by Alexa Davis
My entire body hurt from the ache of depression setting in. The muscles were sore, and I was dizzy with lightheadedness from crying. I felt tired and sore and couldn’t even think clearly; there would be no relief for me today, as that was something that could only come with time.
I cried out miserably and just wished there was some way to know where it all went wrong. Maybe I’d call Max sometime this week and see if he had any idea. He was the last person with Adam before the switch, so hopefully that gave him some insight.
For now, though, I allowed myself to be sad. I let myself be angry and hurt, blaming all of it on Adam for making me fall in love with him, making see how we could be happy together, and making me think that maybe, just maybe, he could have wanted that for us, too.
I cried my heart out into the pillow until I fell asleep into a deep and dreamless slumber.
Chapter 33
Adam
Monday
I arrived at work on Monday morning like a storm cloud, throwing the front door open and charging up toward Hansen’s office. Leslie’s face dropped instantly, and everyone got out of my way and knew that something big was going down. I was still furious about Brandon’s interference in my personal life, his threats against my father and Vanessa – it was completely unacceptable.
I didn’t even take off my coat or put down my briefcase before ascending the stairs and banging on his door. Jon was sitting in his office with a mug of coffee and looking over some paperwork when I arrived. He looked up at the sound of my arrival wide eyes and confused. “Adam? What—”
“We have to put Brandon Fletcher away for good. I want that sleazeball rotting in his cell for the foreseeable future without any chance of parole.”
Mr. Hansen cleared his throat and wiped his mustache with a piece of napkin and started, “We’re going to do everything we can—”
“He threatened my girlfriend, Jon!”
The outburst caught his attention—and that of everyone else in the office. One of the interns sped past us down the hall to not get dragged into my fit.
“What do you mean, he threatened her?”
“He sent someone to the Men’s Club meeting this weekend. They told me we had to drop all the charges against him and then hinted at going after Vanessa or my father. When I got home the next morning, someone had been in my apartment; they brought her flowers. Vanessa’s a sweet girl, and she thought they were from me.”
Jon crossed his hands over his chest and frowned. “Did she let them inside?”
“That’s the worst part,” I groaned. “Somehow they got in without a key. They broke into my apartment and left them in the kitchen.”
“Have you called the police?”
I threw my hands up in the air in exasperation. “And tell them what? Someone broke into my apartment, didn’t take anything, but left an arrangement of flowers on the table? What could they possibly do with that information?”
“Nothing,” he agreed. “But it has to be reported in case something else happens in the future that shows a pattern. You know this, Adam. File a report so the police can have it on record.”
I sighed, slumping down into one of the chairs across from him. “Okay.”
“Now, about your girlfriend… Vanessa, did you say?”
I nodded, bending over so that I could bury my face in my hands.
“Is she alright? Does she know what’s going on?”
“No, I kind of freaked out at her when I realized what had happened. She moved back in with her parents across town. I feel terrible.”
“Well, at least she’s being taken care of,” he muttered. “I like the idea of going after Brandon, though. We’ve got a lot to do if we’re going to make that happen. I’m going to need someone in banking who knows how to follow cash flow and we can prove there’s money laundering.”
A smile spread across my face as I sat up in my seat. “I know just the guy for you.”
He cocked an eyebrow at me curiously, and I pulled out my cell phone, finding the number in my contacts. I dialed the number, and it rang a few times before he picked up on the other line. “Hello?”
“Hey, Max. It’s Adam. I need you to leave work early and come by the firm this afternoon. Tell your boss that you’re needed as an expert witness in a case that we’re investigating.”
“Dude, seriously?”
My eyes narrowed when I responded, looking across the desk at Jon who nodded. “Seriously.”
“Uh…okay. I can be there around two, I guess?”
“Two is perfect,” I told him loud enough for Jon to hear. He gave me the thumbs up from where he was sitting across the desk and nodded. “I’ll see you then,” I told Max with a sense of closure.
“Bye.”
I hung up the phone, and Mr. Hansen scratched his head, exhaling a tired sigh. “You think that your friend will be able to do this?”
I nodded. “Absolutely. Max is a financial genius. He can sort through numbers faster and more accurately than half the graduates at MIT. If we can trace the funding back to Brandon, it will tie him to the drug deal, and he won’t be able to wiggle his way out of it.”
“You’re going to have to prep him for the witness stand,” he responded firmly. “We can’t have him floundering up there. He has to come across as clean, dignified, and intelligent. Brandon’s lawyer will try to shake him, but you can’t let that happen.”
“It won’t.”
I took my briefcase and left his office in a huff, walking down the stairs toward the lobby. My office was open and waiting for me when I got there, throwing my coat on the back of the chair and angrily setting up my laptop computer. The welcome screen was still loading when Leslie came and knocked gently on the doorframe with a mug of coffee in her hand.
I glanced up at her and sighed, scratching the hair on the back of my neck. It was a nervous habit, and I really needed to stop doing it because it was an obvious tell in court. “Yes, Leslie? What is it?” I asked her tiredly.
