by Leigh Hays
Elena stood up from clipping Sera’s leash. “I’ve no idea. Ready?”
Rebekiah grabbed her wallet and phone, then followed her dog and best friend out the door and into the car. “What are they charging her with?”
As Elena drove, she said, “With conspiracy to commit fraud and violating the FCPA. I’m trying to get her arraigned so we can post bail.”
“How long will that take?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t want to wake up any federal judges this early, but I’m going to have to get on someone’s docket soon.” She exhaled. “This could take some time.”
“Is she going to jail?” Rebekiah’s voice cracked. The thought made her heart hurt. She couldn’t lose her now.
Elena held her hand. “Not if I can help it.”
Rebekiah squeezed back. “Elena, I love her.”
Elena glanced at her and shook their joined hands. “You think I don’t know that? Why am I picking you up at the ass crack of dawn to go wait in a federal office for the next sixteen hours?”
“Sixteen hours?”
“Give or take eight hours if I pull the right strings.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“Be there to pick her up.”
They dropped Sera off in Fox Point without any hassle, Elena’s sister waving in her housecoat and slippers. They got to the federal building a few minutes later.
Rebekiah followed Elena and took a seat in the beige waiting area while Elena went through the secure door. She proceeded to wait, her stomach in knots as she imagined all the worst possible scenarios.
* * *
Lindsey looked up as the door opened. Gail Travers and another agent walked in. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Are you thirsty?”
Lindsey’s voice was hoarse when she spoke. “Yes.”
“Grab a couple waters.” Travers nodded out the door, and the other agent left. She pulled out a chair and sat. “Are you comfortable? Need to eat, pee?”
Lindsey knew she should ask for food—she’d been in the room for what felt like hours—but the acid in her stomach was making her ill.
The agent came back with two cups and a pitcher. Travers poured her a cup and said, “How long have you know Cathryn Wexler?”
Lindsey drank it in one gulp. Travers filled it again. She cleared her throat. “Twelve years.”
“And in all that time, did you ever question her judgment?”
Lindsey laughed, which did nothing to alleviate her anxiety. What kind of questions were these? What had happened with Cathryn?
A loud knock sounded at the door, and Travers scowled. “Find out what they want.”
The agent opened the door. Elena stood outside. Lindsey’s heart soared at the sight. She could hear her mid-argument. “…like hell. She’s got a right to see me…”
The door shut, and Travers leaned forward. “This is your chance to tell me what happened before your lawyer comes in and tells you to shut up. Cathryn’s already fingered you for the payments—”
The door swung open, and Elena swooped in. “Not another fucking word.” She pointed at Travers. “You, out.” She held the door and waited for Travers to leave. She pointed at the cameras and said, “Off.” She waited until the red light flicked off and then turned to Lindsey. Holding out her hand, she said, “Now we can talk. Hi, it’s good to see you again. I’m your lawyer.”
The relief Lindsey felt from those three words dissipated twenty minutes later. The news was grim. “Did you know that Roger was working for the DOJ as an informant?”
Lindsey’s jaw dropped. “What?”
Elena tapped her hand on the folder containing a copy of the arrest warrant. “Cathryn must have gotten wind of it and fired him. There was something in your accounts that they wanted. Something that tied your company to the Kharitonov Group.”
“I had nothing to do with them. They’re Cathryn’s clients.”
“She’s saying otherwise.”
“What?”
“You need to be prepared. She’s trying to pin this on you.”
Lindsey shook her head. Outrage and a sense of injustice poured out of her. “But I didn’t do anything.”
“We’re talking jail here, Lindsey. If she was my client, I’d advise her to shift as much blame as possible to you. Her lawyers will be doing the same.” Elena fixed her with a look. “And trust me, she has lawyers.”
Lindsey rocked back and took that in. She knew Cathryn. Cathryn would take her down or let her hang alone. It was the cutthroat part of Cathryn that she’d always admired and respected. It made their business a success, but it was also the trait that could end her career and her freedom. “You’re right. What do you suggest?”
