Chapter nine
At least in theory, I didn't deal with murderers, psychopaths, or any kind of thug who needed to go to jail. Lennox stayed far away from cases involving the death penalty. For example, in some situations, it was impossible to escape a trial, especially when the parties couldn't reach an agreement.
When I went in front of the judge, I was always willing to do everything possible to argue and build an indisputable case in favor of my client; that was my main purpose.
On that particular day, some of the associates were sitting in court, watching me defend a technology company against a case of breach of confidentiality and industrial espionage. An employee who had been fired under these precepts was alleging manipulation of the facts to compromise him. I was there to prove the company's case.
After calling him to the stand, I was sure he wasn't ready to deal with me, as one by one, his arguments fell apart.
“How did part of the program's code end up in your personal email on October 28?”
“I don't know...” He shuddered.
“You don't know, or you didn't send it?”
“Of course, I didn't send it.”
“You've just said that no one else has access to it.”
“They must have hacked me.”
“Should they, or is that a statement?”
“Objection, judge!” The defense lawyer stood up.
“Your Honor.” I turned to the highest authority in the courtroom. “I'm just trying to understand what happened. My client believes he has been wronged by an employee who denies what happened, and we need to check the facts so we can reach a verdict.”
“Objection denied.”
The defense lawyer snorted.
“I'll repeat the question, Mr. Brown. Are you sure you've been hacked, or is that just an assumption?”
“I... I don't know.”
“I need to remind you that you are under oath, and lying is perjury, which could land you in prison.”
He swallowed, turning even paler. That was going to be an easy case. I couldn't wait to get it over with so I could pick up my daughters.
“I'm going to ask you a question in a different way, and I hope you can answer me the truth according to your oath. Mr. Brown, did you send the code to your personal email?”
“Yes... yes.” He was forced to admit it.
“Witness dismissed.” I straightened my suit and returned to my chair next to my client.
That trial might not have had its final decree yet, but like all my other cases, I wouldn't lose.
After we were dismissed, I walked down the court corridor to the nearest exit where I had left my car.
“Look who's here.” I was surprised by a voice behind me and spun around to face him.
“Tyler.” I smiled at my brother, dressed in his judge's outfit, who was probably leaving a court hearing.
“I thought I'd forgotten the way to this place.”
“My memory is good.”
He laughed and came closer to give me a hug.
“It seems like forever since I've seen him.”
“It's not as if I've disappeared.”
“You haven't been to our parents' house for a long time.”
“I was there yesterday. I went to take the twins so mom could keep an eye on them because I didn't have a babysitter. Besides, it's not like you're there all the time.”
“Life has gotten busy.”
“I can imagine.”
“And how are my favorite nieces?”
“Growing up.”
“I bet they miss me.”
“They don't even remember who their uncle is.”
He laughed debauchedly.
“I have to go.”
“We'll meet again sometime.”
I nodded and continued down the corridor. It wasn't as if we weren't close or didn't like each other, but life and routine meant that my brothers and I saw each other less and less, especially after I became a widower and had to take care of two little girls.
The traffic was hellish at the end of the day, and it took me much longer than usual to get to their school. It was more than half an hour after the school start time when I parked the car at the entrance, which was empty. The other parents had probably already picked up their children.
I rushed to the closed door and knocked.
It took a while for someone to come and open it.
“Mr. Lennox.”
“I've come to pick up my daughters.”
“It's late.”
“The traffic didn't cooperate with me today,” I grumbled. “I just want to get the girls home soon.”
“I'll call them,” the woman said before going back inside the school, leaving the door half-open so that I could see through.
She made her way to the entrance of the building, passing through a small courtyard, and disappeared from sight after passing through a door. I felt uneasy, even though she had only been gone for a few seconds.
He looked from side to side, growing impatient as time passed.
After I checked my watch and realized that the woman had been inside for almost ten minutes and hadn't come with my daughters, I got worried.
“Hi!” I pushed open the gate and took a step forward. “Where are my twins?”
