Risking the Crown

by Violet Paige

  Boyfriend? Who? What’s his name?

  I typed out my last reply.

  His name is Vaughn. I’ll call you later.

  I shoved my phone in my purse so I could ignore more messages. To be fair, my mother didn’t meddle in my relationships. She was too engrossed in Garret’s problems to focus on mine.

  That should be a compliment. I was the kid who had everything together. The one she didn’t have to worry about. She trusted me not to date an alcoholic or an unemployed tattoo artist. But it didn’t mean I didn’t want her approval.

  And for the first time in a long time I had someone in my life I was proud of. I wanted to take him home and show him off. There wasn’t anyone like him in New Bern. Polished and sophisticated, yet rough and masculine. No one had come close to capturing my senses like he did. He had managed to crumble all of the walls I had. Broken through my resistance. And there was a reason for it—he was incredible.

  “This a bad time?” Jessie joked.

  I looked up from my fork. I hadn’t taken a single bite.

  “No. Just thinking,” I answered. I had intended to read through notes on Lana’s case.

  “It looked serious.”

  “Trying to figure out the holidays with my family. That’s all,” I explained.

  “Ahh. I think I’m staying here.”

  “Really? Do you have family in D.C.?” I asked.

  “Nah.” She shrugged. “It’s just not worth going home for a few days when I’m going to be back at Christmas. A lot of the students are getting together for a Friendsgiving thing.”

  “Oh. I hadn’t heard.”

  “I don’t think it’s a big deal. But some people want to study.”

  Sometimes I forgot how much work Jessie had. On top of her clinic hours with me she had classes and exams. The holidays were a miserable time when I was in law school.

  “How are classes going?”

  “Fine. Or terrible. Depends on which day you ask me.” She smirked.

  “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “No. I like being in the clinic. It’s a nice break.” Her smile was pretty. Underneath sometimes I thought I saw something sad.

  “What about a break today?” I suggested. “Take the rest of the afternoon off and study. Or just sleep. I remember how awful law school was. Time is precious.”

  “Are you serious? Don’t you have to sign off on my hours.”

  “It’s fine. Really. I can handle the rest of the afternoon.”

  “What about Addie?” She looked at the empty desk next to us.

  “She doesn’t know if you’re researching something for a case or not.” I grinned. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  She picked up her bag. “Thank you. I don’t know what to do first.”

  “Maybe sleep,” I advised.

  She nodded as she turned for the door. “I think I might.”

  Addie walked in past her. “Is Jessie leaving?”

  “I gave her an assignment.” I glanced at my laptop, ignoring Addie’s needling stare.

  “Oh.”

  I felt some sort of satisfaction having a secret from my officemate. I wasn’t a rule breaker, but today there was something renegade about my attitude.

  We both looked up when we heard a rap-tap on the frosted glass of our front wall. It was Max Harrison.

  “Professor Harrison.” Addie suddenly had a bright smile and warmth.

  “I know you’re busy, but Emily I was wondering if you had a few minutes.”

  I could feel the anger dripping off Addie. She shouldn’t be jealous. Neither of us knew what this was about.

  “Of course. Would you like to sit?” I offered.

  “How about we take a quick walk?”

  I covered my salad. “I can do that.” I grabbed my jacket and followed him outside.

  We started on one of the sidewalks that looped around the building.

  “I don’t usually interject in any of our resident’s cases, but I wanted to discuss a specific one with you.”

  “Oh?” My eyebrows lifted.

  He shoved his hands in his wool jacket. He had a plaid scarf tied in a hefty knot under his chin.

  “I read the brief on the Foley case.”

  I bit the inside of my cheek. “And you have a recommendation for me?”

  “I’m wondering if you have referred Mrs. Foley to outside counsel.”

  The wind kicked up. “No. She came to me specifically stating she didn’t trust any law firms in the city. Working with someone else isn’t an option for her.”

  “Have you brought it up again? Suggested she go with a full legal team?”

  I shook my head. “What is your concern? That I’m not able to handle the case?”

  He tilted his head toward the tree limbs overhead. “Emily, this is the kind of case that’s going to receive national attention. Suing a sitting senator is not a run-of-the-mill suit.”

  “I’m aware of the implications and the consequences,” I stated. The case had kept me awake at night. I knew all of the ramifications.

  “I’m afraid it’s going to appear as though our university is trying to insinuate itself in a national matter.”

  “Are you asking me to drop Mrs. Foley’s case?”

  He stopped under one of the oaks. I wrapped my jacket closer to my chest.

  “I think it would be best.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t do that.”

  “You can,” he pressed.

  “Then I should say I won’t do that. I stand by her claims. She was wrongfully terminated. Someone has to hold the senator accountable.”

  “Then let the Justice Department do that. I’m sure a high-end firm would love the publicity.”

  I sighed with exasperation. “That’s exactly what Lana doesn’t want. She needs an advocate who has nothing to gain. Nothing financial. Nothing but pursing the purity of the law. And that’s what I intend to do.”

  He huffed. “I had a feeling you would say that.”

  “You did?”

  He nodded. “I really wanted to make sure you were fully committed.”

