by Chloe Lang
“This must be your car,” Phoebe said, stopping right in front of Granny Gremlin.
“It is, but how would you know that?”
“Small-town folks don’t miss much.” Phoebe peered inside. “Destiny has never had this kind of car on its streets before. That computer in the passenger seat is a real dinosaur. God, it is big. After lunch, I’ll send someone to retrieve it. How long have you had this car, Megan?”
“She’s not much to look at, but this old thing and I have been through so much together,” Megan said. “That might be hard to understand.”
“See my truck over there?” Phoebe pointed to a rusted Ford that had to be even older than Granny Gremlin. “My granddad gave that to me when I graduated high school. My brothers tease me all the time about keeping it, but I will never let it go. I understand better than most, Megan.”
“I’m glad,” she said, pleased that Phoebe was handling her case.
Phoebe crossed the street and began walking down the sidewalk. “You noticed the crowd behind us, didn’t you?”
She nodded. “I was shocked to see so many people. There must’ve been other cases.”
Phoebe shook her head. “Nope. Your case is the biggest buzz in Destiny right now. They’ll all be there next Tuesday, too.”
“I’m sure that most are on the Knight brothers’ side.” The whole audience would be against her. Phoebe was her only ally.
The beautiful attorney nodded. “They are local guys, so you’re probably right.”
“That’s why I opted on a trial with a judge instead of a jury. Was that a mistake? Ethel seems very fond of the Knights.”
“Most people are, Megan, but in Destiny people do the right thing. If you had chosen to have your case heard by a jury, those seated would’ve been fair, I’m certain. And Ethel’s high ethics are unquestionable.”
Then maybe she could count the judge as an ally, too. “That makes me feel a little better, but only a little.”
Phoebe touched her on the arm. “I’ll do my best for you, Megan. I can tell you’re a very sweet person.”
“Sweet but…?”
Phoebe turned the corner onto South Street. “But nothing. Sweet. Be honest and answer me this. Did you have anything to do with the hacking into TBK’s systems? This is between client and attorney. It will go nowhere else. Trust me.”
Her gut told her to trust Phoebe. With women, her gut was generally right. With men? Not so much. “I didn’t do what Eric and Scott Knight are accusing me of. I swear it. I couldn’t have done it because I’m a techno-idiot. I might be the only twenty-five-year-old in the world who still has trouble sending a text message.”
“That’ll be hard to prove.” Phoebe pulled out a digital tablet from her purse. She touched the screen with her fingers. “Do you have a university degree?”
Megan shook her head. “I was only twenty when I married. After everything that happened, college wasn’t feasible for me.” She glanced over the lovely park in the middle of town, trying to recall what life had been like before meeting Kip and before her mother’s illness. She’d been a sophomore at the University of Texas working on a degree in elementary education. Those days seemed several lifetimes ago, far away from the idyllic scenery of Destiny. “Your town square is beautiful.”
“We call it Central Park. It’s only one and a half acres. Everyone treasures it, but there has been a grassroots movement in the town to rename the park Destiny Square Park since I was a kid. The residents are pretty equally divided on the issue. My family belongs to the group that wants to keep the name the same, Citizens for Tradition.”
Megan couldn’t keep herself from smiling. “Sounds like quite a stir.”
Phoebe paused as they came up to one of the strange statues that surrounded the park. “Make fun, but it’s the one thing that divides this town during election time. Let’s walk down to West Street. It’ll give you a better look at the park. We’ll come back to Lucy’s in a sec.” Her attorney pointed to the storefront on the southwest corner of the intersection.
“What are the people on the other side of the matter called, Phoebe? And what got everyone so up in arms about the name anyway?”
“They call themselves Destiny’s Citizens’ League. We call them Destiny’s Opposition Group, DOGs, but only during campaign season and only in closed-door meetings.” Phoebe continued walking down South Street. “The whole debacle began when the four dragon statues were commissioned as gifts for New York’s Central Park by the residents here in 1978. It was meant as a token of camaraderie for the sister park.”
