Beyond Justice

by Cara Putman

  Randolph’s stance hardened as he looked at her. “Not at all, Lilith.” He turned back to Hayden and Andrew. “A pleasure to see you both.” The scowl on his face didn’t match his words.

  Hayden took a half step closer to Andrew and wondered how Lilith and Randolph knew each other.

  As soon as he stepped onto the dais, Andrew noticed a man with swarthy features standing beneath a tree. In his midtwenties, the man looked as out of place in his jeans and polo as Jason Randolph had looked in his tux. What kept Andrew’s attention was the way the man’s gaze was fixed on Hayden.

  As he watched the man watching Hayden, his father stepped next to him.

  Perfectly turned out in a hand-tailored suit that cost more than many of Andrew’s families had to survive on for a month, his father looked every part the patrician senator. Old Virginia family, wealth earned the old-fashioned way, and smart enough to attend an Ivy League school and top tier law school, the man had all the résumé lines.

  “Try not to frown so much when you’re up here, son,” he murmured.

  The way he said son made Andrew wonder if he occasionally forgot his only child’s name. Then he scolded himself for the unkind thought. His dad cared, he was just unsure how to show it.

  “Give the illusion you enjoy these events.”

  “Yes sir.” Andrew tried to relax his arms and loosen his stance, but his mind buzzed with tension as he kept the man in his sights.

  “Nice article, by the way. Looks like you didn’t need my help to get the right tone.”

  “Thanks.” Who was that guy, and how had he made it onto the property? His dad didn’t hire much security for these events, but maybe that should change. Andrew made a mental note to raise the idea with Dan Washburn. One more detail for the overpaid, overstuffed chief of staff to manage.

  His mother made her way through the crowd, the perfect image of a woman who attended the best private girls’ schools in the late sixties. Makeup flawless, hair that wouldn’t dare ruffle in the wind, dress in perfect taste. A true southern belle to the tips of her pointed shoes.

  As Andrew’s gaze slid back to Hayden, he noted she looked perfect as she chatted with an attorney from Old Town. Hayden had introduced the woman as Savannah Daniels, her friend and mentor. It looked like the two had much to discuss.

  Senator Cole, an influential member of the Senate, addressed the crowd. Then his father rallied the troops. Midway through his speech, Andrew noticed the Polo Shirt Man pivot from his position under the tree and disappear into the mix of staff. Maybe that’s what he was after all. One of the many hired by his mother for a behind-the-scenes job. But even if that explained the man’s presence, Andrew didn’t like the way he had honed in on Hayden.

  As some other dignitary spoke, Andrew bit back a smile as his mother shifted her feet. The dais time was stretching long, even for a campaign event. Finally the speechmaking ended, and his father urged everyone to take advantage of the food and open bar.

  Several people stopped Andrew as he tried to wend his way to Hayden.

  The county chairwoman asked a question he’d heard numerous times, her white hair taking on a blue tinge in the light of the setting sun. “Ready to run for your father’s seat?”

  Andrew met her gaze as he weighed his words. He couldn’t admit to her that public office was the last thing he wanted. “I’ll leave his seat to the professionals.”

  “Maybe what we need is fewer professionals and a few more people who see people.” Her eyes might hide behind red-framed glasses, but Andrew realized Mrs. Hopner saw straight through him. “Give it some thought, young man. DC could use more people who don’t want to be here.”

  Her words rolled through his mind, colliding with ready protests and a few seconds of “maybe she’s right.” He glad-handed a few more of the congressman’s supporters before he finally found Hayden headed his direction.

  She looked slightly uncomfortable, and he knew he’d left her on her own too long. Though he had to say, she’d proven she was more than up to the challenge.

  Hayden kept an eye on Lilith and Randolph as they left. She followed behind them, their coziness contradicting their earlier tense exchange. She stopped a few feet away from them and turned around, but not so far that she couldn’t make out their conversation.

  “Are you ready to move forward?” Lilith’s words were harsh, even as she hung on Randolph’s arm.

