Page 48 of Maddy's Justice

Carvelli leaned across the table and whispered, “Good luck.”

“Let me handle this,” Connie said to Marc.

They were stepping onto the elevator at the Wells Fargo Center. Three other people got on with them. Because of the others on board the elevator car, Marc had to be a little careful with his reply.

“I see, you don’t believe I can be tactful,” Marc said.

“Well, um, I’m not sure I would say that but I’m glad you did,” Connie said.

“Women are more sensitive and tactful? That’s pretty sexist. I’m terribly offended,” Marc said feigning indignation.

Of the three people who got on with them, two were younger women. Both looked at Marc with a smile and one said to Connie, “They are so sensitive, aren’t they?”

Connie patted Marc on the back and said, “When we get upstairs, I’ll burp him, and he’ll feel better.”

Even Marc had to laugh.

“So, what did you want to see me about?” Melanie Stewart asked.

The three of them were seated at the small conference table in her office. Before answering the question, Connie looked at Marc.

“Go ahead,” Marc said. “I’m not tactful enough, remember?”

“I just wanted to make sure you remembered.”

“Sounds ominous,” Melanie said but was smiling when she said it.

“We need to talk to you about something,” Connie said. “Our investigators and our own interviews have picked up, I guess it’s really a rumor, that Troy raped one of your women lawyers…”

“Wait! Whoa! What?” Melanie exclaimed.

“Let me finish,” Connie said. “What we’ve heard is he may have drugged this woman and had sex with her while she was under the influence of whatever it was. If so, it was obviously without her consent.”

“Melanie,” Marc said, “we don’t know if it’s true or not. In fact, one of our investigators interviewed her before we heard about this. She denied having any relations with Troy at all.”

“Oh, Christ,” Melanie sighed. “It’s always something with this guy. Who is this woman?”

“We’d rather not say at this point,” Connie said. “Look, it’s privileged information so we can’t and won’t disclose it.”

“It’s a crime,” Melanie said. “Don’t you have an obligation…”

“It’s a prior criminal act, so, no, we cannot disclose it,” Marc said. “But we need to check it out and more importantly, are there others?”

“Oh, God, don’t say that,” Melanie said.

“We can’t just ignore it. If we heard about it, Lori Quinn knows about it. Or, at least, we have to…” Connie began to say.

“…assume she does,” Melanie said finishing the thought. “What do you want from me?”

“We want the names of three or four secretaries who have been around and know everything that’s going on in this firm. You know what I mean.”

“I can get one for you right now,” Melanie said.

She went to her desk, dialed two numbers on her phone and asked her own assistant to come into her office. A moment later, a fifty-something woman joined them.

“This is Jackie Manning, my assistant. Jackie’s been here forever and knows everything and everybody,” Melanie said. “And I’d be lost without her.”

“Sounds like time to ask for a raise,” Marc said.

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