The corridor was empty and there was no sign of anyone until I heard a woman calling from one of the doors.
“Mary!... Anne!”
I walked in and bumped into the primary school teacher who was supposed to be responsible for both of them.
“Where are they?” My tone was harsher.
“Mr. Lennox!” She seemed to be startled by my presence, but I wasn't worried about it.
“The twins.”
“I...” She held her breath.
“Can't you speak?” I imagined that because of the expensive tuition at this place, the teachers would be better educated.
She gritted her teeth, showing that she was irritated by my offense, but I could sound a lot worse if I didn't answer what I had asked.
“Where are my daughters?”
“I'm looking for them.”
“Looking?” That word was so absurd that it took me a while to come to terms with it.
“I gave them to Holly along with the rest of the class, and they were supposed to be waiting on the bench in the courtyard.”
“And why aren't they there?”
“I don't know, sir.”
“That's not the answer I expect.” I clenched my fists, huffing. A growing fury was welling up inside me at the possibility that something might have happened to them. “The twins should be safe here.”
“But they are.”
“So where are they?” I was losing control.
“Sir, I know it's not what you'd like to hear, but they haven't left school. They're somewhere.”
“Anywhere? Do you have any idea what I can do with this hole if something happens to my girls? Do you know who I am?”
“Yes, Mr. Thomas Lennox. I know very well who you are.” I was surprised when she puffed out her chest and faced me as if she wasn't afraid of me at all.
“Then you should think again instead of telling me you don't know where my daughters are.”
“I have to be honest no matter who you are.”
“How could they have lost two children?”
“We haven't lost them.”
“So where are they?”
“I'll find them.” She walked past me, almost bumping into my shoulder, and headed down the corridor.
I went back in the hope that the teacher could take me to my daughters. They were the most important thing to me, and I wouldn't allow anything to happen to my little ones. After losing their mother, I had to try even harder to protect them to the best of my ability.
“Mary!” I shouted.
“Anne!” called out the teacher. “Where are you girls?”
“I've come for you.”
I turned around when I heard a giggle and saw them running from one door to the other.
Little kids!
I chased after them and caught them by the collar before they hid behind a bookcase in the playroom.
“What do you think you're doing?” I stared at them seriously.
“Playing.” Mary tilted her head and gave me a smile as if there was nothing wrong with her attitude, which had made me desperate.
“Is that any way to play?”
“Hide and seek, Daddy,” Anne replied.
“Ah, girls!” The teacher came running and knelt down next to me, hugging them both as if she was really worried about their disappearance. “Don't do that anymore, okay?”
“But...” They twisted their lips.
“When Aunt Holly says you have to wait at the bank, you wait.”
The two girls ended up nodding.
“Let's go home.” I held out my hands to them, hoping they would come with me.
“No, Dad...” Mary muttered.
“How could we not?”
“Let's play with Helena.” Anne jumped up and down excitedly.
“No. He needs to go home, and so do you.”
“Pufav?”
I just shook my head no. I was serious and would have a talk with them about what had happened.
“Go with your father, girls.” Encouraged the teacher. “We can play another day; that's enough for today.”
“Is that enough?” Mary repeated.
“That's enough. You need to go home.”
They both stared at the teacher for a while until they gave up insisting, held my hand, and stared at the door.
“Where are your backpacks and lunchboxes?” I asked when I realized they didn't have them.
“On the bench.” Anne took my hand and let her lead me to the place where they had abandoned their belongings.
“You two can't do this anymore.” I strapped Mary into the car seat before doing the same to the other.
“We were playing, Dad.” Anne made an innocent face that would have convinced me in another moment, but just thinking about the distress their little disappearance had caused me made me lose my composure again.
“It's not a joke you should play.”
“Why?”
“It worried me. Something could have happened to you. Bad things happen to taken girls.”
They shrank back, afraid of what I had said.
“Will you promise to behave?”
They nodded.
“So let's go home.” I checked that they were securely fastened before turning around and taking the wheel.
I couldn't possibly lose them.