn’t tell Mrs. Fairmont anything about the Dabney case, but when she asked how Vince was doing, I told her about my conversation with him and Zach. Thankfully, I was able to leave out the tears.

“I don’t know,” she replied with skepticism. “They should be competing for your affection, not agreeing to retreat from the field of battle.”

Mrs. Fairmont ate a small bite of salmon and dropped a piece on the floor for Flip.

“I’ll be curious to see how long this truce lasts,” she said.

Partway through the meal, I asked, “Is there anything you’d like to do tonight?”

Mrs. Fairmont paused for a moment. “Yes, I’d like to take a ride in the car. You drive, of course, and I’ll tell you where to go.”

Mrs. Fairmont sat in the den and listened to the evening news while I cleaned the dishes after dinner. Normally she didn’t have much interest in national or international events unless they had a connection with Savannah.

“I’m finished,” I called out as soon as I’d put the last item in the dishwasher and turned it on.

Mrs. Fairmont didn’t answer, and when I went into the den, she was asleep with Flip curled up on the chair beside her. I gently shook her shoulder.

“Mrs. Fairmont, it’s Tami. Do you still want to take a ride in the car?”

The elderly woman stirred and opened her eyes. “A car ride?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“No, let’s do it another night.”

THE NEXT DAY I dutifully delivered the motion for summary judgment and affidavit for Jason Paulding to Mr. Carpenter’s office. The senior partner wasn’t in so I gave the documents to his secretary.

“I’ll let him know,” she replied. “He’s already talked to Judge Cannon’s office, and we’re getting several dates for a hearing.”

“That’s too soon. Sister Dabney, I mean the defendant, can object. She hasn’t even answered the complaint.”

“Mr. Carpenter seems to think there’s a chance she won’t file an objection.”

He could be right. Sister Dabney hadn’t shown any interest in trying to protect her rights under the rules for civil procedure. Unlike criminal cases that had mandatory safeguards, due process in civil matters could move speedily if one side pressed the issue and the other side didn’t do anything to slow the case down.

“He wants you there,” the secretary continued. “That means we need to squeeze it in before the end of the month.”

I wasn’t surprised. I’d been bound to the Dabney case with a thousand ropes and didn’t possess the strength of Samson to break them off.

“Just let me know.”

JULIE WAS OUT of the office on Friday, and I spent the whole day waiting for Zach and Vince to come by the library. By early afternoon neither of them had peeked in to check on me, and I began to doubt Julie’s assessment of their ardor. Finally curiosity got the best of me. I called Mr. Braddock’s secretary.

“I’m trying to get in touch with Vince,” I said.

“He’s been out for the day and won’t return until Monday.”

I hung up. Finding out about Zach would be trickier. He didn’t have a full-time secretary but used a number of people in the secretarial pool. Knocking on his office door wasn’t an option. I went into the reception area.

“Is Zach Mays here?” I asked the receptionist.

“No, he called early this morning and said he’d be in Brunswick all day. I don’t expect him back.”

The whereabouts of my erstwhile suitors settled, I was less distracted for the remainder of the day and completed a lot of work. With no one to give me a ride home, I walked home in the heat.

JUST BEFORE NOON on Saturday, the phone rang. I went into the kitchen and answered it.

“I’m surprised you’re there,” Julie said. “I thought you might be rolling down the aisle of a church.”

“I only do that on Sunday.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t at the office yesterday to see Zach and Vinny come groveling to the library. How are you doing?”

“They were out of town.”

“Thinking about you the whole time. Listen, Maggie and I are going to grab a bite to eat and wanted to invite you.”

“Why?”

“Tami, don’t talk me out of it. It took an act of my will to punch in the phone number.”

I glanced into the den.

“Let me check with Mrs. Fairmont. She’s having a good day, but I need to make sure she’s okay if I leave.”

I placed the phone on the counter and told Mrs. Fairmont about the invitation.

“Go ahead,” she replied. “There’s enough in the refrigerator for me to fix a snack.”

