Sometimes Quickly

by Anne Laughlin

  *

  Wednesday, January 10, 2015

  The temptation to hang up on Braddock was nearly impossible to resist. She wanted a drink and that desire had been absent for a long, long time. Just hearing his name had started the craving. Perhaps she should confess that she told Jenna the witness location, but she still didn’t know where that’d leave Jenna. Surely the statute of limitations would apply by this time. She needed time to think, to research.

  “Our deal was that I resign and pay you one hundred thousand—”

  Braddock interrupted. “You only paid fifty thousand. I’m going to add that to your tab.”

  “You accepted the fifty thousand at the time,” Peg said. She spoke firmly, but inside she was watery. “What’s changed?”

  “A few things. It’s time to recast our terms. First of all, it’s clear I let you off too easily before. If I’d done my civic duty at the time and reported you, you’d have lost your law license and undoubtedly done some time.”

  “You were never a model citizen, Jim,” she said. Her phone vibrated on her desktop. It was Allison again.

  “Whatever. That was then. Now it’s time for you to dig a little deeper to keep this news quiet.”

  “How deep?”

  She heard his chair squeak and ice hit the bottom of a glass. She’d kill for that drink.

  “I want two hundred thousand by the end of business tomorrow, plus nine more installments of the same amount over the next nine months.”

  Peg’s heart sank further. She could probably liquidate that amount over time, but she’d be tapped out after that.

  “I need more time than that.”

  She could hear Braddock sigh. “You can’t have it.”

  “I need more than one business day to get my affairs in order. I’ll get back to you at the end of the week.”

  Braddock laughed. “I know you’ve never considered me your intellectual equal, Peg, but give me a little credit here. Wiring money doesn’t take two days, but I’m giving them to you as a courtesy. Don’t push your luck.”

  Peg didn’t respond.

  “And in case you’re thinking you can take this opportunity to leave the country, let me remind you of a few things tying you to your new home.”

  Peg frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’ve spent some time in Chicago lately, getting to know more about your life. You’re ridiculously easy to tail.”

  “I wasn’t exactly practicing evasive maneuvers. It didn’t occur to me I’d have a jackass following me.”

  Braddock snorted. “You’ve lost your touch, Peg. That didn’t even sting. Here’s what I found out: you’ve been spending all of your free time with Allison Mitchell, who I understand is a prominent broker. She has offices in an upscale part of town. She’s in the press a lot. What do you think would happen to her career if word went out that she was in love with someone responsible for a murder? The Chicago papers would love that.”

  Peg gripped the phone so tightly her knuckles were white. She was too terrified to speak. This couldn’t touch Allison. She couldn’t live with that.

  “Listen, Peg. You have a lot to sort through. Here’s what’s going to happen. We’ll meet at Halliday’s on Friday at six o’clock. Might as well go back to the scene of the crime. If you don’t show up, I’ll call my friends at the U.S. attorney’s office and tell them how they can clean up a very cold case. If you show up, it means you’re a smart lady. And we all know you’re that, if nothing else.”

  They exchanged cell numbers and hung up. She punched the Do Not Disturb button on her phone so no further calls would come through on her office line. Then she stared out in space, feeling numb. She should have know the kind of happiness she’d found with Allison was too good to last. She really wanted a drink.

  Chapter Eleven

  “God, what an ass,” Allison said as she slammed the phone down. Sophie looked up from her computer and stared at her.

  “What’s up, boss?” She’d just gotten extensions in her hair to make her look like she had dreads, and she fiddled with the heavy ropes of fake hair.

  Allison picked a file up from the floor and started flipping through it. “It’s that creepy Gerstein from Higgens Realty. He just told me he’s sending over an offer on the Altgeld listing.”

  “That’s good isn’t it? It’s been on the market a while.” She put her hands to her face to cover a yawn.

  “It’s a three hundred and fifty thousand dollar offer on a five hundred thousand dollar property. You try presenting that to the client.”

  “You get all the fun.” Sophie turned back to the solitaire game on her screen.

  “I’m going to wait until I actually have the contract before calling the Dennings. They’re going to blow a gasket.” Allison stood and grabbed her bag. “In the meantime, I’m going shopping.” Allison beamed at Sophie.

  “Something special, I take it? What’s going on?”

  “Last night Peg and I decided to live together. She’s moving her stuff in this weekend.”

  Sophie looked genuinely pleased, which transformed her face into a much younger, sweeter looking person. “That’s awesome. You guys are fantastic together.”

  “Yeah, we are, aren’t we? I’m feeling a little smug, I must admit.”

  She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. She and Peg had barely made it through the door of her house last night before falling on each other, frantically pulling each other’s clothes off. Their lovemaking in the front hall left them both out of breath and slightly stunned.

  “I thought I’d buy my beloved a present. I have to go downtown at two anyway for the Johnson closing.”

  “So you won’t be back here today?” Sophie asked.

  Allison gave Sophie a suspicious look. “Don’t even think of leaving here before five. And forward the Dennings contract as soon as it comes in.”

