The Veiled Cage (Lady Lawyer Series Romantic Suspense Novels Book 1)

by Johansen, Rita

  Cassandra rolled her eyes.

  “What are you celebrating with your purple-plant nails?”Ruby prompted.

  “Eggplant,”Cassandra corrected. When Ruby gave her a blank look, Cassandra waved a hand in frustration, and said,“All right, my fashion-clueless friend. Let’s stick to the law, shall we? I may have settled the case of the obstinate opposing counsel.”

  “Details.”

  “My client had to give a little on visitation where and when, but she ended up with full custody. Both parents wanted what was best for their kid. Ms. Mule got the boot after I played the threats she’d made at our settlement conference. Surprisingly, they weren’t sanctioned by her client.”She leaned forward for emphasis.“He was horrified, Ruby. I wish I’d snapped his expression, but I was too busy arming myself and ducking under the conference table.”

  “Ah, so Ms. Mule didn’t take her dismissal well. What’d you grab for protection?”Ruby settled into an accent chair and mused that Cassandra would have a fancy term for this combo of orange and gray. Halloween came to mind, but Ruby held back on making this observation aloud. Cassandra was quick to show off her fashion-forward office, as she and Colin called it. Just another place where her horror-movie fascination showed up, Ruby decided, and tuned back into the conversation to hear Cassandra’s reply.

  “A crystal vase. It had some real weight to it. Fortunately, I didn’t have to use it. Ms. Mule stormed out. When I replaced the vase on its stand, I noticed that it’s stunning. Where’d we get it? It’s not your usual style.”

  “It was a launch present from Alfred.”

  “It’s been there three years?”

  “In this suite, yes. Colin insisted on giving it‘pride of place on a pedestal.’His exact words. That was a few months back.”

  “Oh, Ruby. Where did you have it?”

  “In the kitchen. In a cupboard.”

  “You didn’t. Not even you.”

  “What? There were other vases down there.”

  Cassandra shook her head.“Knowing Alfred, he must have told you the story behind the piece.”

  “He did.”

  “Which is?”

  Ruby slipped into her best British accent.“It once overflowed with fresh cosmos flowers and graced the mahogany desk of Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State and a trailblazer for women worldwide. When she ascended to this distinguished office, she discarded the war décor to create an ambience for peace.”

  “And then you go and wreck the beautiful legacy of this vase by stuffing it in some dusty cupboard.”She swept her hand toward the kitchen.

  “Excuse me? You wielded the peace vase as a weapon.”

  They burst into laughter.

  “I can’t wait to tell Alfred,”Ruby said.“He’ll get a kick out of telling his clients about the peace vase’s lively new home.”

  “Yes, without a doubt. You know what’s in order?”

  “Of course. You must pick how we commemorate the occasion. Add a placard to the former peace vase’s pedestal? Blaze an orange-fruit carpet out the front entry? Hire a trumpeter to announce your entrance and departure with‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy?’”

  “Is that really a song?”

  “Yes, by the Andrews Sisters. Alfred had it on last week.”

  “I was thinking we’d splurge for lunch and go to Chestnut.”

  “Done. I guess I’ll hold those gems in reserve for my next celebration. I wonder how much a custom teal carpet would set me back. Would it qualify as a business expense? Could I find teal velvet robes to set alongside it?”

  “You’re ridiculous and possibly insane.”

  “Some say I’m a dreamer.”

  “Only those who haven’t seen you in action.”

  “Such flattery will get you a fancy lunch. Colin’s craving Thai food. I suspect an upgrade to Chestnut won’t be a problem. Since you plan to steal my intern, do you want to check out the application for today’s prospect?”

  “Sounds fair.”

  “PSC engage, retrieve intern applications and display on Screen Four.”Ruby perused the digital folder on Cassandra’s wall screen.“Open Jasmine Sinclair’s application.”She turned to Cassandra.“That name’s familiar. I’ve met her. Do you know her?”

  “No.”

  “Okay, not a mutual acquaintance. Let me place her. Ah, yes, that day I verbally sparred with my colleagues in defense.”

