“I was hoping to leave before seven.”
“How about we order in some sushi? I’d like to talk to you about Burbidge.”
“Has something happened?”
He nodded. “And it’s a doozy. You want your regular?”
“Sure. Anything else going on? It’s too quiet around here.”
“Big meeting upstairs.”
“Ah.” She should’ve guessed. The top floor was occupied by the senior partners and two conference rooms that looked more like penthouses. “I’m surprised you aren’t up there.”
“I was.” Looking grim, he rubbed a hand over his face. “How long before you finish up?”
“An hour?”
“Good. I’ll have Gretchen order the sushi now before she goes home.”
Jessica hurried back to her office, her curiosity flying high. Their client, Alan Burbidge, was one of their biggest assets. His billable hours made up a large percentage of the firm’s income. He dealt primarily in real estate, although he owned over a dozen companies, from manufacturing to insurance to media outlets. A good deal of Jessica’s workload consisted of reviewing contracts and cases for Burbidge, her current focus on a lawsuit that was pending over a violation of Title II of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976. It was interesting, and had led her to a great many precedents for both sides. But it was hard to believe anything could be a doozy about this particular case.
Yet Grant had looked worried, even though he didn’t rattle easily. So something was definitely brewing. Having landed Burbidge’s subsidiary accounts had put Grant on the fast track to senior partner.
After forty minutes she called it quits, too jumpy to stay focused. She quickly cleared her desk and headed back to Grant’s office. The scent of soy sauce and vinegar hit her before she stepped inside his office, making her stomach rumble.
“Hope you don’t mind but I need to take a few bites,” she said, grabbing her bento box before she sat across from him. “I haven’t eaten today and I’m starving. So, what’s this all about?”
Instead of answering her, he got up and closed his door. Unusual. When he took his seat, he opened both bottles of Kirin beer. “Burbidge Jr. has done it again.”
Jessica moaned. “Oh, God. What this time?”
Grant’s expression told her this wasn’t just another DUI. “He’s been accused of rape.”
She set down her dragon roll. “No. Please tell me Burbidge doesn’t want us to make this disappear.”
“He does. And he’s adamant about it. Threatened to walk away from the firm if we don’t provide a winning defense.”
“I’m surprised he isn’t demanding we get the charges dropped.”
“Oh, that’s his first preference.”
Losing his business would be a huge price to pay, but letting a rapist off the hook, especially one with money, happened far too often. To be any part of that kind of travesty was unconscionable. “I don’t know how I feel about this. I mean, the poor girl—”
“He’s still entitled to a defense.”
“Do you—does anyone know if he actually did it?” She studied Grant’s face, but couldn’t read him. “Personally, I think the kid is narcissistic and stupid enough to admit it if not brag about it...at least to his daddy’s attorneys.”
Grant shrugged. “If it’s at all possible there’s DNA evidence, he’ll claim it was consensual. I’m not a defense attorney, but that’s how I’d advise him.” A chill ran down her spine. “You were, though. Early on.”
“Yeah, for about a year after I passed the bar. That’s it.”
“Who’s being assigned as lead counsel? David Crawford?” Jessica didn’t care for the newest senior partner, mostly due to his reputation for being ruthless. But with his win record, he seemed the logical choice.
“Look, Burbidge isn’t being entirely rational at the moment. He seems more concerned that Sanford is going to be branded as a rapist.”
Jessica searched Grant’s eyes, wondering if he’d purposely ignored her question, which wasn’t like him. “Great. That means he’ll do anything to avoid a trial. Has he suggested paying off the victim yet?”
“I understand this is a sensitive topic. Just don’t forget we’re still his attorneys. It’s not our job to pass judgment. Innocent until proven guilty, remember?”
“Not having to work with rapists is one reason I never wanted to be a criminal attorney. And we both know he’s got the wherewithal to manipulate anything that can be bought.”
“There’s no wiggling out of that. Two witnesses have come forward. Money alone won’t let him walk.”
“So, what then?”
“Burbidge is handpicking a legal team that he thinks can pull this off.”
“Wait. You mean, personally? He’s choosing who’ll be—”
Grant nodded. “I told you he isn’t being rational.”
“You’ve known him for a long time. Can’t you reason with him?”
