Page 26 of 2nd Strike
He looks me dead in the eye. “And, yeah, I’d go nuts not knowing where my kid is. Come inside. I’ll get you those names.”
13
Charlie
Jackie DelRay is a spitfire and I remember why I liked her when we helped her and her client, Beck Pearson, last year.
They ended up together, and I see his influence in the suit and heels she wears. Before Beck came along, she favored clothes off the rack from one of the discount chains. Now, she wears designer everything, but it hasn't changed her down to earth, kick-ass style.
She has no love for Lily’s shenanigans, and she brings up Lily’s YouTube video for me to watch while she calls her office. As she paces, handing out orders to her assistant, I take a deep breath and pray Meg and Matt are having luck with Ethan's biological cousin. On screen, Lily looks at the camera with her perfect makeup, hair, and tears in her eyes.
“Many of you are aware of a pair of private investigators trying to tear my family apart.”
I suppress my eyeroll, only because I’m too tired to make the effort. Lily goes on to explain the situation with scant details but plenty of drama. When she’s done making me and my sister out to be self-important drama queens intent on ruining her beautiful family and making a name for ourselves at her son’s expense, she wipes the tears away and vows to protect Ethan at all costs.
She’s an expert at playing it up for the camera and she’ll get plenty of sympathy from her viewers. Schock Investigations looks bad to the world, especially me since I’m the agent who brought Ethan home in the first place. Her little act makes me appear an unsympathetic narcissist who has a deep need for attention and admiration.
The psychologist in me thinks the pot’s calling the kettle black.
I skipped lunch and my stomach growls so loud I put a hand on it. I'm suddenly tired, too. Exhausted, really. It's been days since I slept more than a few hours at a time. For some reason, having Jackie take control allows me to be human again.
"Hold on a minute," she says to her assistant, “I’ve got another call." She taps her phone and says, "DelRay."
She listens to whoever is on the other end for about thirty seconds before her whole body swivels toward me, eyes locking on mine. I feel the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
“Is that so?” she asks. “I see. I assume the formal paperwork will be delivered to my client in the morning?" A pause. Her expression gives nothing away. “Thanks for the heads up."
She ends the conversation and says to me, "Lily has filed a civil lawsuit against you.”
Before I can respond, she returns to her conversation, and I’m left with my mouth open.
Man up, I tell myself. I expected this, it's no surprise.
I'm left-brain oriented, and I want the details, the facts. I want to see the paperworknow.
"Jackie," I attempt to interrupt her. She holds up a finger and keeps talking.
"Jackie!" I can't help it, I need her full attention.
Her head snaps around, her eyes testy, yet when she sees my face, she puts a hand over the speaker. "What is it?"
“Five minutes," I say. “That’s all I need."
She nods tightly and tells her assistant she’ll call him back in five minutes on the dot.
“What should I do?" I ask before she finishes disconnecting.
“Nothing,” she says. "That's what you have me for. We'll review the official complaint when it comes. Until then, sit on your hands and keep your mouth shut. Are we clear?"
I remind myself I'm paying for this directness. “That’s not my style.”
I have never sat on my hands in my life, much less kept my mouth shut.
She stalks to the desk and plants both hands on it, leaning toward me. "Look, Charlie, I know this is a ball buster for you, but you have to do what I say to the letter. She’s coming after you with both barrels, but I'm your armor. I know you want a resolution to this as fast as possible, but it isn't going to happen. The courts don't move that quickly, which you know, stretching lawsuits out for months, even years. You’re going to have to slow your roll and let me drive the bus."
"But–"
She cuts me off with a wave of her hand. "You're paying me a ridiculous sum of money to defend you, we knew this was a possibility, and I'm going to do a stellar job, but the only way this partnership will work is if you follow my directionsto the letter."