“Let me have one of our corporate people look at your partnership contract. Let’s see what we can do to minimize the fallout. But first let’s get you out of here.” She laid out the rest of her legal strategy and left with assurances that she’d see her at the arraignment.
Elena moved quickly to have Lindsey arraigned and released on bail. Tired, hungry, and wanting nothing more than to take a shower, Lindsey shuffled into the waiting area.
Rebekiah stood with her hands in her pockets and a half-smile on her face. She opened her arms, and Lindsey was in them before she even realized she was walking across the room, she was so tired and happy to see her.
She buried her face in Rebekiah’s shirt and whispered into her collar, “What are you doing here?”
Rebekiah kissed her forehead. “Where else would I be?”
Lindsey tightened her grip, grateful that of all the people she expected to have waiting for her, it was Rebekiah who showed up.
Chapter Thirty
The doors opened, and a bevy of reporters stood on the steps. They surged forward.
“Ms. Blackwell, did you know that your partner was working with the Russian mafia?”
“What does Senator Blackwell think about these allegations against you? Did you keep her in the dark?”
Rebekiah positioned herself between them and Lindsey. She pushed past and ushered her into her car. Lindsey leaned her head against the headrest and said with almost no inflection, “My mother’s going to be pissed.”
Rebekiah glanced at her. “Do you want to go home?”
Lindsey rolled her head to the side and said in that same monotone, “Hell, no. Can I crash at your place?”
This affect worried her. She touched Lindsey’s cheek, hoping to give physical comfort if not emotional. “Always.”
At her apartment, Rebekiah made pasta that they ate in silence before Lindsey took a shower and went to bed. Rebekiah joined her, wrapping her arms around her from behind. Lindsey didn’t even move.
Rebekiah slept fitfully, one ear open, but she must have dozed off because she woke up in the pre-dawn hours alone. She wandered into the kitchen and jumped when a shadow moved on her couch. Her heart rate spiked and then calmed as soon as Lindsey’s features became clear. “You scared me.”
“Sorry.” Her tone was flat.
Rebekiah frowned. “I thought you might have gone home.”
“I almost did.” Her voice was so soft that it took Rebekiah a few seconds to hear the words.
She rounded the kitchen island and walked over. “But you didn’t.” Smoothing Lindsey’s hair away from her face, she kissed her cheek. “You should have come back to bed.”
Lindsey’s eyes closed at her touch. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“How long have you been sitting in the dark?”
“Literally or metaphorically?”
Rebekiah smiled and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I meant literally, but I wouldn’t be opposed to the metaphorical answer either.”
Lindsey scoffed. “Too long.” She turned back to the window and shook her head. “She fucking did it.”
“Cathryn?”
Lindsey nodded. “She laundered money through our company and blamed me.”
“Wow. That’s cold.”
Lindse
y sighed. “Shit. I keep thinking, what did I miss? How could this have happened? I’ve been so distracted.” She laughed. “I trusted her.”
Rebekiah put a hand on her knee. “What are you going to do?”
Lindsey choked on another laugh. “Damage control.” She groaned. “I don’t know. We’re so fucked.”
Rebekiah pulled her into her arms, and Lindsey buried her head in her shoulder. She just held her and tried to think of something, anything, to comfort her. “Did I ever tell you how I met Elena?”
Lindsey shook her head but didn’t move. Rebekiah grabbed a blanket from the back of her couch and flung it over them. She settled and tucked Lindsey into her. “I played rugby in college, and so did she…” She told her a couple more stories about her college years until Lindsey laughed so hard that tears streamed down her face.
Glad that she’d taken her mind off her troubles, Rebekiah laughed with her and kept talking until the conversation petered out.
After a few minutes of silence, Lindsey turned toward her. “How was the show?”
Rebekiah smiled. “Good. Nice turnout.”
“I wanted to be there. I came back early.” She teared up.
Rebekiah framed her face. “Hey, it’s okay.”
