Stolen Innocents (The Shadow Series Book 2)

by Kline, Addison

  ***

  “Macklon!”

  Felix DeSanto’s bellowing scream called out over the sea of gray cubicles. His outburst had effectively silenced the hum of chatter that was emitting from the legal accounting division at Heath, Conrad, and Langston, LLC. Angie eyed the semi-ajar door of Felix’s office speculatively. She was intimidated by the heightened level of agitation in Felix’s voice. As Angie walked grimly to her moody boss’ office, fifty-two pairs of eyes followed her movements. They were all curious what Felix’s star legal assistant had done to deserve such chilly treatment. Angie pushed open the door to Felix’s office and allowed it to click behind her. Nervously, she glanced up at her irate boss, Felix DeSanto.

  Felix DeSanto is a high powered corporate defense attorney with a large client list of Fortune 500 companies and an even bigger anger management problem. He wasn’t well liked, but thanks to his outstanding reputation as a criminal and corporate defense attorney, he was well-respected. As a result, his frequent outbursts were overlooked, as was his reputation as a relentless womanizer. Felix was not the type of boss you wanted to get on the wrong side of. Unfortunately for Angie, she had strayed from her long-maintained role as the boss’ princess.

  “Good Morning. How are you today?” asked Angie in a friendly tone.

  In response, Felix scrunched up his face and presented her with his usual take-no-shit attitude.

  “Cut the crap, Macklon. Where’s the file?”

  “I can explain…” Angie began but was rudely cut off by Felix.

  “It’s 8:20. You were supposed to be here at 8:15,” said Felix stingily as he glanced at his Rolex.

  “I was booting up my computer,” Angie explained.

  “Seriously? This file better be immaculate.”

  Angie sighed.

  “I have the file, but it’s not finished.”

  Angie looked at her boss’ face with worry. Felix’s face had now turned a dangerous shade of purple. He literally looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

  Good job, Angie. You’ve outdone yourself this time.

  “You have got to be kidding me!”

  “Sorry, I wanted to finish it last night but Jeremy…”

  Angie began but she was cut off immediately by Felix, who was waving her off disrespectfully.

  “I don’t have time for your personal melodrama! I need my Goddamn deposition!” Felix barked.

  “I can do it this morning...” Angie explained.

  “I told you before you left yesterday that it had to be in by 8:15 today, and that was firm. So I’m going to give it to Swanson. At least I know that it will get done.”

  “Felix, I break my back for this job, for you… I was just trying to explain to you that my husband…”

  “Macklon, I’m going to be frank with you. I don’t give a damn about your husband. He doesn’t like me, and I don’t like him. I don’t want to hear it. You said the deposition would be done and now it’s not.”

  Angie was taken aback by Felix’s brutal admission.

  “Look, DeSanto! You’re way out of line! You gave me two hours to get the deposition together, so I took it home thinking I could finish it at home. I didn’t have to though…”

  “The fact remains that it didn’t get done!”

  “It’s not done because it’s not humanly possible. You need to decide if you want it done right, or if you want it done quickly.”

  “Macklon! You know damn well I need both!”

  “I was trying to do you a favor. I wasn’t on the clock,” Angie reminded Felix curtly.

  “You would have gotten paid!” exclaimed Felix in a petulant voice.

  “Would I? You still owe me overtime from last month,” reminded Angie. She was nobody’s fool.

  Before Felix could answer her, there was a knock on the door.

  “Now you’re just being petty! Open the door. It’s probably Swanson.”

  Timothy Swanson was fresh out of college and eager to build a name for himself. He did whatever Felix asked of him. Felix could ask him to go detail the advertisement on the highway and Swanson would be out on Route 99 with a bucket and rag, shining it up. Swanson was like a puppy dog, albeit a really hyper and well-caffeinated one.

  “Yeah, boss?” said Swanson, poking his head into the door. He had clearly already guzzled down his Espresso Grande and was ready to tackle whatever Felix wanted to throw at him.

  “Ah, Timothy… You’re looking well rested today!” said Felix in his most charming voice. Angie rolled her eyes.

  “Thank you, sir. What can I do to help?” Swanson said in a chipper voice. Angie glared at him venomously.

  “I’m going to assign you the Thire deposition. This is a very high priority project, and it is for the San Francisco based biotech company, Thire Biotechnical Products. It’s coming off of Macklon’s desk, along with all of her other assignments. Swanson, welcome to my elite team. Macklon… You’re out.”

  Both Macklon and Swanson had to catch their breath.

  “I’m sorry. What?” Angie asked, unsure if she caught Felix’s drift.

  “You’re out. Pack up your desk. I’m terminating your contract.”

  “Because I’m late with one project?!”

