Page 39 of Necessary Evil

“I’ve got a case that I may become involved in,” she said.

“Oh, really?” Cynthia sounded amused.

“Hypothetically, if I could get an eighteen-year-old drug mule who is currently in Riverhead for possession to give evidence that would lead to the arrest of a bigger fish, would your office be interested in making a deal?”

“I’m going to need a little more information than that.”

Lucy nodded. She had expected as much. “I’m not her attorney, not yet. But I’m hoping to be soon. Her current attorney isn’t interested in making a deal.”

“Why are you?”

“I’m doing a favor for a friend. Besides, this girl doesn’t deserve to rot for this. She’s a stupid kid who made really bad choices in an environment that didn’t give her a better way out.”

Cynthia sighed. “You’re such a bleeding heart. Look, when she agrees to have you represent her, give me a call. I’m not opposed to making a deal providing she gives us something useful.”

“That’s all I needed to know.” Lucy fist-pumped.

“And please know that once you become bitter and jaded, my offer to have you come work for me will still stand.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“Go get ’em, killer,” Cynthia said, and ended the call.

Now all Lucy had to do was convince Chloe to fire Meyers and petition to have her appointed to her case. She had enough time to refill her coffee and sign some documents Jenny gave her before her appointment reminder binged for her conference call.

Lucy put on her headset and dialed in to the meeting. Albert laid out the week’s docket and then let his secretary take over the details. Lucy muted her microphone and sighed. While she agreed that these weekly meetings kept everyone on the same page, she really didn’t care what her colleagues were working on. Her mind kept wandering back to Evan, and she almost wished he would storm into her office with the intent to ravage her. She could send Jenny out for an early lunch and lock her office door. Then they could get all that hormone-driven lust out of their system while Albert’s secretary ran down the docket list for the week—providing Evan didn’t fall asleep from the woman’s droning voice.

Since she couldn’t keep her mind off of him, she texted Evan. Have to ditch you for lunch. Got in to see Chloe at 2:30. I should be back in the office by 5. Early dinner instead?

He texted back immediately. Yes.

And that was it. Well, he was a man of few words.

After doodling little hearts, Lucy mentally cracked the whip on her silly little fantasies and took detailed notes for the rest of the meeting. When the call was over, it was like being set free from prison. Lucy’s stomach grumbled as she slung her messenger bag over her shoulder and grabbed a legal pad on her way out the door. “I’ll be back before five, assuming the traffic’s not bad. If not, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Swinging by her house on her way to the jail, Lucy packed an overnight bag. She threw in an extra pair of pantyhose just in case. She still couldn’t believe she was going to do this. But after giving him a blow job the other night, it wasn’t as if she could claim shyness, even though a part of her still was feeling a little shy. Locking up the apartment, she tossed the bag into her trunk and headed to the drive-through. Lucy picked up a coffee and a doughnut on the way, needing the sugar and caffeine to get her through this day, at least until she saw Evan again. Then the adrenaline would kick in.

Lucy made it to the county jail early enough to be processed through. After putting all her items in a locker and walking through the metal detector, she was allowed to sit at a round cafeteria table in an uncomfortable plastic chair. Looking around, she noticed there weren’t that many visitors at this time of day and the guards seemed relaxed.

About five minutes later a guard walked Chloe in to see her. She was dressed in prison orange and her short blond hair was cut in a ragged pixie. Her sullen face registered distrust and indifference. She sat down at the table and looked everywhere but at Lucy.

“Where’s Lenny?” she asked.

“Hi, Chloe. I’m Attorney Simmons. You can call me Lucy.”

“My mom sent you?” Lucy said, scratching at some graffiti on the table with her fingernail.

“Yes. I’m a friend of Evan Villiers.”

“Who?”

Lucy cleared her throat. “Uh, Evil,” she said in a lowered voice.

Chloe’s face brightened a bit. “He’s the shit.”

“I haven’t been able to talk with Attorney Meyers—Lenny,” she corrected. “But your mother and Evil think that I can help you out a little better than he can.”

“Zane says to do whatever Lenny says,” Chloe told her.

---