The Suicide Princess

by Bryan, Anthony

  Stephanie messaged Jacob, “Hey honey! I just got a new case, and I may need to stay late at work a night or two next week. Do you have any overnights? I’ll just do it then.”

  Within a few minutes, Stephanie had her answer and she messaged Derrick, “I’m free next Wednesday night.”

  Derrick followed up, “Meet me at the coffee shop at the corner of Beacon Street and Stuart Street at 8:00 on Wednesday night.”

  “I’ll be there with bells on,” she replied.

  Derrick said, “I’ll tell you exactly what I want you to wear, but it won’t be bells ;)”

  “Smartass!” Stephanie anxiously wrote.

  For the first time in her life, Stephanie felt as if she were no longer waiting for something to arrive, for something to happen. Her life was starting to give her everything she wanted, and everything was finally falling into place.

  Chapter Three:

  Living a Dream

  On the Monday morning after her first date with Derrick, Stephanie arrived early for work, and she sat anxiously as she waited for Bill Webber to begin speaking.

  “Listen up, everybody!” Webber belted out to the conference room full of attorneys. “We had a very tragic update to a case over the weekend, and I'm putting all hands on deck to get this thing put together.”

  The room grew silent as everyone waited for Webber to continue. “Stephanie Bradford, one of the newer attorneys in the office was originally assigned to prosecute this case, but some circumstances changed. I started to think she may be out of her league on this one, but after a lot of consideration, I'm trusting my gut and leaving her as the lead on this case. I do, however, expect everyone to give her a hand with whatever she needs. I'll let Bradford take it from here.”

  Webber looked toward Stephanie and gave her a nod as she stood and walked to the head of the large conference table. “Good morning, everyone,” began Stephanie. “Last week, Paul Hutchinson was arrested for felony DUI after a car crash on the expressway. Hutchinson was determined to be the at fault driver in the crash, and the State Trooper doing the investigation observed numerous signs of impairment when speaking with Hutchinson. Field sobriety tests were conducted, which Hutchinson failed miserably, and he submitted to a breath analysis test. The result of that analysis indicates Hutchinson was more than twice the legal limit at the time of his arrest.”

  Stephanie paused for a moment, and although she was shuffling through her notes, it was clear she was trying to gain her composure. Stephanie continued, “The victim in the crash, 36 year old Michael Flannigan, was seriously injured and fell into a coma at Mass General. Last night, just after seven o'clock, Flannigan passed away from his injuries. The charges have been upgraded from injury-related DUI to DUI-Death Resulting, Motor Vehicle Homicide, and Negligent Manslaughter.”

  Karen, also in the meeting, interrupted, “Steph, what's the status of the arrested?”

  “He's out on bail, but we spoke with the judge last night and his bond is being revoked. As we speak, Boston PD is picking him up to be held without bail until a new hearing.”

  Another attorney asked, “Any prior record on the arrested?”

  “Yes, a lot,” Stephanie replied. “Hutchinson is forty-nine, and he's had multiple DUIs over the past six years, a prior Domestic Battery, and a few shoplifting incidents when he was a kid. What stands out most in this case, though, is his prior drunk driving arrests.”

  Webber stood and addressed the room, “When I first gave this case to Bradford, I instructed her to take this all the way to trial, no plea agreements. I'm sticking with that same game plan. This guy is a piece of shit, and I think we owe it to the victim's family to make sure we get a maximum prison sentence on this. I think it's a great opportunity for us to let Bradford show us what she can do, she can prove to herself what she can do, and we can get justice for his family.”

  An attorney asked, “What kind of family does the victim leave behind?”

  Stephanie responded, “He has, or had, a wife and two children. I haven't received their ages yet, but I'll be in touch with the spouse after his funeral is completed. I spoke with Webber this morning, and we're going to seek a minimum of fifteen to twenty years on this. Does anyone have any other questions?”

  The room fell silent with no questions, and Webber ordered, “Okay, back to work all you lazy, no good lawyers. Go get me some convictions!”