Lindsey shook her head. “It’s not. I have always done everything in a certain way with one goal in mind, my career. All I’ve ever done has gone toward that goal. Every person I socialized with—hell, sometimes the people I slept with—helped my career.” She made a face. “That sounds bad.”
Rebekiah smiled. “I know what you mean.”
“You know the only reason I’m sober is because of my career.”
“I kind of assumed that.”
“And tomorrow morning…” She paused. “Today I’m going to walk into a federal office and destroy that career.”
Rebekiah’s heart sank, and she put a hand on Lindsey’s shoulder. “Oh, Lindsey, I’m so sorry.”
“But the only thing I can think about is you.”
Rebekiah’s breath caught. Her stomach fluttered.
“I know I freaked you out saying I love you, but I can’t help it. I’m not going to lie to you or myself.”
Rebekiah closed her eyes and tried to summon the words. It was so much easier to communicate with pictures.
Lindsey whispered, “Say something.”
Opening her eyes, Rebekiah held her hands. “You know it’s more than sex for me, right?”
Lindsey tilted her head. “Is it?”
She frowned. “Yeah, I thought you knew.”
“You’ve never said anything either way. I could only guess.”
She shook her head. “I think I knew that, but I didn’t know how to tell you. I’m kind of fucked up. Functionally fucked up, but still.”
Lindsey smiled. “Me, too.”
She knew Lindsey needed to hear something more. The words clawed up from inside and gave voice to the feeling she’d been running from since New York City. Taking a deep breath, she said, “I love you.”
The tears on the edge of Lindsey’s lashes started to fall.
“Come here.” Rebekiah leaned in and kissed her. It was delicate and chaste, but she felt it to her toes. She pulled back, but Lindsey held her, leaning her forehead against hers.
“I love you, too.”
Rebekiah’s breath caught. She wrapped her arms around her and just held her. Happiness and hope filled her.
Lindsey shifted and looked up. “What does this mean?”
“I don’t know. I’m not a traditional person. I’m not looking for a traditional relationship. I think it’s okay to make it up as we go along. But for now, it means that I’m going with you to that federal office and waiting until you’re done.”
Lindsey tried to pull away, but Rebekiah held her. “You don’t have to.”
“Yeah. I do.”
“Why?”
Rebekiah sighed. “Because you should have someone who cares about you—” She swallowed. “Loves you—be there.”
Lindsey’s eyes glistened. “You tell me this now.” She kissed her hard.
“I know, bad timing.”
Lindsey sagged. “Is there any other kind?”
Rebekiah’s thoughts went to Emma and how the last year of her life stunted her own. She shook her head. “Not in my experience.”
“I told you, I’m bad at this.”
Rebekiah tilted her chin and looked in her eyes. “That’s a lie you’ve been told.” She kissed her forehead. “Don’t believe it.”
Lindsey opened her eyes and smiled.
Chapter Thirty-one
Lindsey woke up to an empty bed in her own apartment. Well, mostly empty. Sera was curled at her feet, snoring softly. Stepping out of the bathroom, she smelled coffee. Rebekiah, the one bright spot in her life right now, stood at the kitchen counter, cracking eggs into a bowl.
She glanced up and smiled. “Good morning.”
“Are those eggs?” Lindsey walked into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Rebekiah. They shared a kiss. Lindsey pulled away, smiling. “You taste like coffee.”
She tilted her head. “It’s over there.”
Lindsey fixed a cup and perched on the kitchen stool. “I didn’t even know I had eggs.”
She finished whisking and poured them into the pan. “You didn’t. I picked them up yesterday.”
Lindsey watched her cook. The past two months had been a blur. True to her word, Rebekiah had gone with her to the DOJ office. Elena had met them, and Rebekiah had waited for hours while Lindsey gave her statement. The fallout was almost instantaneous; they lost four major clients in one day. She braced herself each day she went to work. Habit was the only thing keeping her work together. Habit and Rebekiah. Knowing she’d be waiting at the end of the day made getting up so much easier.
“What?” Rebekiah set a plate in front of her and leaned on the counter.
Lindsey pulled her thoughts back to breakfast. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
Rebekiah held her hand. “Several times. Why? What’s happening?”