  “That really narrows it down, Ruby.”

  “Well, it didn’t start out as usual. You know, calling me honey, sweetie, beautiful as they looked me up and down like an entrée.”

  “What happened?”

  “It started out bland enough. One slicked-back hairstyle asked another how court’s been. Jim claimed he got him out of this and her off of that. Their usual banter about sweet deals. Then Larry brought up a probation officer.‘She has a lucky bastard of a husband,’”Ruby parroted.

  “Did he mean Cynthia? Her husband Mark is a health activist and a professional caregiver.”

  “I know it. Larry figures that means Mark plays golf all day and coaches little league all night. Mark spearheaded overhauling his district’s school-lunch program.”

  “Did you know his blog is wildly successful?”

  “No, but I’m not surprised.”

  “What happened next?”

  “Larry told Jim he should’ve seen her in that skirt. He appreciated how she felt free to express her femininity. You know—hubba hubba, elbow poke in the ribs. They should’ve bagged a woman like her and played golf. Larry figured she’s quite the tigress out of the courtroom.”

  “Let me guess. You couldn’t just sit there.”

  “Why would I? My client’s shifting in her seat. Jenny the court clerk turned beet red. I could tell from across the courtroom. Somebody had to say something. I was polite about it, Cass.”

  “I’m sure you were.”

  “I excused myself for interrupting their degrading conversation. Then I, very politely, informed them my client’s a lady. If they’d emerge from their makeshift man cave, they’d see there are other ladies present—all could hear them, and none appreciated their debasing banter. Though inappropriate anywhere, it’s better suited to a bar than a courtroom. I gestured toward those standing to applaud, said I present Exhibit A, and told them I rested my case.”

  “What’d they say?”

  “They asked me who the hell I thought I was.‘Ruby Miller of Miller Law Office,’I said. They may have seen my teal billboard off the interchange. Women have taken notice. I have a few ideas why they prefer my representation over theirs.”

  “You have a knack for making friends.”

  “Sure do. I have no desire to muddy myself by playing in the pigpen. It turned out Larry’s client had joined in the ovation. She went in front of the judge and fired her attorney.”

  “What was her reason?”

  “Unprofessional behavior. She approached me after court for my card. And she wasn’t the only one.”

  “What does this have to do with Jasmine Sinclair?”

  “Jasmine approached me, too. She told me she appreciated I’d said something. And now here she is coming in to interview for an internship with me.”

  “You?”

  “Us, intern snatcher. You’ll like her. PSC, open resume.”Ruby scanned the document.“She’s well-qualified for the position.”

  “Geez, does she ever sleep?”

  “If not, she’ll be a perfect fit for my firm. A bit of an overachiever for yours.”

  “Hey, who beat you in this morning?”

  “Only because the rule is bogus. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it.”

  “No, Ruby. Your ass on your home chair doesn’t count.”

  “You haven’t considered my new arguments.”

  “Buy me sinfully dark chocolate and I’ll take them into consideration.”

  “Deal.”Ruby rose.“Don’t you have work to do? Or are you going to rest on your laurels? At this rate, it m
ight be a while before your next celebration.”

  Cassandra tossed a pen at Ruby, who caught it effortlessly.“Damn it, I forgot you played softball.”

  “Center field, baby. Captain. MVP.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Enough about your glory days.”

  “I heard you bragging me up last week before we crushed the Steffen firm at league. Besides, you should be thankful I have catlike reflexes. You could’ve stabbed my eye with your atrocious aim.”

  “Who said that would’ve been a miss?”

  “Nice. Be more careful, Cass. I’m trying to make this the new face of criminal defense.”

  “Thank God you caught it. You saved me from having to hire a scumbag to combat assault charges.”

  Ruby’s PSC chimed twice before Colin’s face appeared on-screen.“Ms. Sinclair has arrived.”

  “Thanks, Colin. I’ll meet her in the conference room.”

  “PSC to standby.”The wall image disappeared as Ruby turned to Cassandra.“Would you like to join us?”

  “I have to make calls, and finish prep for an OFP at nine. Bring her by if you’re going to hire her.”