  “I am. Fully.”

  We started to walk back toward the clinic. “Then, I’d like to offer my assistance.”

  I was shocked. “For a case you want me to drop?”

  “It’s not that I want you to drop it, it’s that if you do drop it life would be simpler for all of us. But I haven’t been teaching and practicing law for this many years to turn down a monumental moment. I’d like to be in on it, if you’ll have me.”

  “Oh my God, yes. Of course. I’d love to have help. Your help.”

  “Great.” He smiled. “We can schedule a briefing for tomorrow.”

  I nodded. “Absolutely.”

  I climbed the stairs.

  “See you tomorrow, Emily.”

  I suddenly felt as if I had a full arsenal at my disposal. Max Harrison was a brilliant legal mind. And he was now on our team. I needed to call Lana and let her know. This changed everything.

  By the time I reached the top of the third floor I had already forgotten everything that happened at work today.

  I saw the door. It came rushing back. The way my hands splayed against the planes. How Vaughn had held me with his body. I stared at it for a moment, not quite ready to put my keys in the lock.

  That door reminded me I had gone somewhere I had never thought possible. I never would have explored that part of myself without Vaughn.

  It drove me crazy that I didn’t know where he was or when he’d be back.

  I turned the key in the door and walked inside.

  The apartment was dark. I turned on a few lights before pouring a glass of wine. I knew it was too cold to sit on the rooftop. Maybe with a heater and a blanket, but I wasn’t feeling adventurous. Instead I felt tired and cranky. I wanted wine and the couch. No, what I really wanted was Vaughn.

  I pulled a blanket over my legs, letting my body sink into the cushions.

&nbs
p; The door barged open and Greer wrestled a file box through the apartment.

  “Do you need help?”

  She dropped everything in front of her room.

  “No. It would be nice if I didn’t have to lug this shit back and forth to work.”

  It looked like the same stacks she had yesterday.

  “What’s in those things?” I sat forward with my wine. “And why isn’t it on an external drive? Wouldn’t that be easier to carry?”

  She groaned. “Because, truth be told, and a security secret, there are some people who believe our files are more secure this way. We can’t be hacked. And who would think we’d bother with paper copies of contracts?”

  I swallowed the wine. “Strange, but good point.”

  “Maybe if we just had an elevator,” she whined.

  “I’ve said that every day I’ve lived here.” I smiled. “Do you still want to watch a movie, or do the boxes mean you have work to do?”

  She frowned. “So much work. But maybe I’ll be finished soon.”

  I kicked my feet to the floor. She could have the living room to work. “It’s ok. I’m too tired to keep my eyes open. I would fall asleep no matter what movie we watched. I think I’m going straight to bed.”

  “You sure?”

  “Oh yes. Positive.” I traipsed to my room. “Good night.”

  “Good night.”

  Chapter 19

  I fumbled for the phone in the dark. I didn’t know what time it was, only that I had been sleeping long enough to feel a heavy fog engulf me. I hit my hand on the lamp. A sharp pain shot across my wrist.

  “Shit,” I grumbled before landing on the phone.

  The screen looked blurry. It was my father. I sat up. “Dad, what’s wrong?” It had to be horrible for him to call me.

  “Emily, it’s your brother.”

  I couldn’t breathe. The dread tore through me. An icy chill coated my skin. Good news never came in the middle of the night. This was no different. I could feel the instant hollowness engulf me and fill my room. It permeated the darkness.

  “Dad, tell me,” I pleaded.

  “It’s—one of his friends called. He’s not doing well.”

  I let the breath go. “Where is he?”

  “They don’t know.”

  “Who is ‘they’?” I turned on the lamp. I shielded my eyes as my room was illuminated. The light didn’t ease my panic.

  “The guys he was living with at the beach. Logan and Ben called when he didn’t show up for work.”

  “Dad, he does this all the time.” I was irritated with my father. He had been removed from Garrett’s life for so long he had either forgotten the pattern or failed to see it. Garrett would show up in the morning.

  “No, it’s more serious. It’s been two weeks since they’ve seen him.”

  “Two weeks?” I eked out the question. “How is that possible?”

  “I don’t know. They didn’t think it was a big deal until now.”

  “How could it not be a big deal? He’s off his meds. He’s bi-polar. Episodes like this are a huge deal. Who are these guys?” I pulled a pillow to my chest. “Who have you called? The police? Mom?” The last part sounded strange. My parents never spoke.

  “Your mother doesn’t know. I asked them not to call her.”

  “Holy shit, Dad.” I tried to process it. What to do next. How to react. What to say.

  “If I tried to call her I know she’d blow up. Start yelling. Blame me for all of Garrett’s mistakes. I thought you should be the one to tell her. It will go much better.”

  I heard an unusual sadness in his voice. Defeat.

  “Dad…”

  “I know. I know. But it will be best coming from you.”

  “There’s no good way to drop this on her. What else can I tell her? What have the police said?” I wanted to take notes. That made me feel as if I had some kind of control. The legal side of my brain kicked in.

  “There’s not much to say. There is no suspicious activity.”

  “Did they issue a Silver Alert?”

