8. Michael
Chapter 8
Michael
“ Y ou’re not going to help me?” I see the look of disbelief in her eyes.
I shake my head. “I am not your lawyer.”
“But—but,” she throws her hands up, “you know what I’m dealing with. You know the shit I’m in, and you’re one of the best attorneys in this city. If anyone can get me out of this, it’s you.”
Savannah’s words appeal to my ego, but they don’t do anything other than that because this isn’t the first time I’ve heard someone call me the best in the city.
In the country even.
I’ve won awards, and I am the best at what I do. I am confident and I can back that up.
But, I don’t want to get tangled up with Savannah Richmond any longer. The back and forth we did for the past few weeks was because she came like a tornado into my life. And as someone who secretly loves disruptions, a detour from the normal, I began craving it. But no more.
This is a different ball game and I don’t want to get involved.
“I’m sorry,” I shake my head again, “I don’t think I can help you. I’ll find you the best defense attorney.”
“For now, I’ll drop you off at the office.” I end the conversation.
Her hand stops mine before I can get the car started. I turn to see the pleading look on her face.
“Please. I don’t want anyone to know about this. My father, my reputation…”
“If word of this gets out or if I end up getting convicted, I’ll lose my life. Everything I’ve worked for. Help me, Mr. Stone, please.”
I want to. I want to say yes to her shaky hands and quivering lips, but I know they won’t matter when we reach an impasse, and we argue and fight over how to try her case. I won’t be questioned or second guessed.
I also have to consider what is going to happen when her case eventually becomes public.
The senior partner of the top law firm in the city is representing his employee in a murder trial. Rumors would fly about a relationship—that we’re lovers.
I shake my head as goosebumps appear on my arms. That is the last thing I need to happen.
“I promise it won’t get out, Savannah. I will find someone who will keep it under wraps.”
She lets my hand go.
“Okay,” she says, sounding dejected.
Maybe a compromise?
“How about I oversee the case? I could have another attorney for when you need to go to the station and court, but I’ll be working in the background.”
Her eyes go from gloomy to two shiny orbs filling with tears. “Thank you, thank you so much.”
Wait, I muse. That was too easy. I gave in faster than I should have, and it doesn’t speak well of me. Who knows what favor she’ll be asking for next?
“That’s not all,” I raise a finger.
“There are some conditions?”
I scoff. “Did you think I’d just agree like that? Of course, there are conditions. If I do this, you agree to do everything I say, and we do this my way. There’s no discussion. You keep your smarty-mouth words to yourself.”
“And,” I lean towards Savannah until my presence crowds her space and makes her move back, “you are not to breathe a word of what happened in my office that day or how you believe I am in private”.
“One word of it, and I wash my hands of you and your case.”
She nods quickly and shoots up a thumb. “Got it!”
“Alright. Let’s get back to the office.”
As I merge onto the highway, I notice that Savannah has been quiet since we left the station. I know this has been a traumatic experience for her.
But I worry.
I worry because Savannah, who normally always has something to say—polite or not—is silent, as though waiting for something to happen.
And I cannot deal with her silence.
“So,” I say after clearing my throat, “let’s go over your story. How did you meet Brandon Portman?”
“At a party,” she says in a gloomy tone.
“What party?”
Savannah turns with a sigh, her shoulders drooping.
“It was a charity event. My father and a couple of his friends, whom he hadn’t seen in years, were attending, so he made it mandatory for Peter and me to be there as well. Although I’m sure Peter would have attended regardless.”
That doesn’t sound like the Peter I know, as fun and cheerful as he might be, but I don’t interrupt her narration.
“Brandon was there on behalf of his boss. He approached me when I stepped out for some fresh air, and we hit it off. I ended up giving him my number. After the event, my father said he saw us together.”
“At first, he didn’t accept Brandon. But Brandon won him over by asking if he could take me out and my father liked how Brandon respected him. Also, he liked how Brandon was financially secure. The two things my father needed,” she scoffed, “to push me until I finally settled for Brandon.”
I glance at Savannah.
“Did you love him?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. I think I got used to him. We spent a lot of time together, and we did have fun. He also managed to continue to impress my father at every turn.”
“I guess I didn’t stop to think if I loved him. My father and Peter’s mother insisted that if I didn’t settle with him, I might not get another man like him.”
Huh.
Parental expectations.
We both have that in common, except that her father is an asshole, and mine is a meddler.