  Once only Webber and Stephanie remained in the conference room, Webber closed the door so they could speak privately.

  “You're ready for this. You know that, right?” Webber asked.

  “I am. I feel like I'm not, but I know I am.”

  “Just promise me one thing, Bradford. If you need help, ask for it. This isn't the time to show how incredible you are by taking everything on yourself. You drop the ball on this, and you ruin any chance of this man's family to get justice.”

  “I promise, sir.” She continued, “I know I'm going to need help here, and I'll ask.”

  “I'm clearing and reassigning all your other cases. This is your only focus. Blow me away, Bradford.”

  Stephanie went to her own office and was instantly overwhelmed by the immense amount of paperwork she already had for her new case. Rather than waste time, she sat down and went right to work by sorting through the seemingly endless documents, reports, and affidavits.

  Stephanie began a text message to Jacob, “Guess what, sweetie?” The message went on, “The vic from the DUI crash died, and they are still leaving me on the case. I feel horrible that the man died, but I can't believe I'm still prosecuting it!!!”

  Jacob replied, “What!? You're kidding me! See, I told you you'd start getting there. Total celebration time tonight!”

  “Celebration time for sure,” Stephanie replied.

  Stephanie went back to her task at hand, when Karen said, “Knock! Knock!” as she entered Stephanie's office, closing the door behind her.

  “What's up, chica?” Stephanie asked.

  “Okay, I'm just going to ask... Are you blowing Bill Webber or something? How in the hell did you get this case?”

  “No, I'm not blowing Bill Webber. Now Bob from maintenance, him I can neither confirm nor deny,” quipped Stephanie.

  “Bob from maintenance? Gross! He's like eighty years old. But whatever. Seriously, how did you get this case?”

  Stephanie explained, “I don't know, Bill just really seems to like me. Why, do you think I don't deserve it or something?”

  “No, I didn't mean it like that. You so deserve it. I'm just amazed it didn't go to a more experienced attorney; this is a serious case. You work so hard around here, I can see why he likes you.”

  “Thanks, Karen.”

  Karen quickly diverted topics, “New subject. Did you see your undercover lover this weekend?”

  The topic still embarrassed Stephanie immensely, and she blushed as she replied, “No, I didn't. We're meeting on Wednesday night after work.”

  “Drinks again?”

  “Not quite. His place.”

  Karen leaned in as she said, “You dirty slut. I love it!”

  Stephanie melted back, “Please don't say that, Karen. You know I'm not a slut. I just love the way he makes me feel. He makes me feel sexy, attractive, wanted. I barely even know this guy, but it's like he has a spell on me. I feel like I would be willing to do anything for him. I don't get it.”

  “How often do you two talk?”

  “All day, every day. Then as much as I can when I get home at night.”

  “You get that feeling that he's just pumping through your veins, every second of every day?” Karen asked.

  “That's exactly the feeling I get. I don’t get it; I’ve never started to fall for someone this fast.”

  “Wait a minute - fall for someone? Is this just sexual, or are you starting to have feelings for him?”

  Stephanie answered, “I know me, and I don't think I can be sexual with someone for long without falling for him. I am not leaving Jacob, and I
'm going to try so hard to keep this just sexual, but there is just something about the way I feel when I’m with Derrick. I only want to live out my fantasies and get them out of my system, and then I can be happy with what I have at home.”

  “Please just be careful,” Karen warned. “Something like this could get out of hand so easily. Make sure he's worth it before you cross any lines you can't go back on.”

  “Come on, I got a major felony case in less than a year. I think I can easily handle this,” Stephanie said as her face lit up.

  “Trust me,” said Karen. “Sometimes, there’s just no going back.”

  Stephanie saw it was nearing lunchtime, and she asked Karen, “Lunch together?”

  Karen walked away and said, “You need to fly solo today, lovebird. I have work to do.”

  Stephanie pulled out her phone and messaged Derrick asking him if he was free for lunch. Ten minutes later, Stephanie was on her way to meet him at a little restaurant, Derrick said he'd been dying to try.

