Jonathan sat on the couch and considered everything he had talked with Father Michael about and thought about what he should do with his life. Jonathan decided when he returned to work on Monday he would need to have a long talk with Mr. Briggs about his place in the firm.
Jonathan fell asleep on the couch watching television. When he awoke the next morning, he called Sherri to tell her thank you.
Two days later, Jonathan returned to work. Sherri was at her desk when Jonathan arrived with a box of one dozen yellow roses with a card. Jonathan went straight down the hall to Mr. Briggs’ office before Sherri had a chance to reply. Jonathan straightened his tie before he knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Mr. Briggs called out as he continued to look over the file on his desk.
“Mr. Briggs, I would like to speak with you if you have a moment.”
“Certainly Jonathan, please sit down.”
“Well sir, I am sure Sherri told you I was having a bit of a difficult time, and I have had a lot of time to consider everything. If I am going to stay at the firm, I need to make some changes.” Jonathan’s hands were sweating as he spoke. He was unsure how his soon to be partner was going to react.
“Yes, continue.” Mr. Briggs looked up from his files and adjusted his reading glasses.
“I would like to do at least one week of pro-bono work a month sir. We represent the wealthy whose biggest concern is who gets the bigger percentage and how they can hurt the other person the most. There are people out there, sir, who need to know there is someone who cares about them. They need to know that there is someone who can and will defend them when no one else will.”
“What are you saying, Jonathan? Are you interested in defending common criminals? This firm does not handle those types of cases.”
“No sir. I am interested in defending those who are defenseless against those criminals. I would like to start a branch within the firm that handles cases specifically centered around violence against women. I know this is rather abrupt, but I need to use this gift to do something more. I need to know that I made a difference.”
Jonathan studied Mr. Briggs expression closely as he tried to assess whether or not Mr. Briggs would agree to his request or if he would simply dismiss Jonathan as a sap.
After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Mr. Briggs stood and looked out the tenth story window of his office.
“You know that is what I have always liked about you, Masby. You have the balls to stand up and do the right thing. All of this isn’t about money for you, it is about the law and defending the rights of those who need help, which is why I made you a full partner while you were on vacation. Of course, this means you will have to hire another secretary.”
“I would rather not, sir. I would like to ask that Sherri becomes my secretary exclusively. I know how valuable she is to the firm, but I really need her.” Jonathan waited for Mr. Briggs to refuse his request.
“Alright Jonathan but Sherri will have to hire and train the replacement, and whoever it is, they will have to be as good as her. Congratulations Jonathan, you are finally the partner this firm needed.” Mr. Briggs was not one for sentiment, so Jonathan knew he meant every word he had said.
Jonathan walked to his office, sat down at his desk and called Sherri on the intercom.
“Sherri, can you come into the office, please.”
Sherri quickly dried her tears over the flowers Jonathan had given her and rushed into the office.
“I need you to start searching the local post graduate programs for your replacement immediately.”
Sherri was taken aback by Jonathan’s request until she saw the smile on his face.
“You are being promoted, Sherri. You are my secretary exclusively, and we have a lot of important work ahead of us.”
Chapter Seven
A New Beginning
Sherri began training her replacement two weeks later. Jonathan appeared to be much better and had even gone to church with her a few times, which made Sherri hopeful that he was on the way to healing whatever had happened to him.
Jonathan started doing volunteer work with under-privileged youth and began his pro-bono work with abused women. He worked with local shelters and various women’s organizations in New York to help them start their lives over again. Sherri accompanied Jonathan. He kept close tabs on the women, including checking in on them at least once month aside from their visits to the Law Offices. Jonathan’s work was his atonement for Jane. It made Jonathan proud to see his name associated with such good works as a member of the one the most prestigious law firms in New York.
Jonathan bought a small house about an hour and half outside of Manhattan. It was a small Cape Cod style house, but it would be perfect for the day he finally had a family. He even asked Sherri to help him shop for new furniture so the house would not look like a bachelor pad. The house was very modest and certainly not the typical house of a successful lawyer, but Jonathan prayed that one day he would the courage to share it with someone else so he wanted a house a woman would like also. It was an easy sell for the real estate agent since the house was in a nice neighborhood and easily affordable for Jonathan with his new salary.