Grant set his beer down and leaned forward. “He wants both me and you as co-counsel.”
Jessica lurched back in her chair. “That’s not funny.”
“It’s not a joke. He specifically asked for you.”
“What part of me not being a criminal attorney doesn’t he understand?”
“I’m not one, either. But he trusts me. And he insists on you.”
“Well, you’ll just have to work harder to get him to see he’s being an idiot.”
Grant’s temper bled through, but only for a second. “Naturally we won’t tackle this alone. Crawford will be lead in every way that counts. And Lister and Ulrich are joining the team.”
Jessica stared at the man she thought she knew. Did he really think she’d want any part in this? “Why on earth would Alan Burbidge ask for me? I’ve hardly had any personal interaction with him. But I have dealt with Sanford Burbidge a number of times, as you know. What I haven’t mentioned is that twice he’s bordered on inappropriate.”
“Well, damn.” Grant stared blankly past her for a long while, then he leaned forward, his elbows on his shiny teak desk. “Alan thinks you’ve got the right stuff to handle a jury. Possibly because Sanford put a bug in his ear, but that’s immaterial because he’s already hired Roger Eastman—arguably the best jury consultant in Chicago—and they came back with a profile that fits you to a T.”
“I understand why they’d want a woman at the defense table for a rape charge, but it’s a moot point, anyway. The prosecutor’s office would have a field day with me at the table. For God’s sake, I’m a contract attorney. Even if I did agree to join the team, I’m not equipped for the job. There are excellent women criminal lawyers in the firm, so asking me is ridiculous. I’m not getting on board with this, Grant.”
“I hear you. I do. I told Crawford you would strenuously object, but he wasn’t particularly interested in your moral objections to the case.”
“That’s too bad. I won’t do this.”
Grant pushed his uneaten sushi aside before he got up so he could sit in the second visitor’s chair. He caught her gaze and held it. “I’m having to do a lot of thinking about this myself. But the reality is, Burbidge is going to get what he wants, even if it means finding another firm. And if he walks over this, you and I will be out on our asses. No question.”
“I can live with that.”
“Really? Just think. It would mean giving up everything you’ve been working for since you started here. You’re a step away from junior partner. You know this would do it. Having Burbidge request you personally is huge. The partners would owe you big-time. It could mean the difference between a good career and sky’s the limit.”
“And it wouldn’t do you any harm, either.”
He didn’t even blink. “True. It’s a lot to consider. You won’t walk away with sterling references either. You’ll be cons
idered a problem, not a team player.”
“It sounds as if you’ve already made a decision.”
“I’ve got a lot of years and sweat invested in this firm. Not to mention the chunk I fork out for child support and alimony every month. I know it sucks, but part of this job means representing causes that aren’t our own.”
“I’m not judging you,” she said, although she was disappointed. But she did understand. Her own predicament was less clear-cut. “So I’m not only supposed to help the bastard get off scot-free, when I’m not even qualified to be anything more than window dressing, but be blackmailed into doing it?”
“The partners have to protect the firm’s reputation. They can’t let Burbidge jump ship. If he goes, that will send a signal to other clients. Major clients.”
She felt sick. The scent of the sushi was making her stomach churn. It would be a crushing blow to lose this job, to get a bad name so early in the career she’d worked hard for, but how could she do anything else?
“Listen,” he said. “I know your reunion is coming up this weekend.”
“I’m not going.”
“I think you should. Get out of here. Take a long weekend. Think it through. You know I’ll stand behind you on this, whatever you decide.”
“Will you?”
“I won’t throw you under the bus. But this is too important not to consider all the angles. Take my advice. A break would do you good. Think about your options. I’ll get the firm to pay for the weekend.”
“No, you won’t. I don’t want their money, not for this.” She stood up. “Keep me in the loop, Grant. Seriously. I’ll need to know if anything changes.”
“Of course.”
She turned to go.
“Don’t forget your food.”
“I seem to have lost my appetite,” she said and didn’t look back.
Copyright © 2018 by Jolie Kramer
ISBN-13: 9781488085482
Back Against the Wall
Copyright © 2018 by Janice Kay Johnson
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and in other countries.
www.Harlequin.com
Back Against the Wall Page 27