Chapter 14 The Offer
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Offer
Sophie’s heart raced. Brad had just told her the most amazing news, the kind that she’d been hoping to hear for a week now—years, actually, if she was being honest—and she couldn’t concentrate on it.
Instead, her mind swirled with what Drew had told her, asked of her—the only news that could have pulled her away from Brad.
In some ways, it was everything she’d ever wanted from Drew, the recognition that he did indeed need her for certain clients, but she’d moved on from his practice, even if she wasn’t completely happy with her transition.
Working trials had shown her how one small opportunity often changed a client’s life—for good, or bad—forever.
Would she be a complete idiot if she turned down his more-than-generous offer to help on this one case, or was she just acting smart, reacting the way he’d taught her to all these years by his sheer neglect?
Neglect that was often followed by control over her every move?
Her mind spun, and somewhere in the back of it all, was Brad’s voice telling her he’d never gone to see Julia that morning, that he had fallen for her, Sophie.
He’d even used the L-word. Then, to completely throw her off her game, he’d said that his mom had been lying.
Sophie didn’t put it past the woman, since every interaction she’d had with Marge was terse at best, but would she really lie to keep her son ensnared in her claws?
She wanted so desperately to believe Brad, but she needed more than just gut-feelings to go off of if she was going to go down that path again with him.
She was more confused than ever, and now that she thought about it, sober as heck.
Definitely not the festive night she’d imagined when she’d left her apartment earlier.
“We’re here,” Drew said, exiting the vehicle and walking around to open her door. Whatever other faults he had, Drew had always been a gentleman.
Sophie’s phone buzzed. Her home screen announced that she had three missed calls and two more texts from Jackie. She also had no cell service. Jackie would understand when Sophie filled her in later. Right now, she had much bigger problems on the horizon.
“Wow. I knew it would be bad, but this is horrible,” Sophie said, half to herself.
Drew just nodded, and Sophie wrapped her jacket tighter around her body, partly to keep out the biting cold that infiltrated every place her skin was exposed, and partly as a barrier between her and the foreboding environment they’d just willingly wandered into.
The building in front of them could only be considered as such because it had four walls that mostly stood on their own.
Other than that, there wasn’t anything that made Sophie think it could be hospitable enough to house women and their children in their time of greatest need.
Most of the windows were cracked, or broken, and some were missing altogether.
It must be as frigid as the North Pole in there.
Sophie shivered against the cold she felt creeping up her spine.
The Elks Ridge Valley was colder than usual this winter, which the locals were hoping meant a wetter spring than the one they’d had last year.
Everything was so dry that if it weren’t for the damp chill in the air, one match would be enough to ignite the whole valley.
Still, the damp cold wasn’t a good thing on a night like this one, especially in a place like this.
“Now you see why I needed you. There’s no way I’d be any good to her, to any of them. You can reach them in a way none of the others can.”
“Because I’m a woman?” Sophie asked.
“No, because you’re human, and smart—the smartest person, not woman, I know. No one I’ve worked with has the empathy and grit needed to pull this off. You do.”
Sophie’s eyes welled up at the unexpected compliment from Drew. She couldn’t remember ever hearing anything kind from him; he definitely hadn’t ever told her she was smarter than the men he worked with.
If only she could take that to the bank.
“Thank you, Drew,” she said, her cheeks flushed.
Drew nodded tersely, clearly uncomfortable with Sophie’s display of emotion, and she stifled a laugh.
There was the Drew she remembered. He ushered her up to the front door of the building and opened it for her.
The only thing that let her know she was moving inside was the small amount of ambient light coming from the front desk.
It was as cold in the paltry lobby as it was outside.
Sophie swallowed hard against the nerves that threatened to turn her right around back out the door.
The woman at the front desk didn’t even bother with a greeting, but appraised them with narrowed eyes, her lips pursed.
Sophie guessed not many people came in dressed like her and Drew and managed to do any good.
She didn’t blame the woman at all for her distrust of them.
