Into Thin Air

by Beck, Kristina

  I peek inside, then close it quickly. “Where? How?” I open it again. “I can’t believe it. Where did you find Jenny’s portfolio? Who found it?”

  Christy grins. “You know the file clerk, Grace, right? She was in the file room and found a pile of folders on top of a cabinet near the archive section. You know, the ones we don’t use so often anymore. Well, the pile caught her eye. She decided to look at what they were––we can’t leave legal documents around. That’s when Dora got involved.”

  My focus switches to Dora as she begins to explain. “Grace came to me because Stephanie wasn’t in as usual. Everyone seems to think I’m Stephanie’s personal secretary now. Anyway, she gave me the files and told me they looked like they were Stephanie’s. She explained where she found them and asked me to give them to her when she got back in the office.

  “I sorted through the files, and they were indeed Stephanie’s. The portfolio grabbed my attention, though. I had to laugh—there’s even a personalized sticky note with Stephanie’s business information and handwriting on it: Give to Tate Reilley at lunch meeting on July 7.

  “But how can I prove Stephanie left them there?”

  “The portfolio isn’t the only thing we found,” Christy adds.

  “One of the other file clerks has found Stephanie in there a couple of times, in the back where that pile was found. There’s no reason for her to be in there. One time when the clerk caught her back there, he said Stephanie shoved something in her pocket, then wiped her mouth. The clerk reminded her that she needs to sign in and out when she’s in the file room. She said something snippy to him and left. He said she smelled like alcohol, or maybe something in the room did. He searched where she was standing and found a splatter of liquid on the floor. Turns out, it was alcohol. Not a lot, but enough that he had to clean the floor.”

  I tap my chin and list out loud all the clues that proves she’s an alcoholic.

  “Regardless of her drinking, now that you have the portfolio, the case should be dropped,” Christy mentions.

  “You know it won’t be that easy. They’ll just say I’m lying and had the portfolio all along. But let’s not lose hope just yet. I have a hunch there’s more to this than the portfolio. I do believe Jenny is out to get me, but there’s something else that involves Stephanie. That’s what I need to figure out. And you know me—I’ll find it. Stephanie hasn’t learned that yet, and neither has Jenny.”

  “Well, so you know, we’re on your side. Anything we hear or see, we’ll tell you. Stephanie doesn’t deserve to be in her position. You do,” Christy emphasizes.

  “Be careful. I don’t want either one of you to lose your jobs because you’re helping me.”

  I have to laugh—I have no desire to have Stephanie’s job, but I do want justice. People like Stephanie and Jenny don’t deserve to win. It’s time to up my research, and I know exactly where to look next.

  ∞

  Today’s the big day. I am going to shock the hell out of a lot of people. I unlock my car and get inside. As I start the engine, I notice something on my hood. I get back out and look around the garage. For some reason, I’m not nervous.

  It’s a tiny white gift bag. My insides swirl with excitement. There’s a little card. I open it. “Good luck, knowledge, and strength. That’s all you need. Love, the man in your dream. ∞” Our infinity symbol. I’ve already put Cass’s infinity tattoo on the inside of my wrist for luck today.

  Wrapped in dark blue with a white bow, the package looks just like the one in our dream. When I unwrap it, my eyes well up. It’s a Swarovski sea turtle. Not the same one I dreamed, but I don’t care. It’s exactly what I need for today. Gale or Cass must be keeping him up to date. I love them. And I still love Sam.

  ∞

  The waiting room is empty, and I’m pacing back and forth. The sea turtle is in my jacket pocket. I just want to get this over with. I can hear Stephanie whining down the hall about the type of water that’s available for the meeting. I think her focus should be on saving her ass. Then again, she’ll need that water, along with the alcohol she hides in her office.

  This meeting had better run the way I want it to. I need to be inside the conference room before my special guest makes his appearance. He tops the cake.

  Dora comes to the front, an annoyed look pasted on her face. But she gives me a thumbs-up.

  “I’m going to use the bathroom one more time. I’ll be right back.”

  Dora nods.