  An hour later, Allison stood before a jewelry case at Neiman Marcus and gasped at the prices. High as they were, it wasn’t what kept her from buying something. The problem was she didn’t have any idea what Peg might like. She was impossible to shop for. She showed no enthusiasm for clothes, though she always managed to dress well. She didn’t wear jewelry and she had no hobbies other than voracious reading. Everything Allison picked up seemed like a desperate choice. Perhaps a long weekend away to celebrate their decision. That seemed perfect. She got in a cab and called her travel agent. She didn’t think it an unreasonable request for Peg to break away from business for four days in Paris, and she was intent on booking the flight and hotel. She could picture the two of them walking arm in arm along the Seine.

  She thought back to the beginning of her last relationship, with a woman named Lorraine. They were first year associates together at a sweatshop law firm. One night they found themselves staggering into each other’s arms after surviving another hundred-hour workweek. Despite their profound fatigue, they both thought the sex was pretty hot. Before they quite knew what was happening, they were in an established relationship. As long as they had the evil law firm in common, the relationship seemed to sustain itself. They could endlessly amuse and comfort themselves by talking about work. The first crack appeared when Allison decided to leave the practice of law and move into real estate. Lorraine couldn’t understand Allison’s leaving a high paying, prestigious position. She felt betrayed, even more so when Allison was an immediate success at selling real estate.

  The crack widened when Lorraine failed to make partner. She never shared with Allison how miserable and humiliated she felt, nor how resentful that Allison was doing well. She met another woman at the tech startup she became general counsel for. Allison met the woman herself when she walked in on the two making love. Their ten-year relationship was over, leaving Allison feeling betrayed, angry, and most of all, abandoned. Discarded.

  Even accounting for the passage of time and its toll on the memory, Allison was sure what she felt for Lorraine in the beginning wasn’t on the same plane
as the love she felt for Peg. That scared her. If the love was exponentially greater for Peg, wouldn’t the hurt be more devastating if something went wrong?

  Allison’s phone rang and her frown turned to a smile when she saw it was Peg. “Hello, sweetheart. What a nice surprise to hear from you.”

  “Why a surprise?” Peg said.

  “I know you planned to be with an expert witness all day. Are you on a break?”

  There was a slight pause. “Actually, something’s come up, which is the reason I’m calling you.”

  “As long as you’re not calling to say you’ve changed your mind about living together, I’m all ears,” Allison said. When there was no answer from Peg, she blurted, “Jesus! That’s not it, is it?” She could hear the beginning of panic in her voice.

  “No, of course not. We’ve just had an emergency of sorts, and I have to go to the New York office for a few days.”

  Allison blew out her breath. “Is that all? Will you be back for the weekend?”

  “Yes, I should be. It might put me behind in terms of packing for the move.”

  Allison noticed a strange monotone in Peg’s voice. “So is this a really bad emergency? You sound a little flat. Or far away.”

  “Sorry.” Peg’s voice was still flat, and it had a little edge to it.

  “That wasn’t a judgment or complaint, simply an observation. Are you okay?” Allison asked.

  “Yes, I’m fine.”

  “And you’d tell me if you weren’t?” Allison knew she was pressing, but she knew there was something Peg wasn’t telling her.

  “Of course. The case has gone to hell and I have to go in for some settlement discussions. Listen, I have to run to your place and get some of my things thrown in a bag and catch a flight. I’ll give you a call from the hotel later.”

  “Hmm. If you sounded a bit more like yourself, I’d be excited at the thought of one of your hotel calls. But I’m not sure about tonight.”

  “I’ll talk to you later. I love you,” Peg said. She said it firmly, as if it was meant to last a long time before it could be said again.

  Allison didn’t like it at all. She didn’t expect Peg to tell her every little thing that went on in her life. She had no interest in acting like a controlling partner, but she didn’t want Peg holding back anything important. It was too dangerous, too destructive to a new relationship. She made a call to get coverage for her two o’clock closing and directed the cabbie toward the Loop.

  *

  Peg stared out her window, her eyes unblinking. Her mind was a blank as she looked sightlessly toward Lake Michigan. Her mother had called this the blind staggers, which sounded more like a condition of inebriation than mental stasis. She shook her head and turned back to her desk.

  She sent an e-mail off to Carly to let her know she’d be out of town for a couple of days. She didn’t need to be in New York until late Friday, but she had no intention of coming back to the office while her life was on the verge of collapse. She wanted to get to the house before Allison did. There was no way she’d be able to hide that something was wrong if she had to face her. Allison was already frighteningly good at discerning her mood and her feelings based on the slightest tic or coloration on her face. There were moments when Peg felt overwhelmed at being so known by someone. She felt stripped naked. In this case, Allison would know in a split second Peg was distressed about something.

  Peg needed the time to consider her options, which were between terrible and really awful. She could stay in Chicago and pay Braddock’s blackmail, pretending to Allison and everyone else that nothing was wrong. She could go to the Justice Department and turn herself in, possibly still threatening Jenna’s freedom. She wanted to talk to Jenna if she could. She needed to research the law. She could also flee the country and everything she knew. She had enough money to get by for a while. This was the worst option of all, since Braddock threatened Allison if she did.

