“Unfortunately,” Robert continued, “we haven’t been able to trace the origin of the emails. But Kat is working on getting that information in her lawsuit as well, and she can tell you about her progress in a minute. My overriding concern is that, in order to prove the firm chose you as a scapegoat because you’re a female who dared ask for early partnership and an increase in pay, we’ll need other women to come forward and testify they were also treated unfairly.”
“Well, we don’t have that, so now what?” Victoria said, sounding dejected. “I’m beginning to feel like this was all a huge waste of time.”
“Kat has a plan for the announcement I showed you a few weeks ago we think has a good shot of working. We’d like you to open your mind and be patient as we explain it. Then, you can comment, if that’s okay with you,” Robert suggested calmly.
“Oh my God. That again? I thought I put that to bed by ignoring it,” Victoria responded, clearly frustrated.
Knowing she had a short fuse when it came to rehashing old ideas—what she would call spinning—Kat jumped in. “We completely understand you don’t want this lawsuit and the fact that you were fired from the firm to be in the news any more than it’s already been.”
“Okay, great. Then we can stop talking about this. I’m trying to build my practice, not destroy my career. You know very well that women who speak out on these issues might be lauded for a moment, but where do they go from there? We all know the answer. That’s not what I want. I want a career in the law. Period.”
“V, listen. You know you’re like a sister to me. Believe me when I tell you I would not suggest what I’m going to say next if I didn’t believe it would work and that you’ll come out of it with your legal coffers full. Will you give me just five minutes to explain and then promise me you’ll think about it?”
Victoria sighed and nodded. “I’ve come this far. The allegations of my suit are already public, and, of course, I trust both of you completely. I’ll listen and then give you my final answer by this evening. But, I want both of you to promise that if I don’t agree, we’ll reconvene to consider next steps, one of which may be to drop the litigation.”
“We promise,” Robert responded. “But I’m going to fight you like hell about dropping this suit.”
“Robert, will you hand the list of companies to V?”
Thirty minutes later, Victoria left Robert’s office with a lot to think about.
CHAPTER
52
GRETCHEN HAD SPENT the past few weeks thinking hard about who might have wanted to hurt her and why. Unfortunately, she’d had a difficult time coming up with names. Instead, she’d decided to develop a list of people she’d spent most of her time with during the year before the event. There were now twenty people on that list, but none of them stood out. Grabbing the list and her purse, she looked at the sitter. “I’ll be back in about two hours.” Then, she crouched down to kiss her daughter. “You missy, need to be a good girl. If you are, Naomi will text me, and I’ll bring you a present.”
“Okay, bye momma. Bye-bye,” her daughter squealed happily as she gave Gretchen a perfunctory hug and gently pushed her out the door so she could play with Naomi.
Gretchen looked over her daughter’s head and smiled at Naomi, who said sheepishly, “I’m sure she’ll miss you once you’re gone.”
Gretchen laughed, appreciating that her daughter didn’t cling and scream when she left like some of The Moms’ kids.
“You and I both know that’s BS, but I love that she loves you. See you later, and thanks.”
Once in her car, she put the address into her phone’s GPS and noted it would take about thirty minutes to arrive. While apprehensive, she was willing to take this next step to see what, if anything, the hypnotist might help her remember. James had suggested it, and over the past few months, she’d grown to trust he had her best interest at heart.
* * *
The room was dimly lit and sparsely decorated, and there was some sort of softly falling water-like sound in the background. Feeling confused yet rested, Gretchen was surprised to see the woman sitting across from her. “You did well,” she said as she stood and handed Gretchen a glass of water. “I’m going to step out for a few minutes so you can regain a bit of yourself before you leave. Would you like a cool towel?”
“No. I’m fine, thank you.” It was coming back now. “Did it work?”
“Remember I asked you to note the time in your journal before we began? Check it and then look at the time on the clock.” The woman nodded toward the wall. “I think you’ll have your answer.”
“Did I say anything?”
“You did, of course. However, I suggested during the session that you write down anything that was important to you. As I explained at the beginning, I never look at my patient’s notes. Why don’t you take a minute to look at your notes? When you feel composed, I’ll be right outside.”
Gretchen was surprised how refreshed she felt, almost as if she’d taken a nap—one of those good naps, the kind that leaves you feeling energized, not the kind that makes you feel groggy and like you need to sleep another eight hours.
Looking at her journal, she noted that the pen was stuck in the middle of the pages. She opened it and stared. She had circled and heavily underlined, as if she’d gone back and forth with her pen, time and time again, one of the names on her list. Two other names had also been circled. Next to the heavily underlined name, she’d written a number of descriptive words. Shocked that she had apparently remembered something under hypnosis she hadn’t on her own, she opened the door and saw the woman sitting at her desk.
“Any questions?”
“Yes, did I tell you anything about what I wrote in the book?”
“You did not. You just began writing.”
“I don’t recall. Shouldn’t I recall why I wrote it and what the meaning is?” Gretchen asked, dismayed.