  “I took care of her, didn’t I?”

  “Not quite the way the boss anticipated. He’s willing to give you another try to find it.”

  “It’s not at the office.”

  “Then get creative.”

  They wandered off and Hayden turned toward the dais as the program started. What were they looking for? And who had Randolph taken care of? Her? Angela? The speeches were long, leaving her wishing for an Abraham Lincoln statesman among them. Then it finally ended and Andrew moved toward her.

  “Did a Hispanic-looking man bother you?”

  Andrew’s words, married with a concerned look on his face, pulled her up short. “Excuse me?”

  His clear eyes met her gaze head on. “The whole time I was on the dais, a man was standing a few feet away, focused on you.”

  Maybe if she focused on anything but the man Andrew had seen, she wouldn’t panic in front of his family. “I knew this dress was a bad idea.”

  Andrew laughed. “That dress was anything but a bad idea.”

  “Thank you.” She tried not to smile but couldn’t help it, there was such admiration in his eyes. Her heart sped up. There was something electrifying about this man. Something that felt dangerous, too, as though if she got too close she’d be singed.

  “Andrew, I believe you have some duties to attend to.” Lilith was coming their way, walking way too fast for stilettos. What was she thinking wearing those to an outdoor event? And how did she keep from sinking into the ground with each step?

  The LD stopped in front of them and hooked her arm through Andrew’s. “I need to speak with you privately. I heard something important you’ll want to know.” She gave Hayden a catty grin.

  “You can say anything in front of Hayden.” Andrew’s smile warmed her from the inside even as Lilith tried to ease him away.

  “Not this.” There was a fire in her eyes that put Hayden on edge.

  “Not gonna happen. Say it here or it’ll wait. I’ve already left Hayden on her own too long.”

  “You interfered where you shouldn’t have.” She stepped away, then she turned back and locked eyes with Andrew. “You will regret this.”

  CHAPTER 47

  MONDAY, APRIL 17

  Monday morning Hayden reluctantly went to the office. After the fund-raiser she and Andrew had brought Emilie home, and while her friend insisted she was fine, Hayden knew better. The shadows that lingered in the depths of Emilie’s eyes belied her words.

  Now as Hayden sat in a borrowed chair in a borrowed office, she doodled on a legal pad, wondering what on earth she was supposed to do next.

  She had one client. One client who hadn’t paid.

  Maybe she should hold the Elliott & Johnson partners accountable for her summary firing. At Gerard’s memorial service Saturday, it had felt . . . odd. Angela and Seth had sat with her in one of the middle rows, while the partners acted like they’d never seen her or Angela before. Seth kept Hayden between Angela and himself, tension radiating between them.

  It was as if with Gerard’s death Hayden’s connections to the firm had been completely severed. She didn’t know how to handle that, since the firm hadn’t given her any type of commitment she could enforce. That came with the coveted partnership.

  So she was appropriately somber as she sat in the pew and listened to the eulogies. Her gaze had roved over those there, wondering whether the police watched in case Gerard’s death hadn’t been an accident, but she didn’t notice either Detective Grearson or Officer Tucker, and she didn’t know who else to look for in the crowded sanctuary.

 
The eulogies had seemed heartfelt, but she couldn’t buy Randolph’s sincerity when he had so callously pushed her and the support staff out in the days after Gerard’s death. Words about the firm being family didn’t fit the reality she’d experienced.

  Hayden pulled her thoughts from the memorial. She had to get clientele or Leigh would be as good as unemployed, while Hayden would have a list of debts to Savannah and the bank. She stood and headed to the door. “Leigh, have a minute?”

  Her friend scurried into the office with her stenographer pad, colorful skirt swirling around her ankles. “What do you need?”

  “Let’s get some notices out to the local courts that I’m available for cases.”

  “Which counties?”

  Hayden mentally reviewed her options. “I don’t want to waste time in the car if I can avoid it, so let’s stick with Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria, and see how that goes this month.” She felt a little lightheaded at the thought of how long it would take to get paying clients. “What was Savannah thinking?”

