She asked, “And the third option?”
“Trial. Fight the allegations.”
“That’s the only option that truly clears my name.”
“Yes, I suppose,” I said, “but trials are risky.”
“I’ve never been through anything like this before.” Her hand started to tremble again, so she balled it up into a loose fist. “I’ll do what you think is best, but I can’t be found guilty. I’m not going to confess to something I didn’t do. We’ve got to win this case.”
“It’s a civil matter, not criminal, so there’s no finding of guilt, at least at this stage. Still, I know what you mean. You don’t have to make up your mind about these three options right away. Think about it for a while. Doesn’t hurt to explore all alternatives.”
Marisa nodded as she took a quick sip of her coffee. She looked briefly to the right before she said, “I’d go for a settlement, what you call option two, but only if you can get me my job back and clear my name. Get Benton Dynamics to dismiss the case against me.”
“I’m just starting on this, so I can’t make you any promises. A settlement means both sides have to agree. Let’s reach out to the other attorney, and I’ll see what we can do. The biggest problem with a preliminary injunction is that the hearing comes up fast. There’s little time to prepare.”
“Okay, I understand. Just please help me, Mr. Seagraves.”
“If we can’t reach a settlement by next Wednesday, then we have to be ready for the hearing, which is basically a trial where both sides call witnesses and present evidence.”
Her eyes met mine. “Well, option one is out. If you get Benton Dynamics to drop the case against me because it has no evidence and all this was a mistake, then I could go for option two. Otherwise, I’m going to trial. No question.”
“All right. My legal assistant will draw up a retainer agreement. I’m more concerned about you and what happened to Richard Kostas. He had to have been twisted up in something bad, and it got him killed. You might not be safe right now.”
“What do you mean?” She sounded stunned at the realization that a trial might not be the worst thing she was facing.
I did not want to come right out and say that she could also end up floating in the Chesapeake Bay, so I replied, “Not sure yet, but your co-defendant is dead. You think he was murdered. Do you live alone or with someone?”
“Alone,” she replied with suppressed indignation.
“Then maybe you should go somewhere else until the court appearance. Stay with a friend or in a hotel room. Limit your cellphone use. Pay for everything with cash. I’m not sure what’s going on, but keep a low profile.”
Her eyes darted around the room as she shifted nervously in her chair.
In my best reassuring voice, I said, “Not trying to worry you. I just want you safe.”
“Next you’re going to tell me to pop the battery out of my phone so I can’t be tracked.”
“Well …”
She abruptly leaned forward. “I can’t believe this is happening to me. What’s going on?”
“Look, Benton Dynamics probably didn’t have anything to do with the killing of Richard Kostas. Then why go the legal route through the courts? Something else is going on. I’ll help you, but there’s a lot of work to do before Wednesday.”
“I don’t care what you have to do. Just get me out of this.”
I reclined back in my leather chair and placed my hands on the arm rests. “Okay, then, Marisa. I’ll need an initial retainer of five thousand dollars. We’ll burn through that this week alone, which is not meant to shock you … just me being honest. More importantly, I need you to tell me more about what’s going on than you did today. The case depends on it. Your best defense will be figuring out what happened to Richard Kostas.”
4
For the most part, I felt optimistic as Marisa followed me down the hallway to Hailey’s desk, but soon a tinge of unease came over me. I explained the terms of the retainer agreement to Hailey and casually pointed to a chair where Marisa could wait while my paralegal drafted the contract. I told my new client that I would be back in touch with her soon, no later than tomorrow. Marisa’s faint grin showed her relief as she thanked me and said goodbye.
The sound of Hailey’s rapid typing grew softer as I returned down the hallway. I flipped the wall switch and saw my office in full light for the first time in days. Straightening up my cluttered desk, I tucked the Writ of Summons and notes from the initial consultation into a new file folder, all the while contemplating what kind of conspiracy Richard Kostas and Marisa Dupree might have secretly plotted at the headquarters of Benton Dynamics.
Doubts often followed my decisions like long black shadows at sunset. Fighting a case against a huge defense contractor and the largest private employer in the county might not turn out to be such a smart move after all. A stack of overdue bills overflowed my inbox and were not going away on their own. At least I would have some money now, but in the end that might not matter. I did not know much of anything about my new client, and her denials did not make sense. The facts of this case remained concealed in a dense fog.
Perhaps I should have ditched this life in the courtroom a long time ago, moved to Hawaii, and opened a bikini shop on the beach. Now there was a job with benefits. Surfboards, sunshine, and fruity tropical drinks with tiny paper umbrellas.
Dread was not the right word for how I felt, but taking on Marisa as a client might soon end up on my
