Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25739 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25739 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Maxwell’s eyes needed to be plucked from his head; if I could have, I would have grabbed my penknife and done just that. How dare he peek at her voluptuous breasts that were made for our future children and me?
I stopped myself there; my lust halted with that thought as if it I was hit with icy cold water. Since when have I ever considered having kids? I’d always believed it would be a cold day in hell before I let that happen. Shaking that off, I get back to work, making a list of things I want her to handle.
My talk with Ms. Dalton had been clear that I’m still the boss. Apparently, I was masterful in the courtroom, but my office was in shambles. I had a great deal of work to do with regards to organizing my staff. It’s one thing to have incredible skills in the courtroom; it’s another to manage a group of office employees, especially when I’m never in the office.
She’d been the head law clerk and senior employee of mine on this floor. Although that didn’t mean much because I had a high turnover rate. I’m aware of what that says about me and it was time to rectify that matter after I straightened out my department head.
Ms. Dalton was on her way out as well. If she thought I wasn’t aware of her attempts to sabotage the last three assistants in ways that forced them to quit, I wasn’t blind. Her motivation wasn’t clear yet, but I needed to find out before she ruined my firm.
Intentionally, I offloaded my cases to my junior partners, wanting them to succeed and to limit needing staff I can’t rely on, so that I could get a handle on things in the office.
It was already nine when I decided to call it a night because I have a big day in the courtroom. It should be a slam dunk case, but you never know if there’s some last-minute bullshit the other side will toss out and if the judge will entertain it.
As I go to turn out the lights in my office, I hear heels clicking softly in the distance, so I stop my movements and make sure to slink down the hall. There were only two people that should be upstairs and I doubt Valentine would come back.
It’s pitch black which makes it all the more suspicious. Flicking on the lights, I find Ms. Dalton digging into Ms. Pernetti’s drawer. “What’s going on?” I ask, sending her jumping and tossing some files in the air.
“I was just looking for some staples.” She looks so guilty, I know she’s lying.
“Here’s the stapler right here.” I hand it to her, but I know that’s not what she’s doing. “Although I’m not sure why you’d be in that drawer because your office is down the hall, and the supply room is next to it.”
“I was on my way out.” It’s the first week of January in Chicago, twenty degrees out, and she doesn’t have a single bit of outerwear in the area, so who the fuck does she think she’s lying to?
Still, I play obtuse and say, “Okay. Well, I’m locking up, so hurry. I have a big day tomorrow.” She scurries to her office with the stapler in hand and I’m assuming not what she was digging for. Unwilling to leave her alone, I wait with her and escort her to the parking garage. As soon as I leave the office with Ms. Dalton and she heads to her vehicle, I call security.
“Do me a favor, Rogers.” Sam Rogers is a trusted member of the team and has been with the firm since I bought this building.
“Whatever you need, sir.”
“Please check the receptionist desk on my floor. I want it scrubbed from head to toe with anything suspicious.”
“Yes, sir.”
I don’t get all the way home when he calls me back. “Sir, we found several grams of cocaine.”
“What?”
“Okay. Pull the surveillance from my reception area for the last hour I was in the office.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And Ms. Dalton will need her ID card suspended until further notice. If she arrives tomorrow, send her home. I’ll deal with her.”
“I will. What do you want me to do with this?”
“Seal it and put it in an evidence bag. As much as I don’t want to report it, I might have to if things go south in a few minutes.”
“Yes, Mr. King.”
As I walk into my condo, I set up the recorded line and call my law clerk. She knows this line is recorded, so she picks up, thinking it’s probably a work question. “Yes, Mr. King.”
“Ms. Dalton. I’ll give you one opportunity to tell me why you put the drugs in Ms. Pernetti’s drawer.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Are you really going to play this game with me?”