Page 46 of Maddy's Justice

“You’ve been around lawyers too long,” Carvelli said. “You’re starting to think like them.”

“Oh, my God! What has become of me?” Maddy said feigning shock.

“You want to give the ring back?” Marc asked.

“Now’s your chance to run,” Carvelli chimed in.

“Not a chance, buster. You’re not getting out of it,” Maddy told Marc. She looked at Carvelli and said, “And you stay out of it. How many times have you been married? I should get at least one shot at it.

“That reminds me, you remember Eric and Jessica are coming over for dinner?” Maddy asked referring to Marc’s son and daughter.

“Don’t they know?” Connie asked.

Maddy gave Marc a disapproving look and Marc muttered a lame excuse about not telling them their father was getting married.

“They’re adults. We wanted to surprise them,” Marc finally said.

“We?” Maddy asked.

“Nice try,” Barry said.

“Can we get back on track?’ Marc asked to change the subject.

“I think Maddy should take another run at Faye Hayden,” Connie said.

“You heard this rumor from Julia…” Marc asked.

“Hall,” Maddy said.

“Any others?” Connie asked.

“No, none. I’m telling you, they’re like the Stepford Wives. See no evil, speak no evil,” Maddy answered. “At least none willing to talk.”

“They make a damn good living and are willing to put up with it,” Carvelli said.

“Probably,” Connie replied. “But we need to know. Are we going to be sandbagged at trial?”

“You and I will go talk to Melanie,” Marc told Connie.

“You think she’ll know?” Connie asked.

“I don’t know,” Marc replied. He turned to Maddy and said, “Take another run at Faye Hayden.”

“Phillip says she’s drinking. I’ll see if I can catch her at a bar outside the office.”

“What do you have?” Connie asked Carvelli.

“Not much,” Carvelli replied. “I’ve had Dan, Tommy, Franklin and Sherry Bowen on Stephanie Chapple and Julia Hall,” he continued reading from his notes.

“Nothing. At least nothing out of the ordinary. They work a lot and have little social time. Stephanie has a boyfriend. Spends the night once or twice a week. Looks kind of casual. Julia Hall doesn’t even have that going.”

He looked around the table and said, “Both are attractive women. They just work too much.”

“Now you know why most lawyers hate their jobs. At least half would leave the practice if they could find something else,” Connie said.

“You want us to move onto the others?” Carvelli asked.

“Yes,” Marc replied, “and have that Paul guy we’re not supposed to know about run them through his thing. Have you done that?”

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