Page 15 of The Suit

“Bet they might know if there’s hidden money.”

“You reckon?”

“Yeah. Kids are always snooping, or they at least pick up on something their old man might have said.”

“I can see them later.”

He stared at the big screen for a second before turning back to me. “How was Mrs. M’s spending?”

I’d grown up with two sisters and a mother who loved to shop, so when I’d seen the financials, I was genuinely quite surprised how little there was in the way of personal transactions for Mrs. Maynard. Beyond a couple of regular payments for beauty and clothes, she really didn’t spend much at all.

“Conservative considering she’s friends with my mother. She never worked, used her time raising the kids, volunteered for several charities and boards. She spent well within the limits of what a woman with access to billions would, if that’s what you mean.”

“So, twenty million would be enough?”

“Probably, if it was invested properly. But that’s not the point; she’s a nice lady and she deserves it all.”

“Of course not, but I’m trying to get into their heads.” He scratched his chin as he thought. “I’ll come with you when you talk to the kids, have a look around the house and see if I can find anything they wouldn’t have thought of.”

“Thanks. I’ll call them and let them know.” I jumped up, suddenly needing to get some space to think - away from the screen where Beulah’s face had reappeared. “Okay, I’ll be upstairs. Cody, let me know the second you find anything new?”

“Will do, boss.”

I tossed my water bottle in the trash and headed to the elevator located at the opposite end of the room. When I’d had the basement remodeled for Cody, I’d installed an elevator which took me directly to my office, where the doors were hidden behind a set of shelves holding all my old law books among others. I still got a little rush whenever I used it, because it was really fucking cool; I’d also like to take credit for having it, but that honor went to Penn, obviously, because“Raferty, if you’re going to have a Bat Cave then you need a fucking cool way to get there that doesn’t involve walking down the stairs…”

The doors opened and I sat down on the couch just as my personal assistant strode through the doors, jumping in shock as she spied me.

“Oh, you’re here. I’ve been texting you, where did you go? I’ve been looking for you.”

“I had a meeting.”

She began tapping her foot on the floor, which usually signaled I was about to get told off. “Nothing was scheduled.”

Sabrina was the most efficient person I’d ever met and ruled my calendar with a rigidity even Joan would be proud of. She hadn’t yet reached Joan’s level of discontent or scorn, because she was only twenty-seven, but she’d no doubt get there soon. The only downside to Sabrina’s efficiency was that she liked to know about everything that was going on. But considering Cody was a secret asset and the work he was conducting was most definitely not above board, the less people that knew about it the better. Although more than once she’d almost caught me coming out of the elevator. I think I’d managed to convince her it was an express elevator to my private parking space, but I wasn’t entirely sure. I really needed to start locking my door, not that it would stop her seeing as she had a key.

“Sorry, I forgot to tell you.” I grinned.

“You know my job is to manage your day? Because when you don’t tell me about meetings you’ve arranged yourself it makes it really hard to manage, and then the rest of the day is chaos,” she replied pointedly, but managed to hold back the huff of annoyance I knew she wanted to let loose.

In fairness to her, my days were busy and she saved me a fuck ton on painkillers from all the headaches I’d be getting trying to manage it myself. Also in fairness to her she’d lasted longer than anyone else had in this job. My hours were erratic, and as was our manner, the boys tended to drop in whenever they wanted, which wasn’t helpful when my last two assistants had both fallen in love with Penn, so when he turned up it resulted in no work being done for the rest of the day. Thankfully, Sabrina seemed far too sensible to succumb to his boyish charm.

“I’ve put your files on your desk. Another file arrived from FSJ, so I sent it to the Investigation team, and you had a call from Beulah Holmes that she wants you to return at your earliest convenience.”

My head smacked on the bell of the large floor lamp which hung over the end of the couch as I tried to stand up.

“Fuck!” I rubbed it hard, ignoring Sabrina’s face which mirrored the looks Diego and Cody had sported earlier. I really needed to get my shit together. “Beulah Holmes called here?”

Her eyes narrowed with confusion, then checked the notepad she always carried about with her. “Yes. She’s the lead for the Maynard divorce is she not?”

“Yes. But she called here to speak to me? Actually her, not one of her team?”

She stood there studying me while I waited for her to respond that yes, it was one of her team, because Beulah Holmes calling could only mean trouble. But she didn’t.

“This is her number to return when you’re ready.” She placed a blue Post-It next to my phone and walked out, but not before giving me a backward glance of something resembling pity.

I snatched the Post-It up and studied it. What the fuck was Beulah playing at?

It wasn’t unheard of to call your opposing counsel during negotiations. It was normal in fact, especially when you were supposed to be having an amicable division of the assets. But this was not that. This was a flesh-eating gargoyle disguised as a white flag, one I’d only have to get within a ten-mile radius of before it took us down.

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