Many of the clients Jonathan had helped in the last few months were able to start their lives again without fear. Jonathan and Sherri spent long hours typing resumes for the women in their job searches. Many of them had either never had a job or it had been so long since they had held a job that most employers wouldn’t consider hiring them without a resume and Jonathan’s recommendation.
The aspect Jonathan’s pro-bono work that continued to disturb him was how young most of the women were. Many of them were not even thirty years old yet, and worse still, they all had the same sad eyes as Jane. The hurt they carried in their eyes was a constant reminder for him. Though Jonathan was trying to make his life as normal as possible, he was continuously haunted by his memories of Jane. Jonathan had not told Sherri anything about his trip or what had happened. He couldn’t bear telling her and what could happen after the truth was known. He feared she would hate him, which Jonathan did not want to happen. The more time he spent with Sherri, the more he was beginning to care about her, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to suppress those feelings.
Jonathan continued to make advancements within Briggs, Dalton, and Masby. Mr. Briggs was quite pleased with all the positive publicity the firm received from Jonathan’s work. Nearly a year had passed since Jonathan had answered Greg’s email, and his life was markedly different.
Jonathan sat at his desk and looked at the view from his corner office of the city. It was early December, and the streets were bustling with holiday shoppers hurrying to find the perfect gift. Jonathan smiled as the first real snow of the year began to fall. His light-hearted moment was interrupted by a knock on his office door. As Jonathan turned around to see who it was, he saw Bill Hyndes standing in the doorway. Bill closed the door behind him, walked over to Jonathan’s desk, and sat down in the leather chair.
“You seem to be dealing with what happened quite well. I guess Greg would be proud of that.” Bill crossed his arms as he looked at Jonathan.
“Get the fuck out of my office before I call security,” Jonathan said calmly.
“You really want to do that Jonathan, I mean, given the fact that you murdered someone in cold blood, right?”
“Don’t push me, Bill. You seem to forget that you are not only an accessory to murder, but also an accomplice to kidnapping since I am sure the three of you didn’t bother to call the authorities and just took it upon yourselves to dispose of the body. Let’s not forget the rape charges. With a good attorney, maybe you would be out in twenty-five years, that is, if you survive the prison system.”
Bill leaned back in his chair. Jonathan was not who he once was, not anymore. Bill would not be able to bully Jonathan or use the same types of tactics Greg had used to get what he wanted.
“And I might add, if you take me down Bill,
I have enough friends in the law world to make sure both you and Jack burn.” Jonathan placed his hands on his desk and leaned forward as he glared at Bill. “What the hell do you want? Is it money? Or are you looking for some sort of warped forgiveness, because if that is the case, you are barking up the wrong tree.”
“You don’t have a bit of remorse at all, do you?”
“No, I don’t. The world is a better place without him. Why should I feel guilty that I did everyone a favor by killing a rapist and a murderer?”
“He was your best friend, Jonathan.”
“The key word is was, and as far as I am concerned, you and Jack no longer fall into that category either. You want to feel guilty about something, Bill, feel guilty for what you did to her, feel guilty for the fact that she is out there somewhere living with what we did to her and will have to live with that for the rest of her life.” Jonathan unknowingly clenched his hands into fists as he spoke. “Get the hell out.”
Bill stood and walked toward the door. He paused as he laid his hand on the doorknob.
“I guess the only saving grace is she didn’t kill us when she came back.”
“I wish she had killed all of you,” Jonathan said angrily as Bill opened the door and left. Jonathan stormed out of his office and stopped at Sherri’s desk. “That man is never allowed in this building again. If he comes in here, you are to call the police and have him arrested. Do you understand me?”
Sherri pushed her chair away from Jonathan and nodded her head. Jonathan stormed into his office and slammed the door behind him. Just as Sherri was opening the door, Jonathan picked up a bookend and threw it across the room barely missing Sherri.
“God damn it!” Jonathan screamed and sat at his desk and put his head down. “I am sorry, Sherri. I didn’t mean to yell at you. It’s not your fault.”
Jonathan sighed loudly as he looked at Sherri. He really had not meant to hurt her feelings.