“So,” I say, “you agreed to marry him when he proposed.”
She nods. “He asked in front of my family, and he had gone to my father before to show him the ring and ask for my hand. I couldn’t say no, even though I wasn’t a hundred percent sure he was the one.”
“Then he cheated.” I say.
Her brows furrow as her lips go into a downward scowl.
“Yeah. He did. With my best friend, Alice. The crazy thing is I introduced them a year and a half ago. Alice was the only person I told about not wanting to rush into things.”
“And she advised me to follow my heart. Then I found out that while she was telling me to cut ties with Brandon, she was sleeping with him.”
“I told him the wedding was off and then I had to return the gifts and write letters myself because Brandon was nowhere to be found. He just left.”
Just like my dad did after my mom left him. Didn’t want to face his faults. His flaws.
“Why did you meet him that day?” I ask, wanting to get the bigger picture.
“He asked me to. He begged me. Not that I would have agreed, but when he said that he wanted to use the ring to pay for his rent since he just got fired, I agreed.”
“I could have given the ring to his attorney,” Savannah says as she runs her fingers through her hair, “but I wanted to see the look of defeat on his face.”
“I wanted to taste my revenge. Stupid, I know,” she shakes her head.
“That’s it,” she shrugs. “That’s the entire story. We met at the restaurant. I shouted a bit. I said something about revenge, and then I walked out. I don’t know why someone would think I would want to kill him based on just a couple of words said in anger.”
I turn to Savannah.
“You know better than to reduce it to just a couple of words. People kill their spouses after an argument all the time.”
“Right,” she says and purses her lips.
The firm’s office building comes into view, and I pull my car into the executive parking space.
“Thank you for giving me a ride,” Savannah says.
“Like I said, I’ll have someone on your case. All you need to do is tell him everything,” I say, exiting the car. She does the same from the other side.
“Everything I’ve told you?” She asks.
I shake my head. “Just…just leave out the part where you talk about your history with Brandon. Unless he asks.”
Savannah nods.
“I’ll be in touch,” I add before walking away. As I enter the building, I cannot help but steal one last look.
But I see Savannah walking away from the building. Where is she headed? I wonder. Hopefully, somewhere where she doesn’t say anything to incriminate herself.
***
“Are you…?” Peter rubs his chin, “I don’t know how to ask this.”
“Okay?” I nudge, moving my chair from side to side. “Say it however you think it’ll get the message across.”
He nods. “Okay. Are you friends with Savannah? Or is she working on a project with you?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because someone said they saw her getting out of your car this afternoon, and I know that unless you sought her out, that couldn’t have happened.”
Shit.
I quickly scramble around in my head for a lie. “Yes,” I nod. “She is working on a project with me. It’s a delicate case, and I needed someone to assist. I know she’s competent, so I chose her.”
“If you have a problem with that, I could—"
Peter lifts his hand. “Oh no. No, I don’t have a problem with it. I’m happy, actually.”
“Happy?”
“Yeah. I didn’t want my relationship with her to cause any problems, especially after I told you she wouldn’t want to have anything to do with me.”
“I didn’t want you to have to pick sides,” Peter explains.
“She’s my employee, is she not?” I ask in a business-like tone. “I would work with her regardless of your relationship. No offense.”
He laughs. “None taken. I’m glad, that’s all.”
Sure?
What if I tell you that your sister is the prime suspect in the murder of her ex? Would you still have good things to say about her?
“My dad asked me to invite you for dinner later this week. It’s with a couple of his friends, and I think he wants to show you off, so come prepared,” Peter says with a nervous laugh.
For some reason, I get the feeling that he only feels gratitude to the man and nothing else. Unlike his daughter, who has no reason to be thankful.
Would she be in this situation if her father hadn’t forced her hand?
“Sorry, but I’m going to have to pass on dinner.”
“Oh, okay. I guess I’ll be busy too. It’s not like he can’t have dinner without me.”
Because I cannot help myself and I’m curious, I ask,
“What about Savannah? Will she be there?”
Peter sighs. “I wish. My sister and my dad don’t get along. They never did.”
It’s weird that I didn’t know all about this through the two years of college after we met and until now, but I guess I can understand why Peter kept that part of his life private.
I don’t talk about my dad’s obsession with seeing me settle down or his subtle attempts to get my mom’s attention, either.
“That’s fair,” I reply.