The local politics in Destiny were clearly divisive and just as befuddling to her as any back home. Ahead next to the sidewalk they were on was one of the four rejected gifts Phoebe talked about. Megan was in awe of the work of art. It looked powerful, monstrous, and quite beautiful in an odd sort of way. “Why dragons?”
“Patrick O’Leary is the reason for that choice. He made the biggest donation. He wasn’t a billionaire then, but he was pretty close.”
She knew that name. “The judge’s name was O’Leary, right? Ethel O’Leary?”
Phoebe nodded. “Patrick and his brother are married to her.”
Her jaw dropped. “What? I don’t understand. She’s a bigamist?”
Phoebe laughed. “Not legally. I’m not sure which of the brothers she shares a marriage license with, but in her heart, she’s married to both of them. That’s quite common here in Destiny.”
This seemed like such a normal place. “Apparently, there is more under the surface of your small town than I got from my first impression of it.”
“Most definitely.” Phoebe smiled and winked. “Destiny is home to a wide variety of eccentrics, freaks, weirdoes, and the unconventional. We’re one of the most live-and-let-live communities in the country…well, except around election times.”
Megan wished her neighbors back in Dallas were more open-minded like the citizens of Destiny. Five years since Kip’s arrest in her mother’s house hadn’t softened a single disapproving glare from neighbors.
“Patrick is a brilliant man. He and Sam, his brother, built several successful multinational conglomerates together. They opened up markets all over the world, including China, India, Japan, Eastern Europe, and more. During his travels, Patrick became enthralled with local myths about dragons.” Phoebe shook her head. “Whatever you do, don’t ask him about it. He can talk about that topic for hours and hours. The truth is he believes they are real and still exist.”
Megan laughed. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. There are actually five dragons in town.” Phoebe reached up beyond the base and patted the toe of the bronze dragon that was at least thirteen feet tall. “The fifth one is in front of the O’Learys’ mansion and is much larger than its four cousins.”
Megan smiled, wondering what it would be like to be able to have such childlike beliefs again. Not possible for her after all that had happened.
“This dragon is called The Green Dragon and is said to bring luck. Touch the dragon’s toe, Megan. We’re going to need a ton of its power next week if we have a prayer of beating TBK.”
Her nerves exploded with renewed concern. “I’m not a big believer in luck.”
“Me either, but as your attorney, my advice is for you to touch it anyway. It can’t hurt.”
“If it helps me beat the Knights, then I’m game.” She placed the tip of her index finger on the toe of the bronze beast, doubting Tuesday’s hearing would end well for her. Looking up at The Green Dragon with its wings spread and its jaw agape, she noticed the image of a shamrock on its chest. “A little too precise, don’t you think, Phoebe?” She pointed at the Irish symbol.
“O’Leary’s parents came over from the Emerald Isle. Patrick will fill you in on all the details should you get to meet him. He really is a sweet guy.” Phoebe led the way across South Street to the row of businesses on the other side. It reminded Megan of a train. “This first place is Phong’s Wok. Another day
I’ll bring you here. Hiro Phong, the owner, has the best Chinese food you’ll ever get between your chopsticks.”
“Phoebe, do all the dragons have names?”
“The Blue Dragon sits on the southeast corner. We passed that as we were walking. Most of the women in Destiny call her Mother Dragon. She’s said to safeguard the lives of women in labor. Black Dragon, also called Father Dragon, rests on the northwest corner of the park.”
“You sound like you actually believe in these dragons.” They crossed the street to Lucy’s. “What’s the other dragon called? The one on the northeast part of the park?”
Phoebe answered, “The Red Dragon.”
That sounded ominous. “And its specialty?”
“Passion.”
Yep. Ominous. “A love dragon?”
Phoebe nodded as they passed two other stores—Betty’s Beauty Shop and Tara’s Tea and Scones.
“Crazy names for businesses,” she said.
“Agreed. That’s Destiny for you.” Phoebe opened the glass door of Lucy’s. “Here we are.”
