31. Lowri
LOWRI
E mily signals that our unexpected visitors are waiting in the conference room.
As Sean and I walk down the hall, butterflies flutter rampantly in my stomach. Why is this happening? It’s normal to be slightly anxious before meetings with people who want something from my clients. This time I’m outright nervous.
Then it hits me. It’s because this feels personal.
I witnessed the accident, and Sean is a friend and technically also my husband.
My job is to protect him. I don’t want to let him down.
What if I’m not experienced enough? In situations like this, clients always want a law firm partner, not a mere associate like me.
Why am I second-guessing myself? My experience is more than sufficient, and Sean insisted he wants me as his attorney. He trusts me.
Deep breath. Slow exhale.
It’s time for my professional side to shine. I can help Sean. There’s no room for emotions or self-doubt. This is another reason I shouldn’t be mixing business with pleasure. Oh well, it’s too late to back out now, so I plaster on my game face.
I can do this.
Approaching the glass-walled meeting space, two men come into view. The one wearing an ill-fitting navy suit is pacing. The second man is well put together in his snugly fitting polo and khakis. He’s seated, nervously tapping his fingers on the conference table. Hmm.
Sean opens the door with authority, saying, “Good afternoon, I’m Sean Cartwright, owner of the Grand Athena. This is Lowri Upton, our legal counsel.”
The suit guy walks over, taking Sean’s extended hand and then mine. His hand is clammy and limp. Yuck. It takes all my willpower not to dry my palm on my suit skirt.
“I’m Taylor Williams and this is my client, Troy Galanis. Troy is Mr. Brentwood’s heir. Mr. Brentwood was the love of Troy’s life. We’re here to discuss how quickly you can pay Mr. Galanis the money he’s due for his loss.”
Sean’s eyebrows jump up. I’m surprised as well. What an abrupt way for an attorney to ask for a settlement.
“Mr. Galanis, let me first offer you our sincere condolences for your loss. It was a tragic accident. We understand this is an extremely difficult time for you,” Sean says.
“Yes. Immensely difficult,” Mr. Galanis says, staring at his clasped hands.
“Please have a seat, Mr. Williams. We’re hoping you can fill in some missing details about Mr. Brentwood. Do you know how he came to be at the show that evening?” I ask.
“Why do you care?” Mr. Williams asks.
“He had a special ticket for that performance. Whoever sat in that seat would be invited to participate in the show. We’re trying to determine how Mr. Brentwood got that ticket. Do you know?”
“I think someone gave it to him,” Mr. Galanis says.
“Why didn’t you join him at the show?” I ask.
“He only had one ticket.”
“Did he say who gave him the ticket?” I ask.
“No. I had other plans that night. It didn’t matter to me,” Mr. Galanis says with a flick of his wrist.
“Can we move on from these irrelevant questions and get down to business now?” Mr. Williams asks, leaning forward and placing his forearms on the table.
“Certainly. Tell us what you wanted to discuss today,” Sean says.
“Your show killed Mr. Brentwood. Mr. Galanis is Mr. Brentwood’s sole heir. It’s simple. You owe him,” Mr. Williams says.
Sean starts to answer, but I touch his forearm to stop him. This is my territory.
“First, no one killed Mr. Brentwood. He died in an unfortunate accident. Before there can be a discussion of compensation, if any, we’ll need additional information. For example, the police need to finish their investigation, and we need proof that Mr. Galanis is the heir.”
“Here’s Mr. Brentwood’s will,” Mr. Williams says, shoving a folder toward me.
“Thank you. Who is the executor of the estate?”
“Take a look at the will. Mr. Galanis is the executor and sole heir. That means we can talk settlement now.”
“Yes, I want this over with as soon as possible. Dragging this out would be too painful,” Mr. Galanis says.
“We’re all sorry for what you are going through. Do you have a specific proposal?” I ask.
Before his attorney can speak, Mr. Galanis blurts out, “I want $250,000. Now.”
That’s not what I was expecting. I’m distracted by Sean’s coughing. He was clearly anticipating a much larger demand, as was I.
As I’m handing him a glass of water, Mr. Williams says, “Don’t pretend that’s a lot of money to you. It’s nothing compared to the value of Mr. Brentwood’s life.”
Is this attorney for real? Does he not know that what he asked for is much lower than we were expecting? Has he ever handled a case like this before? I can’t help feeling bad for Mr. Galanis. He needs a better lawyer.
I do my job though, saying, “No payment can be made today. We’ll review the will in detail.
We’ll also need a copy of the death certificate when it’s available, along with documents from the court formally appointing Mr. Galanis as executor.
If we reach an agreement on a settlement, the details will be put in writing. ”
Mr. Galanis huffs.
His attorney says, “We understand there are formalities. Can we agree on the amount and the timing for payment?”
“Mr. Cartwright and I will discuss this privately. Leave your contact information with Emily. We’ll reach out when we’re ready to talk again.”
“We can wait here while you talk elsewhere.”
“Our discussions will take longer than that, and we require additional time to look over the document you provided. We’ll be in touch in a few days. How can we reach you?”
“That’s not acceptable. We’ll wait,” Mr. Williams says.
Sean is busily typing on his phone, which he’s discreetly hidden beneath the table. He tilts his screen for me to see, and I nod at his smart move. Security will be here shortly.