She stepped inside and offered me the cup with a tentative smile. “I brought you this. It sounds like you’re having a rough morning and I thought you could use a pick-me-up.”
I nodded, taking the drink from her and smiled, bringing it up to sip of the steaming drink. “Thank you, Leslie.”
She was on her way out the door when she stopped at the threshold and turned back to say over her shoulder. “I don’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard you talking about your girlfriend…”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry that happened, sir. I hope you get that son of a bitch.”
I sipped the coffee and began to relax. “Hey, Les? Before you go, I just wanted to say that your sons are really lucky to have such an awesome mom.”
Of all the people I had gotten to know around the office, Leslie was my favorite. She had a way of just helping me see things clearly and making me feel comfortable—like a mom. Les smiled, the laugh lines around her cheeks spreading wide as she looked back at me. “I’ll let him know you said that.”
My brow line puckered at her choice of words. “I thought you had two sons.”
“I did,” she agreed quietly. “One of them died a year ago.”
My heart sank with sorrow as she was saying it. I had no idea that she had experienced such a horrific tragedy. “Oh, I’m so sorry I didn’t know. How did that happen?”
She swallowed hard and responded, “A drug overdose.”
As the words left her mouth, it was like a bucket of ice water had been thrown on me. All the pieces of the puzzle were fitting into place. I understood now why she felt the need to care for me like one of her own, after losing her son to the very crisis I was actively trying to prosecute. It gave me one more reason not to give up.
She smiled weakly and then disappeared, going back toward her desk. My computer started up, and I got to work. I typed up the documents we would need to file a motion for a subpoena. Time flew by as I pressed onward, thinking about Dad’s safety and how Vanessa
probably hated me. It just made me that much more determined to pull this off.
I made sure to call the police station like Jon requested and made a full report of everything that had happened. They took down everything I said and promised to get back to me as soon as possible if there were any leads. I snorted as we hung up the phone—there wouldn’t be.
At two fifteen, Max came walking in the front doors of the office. I heard him ask Leslie where my office was, and she directed him toward me. I was already out of my chair and getting up to greet him when he came inside. His dirty blond hair was slightly disheveled, but his eyes were wide and curious as he looked around the room, unsure of what was really happening.
“Hey, I came here like you asked. Now do you want to tell me what’s going on?”
I shook his hand and gestured to one of the seats. There were two plush armchairs in the corner that I kept for exactly this reason. He took his seat in one of them and glanced around nervously like we were being watched. I took a seat in the one across from him and started off by saying, “I’m going to be honest with you Max, and you’re not going to like it.”
He shuffled in the chair uncomfortably and brought one of his hands up to his temple as if I were giving him a headache. “Fuck, what did you do this time?”
“We’re going after Brandon Fletcher,” I informed him simply.
Max actually didn’t seem all that surprised after our previous conversations, and what happened at Men’s Club Saturday. I’d made no secret of my discomfort surrounding Fletcher’s illicit activity, and Max even confirmed that there would be illegal dealings in his past.
Still, that didn’t make it easier to hear considering he was supposed to be one of our brothers in the fraternity. On some level, I knew he felt like it was a betrayal. He sighed, leaning forward against his knees, and clasped his hands together. “That is going to be tricky; Brandon’s well connected.”
“I know, and that’s why we need your help. Mr. Fletcher is at the top of a massive drug empire; they’re the ones who have been flooding our streets with opioids. We’ve got a dealer and a supplier able to testify and verify that in court.”
“So, what do you need from me?”
“What you’re good at: following the money,” I responded flatly. “Follow the paper trail and show us how it comes back to him. We can get you bank statements, anything else you need to make that happen.”
He sighed. “I don’t know, man. Isn’t this kind of risky? I don’t want to get involved with stuff like this.”
“Max, I need you on this,” I pressed him, pleading with my eyes and hoping to make him understand. “They were in my apartment the other day.”
His head snapped around in a flash as he stared at me surprised. “When?”
“While we were at Men’s Club,” I responded icily.
He paused at the mention of our trip and I could almost see the wheels turning in his head as their pieces fit together. It seemed as if all at once, the horrible realization struck him, and he asked, “Vanessa… Is she okay?”
“Yeah, she’s fine. I had to kick her out, though, and have her move back in with your folks. I didn’t tell her what was happening because I didn’t want to frighten her.”
He scowled and released a quiet scoff before saying, “Nice going, genius.”
I exhaled in exasperation and started to explain myself, “She wasn’t safe there! The guy who talked to me at the party hinted that she might be in danger; they sent her flowers.”
At first, he looked at me in disbelief, but when the weight of those words sank in his expression turned to rage. One thing I knew about Max was that he loved his family – if someone was threatening them he would do everything in his power to bring them down. He nodded stiffly, his jaw set with raw determination. “Alright, let do this.”
Chapter 34
Vanessa
Monday
I parked my car in the parking lot outside Frank Howell Photography and trudged across the parking lot. It had been a rough night, and I had a thousand things going through my head about what was happening with Adam. My body was sore from tossing and turning all night, unable to fall asleep because my brain kept going around and around in circles with unanswered questions.
