The Veiled Cage (Lady Lawyer Series Romantic Suspense Novels Book 1) (10 page)

“
Hear, hear. And pair our dessert with Moscato, please
.
”

“
How many bottles
?
”

“
One. We like to keep our celebrations separate from our interventions
.
”

Jasmine turned to Colin
.“
What was it like when you worked at the county attorne
y’
s office
?
”

“
Schuler served as county attorney then
,”
he said
.“
There were problems. Certain paralegals had more interest in gossiping about their kid
s’
antics, and their no-good ex-husbands than working. The rest of us had to pick up their slack
.”
When the server returned with their drink orders, Colin paused to dollop whipped cream and drizzle thick sauce onto his coffee.              

“
I
t’
s almost too pretty to drink
,”
Jasmine said
.“
Were you a barista
?
”

“
I prefer the ter
m‘
coffee artist
,
’
”
Colin said
.“
We all had to pay for school somehow
.”
He saw Rub
y’
s pained expression, and said
,
“I’
m sorry
.
”

“
Sorry for what
?”
Jasmine asked.

“
I
t’
s all right, Colin. I sold a number of antiques during law school.
I’
m certainly not alone. Alfre
d’
s Antiques does great business
.
” She added cheer to her voice, and said
,“
The county attorne
y’
s office had your usual office dynamics. Not everyone was an all-star like Colin
.
”

“
And our fearless leader
,”
he said.

“
Overall, peopl
e’
s positions made sense for their commitment level and ability. Chatty Cali was on her thirteenth year as an entry-level paralegal
.
”

“
Then Johnston took office and things changed. For instance, Cali is the Community Prosecution Divisio
n’
s Senior Paralegal
.
”

“
That makes no sense
,”
Jasmine said.

“
Few assignments do
,”
Colin said.

“
What do you make of it
?
”

“
H
e’
s legally trained and politically adept but lacks business savvy
,”
Ruby said
.“
H
e’
s ill-equipped to manage human resources. Tha
t’
s the aboveboard explanation
.
”

“
And the underhanded one
?
”

“
At our office, we do
n’
t accuse without proof. Right, Colin
?
”

“
Right, Ruby
.
”

Cass stabbed at her salad without taking a bite.

“
Hey, Cass. Wha
t’
d your salad do to you? Get something else if i
t’
ll take that glum look off your face
.
”

“
No, they gave me exactly what I ordered
.”
She stared at the creamy greens and waved her fork over them as if willing them to disappear.

“
Guess they do
n’
t have magical forks at Chestnut. Order something else
.
”

“
I would
n’
t want to wast
e
—”

“
Do you feel like yo
u’
re celebrating
?
”

“
No
.
”

“
You know you want cheese-smothered ravioli
.”
Spotting the gleam in Cassandr
a’
s eye, Ruby called over the waitress
.“I’
m sorry. This Waldorf salad was made beautifully. Jasmine is really enjoying it. But Cassandra would like it removed and replaced with the four-cheese ravioli
.
”

“
Absolutely,
I’
ll put the ravioli in right away. At Chestnut, we strive to give each guest a pleasurable dining experience
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re doing superbly. Thank you
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re my Houdini
.”
Cassandra raised the back of her hand to her forehead
.
“I’
m famished. Those sweet potatoes look good
.
”

Ruby passed the silver-edged dish
.“
Fine, but only until yours comes
.
”

Cassandra speared into the candied top, and scooped out three heaping spoonfuls
.
“
Now I feel like
I’
m celebrating
.
”

“
Excellent. Have as much as you want, Cass.
I’
ll take an equal amount of your ravioli and call it even
.
”

Cassandr
a’
s next portion was half-sized.

“
I
t’
s your turn to toast, Colin
,”
said Ruby
.“
Start thinking, and make it good
.
”

“
Your last wo
n’
t be hard to top
.
”

“
It was hard to get inspired by the transition to a virtual file system
.
”

“
It was an important milestone
.
”

“
Important, but dul
l—
as my toast reflected
.
”

“
You quoted Martin Luther King
.
”

“
What did Ruby say
?”
Jasmine asked.

Ruby held up her hand
.“
First, let me provide the context
,”
she said
.“
Cass was against the new system, and charged with disposing the physical files. Not a good combo, it turned out. She decided to do so by filling my office with shreds
.
”

“
‘
All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem
,
’
”
Colin recited
.
“
‘
May the consequences of progress be met with an appropriate and equivalent response
.
’”

“
One of my better pranks. Rub
y’
s first toast is my favorite. She made it right after we launched our firms
.”
Cassandra raised her coffee mug, and waited for Colin to lift his.