  “That you could do better than the discovery mill.” Leigh set down her pad of paper and leaned into the desk. “You’ll be fine, Hayden. Savannah and I believe in you. Just think: you can focus on the cases you care about.”

  “If only I knew what those were.”

  “Look at this as your chance to find out.” Leigh stood. “I’ll get these letters ready for your signature. The courts always need more willing attorneys.”

  Hayden nodded. “I’ve seen the e-mails. Guess we’ll see how serious the need is.”

  Then she called Maricel. The woman sounded tired—but who wouldn’t after several days of interrupted “rest” in a hospital. “I wanted to give you my updated contact information.”

  “Gracias.” The woman took a breath. “What did you learn in Texas?”

  “Nothing conclusive. However, several of the staff I talked to believe there was a cover-up. Maricel, I need to know if you want me to continue to be your attorney.” Hayden tried not to think of the plane ticket and other expenses sitting on her credit card. “The complaint is filed and I’m ready, but are you committed to the case?” Better to learn now than after she’d invested more in the lawsuit.

  “You are my attorney.” The words were simple, clear, direct.

  “Okay. I’ll send the paperwork to continue.” Tears threatened and Hayden tried to will them away. “Thank you.”

  “De nada.” There was a rustling sound as Maricel shifted the phone. “Thank you for believing in Miguel. And thank you for your help with Jorge while I was sick.”

  “Do you have any idea who attacked you?” There was silence to the point Hayden wondered if she’d lost the call. “Maricel?”

  “I don’t know.” She hesitated as if weighing her words carefully. “Jorge thought he knew the man, but I don’t know how. I have guesses, but it makes no sense.”

  “Andrew said Jorge told him it was ‘el jefe’s man.’ Who’s that?”

  “I couldn’t tell the police. I can’t tell you.”

  Was it a can’t or a won’t? There was a difference, but Hayden could hear the fatigue in her client’s voice. “Was it your husband?”

  Only silence.

  “I’d like to help. I’ll swing by tomorrow and we can talk.”

  After she hung up, Hayden stared at her desk.

  For the Rodriguez case, all she had left to do was send the discovery requests. She’d reviewed the initial discovery plan, but she couldn’t file until after the initial case-planning conference, and that could take weeks. It all depended on the judge, and the file on her desk was amazingly slim. Nothing had come back from the court yet, though they should get something that week if the court knew how to find her. Another task for Leigh.

  She could call Caroline and see if the case had been assigned to a judge that she could see through her position at the court. That wouldn’t make the court move faster, but it would help her plan her approach.

  One phone call later, she had a name.

  Judge Meredith Devers.

  The name left a heaviness in her. The woman was über smart, a Yale grad who had worked her way to partner at a prestigious East Coast firm only to leave for an appointment to the Court of Federal Claims. She’d claimed she could teach the law or impact it, and when it was put like that, there was one choice.

  Hayden hadn’t worked with her at the court, but she’d watched and seen that she was a no-nonsense judge focused on running a tight ship and following the law.

  That fact could give Hayden serious heartburn.

  Her legal theory was not a straight by-the-book approach that allowed a judge to easily draw a connection from one case to the next, all fitting in a neat, connected line. Instead, she was asking a judge to interpret the next step—a logical step—but an extension of theories.

  Would Judge Devers be open to novel arguments, or would she perch her reading glasses on the bridge of her nose and look over them at Hayden with an expression of scorn? She must tighten the argument and clearly lead the judge from current law to the new ground in a seamless fashion, removing any bumps from the road.

  With a knock on the door, Leigh jolted Hayden from her thoughts. “You’ve got a lunch delivery.”

  Hayden looked at the clock on her computer with a frown. Surely it wasn’t already time for lunch? “I didn’t order anything.”

  Leigh waggled her eyebrows with a goofy grin. “You’ll want this one.”