Lindsey looked at her plate. An omelet with chives and cheese. Neither of which were in her fridge yesterday. “How many groceries did you buy?”
“Enough for a few meals. If I’m going to be spending more time here, I’m going to need some ingredients. We can’t eat takeout every day. I don’t care how much money I have.”
Lindsey took a bite and sighed. She just wanted to curl up on the couch with Rebekiah and Sera and watch TV all day. “How can the best and worst things be happening at the same time?”
Grabbing a second plate, Rebekiah came around the island and sat next to her. “Please tell me I’m the best.”
Lindsey rolled her eyes. “Yes.”
Rebekiah chuckled and cut into her omelet. “Do you want to quit?”
“Every day.” Her business profits were down thirty percent, and she was facing layoffs in the next month. She was not cut out to be the managing partner. Cathryn’s arrest had damaged their business processes as well as their reputation and financial resources.
Rebekiah put down her fork. “Why don’t I take you out to lunch today?”
Lindsey leaned against her shoulder. “That would be wonderful.”
* * *
Sabine knocked on Lindsey’s door and ducked inside her office. “Li Jing is here to see you.”
Lindsey stood. “Here?” Li Jing didn’t come to Providence. She glanced around. Papers covered every surface; white banker boxes were lined up against the wall. “Now?”
Sabine straightened. “Do you need to be unavailable? I can run interference for you.”
“No.” Lindsey answered without thinking. She hadn’t heard from Li Jing since her arrest, and if Li Jing was here, it was important. She could not brush her off. She glanced at her watch, scooped up her phone, and rounded her desk. “No. Bring her in.” She hooked a hand around her suit jacket and shrugged into it.
Li Jing wore a cream Armani pa
ntsuit with a pair of Jimmy Choo heels and a Louis Vuitton handbag. She was dressed to impress and intimidate. She moved toward Lindsey and held out her hands.
Lindsey took them and spoke Cantonese. “What a pleasant surprise. What brings you to Providence?”
She replied in English. “You do.” Letting go, she gestured around the room. “I heard about your business partner. Terrible business, that.”
Lindsey exhaled. “Yeah, but it’s not that bad.” Only it was, and she didn’t have the heart to tell her. Li Jing knew how hard she worked. She didn’t want to see Li Jing’s face when she told her the truth; it would make it real.
“I see. Have you eaten?”
Lindsey shook her head. She had plans with Rebekiah.
“I’ll buy.” She turned without waiting, and Lindsey hurried to catch up.
They walked to the elevator, and Li Jing pushed the down button. Lindsey ran through the local restaurants. “There’s a farm to table place in the Arcade.”
“Sounds delightful.”
Lindsey pulled out her phone and texted Rebekiah. Sorry, something came up. Rain check?
Li Jing glanced at her as they walked the half block to the Arcade. “Is that the hotel woman?”
Feeling guilty, Lindsey slid the phone back into her pocket. “How can you tell?”
“Your whole face changes.”
Lindsey didn’t want to consider what her face might look like as they passed through the Arcade’s columns and double doors.
Spring sunlight streamed through the glass roof into the central atrium. Cast iron railings topped with mahogany banisters lined the second and third floor mezzanines. Lindsey led the way past a hipster barber shop, a bustling café, a funky boutique, and straight into a restaurant with a wood, sea, and steel décor. Not a pirate or Cape Cod sea look but more like an America’s Cup club feel, a nod to Rhode Island’s shipping past. It seemed so provincial with Li Jing beside her.
Li Jing glanced at her menu. “What do you recommend?”
Lindsey picked up her own menu and offered a few suggestions but barely paid attention to the choices. Li Jing was here for a reason, but what was it? Word traveled fast, and the news of Cathryn’s arrest was already out there. She had no reason to do business with a company like hers. It only brought her dealings under scrutiny. Maybe she wanted to cherry-pick her holdings or buy her outright. Hope bloomed at the brief thought of selling her firm. She tamped down all her hopes and focused on the menu.