  “Among other reasons. It was an important project. This will teach you that I mean business. You have to prioritize.”

  Angie could feel her anger rising inside of her. She just couldn’t control herself any longer.

  “I put you before my husband for three years and now he’s gone! Shove this job! You are the most inconsiderate and undermining employer I’ve ever had in my life.”

  “Maybe you didn’t hear me the first time. I don’t have time for your melodrama. Pack up your desk because I’ve terminated your contract. Swanson, be sure that you get the Thire deposition from Macklon before she leaves. Security will be up in fifteen minutes to escort her out.”

  “Bastard!” Angie exclaimed vehemently.

  “I’ve been called worse,” said Felix, unfazed.

  Angie stormed out of the office knocking over Felix’s “World’s Best Boss” trophy that sat on his desk. A crowd of employees had gathered outside of Felix’s office. They were all eager to hear what was going on inside. Angie gave them all a heated glare.

  “Don’t you all have deadlines?!”

  At the sound of her agitated voice, the crowd dispersed, all acting as if they weren’t really trying to hear the conversation inside the office. Anger took over Angie’s body as she made a beeline for her desk. Swanson had disappeared and that suited Angie just fine because she found him to be an insufferable pest. She wanted to get her belongings, but she didn’t plan on going down quietly. From behind her, Swanson reappeared with a set of brown legal boxes in his hands.

  “Here are some boxes if you need them,” said Swanson with a friendly but smarmy voice.

  “Oh, shove off. Kiss ass,” Angie replied nastily.

  Howard Cosgrove, an elderly accounting clerk who sat in the adjacent cubicle raised his bushy eyebrow at his saucy office mate before turning his eyes back to his work.

  As Howard pecked at his keyboard, he said, “I told you he would get back at you for rejecting his offer for a date.”

  “I’m married. He should know better.”

  “What are you going to do now?” Howard asked sensibly.

  Angie pondered his question. She stood perfectly still as a devilish smile grew across her pretty face.

  “I’m going to expose him for the sorry sucker that he is,” said Angie matter-of-factly.

  “Are you going to make a scene?” asked Howard warily.

  “I most certainly am… I need your paper shredder,” said Angie with her exit strategy already mapped out in her head.

  “I knew I could count on you for some early morning entertainment. You know where it is.”

  Angie rolled out Howard’s gigantic paper shredder from behind his cubicle and plugged it into the wall socket at her desk. While the beast of a m
achine warmed up, Angie began loading up her file boxes with all her belongings. She packed up pictures of Jeremy, a snapshot of their beloved cat Nan, a picture of her sisters as children, her radio, and several pairs of shoes from her desk. Finally, both boxes were full, and Felix had just strolled out of his office to check on her progress. Felix primped in the glass window, adjusting his silk tie and flattening it against his maroon shirt. Finally, he turned to face his workforce as he put both hands on his hips.

  “Almost ready?” Felix said to Angie as she sat rifling through papers on her desk.

  “Just about. I’m grabbing the deposition.”

  “Security will be here in about two minutes,” Felix warned.

  “Duly noted,” Angie said nonchalantly as she continued to flick through papers at her desk. She was calm on the outside, but a maelstrom was brewing just under the surface. Suddenly, Swanson had returned with a smug smile cemented on his face.

  “What are you smiling about?!” Angie demanded to know. She was highly irritated at his gloating.

  “Oh, just excited to get started. I just called Mother to tell her I am lead on an important case. The parents are going to take me to dinner tonight at Le Roux. Mother wants to have the mussels.”

  Under Angie’s breath she commented, “I hope you and your mummy choke on your mussels.”

  Howard nearly choked on his croissant after hearing Angie’s comment.

  “That was not nice…” Howard said to Angie.

  “No. I guess it wasn’t. He loves crawling under my skin!”

  “So Macklon… Did you find that deposition yet? I’m eager to get started,” said Swanson excitedly.

  Angie rolled her eyes as she continued looking through the paperwork.

  “Just one minute, sir. Right away, sir… Seriously, dude? Weren’t you someone’s intern last year? Get off your high horse!”

  Finally, Angie opened up her messenger bag and retrieved the Thire deposition from a manila file folder.

  “Ah, here it is!” said Angie holding up the document for Swanson to see. He tried reaching out for the document, but Angie snatched it back.

  “Not so fast, Swanson! This is a very important document. We wouldn’t want something to happen to it, would we?”

  Swanson shook his head from left to right as he eyed the document nervously.

  “The thing that you have to understand about this particular client is that they are a Fortune 500 company. They are very high profile and they make beaucoup bucks every year. If something were to happen to this document, Felix would probably jump out of his office window.”

  “Why would something happen to the document? It’s safe in your hands. So pass it over and nothing will happen.”