  “Now that it comes down to the legwork, she’d be my intern.Well played, Dayton.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I happen to be swimming in work this morning.”

  “You’re swimming in something. Try getting up at midnight. It’s amazing what one can accomplish before dawn.”

  “Yet still cannot manage to beat one’s suitemate into the office.”

  “Savor your small taste of glory. By the way, your name plaque is crooked. You wouldn’t want to give your clients the impression you’re off kilter.”

  “Is that the best you can do?”

  “No, it’s a tiny warm up. It took me an hour to get those shreds out of my office. You’re not getting off that easy, Cass.”

  “You told me to take care of shredding our discards when you made me go virtual. I was perfectly fine using hemp paper.”

  “How’s the virtual system working out for you?”

  “Great,”Cassandra acknowledged.

  “Wish you would’ve held off on that little prank?”

  “A tad. Although you have to admit it was hilarious. Colin enjoyed it.”

  “Only because he was out sick, and didn’t have to participate in the cleanup.”

  “Sheer coincidence.”

  “I don’t believe in convenient coincidences.”Ruby moved in front of Cassandra’s door.“This plaque is sure wonky,”she called out.

  “It doesn’t bother me in the least.”

  “I’m glad. Maybe the main event won’t faze you.”

  “Not in the least.”

  Chapter 3

  Ruby amused herself by tossing and catching her PSC on the way to the conference room.

  Cassandra dashed into the hallway and righted her plaque.“Perfect.”

  Ruby stopped at Colin’s desk.“Observations?”

  “She’s well put together. Unlike Jerome, she didn’t dismiss me. She asked what it was like to work with you.”

  “Conclusion?”

  “She wants the gig, but cares about fit. She’s sizing you up, Ruby.”

  “Good for her. Not enough people realize an interview goes both ways. You tell her what a demanding boss I am?”

  “The worst. I discovered there aren’t enough nasty epithets to capture the horrors of being under your employ. I coined new ones.”

  “I like your style, Colin. She get your stamp?”

  “I approve. Have you seen her resume? She never sleeps. You could hold meetings at midnight.”

  “Now that’s a bright idea. I’ll provide the treats. You in?”

  “Sure. I might be a tad late—six hours or so.”

  “Slacker.”

  “Sadist.”

  They grinned at each other.

  “Is lunch at Chestnut okay?”

  “Let’s see, fine dining instead of a buffet. I suppose I can stomach it.”

  “Maybe Cass will buy Thai food next time. I’m going to weaken her with chocolate and argue for the new rule.”

  “Good luck.”

  “It’s nice to see you’re on my side.”

  “I’ll wish her the same.”

  “Flip flopper.”

  “I’ve learned neutrality is paramount with two bosses. Remember the paper-shredding incident? It wouldn’t have been humanly possible to resist laughing at that vid, and yet you vowed to include me in your payback prank. I’m certain the passage of time hasn’t affected your recall.”

  Ruby tapped her temple.“Steel trap, my fair-weather friend. Vengeance is most satisfying when served to the unsuspecting. I’ve already put my plan in motion. You want in?”

  “Two bosses, remember?”

  “It’s too late to play the neutral card. You caused imbalance with your snickering. It’s still ringing in my ears. You can play Switzerland after you help me.”

  “I’m in.”

  “I’ll send you my diagram.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes, every successful operation requires at least one diagram. Besides, it gave me a chance to tinker with that new app Flick programmed before turning rascal.”

  “I wonder what happened to Flick,”Colin said.“Have you heard from him?”

  “No. I sure appreciate the tech he left behind though. Think these portable supercomputers will hit the market before or after Flick gets himself in federal hot water?”

  “My money is on after.”

  “Thank God we cut him loose in time to keep our house clean. We need to find a new e-guru. Peruse listings, would you? Keep an eye out for talent that cares about a cause.”

  “Will do. It won’t be hard to find someone with better people skills than Flick.”

  “No, it won’t. His e-skills on the other hand will be hard to match. Nearly impossible to surpass.”

  “Nobody knew how good he was better than Flick.”Colin gave a wry smile.