Walking into the eatery, Megan’s thoughts about her hearing pulled her back from the sweet, distracting tales of Destiny’s dragon statues. Her troubles demanded her attention. Once again, her mind replayed the scene in the courtroom. Judge O’Leary seemed to be kind and even understanding, unlike her accusers, but that wouldn’t help her make her case. Ten million dollars wasn’t the issue. Just like the old saying about squeezing blood out of turnips, squeezing her funds wouldn’t yield anything. Her house, the final gift from her mother, was the real issue according to what the judge had said.
How had she not realized it would also be at risk in all of this?
“Hey, Lucy.” Phoebe waved to the middle-aged woman behind the counter dressed in a 1950s pink uniform with a little white apron and matching hat.
“Hey. Were you at the hearing? Surely it isn’t over yet?” The waitress held a pitcher of tea in one hand and a Hula-Hoop in the other.
Megan couldn’t imagine how the woman could serve food holding the classic ring.
Phoebe answered Lucy, “I was at the hearing and it is over.”
Lucy called through the opening in the wall to what must’ve been the kitchen in the back. “Norman, lunch crowd will be on time.”
A man’s voice floated from the other side of the opening. “I’ll be ready, baby.”
“Phoebe, who is this?” Lucy asked.
“Megan Lunceford.”
“Ah, the defendant.” The waitress came around the counter and stepped up to Megan. Lucy’s gracefulness was something to behold. She didn’t spill a single drop of tea, even though she spun the Hula-Hoop in her other hand.
“The one and only,” Phoebe answered. “Ethel postponed the hearing until Tuesday. Megan is my new client. Mind if we sit in one of the booths by the window?”
“Sure thing, Phoebe.” Lucy turned to Megan. “I worked with your husband a while back.”
This was the first person she’d ever met who knew Kip. “At TBK?”
“Yes. Eric and Scott recruited him from MIT. They were all in their early twenties. Me and Norm were the old farts. Still are but we’re no longer at the company.”
“Do you know if he had any family?” she asked, grasping for straws. If he did, maybe one of them might’ve gotten word about Kip’s whereabouts, whether in prison or out.
“I don’t think so, miss. He never mentioned any family. Kip was a smart guy. Very smart.”
“Not too smart.” Megan stopped short of saying more, unsure she should be sharing anything with the woman.
“I guess you’re right considering all the shit that happened.” Lucy pursed her lips for a moment before speaking again. “I know what he did, Megan. He’s not out, is he?”
She shrugged. “I really don’t know. I doubt it, though.”
“Poor thing,” Lucy said. “What a mess. You look like you haven’t rested in weeks. What you need is a good, hot meal.”
“I’m really not hungry,” she lied.
“Nonsense.” Lucy looked at Phoebe. “You and your client sit before the rest of the lunch crowd shows. Pour yourself some tea. I’ll fix you two the special.”
“Sounds great to me.” Phoebe led her to the center booth by the window. “You like sweet tea or plain?”
“Plain,” she answered, sliding into the blue vinyl seat.
“I’ll be right back with our drinks.” Phoebe left her alone.
The bell on the door to the eatery chimed. Several people she’d seen in the courtroom’s gallery filed into Lucy’s as expected.
Not wanting to meet their gazes, she looked down at her hands folded together on the table. Her world, what little was left of it, was hitting a new low. Megan had only thought she’d found the bottom that Kip’s crimes had forced her down to. TBK’s copresidents were going after her mother’s house. Back taxes and overdue repairs were the least of her worries.
Phoebe came back with two glasses of tea. She set one down in front of Megan and then scooted into the booth opposite her. “You’re going to love Lucy’s burgers.”
“I’m really not hungry, Phoebe,” she said, knowing how low her funds were. No way could she pay for lunch. Her stomach growled in betrayal. She hoped Phoebe hadn’t heard, but by the look on her attorney’s face, she believed Phoebe must have. “Just the tea. Thanks.” Her lack of funds presented a ton of challenges. One, food. Two, lodging. Three, transportation. Granny Gremlin would never make it back to Texas without a visit to a top-notch mechanic. Four, back taxes on her mother’s house. Five, everything else.