“Not necessarily. Sometimes, your subconscious gives you only what you can sustain. Other times, you’ll remember everything in a few hours or even days. Let your mind rest. Don’t overthink it. It will come to you if it’s meant to.”
* * *
Getting into her car, Gretchen laid her head back against the seat. She wasn’t tired, but she was tired. It was the weirdest feeling and one she really didn’t want to visit again. Picking up her phone, she texted James: Need to meet. Finished session. Got information. Don’t know what it means.
As she got ready to leave, she got a return text. It was a smiley face emoji, his favorite and the only one he ever sent to her, probably because he’d learned she hated it. Stupid little face, she thought as she smiled and began her drive home.
CHAPTER
53
“KAT, ARE YOU certain your backup plan will hold?”
“I am, V. I wouldn’t have told you about it otherwise. Everyone in my family and some of my parents’ closest friends, including Armond’s family, pulled strings and called in favors so I could have a one-on-one with each of the people on that list. I explained the situation and what we are trying to do. To a person, they’re on board.”
“Why would they have an interest in doing something like this? It could drag their companies into a mess that might cut against them.”
“None of them believes that. In fact, a number of them already had the wheels in motion to do something along these lines anyway. They just hadn’t pulled the trigger yet. This gives them an opportunity to market the fact that they support those who act as whistleblowers. They’ve all signed on to give your firm legal work once you go public with the announcement. So, instead of losing business, you’ve gained guarantees of new business from these companies.”
“Kat, I can’t thank you and everyone else enough for all you’ve done. I’m forever indebted to you all,” Victoria said.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, V, stop. You and your mother are family. After all, Sophia took care of me the three years I spent in Chicag
o for law school. My parents are more than happy to be able to give just a little bit back.”
“You don’t think this can backfire?”
“V, anything is possible, so I can’t promise it won’t. You know that. But you weren’t meant to be a bit player in life, and I think you’ve known that all along. You’ve always said your goal was to have power. Well, here you are, my friend, about to step into your future.”
“Okay, I’m in!” Victoria said, suddenly feeling determined, excited, and anxious all at once. “I’ll need you and Robert by my side. When are you flying in?”
“I’ll be in next week before it goes live. I’ll call Robert and tell him to show you the final mock-up. I’ve seen it and I wouldn’t change a thing, but you need to approve it. You might also want to warn Armond and Sophia.”
“God, this feels good! I’m so tired of walking this tightrope, feeling both shame and pride for having brought this lawsuit.”
“I need to go. I’ve got a ton to do before I leave for Chicago. Look for the final draft within the next twenty-four hours. I’ll see you next week. If you need me before then, just let me know.”
“I will. Now, go call Robert before I change my mind.”
CHAPTER
54
“DAMN,” JAMES SAID in awe of his talent, as he leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms above his head. For the past twenty hours he’d stopped only to eat, pee, and communicate with his virtual tech guru group. Each of them had told him no one had yet figured out a way to back into the software to track the user’s origin. “But I did!” he said with a smile, trying to stretch even further. He couldn’t wait to brag about it. He would gain incredible notoriety in the tech world, and as news of his breakthrough spread, he expected a significant increase in clients. Maybe he’d even be able to grow the business enough to convince his parents that college was a waste of time and their money.
Smelling something foul, James took a quick sniff around until he leaned in toward one of his raised arms. “Whoa,” he gasped as his head snapped back. Standing for the first time in hours, James limp-walked over to the mirror and made a face. “Okay, I look as bad as I smell.” Leaving the tiny room in his parents’ home that served as his bedroom and office, James headed toward the kitchen. “Coffee, then call, then shower,” he mumbled as he poured the last of the now overheated coffee his parents hadn’t finished before they’d left for work. “Great. I smell and talk to myself, two of the top qualities people look for when hiring a consultant. I’m sure I’ll have no problem attracting clients.” Deciding he’d had enough conversations with himself, he picked up his phone.
“Did you find anything?”
“Well, good morning. How are you?” James teased.
“How am I? I’m ready to get my life back and every minute we chitchat about bullshit is a minute I’ve lost.”
“Wow! You can be a tad intimidating. I’m afraid to see what you’re like once we’ve figured this out and you’re back to full throttle.”
Gretchen placed her phone between her shoulder and ear as she finished washing the morning dishes. “You have no idea. Now, what did you find?”
“Everyone said it couldn’t be done but I did it. None of them could figure it out. I’ve just solidified my name in the annals of tech history,” James said, feeling happy and energized.
Gretchen got very still and used her most measured and calm voice. “What do you mean ‘everyone said’? Who have you told? We have a nondisclosure agreement.”
Realizing he was being too loose with his words and remembering that he was dealing with a serious situation, and essentially her life, James reassured her. “No one knows what I’m working on or about you or anything about your case. What I meant was, I’m part of a virtual group. We discuss all the new technology and this identity cloning technology has made a name for itself as being untraceable. I needed any inroads my peers had made into cracking its code.”