  “Yes, not a humble bone in his body.”

  “You miss him?”

  “Like I miss the politics at the prosecutor’s office. Our amped up tech is a nice souvenir from his time here.”

  “Agreed. Are you going to meet with Jasmine?”

  “Just giving her time to settle in and review her notes. Interviewing is nerve-wrecking business, especially when you’re a striver like Jasmine. We’ll have to work on a nickname for her if we take her on.”

  “There was a Jasmine at my high school. All the guys wanted to date her.”

  “Except for you.”

  “Naturally.”

  “They called her Mine.”

  “That’s not very clever.”

  “You know high-school antics. They’d surround her and take turns calling it out.‘Mine, Mine, Mine.’ Thoroughly annoyed, I said,‘She’s mine, damn it.’I put my arm around her and swept her away. We became great friends after that.”

  “What happened?”

  “We pretended to break up when the new cute guy transferred in. She’s married now to a doctor in Phoenix. New guy turned into a summer fling.”He gave her a serious look.“We can do better than Mine.”

  “It’s not even on the list, Colin.”

  “Good, keep it that way.”

  “If I hire her, I’ll want her to start right away. Give her a hand with any legal research, coach her on arguments. Tell her Mason’s preferences. If she asks for nickname suggestions, defer to someone else. Dear God, anyone else.”

  “It’s a charming story.”He sat in a huff.

  “Yes, delightful. Amy would love it.”

  He turned with a wicked glint in his eye.“Ah, yes, she’s coming for the intervention—sappy emotion central. Aren’t you in for a treat?”

  “I’m glad to see you’ve stopped sulking.”

  “I feel much better, thanks. Maybe Amy can work her magic with you. She is a delightful matchmaker. Introduced me to Charles, you know.”

  “Yes,
I know. I’m happy that you’re happy.”

  “On second thought, I suppose she’s not a miracle worker.”

  “Thanks, Colin. I’d be offended if I had any interest in settling down in the suburbs.”

  “It’d be better than your cramped kaleidoscope of an apartment. I’d keep quiet about an espresso machine if it meant you’d do something about your hideous living quarters.”

  “We can’t all have a designer’s eye.”

  “Yes, but it’s as if you’re blind. It’s abrupt and jarring. It’s no wonder you can’t sleep in that nightmarish place.”

  “It’s bright and energizing.”

  “My eyes bleed.”

  “I’ll stop inviting you over.”

  “Please remember that if you hold midnight meetings with Mine.”

  “Speaking of Jasmine, hold anything unrelated to Epstein while I meet with her.”

  “Done.”

  Ruby entered the conference room.

  A sturdy woman set aside her phone and moved to rise.

  Motioning for Jasmine to stay seated, Ruby strode over and shook hands, noting in approval that Jasmine was not one to limp-fish a handshake, and took her usual seat at the head of the expansive table.“I hope you didn’t mind the wait. Colin and I had important matters to discuss.”

  Jasmine straightened her lapels. Her sleek brown hair ended in a straight edge at her chin.“Yes, I heard,”she began.“Pranks and chocolate take precedence.”She gave Ruby a cautious smile.“I appreciated the time to settle in, and to review my notes.”

  Ruby returned her smile, and said,“You have excellent hearing.”

  “Uh, I wanted to first let you know that I, excuse me.”Jasmine sipped from the water glass in front of her and wiped her hands on her slacks.“I thought about what you told me at the hearing, when you asked why I didn’t stand up and say something to those guys.”

  “That you have as much right as anyone to speak?”

  “Yeah. It’s just that . . . I’m a law student. I was afraid they wouldn’t listen to me.”

  Ruby measured her.“It takes guts to admit when you’re afraid. But you’re making the assumption that I spoke for their benefit. I had no delusion my speech would change decades of bad behavior. I spoke for those who wanted to say something but felt they couldn’t. You’re different than the average person in the galley. The others are afraid to say or do anything to officers of the court that might impact their legal cases. You’re entering legal practice. You’ll stand for something, for someone. It’s time to practice speaking out against injustice.”