“It is. It’s an emergency and I need to handle it before things get any worse.”
“Colin, is something wrong?” I asked.
“It’s nothing. I shouldn’t have even mentioned it. I just feel like every time I turn around I’m putting out fires instead of planting more trees.”
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“It’s not your fault. I want to reschedule, though. Tomorrow night, maybe? I’ll take you out somewhere wonderfully special. Somewhere that requires a little black dress and some dazzling jewelry I just might buy you.”
“Colin, you know none of that’s necessary. Why don’t you just bring over a bottle of wine and we’ll order takeout?” I asked.
“Let me treat you to something nice, okay? I love it when you let me spoil you.”
I sighed, as I laid down in the carpeted hallway of my new apartment.
“Okay,” I said. “But you be careful with—whatever this is.”
“I will, I promise. Call you later on?”
“Okay.”
“I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I hung up the phone and it felt hard to breathe. There was suddenly this loneliness that sat on my chest, robbing me of the very breath that I needed in order to cry. What was the big deal? What was the massive emergency? Here my mother had just got done talking with me about how communication was important and shit, and now Colin was openly hiding some emergency from me. Was he okay? Had something happened with his business?
Oh holy hell, had something appeared on the news?
I scrambled for my television and quickly began setting it up. I cut myself screwing in cables and shit before I plugged the television in. I got the cable box installed and finally had the thing running the setup routine scanning for channels. The longer it took the more impatient I became.
“Come on, you piece of shit. Work with me.”
After what seemed like ten hours of searching for things, the channels started appearing. The local news popped up with a worldwide news feed scrolling underneath it and I began flipping through channels. I memorized the number of every news station I had on the cable provider I’d selected, but there was nothing to me that signaled any sort of emergency.
Whatever it was, it was a private matter, and it only fueled my worry.
What if we had jumped into this too soon?
Chapter 5
Colin
“Talk to me, Arthur. How bad is it?”
“So, I have some dirt on the lawyer Abby tried to hire.”
“Wait. Okay. You’re going to have to backtrack further than that,” I said. “I wasn’t aware that Abby retained a lawyer for anything regarding her ex.”
“Backtracking. When her ex stole from her, she tracked down a lawyer. A seedy one, too. He gave her a free consultation and filed the paperwork accordingly, but it looks like when she tried to retain him for the case he kept turning her down.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because her ex hired him before she could.”
Arthur slid some papers across my desk as we sat there in my office.
“Wait, this is the same lawyer that’s gonna be issuing Abby papers,” I said.
“Yep. The same one. He took Abby’s free consultation and used it to help her ex. The quote the lawyer gave Abby is much less than the agreement that he now has with her ex.”
“He ditched Abby when he found out he could get more money from her ex,” I said.
“Yep. That’s a conflict of interest if I’ve ever seen one,” Arthur said. “But you gotta be careful with this guy. He’s known in the State of California do to all sorts of seedy business. Gets bad guys off on charges for fun. Rumors are circulating that he takes payment under the table for all sorts of shit.”
“Is there any way to prove that?” I asked.
“If we could, he wouldn’t be practicing. He’d be in jail.”
“Did you find a lawyer we could use for Abby?” I asked.
“I did. The best L.A. has to offer. Her name’s Deidra Prowler, and her name suits her well. She’ll take wonderful care of Abby, and she’s discreet.”
“Good, because I don’t want Abby to find out any of this,” I said.
“Sounds like a wonderful basis for a relationship.”
I whipped my gaze across the desk as my face hardened to stone.
“You make many more quips about my engagement, my fiancé, or my decisions, your services will no longer be required,” I said.
“Whatever you wish, Mr. Murphy.”
“I just don’t want her stressing out about this when we should be enjoying our engagement,” I said.
“I trust you know what’s best,” he said.
“Now you’re mocking me.”
“Hardly.”
“You’re dismissed,” I said.
“The name and number of the lawyer is on that top sheet of paper. I suggest giving her a call right away. She’s a late worker, like yourself, and her schedule fills up fast.”
I watched Arthur exit my office before I picked up the phone and dialed her number.
“Deidra Prowler speaking.”
“Miss Prowler, this is Colin Murphy.”
“I was expecting your call, Mr. Murphy. I assume you want to set up a meeting?”
“I do. When is the earliest I can see you?” I asked.
“I’m not free until next Friday,” she said.
“When can I see you if I double your rate?” I asked.
“Monday morning,” she said coolly.
“You have nothing this weekend?” I asked.
“Unfortunately, no. Family emergency. I’ve had to clear my schedule as it is. But I have you down for seven Monday morning. Your office, mine, or neutral ground?” she asked.
Abby typically didn’t come in to the office until nine, so I figured meeting here at seven would be just fine.
“At my office. I’ll have coffee available,” I said.
“I take mine black with plenty of sugar. Sweet tooth and all.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. See you Monday morning at seven.”
Even though I apparently had the best lawyer in all of Los Angeles, I was frustrated that I couldn’t have access to her right away, like today. I was ready to get to the bottom of everything right now. I was ready to