  As I’m sitting on the toilet, the bathroom door opens. I quickly lift my legs. Hushed voices invade the room. Stephanie and Jenny. I take my phone out of my pocket and start recording what they’re saying. I turn off the ringer to make sure it doesn’t give me away.

  “Jenny, what do you think Stella knows or wants?” Stephanie’s voice has a nervous twang.

  “She has nothing on us. She’ll have to pay me for the portfolio you misplaced and for trying to sabotage my modeling career. That’s a lot of money for me. Then this firm gets to keep my mother’s divorce case. We both win. I’ve already won because Samuel and Stella aren’t together anymore. Besides the money, that was my main goal. If I can’t have him, no one will.” Jenny cackles. “I love that you automatically blamed Stella for losing the portfolio. Perfect timing for me to jump on the bandwagon. I don’t even need the portfolio anymore. I got a new one from the photographer. This was a perfect setup.”

  Someone washes their hands, which makes it hard for me to hear them.

  “You’re shaking, Stephanie. You gotta lay off the booze if you want this to work. You know if you lose my mother’s divorce case, it’ll be a bad reflection on you. So wake the hell up. If it’ll calm you down, go have a drink. I’m sure you have a little travel bottle hidden in your purse or in your office. I’ve dealt with people like you before. I can also use it against you.”

  Holy shit! I have my jackpot right here. I want to squeal. I wish there was a spy cam in here, not just me recording their voices. I hope they stop talking soon. The muscles in my legs and abs are burning.

  “Stephanie, you know what to do and say, right? Don’t screw this up.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Just let me run to my office for a minute.”

  Shoes scuffle on the floor, and then the door opens and closes. The bathroom becomes silent, but I’m still afraid to move. What if one of them stayed behind? I sit there for a couple more minutes to ensure that I’m alone.

  The door opens again. “Stella, are you in here?” Dora whispers. “It’s time. He’s here, and he’s waiting for you in your office.”

  After I gain feelings in my legs again, I walk to the sink. My reflection in the mirror shows a confident lawyer who’s going to blindside everyone. I can’t wait.

  Five minutes later, I walk into the meeting room, where I find drunk Stephanie, gloating Jenny, sourpuss Carlotta, and boring Peter from HR. Perfect. I wish I could take a picture of before and after. It’s showtime.

  “Good morning, everyone.” I place my bag on the chair and pull out my files. My phone is secure in my pocket. “Are we ready to start?” I eyeball each of them. No one says anything.

  “Before we begin, I’ve asked someone to sit in on the meeting to ensure a fair discussion. He seemed to be unaware of what’s been going on in this office.”

  “You never discussed this with us,” Stephanie snaps.

  “Are you worried? I think it’s only fair to have a neutral witness in the room. I’m sure we don’t want any leftover she-said-this and she-said-that. I think we’d all love to avoid taking this to court.”

  Stephanie looks at Carlotta and then Jenny. They both nod at her.

  “Great. Let me get him.”

  I open the door. “Mr. Brigstone, please come in.” I stand aside and wait for him to enter. Stephanie’s eyes look like she’s wearing Coke bottles.

  “Um… Stan… um. I didn’t know you’d be here. It’s great to see you.” She wipes her hands on her jacket. “Let me intr
oduce you to Jenny Parton and Carlotta Weis. You’re familiar with the Weis divorce case.” He shakes Stephanie’s hand and then the others.

  “First, I’d like to thank Mr. Brigstone for coming here last minute,” I state.

  “You’re welcome.” He unbuttons his suit jacket. “Let’s get down to business. I have a busy schedule today.”

  I motion for everyone to sit down, but I remain standing. “Sure. I know we have better things to do than this. I’ll get straight to the point.”

  I summarize why I’m on leave, and then I take Jenny’s portfolio out of my bag and place it in the middle of the table. The sticky note is still on the front cover.

  “My portfolio. Where were you hiding it?” Jenny accuses me, grabbing it. “What’s this note?” She reads it out loud.

