Accused: A Rosato & Associates Novel (2 page)

Judy wrote back, TOTALLY, BUT WHAT’S WITH THE BEES?

Bennie frowned, slightly. “How did you get here, Allegra?”

“I took the train.”

“By yourself?”

“Sure. I do it, all the time.”

Mary’s heart went out to Allegra, but then again, her heart went out to everybody. She was more surprised when it stayed in her chest. She wrote, TIME FOR THE BIG GIRL PANTIES!

Judy wrote back, DON’T BEE SILLY!

Bennie paused. “Allegra, how old are you?”

“Thirteen, yesterday, June tenth.”

“Happy Belated Birthday!” Mary smiled at Allegra, seeing in her face the baby that Allegra used to be, as well as the woman she would become. She was a pretty young girl under her goofy hat, but gave the impression that she didn’t care about how she looked, which would make her the only teen on the planet who felt that way, or maybe an alien.

“Yes, Happy Belated Birthday,” Judy and Anne said in cheery unison.

“Thank you.” Allegra smiled, showing braces with pink rubber bands.

Bennie cleared her throat. “Yes, well, to stay on track, tell me, Allegra, who are your parents?”

“Does that really matter?” Allegra’s eyes flickered, a suddenly sharp blue. “I’m here, they’re not.”

“Understood, but you’re a minor. If you’re looking for legal representation, you’re not of the age of contract.”

“Then we won’t make a contract. Would that work?”

Mary admired Allegra for not being intimidated by Bennie. She wrote, WHEN I GROW UP, I WANT TO BE ALLEGRA.

Judy wrote back, NO, BEE YOURSELF.

Bennie blinked. “Let’s set it aside for now.”

“Ms. Rosato, if you’re worried about whether I can pay you, I can and I will, I have my own money now. I’ve been planning this since I found out I get a distribution from my grandfather’s trust at thirteen.”

“It’s not about money. It’s common courtesy. We don’t get a lot of walk-ins, and we like to know with whom we’re meeting.”

“Okay, my parents are John and Jane Gardner.” Allegra reached for her backpack and slid out a silvery MacBook Pro, which sported a yellow bumper sticker that read,
MIND YOUR OWN BEESWAX
. “They live in West Whiteland, and my dad is the oldest of the three brothers who run the family businesses. My parents won’t stop me from hiring a lawyer. They know what I’m doing, I told them. If they try to stop me, I told them I’ll file to be declared legally emancipated.”

Bennie frowned. “Do you get along with your parents?”

“Yes,” Allegra answered matter-of-factly, opening the laptop.

“Then legal emancipation would be odd. It’s like divorcing your parents.”

Mary wrote, I WOULD NEVER DIVORCE MY PARENTS. IN FACT, I WISH I COULD MARRY THEM. THEY DON’T LEAVE LITTLE HAIRS IN THE SINK.

Judy wrote, DON’T BEE GROSS.

Allegra hit a key on her laptop. “I don’t think emancipation will be necessary. My parents said they won’t help me, but they won’t oppose me.”

“Where do you go to school?”

“I board at Milton Academy in Massachusetts, but I’m going to register in the public school for ninth grade. I want to be here during this case, not out of state.”

“Where will you live?”

“At home. I interviewed several of the big law firms, but I didn’t like them, so I thought I’d come see you. I researched you and the firm.”

Mary couldn’t believe how serious-minded Allegra was. She thought back to what she’d been doing at thirteen, which was lightening her hair with bottled lemon juice and picking a confirmation name, even though Theresa was a shoe-in. She loved St. Theresa, one of the few saints who had the mojo to go up against Mary, the biggest brand name in the religion.

Bennie nodded. “So tell us, Allegra, what’s the case? Why do you need a lawyer?”

“I’m here about my sister.” Allegra’s face fell. “Her name was Fiona, and she was murdered six years ago, at a party at my father’s new offices.”

“Our condolences. I seem to recall reading about the case.”

Mary set down her pen, having lost her sense of humor. The murder case was coming back to her, too. She’d seen it in the news, a girl stabbed to death, at sixteen years old. Suddenly Mary realized why she felt for Allegra in the first place. Despite her funny decals and bumper stickers, Allegra Gardner was a sad girl, and it seemed to travel with her, like a backpack.