“We’ll be by in a few minutes,” Julie said when I told her.

JULIE AND MAGGIE were wearing shorts and skimpy tops. I had on a lightweight skirt and short-sleeved shirt.

“Some things haven’t changed this summer,” Julie said, pointing to my outfit as I got in the backseat.

“And I trust never will.”

We drove to the sandwich place Vince liked near the river and found a table in the corner. While we waited for the food, I expected Maggie and Julie to talk about their plans to start their own law firm, but Maggie was more interested in talking about Braddock, Appleby, and Carpenter.

“Can you tell if Mr. Carpenter’s litigation practice is growing?” she asked me.

“I don’t know. He’s busy but always seems to get things done.”

“And doesn’t have a problem delegating,” Julie added. “He doesn’t hesitate to ask Tami and me to do things normally reserved for associates.”

“Is Ned working with him?” Maggie asked.

“Not really,” Julie answered. “Fred Godwin is on his team, but he’s overwhelmed with his own projects. Tami and I haven’t worked much with him. Myra Dean serves as his paralegal, but she’s on a leave of absence.”

“Do you know why?”

“I do,” Julie responded, “but I’m not supposed to.”

“That’s okay,” Maggie said. “Then it looks like Joe Carpenter needs a litigation associate.”

“That would be Tami,” Julie answered. “If she wants the job.”

“Is that what you want to do?”

Our food came before I answered.

“Tami prays before she eats,” Julie said. “I told her if she stayed away from pork and shellfish, the blessing is automatic.”

“Is the pastrami on your sandwich pork-free?” I asked.

“Go ahead and pray,” Julie said.

When I finished, Maggie said, “I don’t have a problem with praying. My mother wishes I did it more myself.”

“My mother would freak out,” Julie said.

We each ate a bite of our sandwiches.

“Has Julie talked to you about the firm we’re setting up when she graduates from law school next spring?” Maggie asked.

“Yes.”

“And she laughed in my face,” Julie inserted.

Maggie didn’t smile. “I want you to consider being a part of it.”

I returned my sandwich to the plate without taking another bite.

“You’re offering me a job?”

“We’d have to discuss the details, but if you decide not to take a position at Braddock, Appleby, and Carpenter, it might be a good arrangement for all of us.”

“How would you have enough business to support three lawyers?”

“We wouldn’t start out with big salaries. It’s not what you make the first year that’s important; it’s the potential for growth that’s the key.”

“Wouldn’t your cases primarily be criminal defense? Isn’t that what most prosecutors do when they go out into private practice?”

“There would be some of that, but I’ve developed other business relationships that would have more stability.”

“Maggie worked on a white-collar crime case against a bank executive,” Julie said. “A top guy in the legal department for the bank’s home office was so impressed that he told her to let him know as soon as she’s available to represent them in this part of the state.”

“And I have other strong contacts. Law firms today are all about finding niches. A group of women would stand out in this town and attract business just because of our gender. Of course, it would take quality work to keep the clients and generate referrals.”

“Girl power,” Julie said gleefully.

“And I’d be an associate?”

“Yes, just like you would be for any other firm.”

“And Julie?”

“Is going to bring the start-up capital needed in return for immediate partnership.”

“Maggie and I went to Atlanta and met with my father,” Julie said. “He’s given us the green light.”

“It’s an interesting thought,” I said cautiously. “I’ll have to pray about it.”

Julie turned to Maggie. “I told you that’s what she’d say, but it’s like me and my dad. God always goes along with what she wants.”

“And you can wait to see what happens at Braddock, Appleby, and Carpenter,” Maggie said. “There’s no need to decide before you go back to school.”

ON MONDAY MORNING there was a memo to my firm e-mail address that the motion for summary judgment in
Paulding v. Dabney
was set for the following week.

“Mr. Carpenter isn’t wasting any time,” Julie said when I told her. “But if Dabney shows up and asks for a continuance, the judge is going to give it to her.”