  “Oh, I don’t think so…”

  “What’s going on out here?!”

  “I was simply explaining to young Swanson here the importance of this document. If something were to ever happen to this document, you would probably throw yourself out of your office window in despair.”

  “Don’t play games, Macklon…”

  “You know, Felix… I knew you’d pull something like this when I turned you down for drinks the other night. I wonder what your wife would think about that.”

  “Macklon! I’m dead serious!”

  Angie picked up her cell phone and grinned deviously. In her other hand she held the Thire deposition by the upper right corner with just her thumb and index finger.

  “So Swanson, it is very important to be careful with vital documents. Especially around paper shredders. We wouldn’t want something to happen… Oops!”

  Angie dropped the deposition into the paper shredder. The ancient machine gobbled up the all-important document, breaking it down into little bits of confetti. She knew that there would be legal consequences for her actions, after all a deposition is an official document. Angie didn’t care. The only thing she cared about was getting back at Felix.

  “What are you doing?!” Felix screamed. His eyes were beginning to bulge out of his head.

  Angie held her cell phone high in the air. The green screen was lit up, as if she was already on a call.

  “You wanted to get back at me for not going for drinks with you. That’s clear. So now I will get back at you for terminating my contract.”

  Felix stared at Angie with a lot of different emotions displaying on his face; anger and irritation were there, sure. But there was something else, too. He actually cared about her, but his jealousy got in the way. He was angry because she wouldn’t choose him over her husband.

  “Nothing to say, Felix? Okay. Say hi to your wife for me.”

  Angie dropped the cell phone into Felix’s hand. When he saw the display, Felix screamed like a man who was being murdered at knife point.

  Monica DeSanto

  978-555-4189

  Security had finally arrived and was rushing down the hall towards Felix’s office. Angie grabbed her bag and her boxes. She gave Howard a warm hug and waved goodbye to her colleagues. Two security guards, one a burly man and another a tiny elderly woman, tried to secure Angie’s arms to escort her out of the building. Angie pushed them off of her as she walked to the elevator bay and out of the main entrance for the last time.

  Angie walked out of Seattle Commerce One and straight out into the pouring rain. She didn’t bother putting up her umbrella. After the day she was having, what was a little rain? After a short cab ride, she arrived at her apartment building. She knew she should check the paper to see who was hiring, but she just didn’t have it in her tonight. Angie dug in her bag for her keys and as she approached her apartment door, she noticed that there was a piece of paper taped to the surface. Her pace quickened as she rushed down the hallway to snatch the paper off of the door. Angie frantically unfolded the paper and read Jeremy’s messy scrawl:

  Angela,

  I hope this note finds you well. I have come to the conclusion that we are two very different people moving down two very different paths. I understand that your job is highly demanding, but being married is, too. I just think you will be happier alone. You can focus on your career. I’m sorry I stormed out, but I am tired of sitting here alone every night. Even when you’re with me, your mind is off somewhere else. I plan to take my belongings, which, I might add, includes our cat Nan. I considered leaving her, but I got some news that may affect your standing at the apartment. I also don’t want her to have to wait until 8, 9 or 10 o’clock at night to eat due to your lunatic boss.

  I informed the landlord that I am leaving. We have not had a lease in a year, so that ends our contract with this building. You can try talking to Rich and see if he will allow you to stay. I don’t think you can afford it on your own. I also called your mother to let her know our situation. She wants you to go home. To Pennsylvania. Your Dad is even offering to buy you a plane ticket. I’ll always be your friend, but loving you is just too hard on my heart.

  Sorry, Jer

  The look on Angie’s face did not change or show the slightest hint of sadness as she read the letter. Her only emotion was anger. Swiftly, she stomped her foot on the rug as she screamed.

  He took my cat!

  How dare he call my mother!

  I’m not going back there! Is he insane?!

  Angie tried to slow her breathing down but it just didn’t help. Today was the day from hell. After a final deep breath, she turned the door knob and walked into a disheveled apartment. It appeared Jeremy had already started clearing some of his stuff out. Angie walked across the living room, ignoring the empty spaces where the furniture used to be. She picked up the phone that hung on the wall in the kitchen.

  “Mom. It’s Angela.”

  “Are you coming home?”

  Angie knew she was all out of luck.

  “Yes.”

  It appears I have no other choice.

  Chapter 2

  June 15, 2000

  Elkhart, PA

  Dawn

  “This is not what I signed up for,” com
plained Officer Liam Morrow to his brother/partner Adam as a yawn escaped from his mouth. The sun was rising over the mountains and squad car E5 was parked just outside Healer’s Park. Officers Morrow and Morrow were keeping a close watch on the park and surrounding houses on Caribou Road in Elkhart.