“Thanks,” Allegra said quietly. “The thing is, I believe they sent the wrong man to jail. His name is Lonnie Stall and he’s in Graterford Prison. I think he’s innocent. He said he was at trial, and I believe him. I want to find out who really murdered my sister and punish him. I need somebody to look at the case and start over.”

Bennie frowned. “Wait a minute. I seem to remember that the defendant in that case pleaded guilty.”

“I know he did, right before the jury came back, but I’m sure he didn’t do it.”

Bennie paused. “What makes you say he’s innocent, even though he pled guilty?”

“I don’t want to go into it now. I’m not sure if I’m hiring your firm.”

“Fair enough.” Bennie eased back in the chair. “So we’re clear, you’d want us to evaluate the evidence and record to see if the decision was correct or incorrect?”

“No, I want you to solve my sister’s murder.” Allegra’s request had a weight of its own, hanging in the air.

“So you want an investigation after the fact.”

“Right. Exactly.”

“We’re not investigators, we’re lawyers.”

“That never stopped you before. I saw online. And you have a firm investigator, right? Lou Jacobs. His photo is on the website.”

“Yes, but he’s on vacation. He’s not back until next week.”

“Okay, so add him in, whatever it takes, I can pay. I want this to be done right. I want to know the truth.” Allegra pressed her lips together again. “I was there when Fiona was murdered, at this big office party. It was supposed to be a grand opening, and well, it was so, so horrible.”

Mary shuddered, but said nothing. Her biggest nightmare was something terrible happening to her twin sister Angie, a former nun who was in Tanzania on yet another mission, saving a world that refused to be saved.

Allegra frowned deeply under her little cap. “I kept thinking and talking about Fiona, and what happened to her, and my parents worried I was getting obsessed. They sent me to a therapist, then to boarding school, but I wasn’t obsessed or depressed, and I’m still not.”

Bennie leaned over to Allegra. “So your parents believe Stall is guilty?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because of the evidence at the trial and because he pleaded guilty himself, in the end. They want the case to be over, but I want it to be right.”

“Allegra, you have to be realistic. It’s harder to find out what happened now than it was then.” Bennie opened her palms in appeal. “The case is six years old. Evidence may be lost or thrown away, and memories have faded.”

“I understand that, but I want to try. I can’t do it myself because I’m a kid.” Allegra met Bennie’s gaze behind her big glasses. “Ms. Rosato, you have a reputation as one of the best trial lawyers in the city, if not the country. You’ve defended many people who were wrongly accused. I want a do-over.”

“There’s no backsies in murder cases, Allegra.” Bennie seemed momentarily nonplussed, but Mary felt as if she could help out, since Bennie wasn’t good with kids or human beings, in general.

“Allegra, what she means is, this is a lot for a thirteen-year-old to deal—”

“That’s why I need a lawyer, and I’m not your typical thirteen-year-old, anyway. I’m a genius.”

“Pardon?” Mary smiled at the matter-of-fact way she said it, without a trace of arrogance.

“Really, I am, but being that smart only makes things worse.” Allegra’s lips flattened. “I know I’m weird, different. Kids make fun of me for everything, of my grades, the way I look, or my bees. They call me Allergy, Allergan, Bee Girl, Bee Geek, brainiac, whatever, I don’t care.”

“What is it, with the bees?” Mary couldn’t help but ask.

“I keep bees.”

“For fun?”

“Yes.” Allegra smiled.

“Don’t you get stung?”

“No, they’re in hives and I know how to handle them. I wear a veil and I have a smoker, which calms them down. The smoke blocks their pheromones that send out a distress signal, so you can work in the hive.” Allegra warmed to her topic. “It’s a very old hobby, beekeeping. It dates back to the Egyptians. And mine are very docile and nice, and they’re used to me, and they all get along and help each other. Did you know that each hive holds thirty thousand bees? That’s more friends than anybody in my class has, even counting their fake Facebook friends. I’m fine with it.”

Mary felt for her. No kid was fine with being different, and it wasn’t easy being green. “But I’m thinking that you can’t be so legalistic in your approach to this problem. There’s too much emotion involved.”

“There’s emotion because it matters. What should I spend my time on, stuff that doesn’t matter?”

Mary had to admit it was a good point. “But it won’t be easy for you, living at home, going forward with this investigation. Your parents will be upset, I’m sure. They had closure, but now they won’t. You want to prove that a man they believe killed their daughter really didn’t do it.”