In unison, they said
,
“
‘
May we never regret this bold endeavor
,
’
”
before clinking their mugs and beaming.

“
Have you
?”
Jasmine asked Ruby.

“
No. I
t’
s been, at times, terrifying, thrilling, and everything in between. And always worthwhile
.
”

They raised their mugs and clinked again
.“
Hear, hear
.
”

Chapter 6

The oven clock read 5:16
p.m
.
—
fourteen minutes before she had to have dinner on the table. Nothing could be out of place.

The table was perfect. Fresh daisies had pride of place in her grandmothe
r’
s porcelain vas
e—
the only special little something sh
e’
d allowed herself. Looking at the yellow petals, she had hope. Tonight would go well.

She toyed with the skirt of her blue silk dress, wondering if h
e’
d notice it and remember the good times. The night the
y’
d met, and h
e’
d twirled her around all night. H
e’
d looked dashing in a suit as dark as his hair. The size difference had thrilled her as h
e’
d moved her across the dance floor.

Yes, tonight would be different. Sh
e’
d make sure everything was perfect, and give him no reason to get upset.

On impulse, she straightened the place settings, and took a picture. She imagined it was a table at the restaurant sh
e’
d dreamt of opening. Smiling to herself, she propped her phone on the counter, held her grandmothe
r’
s vase, and waited for the flash. Seeing herself in a striking dress with beautiful flowers, ready to welcome home her handsome husband, she could almost convince herself she was happy.

His car blasted into the driveway.

Heart pounding, she put her phone away and replaced the vase on the table. His beer was icy cold. The steak was medium. Sh
e’
d cut a small piece from the bottom to ensure the pink. This one would
n’
t end up thrown against the cream wall. She would
n’
t have to scrub for an hour to remove the blood. She would
n’
t be so stupid to not get his steak right again.

He slammed the garage door and strode into the kitchen.

She forced a bright smile and cheerful tone as she greeted him
.“
Welcome home, Jerry. Everythin
g’
s ready. The steak is just how you like it
.
”

Ignoring her, he swept up the tidy pile of mail on the counter. Rifling through the stack, he pulled out a card and clutched it in his fist
.“
Wh
o’
s Dr. Prim
?”
He waved the card at her
.“
Why is he wishing you a happy birthday
?
”

Unable to stop them, her hands trembled. At a loss, she clasped them together, knowing she held a bomb with no way to defuse it. Helpless, she held up her hands
.“
Because i
t’
s my birthday
.
”

“
Are you trying to get smart with me
?
”

“
No, Jerry
.
”

He closed the distance between them, grabbed her wrist with his left hand and the back of her neck with his right, forcing her gaze up into his. Hard steel
.“
Are you sleeping with him? Is that wha
t’
s going on here? I go to work to pay for this house, your ca
r—
everything. And yo
u’
re off fucking this Alan Prim? Get you hot that h
e’
s a doctor
?
”

“
No, Jerry. H
e’
s my dentist.
I’
m sure he sends every patient a card
.
”

“
Are you calling me crazy? Are you saying
I’
m imagining things
?
”

“
No, Jerry, no
.
”

“
So you are fucking him
!
”

“
No,
I’
m not
.”
Her voice quavered.

“
Should I call your boss and tell him what a slut you are? Yo
u’
re already on thin ice, missing work like you do. I
t’
s another sign yo
u’
re unstable. You ca
n’
t get to work, ca
n’
t keep track of your goddamn keys, ca
n’
t even keep track of who you belong to
.”
He tightened his grip
.“
Yo
u’
re mine, or have you forgotten
?
”

“
No, Jerry. I know. Please let go. Yo
u’
re hurting me
.
”

“
Not as much as yo
u’
re hurting me by spreading your legs to your goddamn dentist. What about my feelings
?”
He threw her against the wall.

She landed on her left hand with a crack. Cradling her wrist against her chest, she sat shaking, tears streaming down her face
.“I’
ll do better, Jerry. Not be so forgetful. Whatever you want me to do,
I’
ll do it
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re going to find a new dentist. A woman. I ca
n’
t even trust you to get your teeth cleaned. You do
n’
t deserve a present for your birthday. It was
n’
t even important enough to remember. Yo
u’
re so damn old i
t’
s ridiculous to celebrate at your age
.
”

Twenty-nine
, she thought. Mind scattered by the pain shooting from her wrist, it drifted to the evening of her twenty-fifth birthday. Silk brushed her legs. She was desirable, his princess, and he was her prince. Her sister threw the surprise party for Susan; its high attendance shocked no one. She was different then. She had dreams. Dreams Jerry called adorable like the stuffed animals sh
e’
d kept into womanhood. Sh
e’
d figured out they were silly. Jerry had told her so enough times that sh
e’
d packed them away and given them up.

