Page 91 of The Suit

I’d also made the decision to report FSJ to the authorities, though it came with a fairly hefty dose of denial that it wouldn’t be that big a deal; mostly because I knew it would actually cause a front-page sized shitstorm that could last years in investigations and red tape. Even I didn’t know how big the CUT department was, or the extent of everything they managed.

I also had no idea how much trouble I could land myself in. I was fairly certain I’d never done anythingillegalillegal, but the more I thought about it, the more I didn’t want to think about it.

This could be the worst idea I’d ever had, which also had the very real possibility of landing myself in a whole heap of trouble. And possibly prison.

There was only one person I trusted to represent me if it came to that.

I crossed my fingers and silently prayed he’d still speak to me once I came clean about my crimes.

“Beulah Holmes?”

I leaned round the plinth in the direction of where the vaguely familiar voice had come from.

“Beulah Holmes, is that you?”

I squinted at the lady walking toward me, trying to get a clearer picture even though she was less than fifteen feet away from me. Maybe I also needed my eyes testing.

It was as she reached ten feet that I realized who she was. Though her hair was different – now a blunt, slightly greying bob instead of the blondish mid length locks which used to hang down her back in a thick braid, except on the days she made it into a crown – there was no mistaking the intense green eyes which used to stare, unblinking, waiting for whichever poor soul she’d called on for an answer, to actually answer.

“Professor Grannery?”

My body froze, stiff as a board as she pulled me into a hug and kissed my cheek. It was one thing having random/new friends hugging you in greeting, but it was quite another when one of the most respected and feared professors of the law school faculty does it; quashing any belief you might have had that she was mostly robot and not actually human.

“Hello, Holmes. This is an unexpected, but no less pleasant, surprise.”

I looked around just to make sure I really was in New York and standing in front of Columbia University instead of back at Harvard.

“Professor, what are you doing here?”

“I work here.” She smiled as I gasped, her eyes crinkling deeper than I’d remembered them doing.

“Since when?” I barked, forgetting who I was talking to.

“Don’t you read the alumni newsletter?”

“Um…” I thought about it. I mean I didn’t, but I also didn’t recall ever seeing one hit my inbox or drop through my mailbox.

“I retired early five years ago, and moved back down to New York where my husband is from. But my God, retirement is dull, and Columbia was looking for a professor to cover its summer law school, so I offered my services. Though it snowballed, as I now run the program. Don’t suppose you’re looking for a job, are you? I desperately need some decent professors, and as I taught you, I’d say you were likely to be competent.”

I blinked at her, still recovering from the shock of seeing her, and being hugged. I also wasn’t sure if she was joking about the job part, but from her expression I’d say she was deadly serious - especially about my competency.

“Anyway, what are you doing with yourself? I remember you going off to that dreadful firm. Hope you came to your senses and moved on, though by the look on your face, I’d say you’re still there.” She stopped for breath to run her eyes over me, the second person to do that today. Three if you counted Rent-a-Cop. “How disappointing. I thought I’d taught you better than that.”

“You mean Feather Smythe Jones?”

She nodded, clearly not about to continue with her opinion, though her pursed lip told me everything I needed to know of it. It sure seemed to be the popular one.

“Yes, I’m still there.” I didn’t really have anything at all to add to the rest of that sentence. Perhaps my sigh would convey I shared all her sentiments.

Her eyes narrowed, and I remembered how I used to hate it when that happened, and I’d almost shrink under her contemplative gaze. I held firm this time though.

“Hmm,” she said finally. “Are you enjoying it at least?”

Two weeks ago, I would have said it was the best firm out there, that I loved my job… but not today. I briefly dropped my head, less than keen to have another case of the verbal diarrhea I’d had back at the cemetery. “It keeps me busy.”

“You know, you always were my favorite student.” Her eyes twinkled at the surprise which I’d no doubt shown her. “I can probably tell you that seeing as it’s been ten years and no one else is around.”

“R… r… really?”

---