“Why the hurry?” Sean asks.
“As my client says, this is horribly painful for him. He’s decided to move to the East Coast and leave the horrific memories of Mr. Brentwood’s death behind him.”
“I see. When are you moving?” Sean asks.
“Immediately,” Mr. Galanis says.
“I’m sure that it will take a few days to make arrangements to relocate. That will give us time to review the will and discuss your settlement proposal,” I say, standing to indicate this meeting is over.
Sean follows my lead. “Good day, gentlemen. We’ll be in touch,” he says, holding the glass door open for everyone to leave.
But Mr. Williams and Mr. Galanis don’t budge.
“We’re not leaving until this is settled,” Mr. Williams says.
“You are leaving. As Mr. Cartwright said, we’ll review your proposal and contact you. Please do not show up unannounced again,” I say, walking through the door.
Mr. Williams calls out, “Perhaps we should head to the courthouse and file a lawsuit today.”
“Feel free, but that will slow down the process,” I call back calmly and continue walking with Sean back to his office. We’ve only taken a few steps when we hear security guards ushering the visitors into the elevator.
“What the hell was that?” Sean asks when we reach the privacy of his office.
“The strangest settlement conference I’ve ever attended,” I say, dropping into one of the guest chairs.
“Part of me wanted to accept the offer, pay the guy, and be done, but it was too easy. Something is off.”
“I wholeheartedly agree. I’m looking up Taylor Williams in the attorney database now. It’s possible he’s a recent law school graduate and doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
“What does it say about him?”
“Believe it or not, he’s listed as an attorney specializing in estates and wrongful death cases.” I’m stunned.
“Are you sure you’re looking at the correct person?”
“It’s the entry for the only attorney named Taylor Williams in Las Vegas. He’s with the Fishbourne Peabody law firm.”
“Are you saying he knows what he’s doing?” Sean asks.
“On paper, it looks like he should. In person, I’m not sure. If he’s experienced in this field, why did he only ask for $250K? I was expecting the starting request would be at least a few million, and you would be lucky to settle for a million, plus or minus.”
“Exactly. After all, we are a casino. I’ve had people stub their toe and ask for $250K. It doesn’t make sense.”
“No, it doesn’t, which has me wondering whether the will is valid and whether Mr. Galanis really is the sole heir.”
“Good point. My public relations team wants me to settle with the family quickly to keep the press at bay. However, I can’t settle until we’re sure it’s Mr. Brentwood’s actual estate and heir we’re dealing with. What’s the next step?” Sean asks.
“Investigate further. I’ll start by reviewing the will.
I’ll also try to track down the witnesses to the will.
My firm will run a social media and background check on Mr. Brentwood to see if any family turns up.
We’ll also find out whether Mr. Galanis shows up as his partner.
Do you have a way to find out who would have given Mr. Brentwood the ticket to the show?
We need to know why he was in that seat on that night. ”
“I’ll check with the ticket office, but people often trade and resell tickets.”
“Is Detective Fielder the type to exchange info with us, or will he try to shut down our efforts and tell us to stay out of police business?”
“In the past, he’s been reasonably open to working together. Why?”
“We should let him know about the unexpected visit by the supposed heir. He can run a background check to see if Mr. Galanis is who he says he is. Also, Detective Fielder should have Mr. Brentwood’s driver’s license. I’d like to get a copy and compare it with the signature on the will.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“If the detective is feeling particularly talkative, maybe he’ll also share other details of his investigation.
His officers would have interviewed the performers and crew as well.
I’d like to compare my notes with his. By now, he’s also probably spoken with the vendor who built the tree.
I’m sure that Fielder would have asked whether the vendor used those latches on other projects and whether they have had any issues. ”
“That’s a solid plan. I’ll set up a call with him.
I’m not trying to get out of paying what’s fair.
If the Athena is responsible, then we’ll take care of his family.
Of course, this is a business. I can’t hand out money if it wasn’t our fault, but I’ll do my best to make sure whoever is responsible pays. ”
“I understand. First, let’s find the cause of the accident and why your safety checks didn’t detect the problem. Second, we’ll verify who controls Mr. Brentwood’s estate. Then we’ll know the next steps. I’m going back to your apartment to work.”
“I’ll walk you to my elevator,” he says and guides me toward the flowing waterfall protruding from the back wall of his office.
He places his palm on a panel, causing the entire waterfall to move left a few feet, revealing the hidden elevator.
As we wait for the door to open, he pulls me into a tight hug and gives me a kiss on the forehead, saying, “In the past, we’ve had the occasional guest die from a heart attack or stroke.
We couldn’t prevent those tragedies. I never anticipated dealing with deaths at the hotel due to unnatural causes.
It’s been an emotional roller coaster lately.
First, it was the deaths at the cooking competition five months ago, and now Mr. Brentwood.
I don’t know what I’d do without you right now. ”
“We’ve got this,” I say, holding him close.
“We make an unexpectedly outstanding team. You were great today. Is it wrong that I have a hard-on for my badass attorney? I have plans for you the next time you visit my office,” he whispers in my ear.
The elevator dings, saving me from the need to respond.
I leave, hot from his last comments and thinking we do make an outstanding team.
For now.