  Stephanie followed Derrick's directions and arrived at a hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese restaurant near Quincy Market. She found Derrick inside looking over the menu.

  “I know it may not look like much, but I've heard the food here is out of this world,” Derrick said as he was standing from his seat.

  Stephanie leaned in to hug Derrick, and he kissed her as she said, “Oh, I've missed you.”

  Derrick laughed, “It's only been a few days. I think someone's addicted.” He jokingly continued, “So what's going on in the nerdy world of lawyers today?”

  Stephanie said, “I'm a nerd and proud of it!”

  Derrick got a serious look on his face and said, “Then talk nerdy to me, baby.”

  “You are so stupid,” Stephanie joked. Her tone turned more serious, “You won't believe what happened at work.”

  Derrick mockingly said, “If I won't believe it, then don't bother telling me.”

  “Shut up, jerk. The victim from a case at work died, and they have me prosecuting it. It's a pretty major deal, and I can't believe they have me on it.”

  As Stephanie spoke, Derrick looked at her, intently. When she finished, Derrick said nothing, and Stephanie asked, “So, what do you think?”

  “Honestly?” asked Derrick while looking overly serious.

  “Yes, honestly,” Stephanie said in a tone which showed she clearly realized Derrick was teasing her.

  “I think,” Derrick said before pausing for a moment. “This place smells kind of funny.”

  “Oh, someone thinks he's Mister Funny Man today. It may not be a big deal to you, but it's a big deal to me. After all, what are you, like a Private Investigator or something?”

  “No, smart ass,” Derrick said while laughing. “A Private Investigator goes peeping in people's windows trying to catch husbands cheating on their wives; I deal with private security. If someone is worth being hurt over what they have, it's my job to make sure nothing happens to them. And I think we both know the only windows I'm looking in are yours.”

  “Ooooh, I have my very own peeping Tom? So sexy.”

  “You do put on a pretty good, how should I say, performance.”

  Stephanie replied, “You haven't seen anything, yet,” as she winked at Derrick. She continued, “Speaking of seeing things, what would you like to see me in on Wednesday?”

  “You'll know in due time, sexy girl. But in all seriousness, back to your case at work. I tease, but I really am interested in what it's about.”

  Stephanie proceeded to fill Derrick in on her case as they ordered and ate their food. She was obviously so excited as she shared the details with Derrick. Derrick was an excellent listener, and although he always knew the right things to say, he also knew when to say nothing. In this instance, he did exactly that and Stephanie enjoyed having him pay such incredible attention to something that was so important to her.

  The level of attention Derrick offered made Stephanie feel comfortable to ask, “Derrick, can I ask you a question?”

  “Ask away, love,” he replied as he twirled his fork through a pile of Vietnamese noodles.

  “Just promise to answer me seriously. For two minutes, no jokes.”

  “No jokes,” said Derrick. “I promise.”

  “You said your last name is Hanson, right?”

  “It is. Why?”

  “I got curious the other day, and I started Google-stalking you,” said Stephanie with a smile, but her tone indicated quite the opposite.

  “And you found something bad?”

  “No, I didn't find anything bad at all.”

  He curiously asked, “So, what's the problem?”

  “But Derrick, I didn't find anything good either. I didn't find anything at all. I checked Google, Facebook, Spokeo, Linkedin; I even checked Goodreads figuring maybe you like to read. I like to think of myself as a pretty good online sleuth, but with you, I couldn't find one thing. It's like you don't exist.”

  Derrick, apparently unfazed by the question, ate his noodles while replying, “We're eating lunch together, so either I do exist or you have one hell of a case of schizophrenia.”

  “No jokes, Derrick. You promised.”

  “I'm sorry, no jokes,” he said while forcing back a smile. “What are you asking me?”

  “Why do I know nothing about you? You know so much about me. I share everything with you, but you tell me nothing. Then when I look online, there isn't anything there either. Sometimes, I just feel like you're hiding something.”