Phoebe stared at her with understanding eyes. “I insist. You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted one of Norm’s creations.” She reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “Megan, it’s my treat.”
Megan nodded. Phoebe had to know she was broke but was kind enough to not make her feel like a charity case, though that was what she was in truth.
Phoebe pulled out an iPad from her purse. “You mentioned working as a secretary. You must’ve worked on computers then.”
“More of a receptionist, but yes, I have. The last job I had was in a dentist office. I kept the appointments and filed insurance claims.” An image of the office manager’s face at the place came into her mind. The woman had been sweet and apologetic, hating to have to fire her, but the policy was employees had to meet certain minimums from their credit history. Kip’s black record had spilled over all her information, including her credit score of three hundred, the absolute lowest rating the three bureaus gave. She’d ended up on the bottom because literally everything had gone wrong.
Getting let go was something Megan had unfortunately become too familiar with.
“What about character references?” Phoebe asked. “Do you have anyone that we can get up here next Tuesday that would speak on your behalf?”
“No. It’s just me.” It had been that way since Kip’s arrest and would most certainly be that way for the rest of her life. She didn’t have any hope her future would be any different than now.
“Do you have any family, Megan?”
She looked out the large windows of the burger shop and gasped. Eric and Scott Knight were staring at her from across the street. A shiver shot up her spine. Only in Destiny for less than two hours and her whole world had turned upside down.
“No family. I’m alone.”
Chapter Three
Eric gazed at Megan behind the big window of Lucy’s. Their eyes locked for a moment. Suddenly, Megan turned her attention from him to Phoebe, who was sitting with her in the burger shop.
“Shall we make our offer to her or not?” Scott stood next to him on the sidewalk on the park side of South Street.
“I’m inclined to say ‘not,’ but I know you’re not going to drop this.”
His brother nodded. “You’re right about that.”
“You know she might refuse us,” he said. Of the two of them, Scott was always quick to believe the best in pe
ople. Eric had been like him in the beginning of TBK. Not anymore. Not after Kip.
“I know.” Scott removed the suit jacket and flipped it over his shoulder. “We have to convince her it’s for the best.”
“For whose best, bro? Ours or hers?”
His brother shrugged. “Maybe for all of us. Who knows?”
“Cam and Dylan are going to kill you for this. You heard them back there. Months of work will go down the drain if she agrees to this. They’re certain she’s guilty.”
“Bullshit.” Scott stared at him, continuing to make his case for the wacky scheme.
Keeping his eyes fixed on Megan behind the window, he half listened to Scott. Eric’s attention was primarily on her, not his brother. Again, she peeked at him, their eyes locking for an instant. Even from here, he could see her cheeks turn red on her pale face before she looked back at Phoebe. If Megan was trying to be discreet, she was doing a terrible job of it. He couldn’t help but grin at her awkward antics.
Scott’s diatribe ended abruptly.
Eric turned to his brother. “What?”
Scott shook his head. “Tell me you actually believe that behind Megan’s gorgeous green eyes is a maniacal criminal. She’s innocent. You and I both know it.”
“I don’t know that.” But his brother’s point wasn’t lost on him. She didn’t seem capable of hacking into someone’s personal laptop, let alone TBK’s networks, which had some of the best security systems in the world. “Someone is getting past our firewalls and jacking with our code. If not her, then who?”
“Maybe Kip,” Scott suggested. “We don’t know if he’s still being held or not, Eric. It’s been five years. He might be using her to get to us.”
That idea did have merit, though only a sliver or so. “He committed treason. I don’t think you get out early for good behavior for that kind of crime.”
“Well, let’s find out what she knows about her husband’s location, shall we?” Scott stepped into the street, heading to Lucy’s and to Megan, a woman whose entrance into the courtroom had unsettled him.