  She was just grabbing her briefcase and coat when she heard a quick knock followed by Allison striding through the door. “Hello, darling. Carly wasn’t outside so I took the liberty of coming in.” She went up to Peg and touched her arm. “I’m glad I caught you before you left.”

  Peg backed away from her until she hit the edge of her desk. “What are you doing here?”

  Allison kept the smile on her face as her eyes bored into Peg’s. “Nice to see you, too,” she said wryly. “I wanted to say good-bye to my girlfriend. I miss you when you’re not beside me at night.”

  “I’ll only be gone a couple days,” Peg said, staring into her briefcase and shuffling papers around. She wasn’t surprised when Allison gently took hold of her chin and turned her face toward her.

  “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Peg heard the gentleness in her voice, the concern. It made her want to scream with frustration.

  “Nothing’s wrong. This case is driving us all crazy, that’s all.” She picked her briefcase back up. “I have to go and catch a flight.”

  Allison’s hand came back to Peg’s arm and held on a little tighter. “I haven’t known you that long, but I’ve never known you to lie. There’s something going on and it’s absurd to deny it.”

  She shook her arm loose and walked past Allison. She turned around when she reached the door. “You have wonderful instincts, but they’re not infallible. I’ve told you what’s going on. I’m sorry it’s not sexy or dramatic enough for you.”

  “And I’ve never known you to be sarcastic, either. Don’t shut me out. We need to talk this through.” Allison moved closer to Peg, as if approaching a skittish colt.

  “No, what we need, what I need is for you to back off. Sometimes you expect too much, Allison.”

  She saw the look of shock and confusion on Allison’s face before she turned a final time and walked out the door. When the elevator doors closed and she was alone, she fought off the despair that almost paralyzed her. She needed her wits. She couldn’t think about Allison’s feelings now.

  *

  Allison watched Peg escape through the door. She looked like she was running for her life. She sat on the desk chair and took a couple of deep breaths. She had no idea what had just happened, but she was clear on one point: whatever it was that turned Peg into a lying, bitchy stranger didn’t have anything to do with work. It had to be serious for Peg to lie to her, unless she’d completely misread her character. That’s not what her gut told her.

  Carly returned and put her bag in her desk drawer. She saw Allison in the office.

  “I’m glad you’re here, Allison. Is Peg in there?”

  “No, she just left for the airport.”

  Carly looked confused. “She did? I didn’t know anything about that.”

  “She said something came up on the albuterol case and she had to go to New York.” Allison was hoping to get information from Carly rather than give it.

  “She did? That doesn’t make sense to me. I wonder if this has anything to do with the phone call she got this morning.”

  “What phone call?”

  Carly looked uneasy. “I probably shouldn’t say. Peg wouldn’t want me talking about her business.”

  Allison gave Carly a gentle smile. “I think that’s true as a general rule, but I also think there’s something peculiar going on. I’m worried about her.”

  Carly sat on her chair and looked up at Allison. “I am too. The call this morning was from a man called Jim Braddock. He was an ass on the phone, didn’t sound like the kind of guy Peg would have any dealings with. He said it was urgent, so I interrupted her meeting. I was surprised she took the call.”

  “What did she seem like? Was she calm? Upset?”

  “Can you be both? She seemed even keeled, but I could tell something was wrong. She told me to leave for lunch and it was only ten thirty. She didn’t want me around.”

  “Did she say anything else?” Allison said.

  “Just that it was a personal matter she had to take care of. That’s why it doesn’t
make sense that she said she was leaving because of the albuterol case.”

  “Which is what she told me it was about. Do you know anything about this Braddock guy?”

  “Nothing.” She seemed nervous. “I think Peg will be mad at me for telling you all this.”

  “Does Peg ever get mad at you?” Allison said.

  “Never.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about it, then. I’ll take care of Peg.” Allison forced a smile, though she was now truly worried. “Did you get a phone number for Braddock?”

  “I wrote down what showed on the caller ID.” Carly jotted down a number and handed it to Allison.

  “I’m going to find out what’s going on, so you hold down the fort here, okay?”

  Carly nodded. “Good luck, Allison. I hope she’s okay.”

  Allison took a cab back to her office to pick up her car. While the cab stalled in Michigan Avenue traffic, she called Danni West, a private investigator she’d worked with when she was practicing law, and on a few occasions since. She answered on the first ring.

  “Danni, it’s Allison Mitchell.”

  “Allison! It’s great to hear from you,” Danni said.

  “Yes, I’d love to catch up sometime, but today I’m going to dispense with the chitchat. I’ve got something going on right now that I need your help on.”

  “I have about half an hour in my office before I have to leave for an appointment.” Danni sounded business like.

  “That should be enough. I need all the information you can dig up on someone. I only have a name and phone number. I don’t know a thing about him other than he has some tie to my girlfriend.”

  “Do you think they’re sleeping together? Is it that kind of thing?”

  “No, God. The thought hadn’t entered my mind, but thanks for putting it there. This is something else, and whatever it is, it isn’t good news for Peg. I’m trying to figure out how to help her.” The cab entered Lake Shore Drive. She took no notice of the glittering lake on her right.