  “I promise you, I'm not hiding anything. There's nothing about me online because I work very hard to keep it that way. You know what I do for a living, so I go to a lot of trouble to keep my electronic footprint non-existent. Everyone is out there putting every aspect of their life online for the world to see, but I'm the opposite. Maybe I’m becoming paranoid from my job, but I just choose to keep myself very guarded in that way.”

  “I understand that, but....”

  Derrick interrupted, “And the reason I don't talk about my life is because there's not a lot there that I care to share or even remember. I grew up with an abusive, drunk father, and my mother ran off when I was twelve. I have a brother who's in prison, and a sister who's a junkie. I'm the only one who made it out.”

  “I'm so sorry,” said Stephanie as she reached over the table to grab Derrick's hand.

  Their fingers intertwined as Derrick replied, “It's the past, and I live for now. I walked away from that part of my life a long time ago. I put it in my rear-view, and I left. But if there's anything you ever want to know, ask me. I'd share anything with you.”

  Stephanie saw the slightest hint of a tear build in the corner of Derrick's eye as he explained himself. She felt horrible for placing him in the position to rehash such painful wounds, but in the same feeling, she felt a powerful connection growing with him. For just the shortest moment, his rugged, powerful, and confident exterior gave way to expose the vulnerability that sat just beneath his surface. Her heart melted as she reached to wipe the lone tear clinging to his eye.

  She smiled and told him, “You just answered everything.”

  Just as their lunch soon ended, so did Stephanie's workday. She planned to stay late to get more work done, but Jacob had sent her a text asking her to please be home on time. He said he had a surprise for her, and Stephanie was dying to get home. After all, what girl doesn't just love coming home to a surprise?

  ***

  It was already past sunset when Stephanie got home, and she walked up the dark walkway from the driveway to the front door. As Stephanie was walking, she could clearly smell the unmistakable odor of chimney smoke in the air, and she thought, What's burning?

  Stephanie entered the front door and saw a note taped to the hardwood floor with an arrow pointing to the right, toward the dining room. Stephanie walked in the direction of the arrow, where she saw another pointing to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, a last arrow pointed to the rear family room, and Stephanie rushed to see what wa
s next. As Stephanie was passing from the kitchen to the family room, she saw the fireplace glowing with a beautiful flame, and Jacob was waiting for her. In front of the fire, Jacob had a blanket spread across the floor, and the room was filled with the odor of Chinese food.

  “I got us take-out Chinese and a bottle of Chianti to celebrate your big case,” Jacob said from the floor.

  “Oh my God, you did this for me, Jacob?”

  “I did it for us. It's our night to celebrate everything we have together.”

  Stephanie's eyes began to well as she thought of the love Jacob had for her. She felt an enormous amount of guilt as she realized she was not in the mood for Chinese since she already had Asian food for lunch, but she did not dare indicate any lack of appreciation for Jacob's effort.

  “Pour me a glass of wine while I get changed,” Stephanie yelled while running toward the stairs to go to their bedroom.

  Stephanie returned a few moments later wearing a white, silk camisole and matching panties. She sat down and the two began to eat, talk, and laugh about their days. Everything about the moment was perfect until Jacob asked, “What did you do for lunch today, grab something with Karen?”

  Stephanie's heart skipped a beat, her stomach dropped, and a feeling of deep fear raced through her body the instant Jacob asked her the question. Her logical side knew Jacob was just asking out of interest in her day, but a flood of questions entered her mind: Did Jacob know about her lunch with Derrick? Did Jacob somehow see a text message between them. Does he know something, and this is a trap?

  “Karen, yeah, Karen and I grabbed lunch at Marciano's,” Stephanie clumsily said.

  Jacob seemed to notice Stephanie's uneasiness with the question, but she quickly diverted the topic by leaning towards Jacob and seductively saying, “Lunch isn't really what I'm thinking about right now.”

  Jacob kissed her lips, and replied, “Lunch isn't really what I want to talk about either.”

  Stephanie looked to the imposing grandfather clock in the corner of the room and saw it was only eight thirty-two. She and Jacob had plenty of time to really enjoy the rest of the evening.