Jerry yanked her up by her left wrist and back from the past. Agony shot up her arm as she cried out.

“
Are you listening to me? Or are you too busy fantasizing about your damn dentist
?
”

“
Yes, I mean no. No, Jerry, I do
n’
t want anything from you
.
”

He squeezed her wrist. Voice as hard as his eyes, he said
,“
So yo
u’
re saying I do nothing for you
.”
He felt her tremble, and tightened his grip
.“
I do everything for you! Ther
e’
s food on this table because of me. Ther
e’
s a roof over your head because I put it there.
I’
m king of this fucking castle and you expect to be treated like a queen. Yo
u’
re just a slu
t—
whoring yourself like you women do
.”
He punctuated his words with violent jerks to her arm, wrenching her shoulder from its socket.

She choked back sobs, knowing the
y’
d only fan the flames of his fury.

With a sweep of his hand, he upturned the kitchen table.

The last connection to her grandmother crashed to the floor.

As she looked at the shards, something inside her snapped. She wondered which was more broken, and if either could ever be fixed.

“
Look at what yo
u’
ve done. Clean it up.
I’
ve had enough of you. Do
n’
t you dare ask me when
I’
ll be home
.”
He slammed the garage door behind him.

She glanced at the disarray. Her gaze fell on the oven cloc
k—
5:44
p.m.

After locating her phone in the mess, she photographed what happened when she dared to dream. Tears blurred her vision as she saw on the small screen the reality of her life.

✧

“
Another successful intervention at Miller Law Office
,”
Ruby said, and locked her office suite.

“
Ruby, there was weeping
,”
Jasmine said.

“
Weeping is appropriate and beneficial
,”
Amy said
.“
It showed Veronica how important her commitment to sobriety is. Would
n’
t you agree, Ruby
?
”

“
Yes, the healing power of tears. I caught some shine in your eyes, Jazz
.
”

“
Wel
l
—”

“
Good. Keep caring, Jazz. Yo
u’
ll be a better lawyer for it
.
”

Amy nodded in agreement, and said
,“
That went as well as we could have hoped. Vera committed to long-term treatment as a resident
.
”

“
Aurora was a wonderful choice
,”
Ruby said
.“
She completed and submitted her application, and we have her set to enter treatment tomorrow
.
”

“
I hope she succeeds. Her whole family showed up for her today. That matters, right
?”
Jasmine asked.

“
Right. And they showed up for her at her arraignment. Jazz pointed that out to the judge. She took first chair, and handled herself admirably
.”
.

“
Tha
t’
s high praise from a top-notch lawyer. You should be proud. Allow me to buy you dinner
.
”

“
After lunch at Chestnut,
I’
m not too hungry. Do you think sh
e’
ll succeed, Amy
?
”

“
Alcoholism thrives on shame, on secrecy and denial. Today we shone light on it. Yes, Jasmine, I think sh
e’
ll do well. What does this do for her case, Ruby
?
”

“
Clean record, BAC a hair over the gross-misdemeanor threshold, speedy and voluntary enrollment in the most rigorous rehab program in the country, and voluntary installation of an IID. The case is clean. I anticipate negotiating for a careless. Tha
t’
d mean a blemish on her record. A significant one, but not the oozing sore of a DUI conviction.
I’
m starving
.
”

“
After that delightful metaphor, my appetite has waned
,
” Amy said
.“
Count me in for something light
.
”

“
Chinese takeout anyone
?”
Ruby asked with a hopeful grin
.“
No takers
?
”

Amy and Jasmine shook their heads.

“
How about Good Globe
?”
Amy asked.

“
Conveniently located right next door to Cha
n’
s Chow
.
”

“
I love Good Globe
,”
said Jasmine.

“
It seems yo
u’
re out-voted
.
”

“
All right, democracy carries the day
,”
Ruby said
.“
But if everything is glowing,
I’
m bolting to Cha
n’
s
.
”

✧

“
Nine-one-one. Wha
t’
s your emergency
?
”