Chapter 19
The morning sun is lovely, the heat of the day only hinted at as the sun rises. The city is just beginning to turn into a madhouse with rush hour. Kara texts Derrick that she won’t be in the office until late afternoon and he ends up replying with a cryptic, Taking off a whole morning? That’s new for you. Must be boating with Gale. Just take the day.
Feeling a sting of guilt, Kara texts back, How did you know?
His reply is quick. You went to lunch with her the other day. Bob told me. Besides, I recognize the ‘Bittinger special’ from a mile away, Derrick replies. Get some work done while you’re there. Closing arguments are around the corner. Also, try to get an update from that cop friend of yours…we need to see what we can do about Paxton Brooker’s case and tie it to X’s story.
Kara swallows, realizing she’s going to have to call Detective Ray Wellis soon.
Arriving at the private dock, Kara hoists her oversized beach bag on her shoulder, squinting from behind her sunglasses, trying to catch sight of Gale. She has her documents and laptop, hoping her hotspot works on the water. Her swimsuit top is on under her pale, casual blouse, paired with soft fabric shorts.
She’s anxious, the kind of anxious that comes with having to be in an unfamiliar situation.
A warm hand grips her elbow as she stares at all the boats, floating in the glittering water. Gale is standing beside her, wearing elegant, flowy clothing, perfect for a day at on a boat, complete with black sandals with purple jewels. Gale and her amethysts. “’Morning, friend.” Gale chuckles. “You look lost.”
Realizing she’s been gazing about aimlessly, Kara says, “Just waiting for you. Wasn’t sure which yacht it is anyway.” She pauses, looking at the assortment at the marina. “These look…” Expensive. “…nice.”
With Gale leading the way, they board a three-level yacht. Big enough to throw a decently sized party on. There’s a main deck, a small middle section with tables and couches, then what appears to be a ladder up to the very tip top, likely a very small sundeck. Gale brings Kara to the middle area with the tables.
Gale gestures at the catered food, already set up. “Grab what you want and take a seat. I usually work in this area. Sometimes others will take calls here too.” Coffee and bagels, along with assorted breakfast sandwiches. There’s even orange juice and champagne waiting. Starving, Kara grabs some food and a coffee, sipping it quickly to sharpen her mind. It smells of hazelnut and she savors it gleefully.
There are already some men in casual khaki shorts and pastel tops hanging out on the main deck, drinking mimosas or coffee. Kara recognizes none of them, to her relief. There’s a small putting green section, a man practicing his aim at the end of it, trying to get a golf ball into a tipped over cup. The other men are making jokes about his form.
Kara hears the engine start up as the yacht begins to move away from dock. Gale is already unpacking her things as if she’s done this a hundred times. Maybe she has. “I have some stuff we can work on together,” Gale says lightly. “Dieter wants me to teach you a few things.”
Heart leaping into her throat, Kara squints against the bright sun. “Where is he?”
Gale points her pen upwards without taking her gaze from Kara’s face. “Up top, probably snoozing. He has to get up early to get down to the city. You can hear the music? That’s his.”
Kara pauses to listen and then smiles when she realizes there is something really soft playing. Something that belongs in a spa, soothing, wordless. Taking out her own laptop, Kara whispers, “He’s into zen stuff, really? I, ah, kinda heard he was, well…” Kara tries to think of how to call him a party drug addict politely. “…into other things…not so calming.”
Gale’s lip quirks. “An energy lit cokehead? Oh, he’s that, too. That would be why he needs his peace time in the morning. He’s probably up there, slicked in tanning oil, completely knocked out behind his sunglasses. If we’re lucky, no one will bother him for at least an hour or two.” She smiles warmly. “Fingers crossed.”
The sailing is smooth as Kara works with Gale on a few documents, picking up tips and tricks, learning new things to watch out for. The sun is heating them up quickly, reflecting off the water. There’s a constant breeze, which provides some relief.
Kara finds it fascinating that this whole boating trip really does seem to be a working session for Gale, along with many of the men on the main deck. People take calls, lounge about answering emails, or just sit in the sun.
I guess this is pretty chill. Better than being trapped in an office all day, Kara muses to herself, feeling oddly productive.
After nearly two hours, the Captain turns them back towards the river, taking them the scenic route through the city, the skyscrapers glittering around them.
“You do this every Friday?” Kara asks Gale after they finish plowing through another of Dietrich’s acquisition documents.
Putting her pale hair up, Gale nods before taking a bite from a croissant. “When the season allows, yes. Having fun? Despite the work? You’re doing fabulous, by the way.”
Kara feels immensely pleased at the praise, beaming, like the sun is coming out of her chest. “It’s kind of nice. I like how everyone minds their own business.”
Twirling her pen, Gale starts to say something when she pauses suddenly.
There’s a soft noise from above their head, cutting through the wind, the soothing music, and the background drone of male voices on the lower deck. A ringtone. Gale looks upwards, mouth going firm. She seems to be holding her breath until the sound stops. Then nothing. Gale seems to relax in relief.