  “This portfolio, with the sticky on it, was found in the file room by one of the file clerks. It was in a pile of Stephanie’s papers that she seemed to have left on one of the file cabinets. As per office rules, there must be a record of who goes in and out at all times. There are more than a few dates recorded. Another clerk also found Stephanie far back in one of the corners. He believes she spilled some alcohol on the floor.”

  Stephanie leaps from her chair and points at me. “Objection! Stella, you put it there to set me up,” she snarls.

  “Stephanie, sit down.” Mr. Brigstone’s voice is hard. “Stella, please continue.”

  “I thought you’d say that, Stephanie, so I brought the log with me. That is your signature, correct?” I point to three separate days. “It’s right around the date the portfolio went missing.”

  Mr. Brigstone snatches the log off the table. He traces his finger down the signatures. His mouth forms into a tight line.

  “This doesn’t prove I left it there. Your name is listed as well.”

  “Okay, I already foresaw your reaction. You know me, always a couple steps ahead. I obtained something right before this meeting. It couldn’t have come at a better time.”

  I check that my phone is on the loudest setting. I place it on the table, a bit closer to me in case someone tries to snag it.

  “I was in the bathroom with you ladies a few minutes before this meeting. You forgot to check that no one was in there.” I press Play.

  I snatch the phone as Jenny tries to grab it. I let the recording play out, then add, “I also have pictures of Stephanie drinking in her car in the office garage.” I show the pictures to Mr. Brigstone.

  “In addition to all of this, there’s more.” I pull up the recording Cass sent me. “Here is another recording of you, Ms. Parton, trying to extort money from Samuel Moore, in exchange for leaving me alone and not trying to sabotage my personal relationship with him. Ms. Parton, two people were in the adjacent room in Sam’s LA condo that day who overheard everything you said. Thankfully, one of them recorded it. It’ll show what type of person you are.”

  I press Play again.

  “Jenny!” Carlotta yells when it ends. “How could you be so stupid?” The two of them bicker in the corner.

  Wow, that’s the first time I’ve seen Carlotta show any emotion. She must be really pissed off. Bravo.

  “Excuse me, can we get back to business here?” Peter speaks up.

  “Next on the list.” I shuffle my papers around and place a thick folder on the table.

  “Since California is a fifty-fifty state, that means a couple’s assets are split in half. All financial records must be revealed. I believe Ms. Weis hasn’t revealed all her assets. In this folder are accounts she’s been hiding overseas. It seems she’s been hiding money from all three marriages.

  “My presumption is that Stephanie was getting paid off to ignore these accounts. It’s why Ms. Weis is using this law firm for her divorce.”

  I walk back and forth like I’m in a courtroom.

  “Stephanie wanted credit for bringing in a big divorce case to attract others. I’ve been in contact with your husband’s lawyer in the past, Ms. Weis, as part of my work on your case. He suggested this might be a possibility. I asked Stephanie about it at the time, and she told me that she had already addressed it, and I shouldn’t worry about it anymore. But it got me thinking. I decided to dig deeper.”

  Mr. Brigstone grabs the folder and opens it. After a few minutes, he slams it shut. “Is this all you have to say, Ms. Crimson?”

  “No. There’s one final item. It’s something I’ve questioned for a while, but didn’t get around to checking before they put me on leave. I’m not sure why this wasn’t found when Stephanie was hired.” I glare at Peter. He’s biting his nails and sits low in his chair.

  I toss another paper on the table. “According to the Washington State Bar Association, Stephanie not only didn’t pass the bar once, but twice. She’s been working as a lawyer without the proper legal credentials. I’m sorry to have to reveal this, Mr. Brigstone. I don’t know whether she bribed someone to let her work here or whether you simply have no control over your company.

  “Oh, and if you haven’t noticed, I was told that the firm lost several clients and other lawyers in this firm when I was pushed out. That’s because I was doing Stephanie’s job and, once I left, things got out of control.

  “Now, as you can see, there is no reason to take me to court. I’m not at fault for any of this. In fact, I could call the police right now and have all three of these women arrested if I wanted to. But I won’t, because I couldn’t be bothered. Mr. Brigstone, you can deal with them yourself.