  She stepped back and Andrew moved into view, his khakis and polo casually perfect. “I brought sandwiches and soup. Thought I could buy a bit of your time.” He set a Panera bag on the desk she still couldn’t think of as hers.

  “Um, great.” She turned to Leigh. “Can you find some waters for us? I’m sure Savannah has them somewhere.” She started opening drawers on the desk. “I think I saw napkins in one of these.”

  Andrew eased onto the edge of the chair in front of her. “Is it okay that I’m here?”

  Hayden blew hair out of her eyes as she paused and looked at him with a slow smile. It felt really good to know he’d come. “Yes. I’m just feeling a little discombobulated, trying to figure out what to do. I never expected to be working here.” She forced herself to close the drawer and relax. “A week ago, life felt different.”

  The clear blue eyes of DC’s most eligible bachelor studied her, and she felt herself sinking into their depths. As she did, she decided she didn’t want to come out. There was a peace and acceptance in his gaze that made her wonder what he saw in her and why he kept coming back. Finally his scrutiny made her shift in her chair like a kid sitting in the principal’s office. “What?”

  He shrugged with a completely disarming grin. “What if I’ve missed you?”

  She laughed. “You haven’t had time, with getting Maricel and Jorge settled and watching over Emilie.”

  “While we’re listing my mighty feats, let’s not forget the board meeting tomorrow.” He pulled the bag over and took out sandwiches and two containers of soup. “I chose cream of broccoli and tomato, because who doesn’t love them? One sandwich is Italian and the other is chicken. Pick your favorites, and I’ll eat what’s left.”

  Leigh bustled in with two bottles of water and a stack of napkins. “Here you go. Anything else you need before I slip out for a bite?”

  “No, thanks.” Hayden smiled at her assistant. “Enjoy the sunshine.” She selected the tomato soup and chicken salad sandwich. “Thanks for these, but why are you really here?”

  “I figured we both had to eat, and I wanted to catch you up on a couple things before we knock out the rest of the details for the fair. Thought that would keep us busy for an hour.”

  “An hour?” If there wasn’t a twinkle in his eyes, she might seriously question his sanity. “Who says we can do a fraction of that in an hour? Or that I have the time?”

  He opened his arms expansively as if taking in the full office. “I don’t see an overflow of clients. Yet.” He winked at her.
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  “Give me time.”

  “I’ll give you a lifetime.”

  Electricity crackled between them as she took in his words.

  She swallowed as he stood and came around the desk toward her. “Hayden, I’ve missed you.”

  “It’s only been a day.” But she knew what he meant. She’d missed seeing him too.

  “You know what I mean.” He stepped closer and then extended his hand.

  She studied it, wondering what he wanted. Then slowly, deliberately, she decided it didn’t matter. She would trust him and not analyze every thought and motive. He had proven himself a man who could be trusted, and her heart cried to know if there was more she could hope for.

  CHAPTER 48

  The ringing of the phone interrupted the dynamic hold Hayden’s gaze had on Andrew. He felt odd standing near her, around the desk, but knew he wanted more. And he’d let her know as soon as he could get her attention. Given the way Hayden was frowning as she listened, whatever news she heard wasn’t what she wanted. When she hung up a minute later, he’d moved back to his side of the desk and was calmly eating his soup. There’d be another time and place better suited to letting her know the direction his thoughts were heading where one Hayden McCarthy was concerned.

  Hayden picked up her soup spoon and worked it through the creamy soup.

  “Anything wrong?”

  “Just the police from Texas. Someone definitely cut the brakes to the rental.” She dropped her spoon back in the bowl. “He claimed nobody showed up in the surveillance footage. It had to have happened at the detention center though, because I had no problem getting there Thursday morning. It was only when we left that the car wouldn’t respond.”

  “You weren’t inside long.”

  “Exactly.” She picked up a pen and rocked it along her fingers as she frowned at the desktop. “One of the guards told me that the cameras monitored the parking lot at all times. But what if someone disabled them so the murderer could get into the building unseen, and then they were never turned back on?”