Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Three months had passed since Wendy left the firm, and Debbie was still scrambling to save it. Caleb said she should fold it and not bother herself trying to hold the pieces together, that it was too late for that. She’d put so much into this firm, she couldn’t bear to see it close.
Christmas had passed in a blur for Debbie. Usually, she spent the holidays with her friends, or she and Caleb went on a cruise. But this year, she’d pored over the books and returned client calls up until the Christmas meal at the Sheraton. It’d been a brief affair with a few friends and colleagues. She missed her Sunshine friends and had barely seen them in weeks.
Over the past few months, she’d eaten poorly, hardly slept from the stress of it all. And to top it off, today she was expected in court to represent a client she barely knew in a case she wasn’t knowledgeable about or confident enough to present.
Evelyne was looking for work. Her loyal and industrious executive assistant had stuck with her through the good and bad over the past decade, but Debbie had spotted her scrolling through job listings the previous Friday, and it’d felt like a stab to the gut. Not that she could blame her.
Everyone knew what was going on. Three more partners had left. There were only three of them remaining—Debbie and two junior partners. Likely they were the only ones who hadn’t been able to find a new firm in such a short amount of time. And they both looked as though they’d barely slept a wink in weeks. All three of them were giving a very believable impression of the walking dead.
Evelyne poked her head through the doorway of Debbie’s office. “You ready? It’s time to go to court. You’ll be late, and you know how the judge hates that.”
“Who have I got again?”
“Judge McEvoy. He’s a stickler for timing, and he’ll hold it against you.”
Evelyne was right, but Debbie was still printing out paperwork to take with her. “Do I have everything? I feel completely unprepared for this case. Run over the details with me again.”
She tugged the pile of papers from the printer and shoved them into her briefcase, then slipped her stockinged feet into a pair of sensible heels.
“The McAlister Corporation is suing the Cathedral Corporation for breach of contract and for IP theft. Jill McAlister was engaged to be married to John Booker, who is the marketing manager for Cathedral. She claims that he stole their patented design for the latest technology in clean water. He says they developed it themselves and can prove the paper trail on that. But she’s suing him for breaching the contract between the two companies that stated the development would come from McAlister, not from within Cathedral. It’s a messy case that involves a broken engagement and a lot of personal angst. Your job is to prove that John Booker’s company contracted McAlister to do the work exclusively.”
“Right—that makes sense. I wish I knew more about the companies involved. I’ve got the print-outs, but I haven’t had time to read them.”
“Sorry, that’s all I know about it. I wish Davis hadn’t left us in the lurch like that, but he did. And the client decided not to follow him. Heaven only knows why.”
Debbie shook her head as she grabbed her purse. “This is one time I’d rather let the client go, since I have no idea yet how I’m going to pursue this case. But I’ll do my best.”
She dashed out the door as Evelyne called after her. “Good luck!”
Her time in court didn’t last long. She wasn’t prepared, and the judge knew it. He threw out the case on a legal technicality, and it was over. Debbie barely had a chance to speak. She shuffled her papers into a folder and slid it into her briefcase, her cheeks burning hot.
“What was that?” Jill McAlister hissed. She wore a tight pencil skirt and suit jacket over a silk blouse. Her blonde hair was perfectly tousled, and she pressed one hand to her hip. “What happened?”
“It’s over. The judge thinks we don’t have a case.”
“But you didn’t get to tell him what happened? That’s not fair.” Jill’s eyes flashed.
“I know, but it doesn’t matter. I didn’t file the right paperwork prior to the trial, and the judge pulled me up on it. I’m afraid we’re done. At least for today.”
“You didn’t file…?” Jill’s voice rose. “Why didn’t you? I’m paying you an inordinate amount of money to represent me. And you didn’t do your job?”
“I’m sorry. This case was handed to me at the last minute. I didn’t have time to brush up on it. It seems Davis didn’t file the paperwork. Again, I’m sorry.”
There was no point in sugarcoating it. The client deserved to know the truth. And the fact was, the entire thing was a debacle and had been from the moment she was handed the file. There was no way she was going to be able to adequately represent the client, but she’d hoped the judge might give her some time before diving into the trial. That way, she could’ve brushed up on the case. But unfortunately, he’d had no sympathy for her situation and had seemed to relish the idea of making things more difficult simply because she’d been five minutes late to court. He had a reputation for being difficult, and he’d lived up to that today.
“Let’s put this behind us and regroup,” Debbie said. “We need to figure out a way forward and try again. This wasn’t our only opportunity to get justice for what happened.”
“No. Definitely not,” Jill said, straightening her jacket. “You’re fired. I’m taking this case to trial again, but I want a new lawyer. You clearly have no idea what you’re doing, and I can’t risk losing this suit.”
Jill stormed out of the court with her entourage in her wake. Debbie watched her go, feeling her stomach twist itself into a gigantic knot. She didn’t blame Jill for reacting the way she had. There was a lot at stake for her—her invention, her company, her livelihood. Debbie knew how it felt to watch the thing you’d worked so hard to build crumble before your eyes.
She packed up her things and wandered out of the court. Then she sat on the courthouse steps, watching the world rush by. What was she doing? This was no way to live. She could be pottering around her garden at the beach house in Sunshine. Instead, she was here, working on a stomach ulcer to save a company she no longer recognised.