“I know that, too, but I have to know the truth, no matter who likes it and who doesn’t.” Allegra’s forehead buckled again. “If I do what makes them happy, then I’m unhappy, and that’s not very grown-up, is it?”

Mary felt momentarily stumped. She wouldn’t hurt her parents for all the truth in the world. She hadn’t, in her life. She’d die with her secret.

“And anyway, I owe it to Fiona.” Allegra reached under her collar and showed them a delicate necklace, with a heart-shaped pendant. “This was hers, and I wear it all the time. She looked out for me in everything. She was my sister.”

Mary swallowed hard. “I understand.”

“I’m giving up everything to do this. I had to leave my hives at school. Luckily the headmaster keeps bees, too, so he knows what to do.”

“Why didn’t you bring them with you?”

“You can’t. Bees get to know their territory. They consider it their home. They’d be upset if I tried to move them.”

Mary didn’t know bees had emotions, but maybe they did. The way Allegra talked about her bees reminded her of the way Pigeon Tony talked about his homing pigeons.

Judy frowned. “To get back to the investigation, Allegra, I’m surprised the other firms would represent you, given that your parents will be unhappy if you get any traction.”

“Why?” Allegra flushed, and Mary realized that intelligence and sophistication were two separate things.

Judy answered, “You’re essentially opposing the Gardner interests. The big firms will want more business from the family, so they’ll choose them over you.”

Allegra shook her head. “No, I disagree. They’ll represent me if I choose them, I’m sure of it. I met with them. They said they’ll get back to me with a proposal.”

Mary and Judy looked over at Anne and Bennie, and they all knew what Allegra Gardner had yet to learn. Money talks, and justice doesn’t pay. If Allegra were taking on the Gardner family, she’d be radioactive to the big firms. Only the women at Rosato & Associates would take her on, because they were a bunch of mavericks who never would have gotten business from the Gardners anyway. And Allegra was an underdog, which was their weakness.

Bennie leaned over. “Regardless of what the others do, we’d be happy to represent you.”

“Cool beans.” Allegra grinned, in a newly relaxed way. “How does it work? Do you all work together, or can I choose which lawyer I want?”

“Of course you can choose. We work separately or together, depending on our availability. When would you want to get started?”

“Right away. Who’s available?”

“I’m not and neither is Anne.” Bennie gestured at Anne, who made a cartoony sad face, like an emoticon with perfect makeup. “We’re starting a trial, but Mary and Judy are free. They’re a great team.”

Allegra grinned. “I can tell. They’ve been writing each other notes this entire meeting.”

“What?” Bennie frowned.

Mary grimaced, busted. “Sorry, it’s a bad habit.”

Judy’s eyes flared. “I’m really sorry, too.”

Allegra shrugged happily. “It’s okay, and I can read upside down, too. I like that you think I’m cute, but please don’t try and breastfeed me.”

Mary laughed, feeling a rush of warmth for the young girl, who had the very mature ability to laugh at herself.

“We’d love to represent you,” Judy said, then added with a grin, “Bee our client.”

“Good one!” Allegra laughed.

“We could get started right away.” Mary leaned forward. She wanted the case and she needed the business. Her caseload was light because her client base was in South Philly, and Italians didn’t like to fight when it was hot. “I’m free right now. I could drop everything.”

“Just like that?” Allegra turned back to Bennie. “No proposals?”

“It’s a lawsuit, not a marriage. I can email you a fee-and-costs schedule. Our retainer is five thousand dollars. Is that a problem?”

“Not at all. The trustee of my trust will send you a check. I’ll speak with him and give him your information.”

Mary blinked. “Can you get a distribution from a trust, when you’re only thirteen?”

“Yes, if the trustee says it’s okay, and mine did. He’s not even supposed to tell my father. The trust is from my grandfather, and one of his old banker friends is the trustee. He told me he has a duty of undivided loyalty to me.”

Bennie looked over at Mary. “Trustees have some discretion about when to make a distribution, unless there’s restrictions in the trust. If it’s set up that distributions are to be made for her care, support, and welfare, which is typical, then the trustee can exercise his discretion to make the distribution. It’s probably a generation-skipping trust or a dynasty trust.”

Mary figured her trust skipped her generation, too. She turned to Allegra. “You’re a really impressive young woman, and I’m happy to represent you.”

“Thanks!” Allegra beamed. “You guys are so different from the other law firms. This is the firm, right? Four women, no drones?”

Mary laughed. “I’m the drone.”