  “As for you, Ms. Parton, you deserve to rot in hell. No wonder Sam came looking for someone like me. I’ll keep a copy of both voice recordings, in case I ever hear of you doing something like this again. And there’s more than one copy.”

  I stack the papers that are mine, then hand the rest to Mr. Brigstone. “My probation is officially over, but I’m happy to say, I quit. I don’t want my name connected to a law firm like this one.”

  I pick up my stuff and leave the room. As I shut the door behind me, Mr. Brigstone yells, “Stephanie and Peter, you’re fired!” All hell breaks loose, so I run off to the front. I can hear Carlotta and Jenny screaming and crying.

  Dora peeks around the corner, and Christy’s right behind her. I flash them a huge smile. They high-five me as I walk to the door. “I’ll see you ladies tonight at eight at Sacramento’s Bar. Tell Grace to come along too if she wants. It’s time to celebrate.”

  “We’ll be there!” Christy cheers.

  I need to call Mom and Gale, but the only person I really want to talk to is Sam. He’d be so proud of me, especially since Jenny will no longer be a problem for us.

  What am I talking about? There is no us.

  ∞

  I took a well-deserved nap, cuddling with the sea turtle Sam won for me. Now that I’ve slept, I’m ready to have some fun. I’ve gotten a ton of messages from people at the firm. Cass called while I was sleeping. I’ll call her back when I have more time to sit and chat.

  I swing open my door to leave and almost knock over a huge bouquet of red roses. There must be at least two dozen. My heart hammers, and I open the card that’s attached to the vase. It says the simplest of words.

  “Congratulations! I knew you could do it. Love, the man in your dream. ∞”

  I love how he writes in your dream, not of your dreams. Tears beg to spill out as I look around frantically. “Sam? Sam, are you here?”

  I call out several more times, but there’s no answer. My heart plummets, knowing he’s not here. I gaze at the little card, and a tear drops on the word congratulations. I miss him so much. But that’s okay. I will shake it off, because tonight is my night to celebrate. I’ll crash tomorrow when I finally realize what happened today. It doesn’t feel real at the moment.

  I can’t wait to add this to the end of my book. Once it’s finished, it’ll be time to call Cass.

  Chapter 44

  Sam

  It’s been six weeks, two days, nineteen hours, and six minutes since Ellie walked out of
my apartment, and she hasn’t returned. We’ve had no contact other than me sending her the Swarovski turtle and flowers. The burning hole Ellie left in my heart hasn’t gotten smaller, but I’ve found ways to function again.

  Coaching is fucking hard. After Ellie left, my mind and heart weren’t in it or maybe it was complete overload from the number of changes I’d experienced since June. I felt like a complete failure.

  And then, one Saturday morning, I woke up to find Coach Lockhart ringing my doorbell. He gave me the mother of all pep talks that my own father should’ve given me years ago whenever I doubted myself.

  He said I’d been on the fast track for most of my life, and it was time for me to slow down. It’d be good for me to be alone for a while, to find out who I really am. If I take away the famous soccer player title, who am I? Well, it’s simple. I am Sam Moore, and I love to play soccer. There’s a big difference between that and before, and for once in my life, I’m happy with it. Now, coaching is my future. With or without Ellie.

  I talk to Gale once in a while, but I’ve given up asking about Ellie. He always gave me the same standard answer every time. She’s doing really well. I want her to be happy, but selfishly, I’d love to hear that she’s miserable without me and wants me back.

  Practice is over for the day, so I’m in my office checking emails. There’s one. I open it.

  Ellie emailed this to me the other day. I don’t know if you knew she wrote a book. She told me when she learned I was an editor. I promised her I wouldn’t tell you because it was supposed to be a surprise. Well, things have changed. This is the unedited version, but it doesn’t matter. It’s beautifully written. READ EVERY SINGLE WORD. You’ll know what to do with it.

  I look at the name of the attachment. Memories of Us. I lean back in my chair. She told me she likes to write, and I told her to write about our vacation at the resort, but that was in our dream. We never discussed it again. Is that what this is?

  It’s going to be a long night.

  Chapter 45

  Ellie