There was a part of me that still wanted to talk to him and see if we could work things out—a pathetic and desperate line of thinking—but the rest of me was just too angry. He had kicked me out without warning or explanation, and I was pissed.
When I made it to the front doors, I was glad to see Meghan sitting at the front desk. Her short black hair curled down around her chin, and she had sparkly chandelier earrings that matched her sweater. For once, I actually wanted to talk with her about my love life and let her tell me what to do. It would be liberating to just put my problems out into the universe and then let that fix them for me. Meghan had some keen insight into the male psyche, and she’d been right about me and Adam since the beginning.
She looked up from her desk when she saw me coming and gave me a winning smile. I smiled back at her as best I could muster and gave a little wave as I was coming through the doors. I hadn’t even tried to do anything with my hair today, except throw it up into a ponytail, so my fashion sense was somewhat lacking. It always took a blow when I got depressed; that was normal for most women, I supposed. Meghan, on the other hand, looked completely put together and beautiful as a magazine.
“Hey, Vanessa! How was your weekend?”
“Awful,” I conceded bitterly. “I can tell you all about it later. Do you want to get some drinks after work?”
Her brow line puckered with concern and she nodded. Meghan was intuitive enough to pick up on something being wrong but didn’t press me for any details. “Sure, hon. That sounds great. Is everything okay?”
Before I could answer, Frank came storming down the hallway and barked my name across the Lobby. “Vanessa! My office. Now.”
My eyes grew wide, and Meghan and I glanced at one another briefly in confusion. I repositioned the strap of my bag across my shoulder and walked across the lobby and down the hall to Frank’s office. A knot started forming in my stomach as we headed back that something was not quite right. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but the fight or flight response was triggered, and adrenaline started coursing through my body. “Hey,” I started slowly. “Is something wrong?”
He sat down in his seat with a terrible scowl across his face and said, “I don’t know how to say this, but we’re going to have to let you go. There’s just no funding in our budget to keep you on staff with these kinds of shenanigans.”
“Excuse me?” I demanded in alarm.
Frank cleared his throat and continued unabashedly, “Your boyfriend has become a real thorn in my side and has been causing a bit of trouble,” he stated simply. “I’m not going to have you working here.”
My jaw dropped in rage and shock as I shot back at him, “Adam and I aren’t even together, and you can’t fire me over something that I had absolutely nothing to do with.”
“Actually, I can. You were only hired as a private contractor; there’s nothing stopping me from simply choosing not to renew that contract. I’m afraid you’re done here.”
“So, you know that I’m not involved with whatever is going on between you and Adam, but you’re still going to fire me, anyway? I thought you enjoyed my work.”
He nodded while trying not to smile. “I do enjoy your work, but the quality of your product is not what’s in question here. I have to teach Adam a lesson, and if that means canceling our business arrangement, then so be it.”
“Unbelievable,” I snapped. “Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse.”
“You’re young and energetic, I’m sure you’ll land on your own two feet,” he crooned. “Now I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
I turned on my heel and stomped out of his office, practically seething with rage. Frank followed after me to make sure I left, and Meghan caught us in the lo
bby. “Vanessa? What’s going on?”
“Frank just fired me,” I told her. “Apparently, he’s having some kind of dispute with Adam and has decided to take it out on me.”
“The terms of canceling your employment are not important,” he responded crisply. “Meghan, we’re going to need some coffee for the business meeting. Go on and hop to it.”
She scowled at him and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. “You know what, Frank? I quit. This is absolutely ridiculous. Come on, Vanessa, let’s get out of here.” Frank and I both stared at her in shock as she grabbed her coat and bag, leaving her ID card on the table.
“You can’t quit!” he stuttered furiously. “You’re required to give at least two weeks’ notice.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not doing that. You’ll have to find someone else to make your coffee and file paperwork while you grab ass and make sexist comments in the break room. I’m over it, Frank. You’re lucky I haven’t filed a sexual harassment suit against this company.”
Meghan took me by the hand and guided me out into the parking lot. I was still shocked at her reaction and didn’t know what to say. “You want to get those drinks early?” she asked me casually. “I’m feeling like I could use one right about now.”
I chuckled, pulling out my keys to unlock the car. “Sure thing. You wanna come with me back to my parents’ house? We can get shit-faced in the living room.”
“Your parents’ place? What about your apartment with Adam?” she asked me curiously.
“He kicked me out yesterday,” I told her sheepishly. “That’s what I was going to tell you about later.”
Her eyes grew wide, and she whistled at the declaration and said, “Oh, yeah, drinks are definitely needed.”
I hugged her, bigger than I had ever hugged anyone before, and whispered against her hair, “Thank you, Meghan.”
She chuckled slightly, and we each got in our cars and headed over to my parents’ house. Dad was surprised when he saw not only me, but Meghan also pulling up in the driveway as he was trimming the hedges along the patio. Beads of sweat were forming along his brow line, and he looked hot and tired. “Vanessa, what are you doing back so soon? I thought you had work to do. Hi, Meghan.”