  I found a pen rolling around in my desk. I tore a piece of paper from the back of my journal.

  My father continued with a limited rundown of what he knew. “No. He doesn’t meet the criteria. Besides, your mother would be go crazy if we made this public.”

  “I don’t care if it’s public. He could be hurt or in danger. Why doesn’t Garrett meet the Silver Alert requirement?”

  “I don’t fully understand it myself. Maybe you could talk to the police. They’ll listen to you. Tell them you’re an attorney in D.C. That will pull some weight.”

  “I don’t think they care if or where I practice law. I’m not one of them. But I’ll make some calls.”

  “Can you be here in the morning?”

  “Of course. I’ll book a flight.” It was trivial, but I listed plane tickets as one of the bullet point items on my sheet of paper.

  “I’ll pick you up. Send me the time you land.”

  I was about to tell him not to bother, but I realized how harsh that would sound given the circumstances. He was worried. Panicked enough to call me in the middle of the night. For the first time in years he had asked for my help. He had reached out to me.

  “Sounds good. I’ll let you know when I can get there. And I’ll call Mom. You’re right. I should take care of that. The last thing she needs is one of Garrett’s friends scaring her to death. I’ll do it.”

  But what would I say? How would I tell her Garrett’s friends reached out to Dad instead of her? And when she discovered it had been two weeks since anyone had seen him she would crumble. Every part of her would collapse with the realization that he was in real danger. This wasn’t one of his tantrums. It wasn’t an act of defiance over something trying to control his life. This was different. I could feel it.

  “I’ll see you soon.”

  He hung up and I tried to get my feet under me. I shuffled to my dresser and unplugged my laptop.

  I scanned prices for one-way tickets to New Bern. The airport was small, so there were no direct flights, but with a connection in Raleigh, it was still quicker than driving seven hours.

  I booked a 7 a.m. flight. Next, I scrolled through Garrett’s account. I sent him messages on every one, including a text, and left a voicemail. I debated how stern to be, but decided he needed to know I was worried.

  I hesitated about calling my mother. If I alerted her now she wouldn’t go back to sleep. She’d be a nervous wreck. There was no way to assure or comfort her. I held the phone in my hand, knowing I was making a decision that was possibly not mine to make.

  I yanked the charger from the wall and stuffed it in my carry-on bag. I’d call her from the airport. At least then she’d know I was on the way. It would give her a distraction—something to focus on that didn’t involve picturing her son in a hospital or lifeless somewhere.

  I turned the shower on and tried to wake up under the hot water. I was almost numb to what was going on. I went through the motions, pushing out the thoughts of my brother. I had to get to the airport. I had to get on the plane. I had to get home.

  By the time the wheels skidded on the runway in New Bern, I had lost some of my resolve. Somewhere in the air on the short flight it had evaporated.

  This wasn’t how I planned to return home for the first time. I was counting on Thanksgiving. I tried to hold on to the image of Vaughn seeing my town for the first time. I saw home with a new lens when he was in the picture. I imagined taking him to the waterfront. Showing him my own version of the Jefferson Memorial. Going to a pumpkin farm. Maybe even going on one of the Christmas light tours.

  I powered on my phone and tapped his name. I needed to hear his voice.

  It went straight to voicemail.

  “Hey, it’s me.” I paused. “I had to fly home for an emergency. I’m ok, but call me when you can. Please.”

  I closed my eyes. As much as I didn’t want to bring him into this, I suddenly needed him
in it. I wanted him with me. He would know what to say. What to do. I was sure of it.

  The flight attendant opened the door and I stood to pull my luggage from overhead. The plane was small. I exited onto the staircase and walked across the jet way.

  A man in front of me dropped his scarf. I stooped to pick it up for him.

  “Thank you.” He smiled.

  “No problem.” I stopped in front of the retractable doors. I didn’t want to go inside. I didn’t want the nightmare to begin.

  Because that’s exactly what was ahead of me.

  Chapter 20

  There was a slight hum inside the airport. There were a few people milling around. It wasn’t far from the gate to the baggage carousel. In only a few steps I would face my father again. A man I hadn’t spent time with in close to a year.

  Damn it, Garrett. Damn you for making me do this.

  I often wondered if life would have been easier if my father had moved away instead of remaining in town after the divorce. He owned a cabinet business. It was unrealistic to think he would sell the company or try to move it to another location.

  And my mom? What ties did she have to New Bern? She made the argument she couldn’t leave because of Garrett and me. But we had been adults far too long to latch on to that last thread of an excuse.

  It was her enabling that allowed him to stay on this road. As long as she fed into Garrett’s needs, he would never truly be healthy.

  The doors closed behind me. I walked through the terminal angry and bitter. Scared for my brother. Resentful that I had flown here under the most impossible circumstances.

  His hands were stuffed in his pockets. I didn’t know why he still wore that floppy golf cap. In a small town like this it had become his signature look.

  “How was the flight?” He walked toward me.

  “Hi, Dad.” It felt strange to move in for a hug, but I put my arm around him. It was an automatic response.

  “I parked by the curb.”

  “What about security? Can you do that?”

  He waved his hand. “They won’t tow me.”