“And?” Gretchen said, relieved but annoyed he had yet to tell her anything of substance. “James, for the third and last time before I put the phone down and drive over to your house to beat it out of you, what did you find?”
“The identity marker. About thirty minutes ago.”
Gretchen was afraid to find out the identity of the person who had done this to her, but she knew she had to know. What if it was a relative or someone I’d considered a friend? She feared. “Who is it?”
“What? Oh, I don’t know yet,” James answered as he took a sip of the lukewarm, foul-tasting coffee.
Gretchen felt like she was going to explode. James had been her only confidant and her sole source of support regarding her secret. They had worked well together, and for the first time, she wondered if she’d misjudged him. He sounded like an idiot. “What do you mean you don’t know? You just told me you found the marker.”
“I’m sorry. I’m speaking tech. I said I found the identity marker, which is a step to finding the source, but it’s not the source. It’s more like a fingerprint. Well, not quite that specific but close. The next step is to find out who it belongs to. But it shouldn’t be that difficult.”
“So, this is a good thing and a big step?” Gretchen asked.
“Yes, it’s a very good thing. Had I not found it, we would have had no way to find who did this. I called to let you know the good news and arrange a time to get your list. It may give me insight regarding anyone who might have been involved.”
“I can meet you this afternoon at three.”
“Perfect. Meet at my house. Oh, one other thing. Anything you can add to the list about the people on it will be helpful.”
“Like what?”
“Like email, home and work addresses, the companies they worked for at the time this happened, what they do for a living—that kind of thing.”
“All that is already on the list, but why does that matter?” Gretchen asked.
“It might not, but it may be the critical link.” Turning to put his empty cup in the kitchen sink, James got a second whiff of himself. “Listen, I need to go before I knock myself out from my own stench. I’m getting in the shower. See you this afternoon.”
Gretchen left the last of the dishes in the sink and walked into what had been her office to again review the list. While she’d never believed in the mumbo jumbo universe shall provide nonsense, she couldn’t deny she felt as if something had shifted. She was close to getting her life back, and she intended to do everything in her power to make that happen.
CHAPTER
55
AS SOON AS she landed, Kat jumped in a cab and headed to Robert’s office. She’d agreed to be there by six to listen to the publicist’s suggested responses to questions the press likely would ask Victoria if everything went as planned and it went viral.
Kat and Robert had decided Victoria would stay with Kat and Sophia at a hotel for the next two days in case the press or someone who might not like what she had to say became aggressive. Kat had already reserved a suite in her company’s name and ordered a late-night spread of food, guessing they’d be exhausted, hungry, and unable to go out to dinner once it was over.
As the cab pulled up to Robert’s building, Kat texted Victoria. I’m here. On my way up now.
She received a one-word response. Terrified.
Kat frowned, knowing Victoria’s confidence was critical to this working. She needed to come off as the leader she was, the woman Kat had always known her to be: strong, smart, determined, unflinching. But from the moment Victoria had been escorted out of her old firm, something almost imperceptible had changed. It was as if some genetic string to her strength had been chewed on, leaving a weakened chord. Kat sighed. While she completely understood Victoria’s fear, as there was nothing and everything to lose, Kat’s job at the moment was to build her up to a healthy, ball-busting state of mind. Then, she could confidently shoot the video to be linked to the online announcement and respond to the press.
When the elevator opened, the receptionist immediately signaled to Kat. “We’re glad you’re here,” she said as she began to walk her down the hallway. “They’re in the large conference room. Robert asked that I bring you back right away. Is there anything you need?”
“I’m good. Thank you,” Kat answered as she plastered a smile on her face and opened the door. There were lights and cameras set up around the room and crisscrossing electrical cords snaked across the floor. A giant screen had been set up to display whatever was picked up by the camera. Everyone in the room was quiet and standing still as the publicist and Victoria worked through a mock interview. Robert saw Kat and held up his hand to signal her to wait while he quietly walked over so as not to disturb Victoria.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he whispered, giving her a warm hug.
“Me too. How’s she doing?”
“Under the circumstances, really quite well. She’s nervous, though, and it shows. I think now that you’re here, we may be able to knock that last bit of uncertainty out of her. Your timing’s perfect. We’re just about done with the first run-through. Come sit over here and see what you think,” Robert said, walking her behind the cameras while Victoria finished the final practice question.
After the camera lights were off, Kat waited until Victoria finished with the publicist and then walked over. Wrapping her in one of her signature hugs, she said, “Well, it looks like you’re about to become national news. How do you feel?”
“Nauseous. Like a deer in the headlights. Like a turtle on its back. Scared shitless.” Victoria answered. “I’m hoping this will go forward without much fanfare and we’ll get what we need without it becoming newsworthy.”
“That might very well happen,” Kat said, cautious not to say anything that would add to her friend’s already-nervous state. “But if it does get national attention, you’re ready. Either way it’s all good. Let’s knock the crap out of that last bit of nerves, shall we? What’s the worst that could happen?”
Private Agendas: A Victoria Rodessa Legal Thriller Page 22