Pointing to a few of the documents, Gale tells Kara the best way to keep things to the point so that opposing lawyers don’t have a chance to claim that they can’t find something in articles, causing more back and forth.
“Dieter pays well,” Gale says softly, “So there is absolutely no reason not to be quick and to the point with any request. Some lawyers are trying to rack up billing hours for their own selfish reasons. If he is hellbent on keeping you, don’t you dare try and dally on his dime. Your job is to force opposing counsel to move forward.”
Kara frowns, looking up from the layout of the documents, pondering something from Gale’s words. “What do you mean, ‘keeping me’?”
The other woman opens her mouth to reply, but she freezes again, eyes drifting sharply upward once more.
The telltale sound of Dieter’s ringtone goes off again, like a herald of doom. Gale inhales sharply, as if sensing a storm. The ringing stops; this time the phone has been answered. Kara can hear Dietrich’s cashmere tone somewhere above them, a low cadence that makes her heart pound. When she tries to focus on the document in front of her, she freezes in shock when she hears a loudly snarled, “I’m sorry, do I run a fucking charity or do I run a business? Don’t ask me such stupid questions. I did this as a favor, don’t make me regret hoisting you up.”
So much for a zen atmosphere .
There’s a growl of irritation from above and the sound of a chair scratching the floor. Dietrich starts his way down the ladder with fast angry movements and Kara finds herself eyeballing his athletic body, his short sleeve button-down completely open, exposing an athletically toned frame, sleek muscles flexing with his fast, angry movements. His pale hair, nearly white in the sunlight, is like a beacon.
“No, don’t look at him,” Gale whispers to Kara, tapping her hand sharply. “Eyes on the documents. Let him take it out on whoever he intends to point that hot action at.”
Kara glances downward quickly as he passes by, pretending to be unaware of his existence.
One of the guys down on the main deck waves with a laugh, seeing Dietrich approach. “Rapunzel, it’s about time you came down from your tower! How about a bump-”
Before the guy can even finish the sentence, Dietrich has his fists wrapped up in the guy’s shirt, pushing him against the lower railing. “Don’t come at me with that drivel, Terry. A bump? Fuck you . Do I look like I want to snort anything right now? Look at my face. Do I have your attention now?”
Hands up in surrender, Terry says, “Whoa. Easy Dee-”
“Don’t placate me. I thought you told me Maxwell was good to hold up his end. I’m only dealing with him on your recommendation, after all.”
The guy is going pale fast. “H-he is good to hold up his end! Dieter, what-”
“ Then why is he asking me to foot his end of the deal ?”
“I didn’t know he would do that. He’s never asked me to do anything like that before on a joint venture!” Terry replies nervously, practically shouting.
That pale head of hair tilts dangerously, Dietrich practically crowding the man up against the side of the boat. “So, why is he asking me ? He’s your pal, isn’t he?”
Terry looks pale under his tan, sweat on his brow. Thinking. “M-maybe because he knows…”
Soft and venomous. “Knows what?”
“T-that you can easily shoulder it all.” Terry looks horrified the moment it comes out of his mouth.
Their noses are practically touching now. While Dietrich is an inch shorter than the other man, he makes up for that inch with sheer intimidation, getting up in his face likes he’s going to tear it off. “I can shoulder it all. I can take care of your weasel of a friend, who thinks he can somehow come out on top without my say-so . I just don’t want to . I don’t want to help anyone who thinks they can take advantage of my station.”
“It’s nothing for you to help him and you know it,” Terry says with daring reproach. “Consider it as an investment…he might be able to return the favor in a year.”
Dietrich steps back and sighs loudly, the muscles in his body going strangely lax. “I was afraid you’d say something tedious like that.” Kara sees his line of sight focusing on another boat about to pass on their side, oncoming in the distance. He sees it and then looks back at the man in front of him, the man that has started to relax.
Then, Dietrich is grabbing him again.
“ Holy shi- ” Kara barely stifles her exclamation of shock when Dietrich pushes the other man up and over the side of the boat. Feet over head, the man tumbles off with a shout and a loud splash some distance down. More horrifying; the oncoming boat begins laying on their horn, trying to pull further away from a collision with a human body.
“Man overboard,” Dieter hollers loudly as the boat that passes them shrills its horn repeatedly, the driver likely furious that he’d been put in a position to nearly hit someone. Then, comes the sirens.
Gale pinches the bridge of her nose, muttering caustically, “And, so it begins…”
Kara stares at her, wide eyed, horrified. “Is he insane! Did he just…?”
“Oh, yes. He did. I generally never know if it’s best to laugh or cry where he’s concerned.”
Cursing loudly, Dietrich spins to look at the somewhat unsurprised men sitting quietly behind him, their work laptops on their laps. “Send down the ladder. Let him back up. Quick. Faster . I’d love for him to be up here before the cops board.”
And so, they pull up the soaking wet man just as the water police pull up in their little boat. A man with a loud speaker says, “Cut the engine. We’re coming over.”
Dietrich smiles widely, but there is no friendliness in it as he mutters between his clenched teeth, “Goddammit.”