She’d been let down by the system, the city, those promising to help—but she was still showing up.
Sophie’s heart broke. She’d been so concerned about her relationships with Brad and Drew, when people were out there acting as advocates for those who couldn’t help themselves.
This is what matters most.
“We’re here to see Analise Roberts,” Drew said, sounding every bit like the man who ran half the biggest law firm in Helena.
“ID,” the woman said. It didn’t come out as a question, or even a demand.
Just a statement. She was world-weary and didn’t waste any of her energy on Drew and his requests.
The part of Sophie that wasn’t a lawyer wanted to hug this woman tight and tell her she was there to help, but she knew better than most it would be an empty gesture.
Only action mattered here. She had to prove she would do it by doing it, not saying she would.
Drew and Sophie both fished IDs out and handed them over. Sophie watched the woman diligently take down their information like it was a Monday morning and not almost midnight on New Year’s Eve.
“Down the hall to your right. Room 122,” the woman said, handing them back their IDs.
Sophie glanced at Drew, hoping to share a moment of eye contact that would assure her they were doing the right thing coming here tonight, not waiting until tomorrow when there had been some space and time and distance for them all to think, but Drew’s gaze focused straight ahead.
Sophie gulped back any fears or apprehensions she had, and donned her lawyer veneer.
She could be empathetic and strong, and something told her she’d need both in equal spades tonight.
In front of 122, Sophie stepped up and knocked before Drew had the chance. She was in control now. After all, he’d decided she was the best for the job. It was high time she proved him right. Approval registered in his eyes.
There was the sound of shuffling, then three locks being turned one by one.
The door opened a crack and then the person behind it disappeared back into the darkness.
A dim light emanated from a pathetic desk lamp in the back of the room, the soft glow illuminating enough of the space to let Sophie know it was dire at best. She gestured with a glance that she go in first. He nodded, and they went in.
The room was small but could have been cozy if there had been any basic amenities inside.
Instead, there was no heat, the window was cracked in a spider-web formation, and Sophie could feel each gust of wind from outside as it forced its way in through the gaps in the glass. She shivered but stood tall.
There was a bed, but the linen and comforter were both threadbare. Sophie couldn’t imagine they were washed between tenants, not especially because this shelter didn’t receive any state or local funding. It was all run by volunteers, many of whom had little more than the victims they helped.
Besides a small table that the desk lamp stood on and two dilapidated chairs, there wasn’t anything else in the room. It was as empty as Sophie felt in that moment.
Analise, the woman they were there to see, sat in one of the chairs, her body turned away from them.
Sophie approached her slowly, careful to soften her movements and not make any quick gestures or loud noises as she sat in the other chair.
Analise tried to hide her face, but Sophie could tell with the way the lights and shadows fractured her skin at certain angles it was swollen and bruised.
There were three small cuts on her chin and cheek that Sophie could see, and she worried what she’d find on the other side.
“Analise, I’m Sophie Kellerman. I’m here to help you, but only if you want me to be here. Do you want my assistance?” She held her breath waiting for a response and exhaled only when she saw the slight nod from Analise.
“Okay, I’m happy to hear that, because I know I can take care of you. But, Analise, I’m going to need you to look at me, to answer my questions, no matter how hard they might be for you. Can you do that?” Another nod. Analise turned her whole body to face Sophie, who stifled a gasp.
Analise’s face looked like it had been pummeled by a prize fighter.
There were small slits where her eyes should have been, her jawline was all but swallowed by swollen skin.
The discoloration across her misshapen nose made Sophie want to scream at the injustice of it all.
In her line of work, it wasn’t the first time Sophie had come across a battered woman, but she’d never seen anyone so disfigured still sitting up straight.
Instinctively, Analise drew her hands to her face, covering it. Sophie shook her head.
“You don’t need to hide from me, Analise. I am not here to judge, nor to condemn. Tonight, I only want to find out what happened. Have you spoken to the police yet?”
She shook her head.
“She came right here, the desk attendant said when she called me,” Drew whispered to Sophie.