“Did he have something to do with what happened?” Sherri asked. She was very observant and immediately noticed his demeanor had changed abruptly even before he starting yelling.
“Yes,” Jonathan replied.
“Are ever going to tell me what happened when you were up at that cabin?”
“Sherri, I really do not want to get into that right now. I know you feel like you need to know, but it is better if you don’t.”
“How can you say that? I have never judged you, Jonathan.”
“Because I know the moment I tell you what happened, you will hate me for the rest of your life.”
“Jonathan, no matter what happened, I would never hate you.”
“I find that hard to believe. Maybe one day I will tell you, until then I just need you to keep caring.” Jonathan smiled slightly.
“Deal,” Sherri whispered as she stood. “Would you like me to re-arrange your calendar for the rest of the afternoon?”
“No, that is not necessary. If Mrs. Hart is here for her appointment would you please show her in?”
Sherri went to her desk and waited for Mrs. Hart to arrive. She tried to busy herself with typing the last of the transcripts for Jonathan’s next court case. When Mrs. Hart arrived, Sherri showed her into Jonathan’s office and closed the door. Jonathan stood when Mrs. Hart entered the room and offered her a club soda.
“No thank you. I would rather get down to business.”
“Of course, I understand. What made you decide to seek legal counsel?”
“I believe my husband is engaged in illicit behavior Mr. Masby that is not befitting the family I come from or our children, especially our daughters. I never thought my husband would be involved in anything like this.”
“Mrs. Hart, I know this is difficult for you, but if you want me to take your case I need you to tell me exactly what your husband is involved in.”
“My husband, Mr. Masby, is trafficking young women in the sex trade.” Mrs. Hart was nearly emotionless as she spoke as though she still could not believe it was true.
“This is a dangerous accusation, Mrs. Hart. You better have the proof to back it up or there is nothing this firm will be able to do.”
Mrs. Hart pulled a large manila envelope from her oversized Gucci bag and handed it to Jonathan. He opened the envelope and removed the pictures. All of the women were very young, under twenty, and obviously had been drugged. They were posed in various positions in the photographs. It brought back memories and images Jonathan repeatedly tried to forget.
Mrs. Hart gave Jonathan the details of what she knew. Her husband was involved with several loan sharks who he was unable to pay back. She assumed they had made an offer to her husband to pay back his debt to them through handling the woman. She had found the photographs by accident and made copies of them. Each girl was assigned a number with a price listed in the corner of the photograph. It was exactly what Greg had been doing but on a much larger scale. Jonathan was unsure he could take the case. It was a subject that hit too close to home for Jonathan, but he also knew he owed it to all the Jane’s of the world to make sure her husband was brought to justice, and the girls were returned to their families.
When Mrs. Hart left, Jonathan called Sherri into the office and informed her about the case. He also had her send copies of the details to Mr. Briggs. This would be a huge case for the firm, and they would need to involve the police department.
The case would take every ounce of courage Jonathan had and would force him to face what he had done once more. It seemed to Jonathan that for every small step of progress he made to right the wrong he had done, something would remind him of the horrible details of not only what he did, but how horribly he had failed.
As the firm built its case against Daniel Hart, a court ordered protection for Mrs. Hart and her two daughters was set up. Jonathan worked very closely with the NYPD to make sure they had an ironclad case. It would take nearly six months for them to build their case, gather evidence, and set up a sting operation. Jonathan was relieved when the case was drawing to a close, and had made a very important decision. He was going to tell Sherri the truth about Wyoming, the cabin, and Jane.
Jonathan had become very fond of Sherri over the last year and a half, and had even considered proposing. But Jonathan knew if he was going to ask Sherri to marry him, he had to tell her the truth and that he could not leave out any detail. A marriage had to be based on trust, without hidden lies and deception. It was a difficult decision to make but he knew it had to be done because if he didn’t tell Sherri the truth, then their marriage would be based on nothing but lies.
Jonathan went to painstaking detail to ensure his house was perfect for Sherri’s arrival the night he planned on proposing to her. He spent hours cooking a gourmet meal that included smoked chicken marinated in white wine and stuffed with plums, apples, and garlic and made rosemary potatoes as the side dish. The only part of the dinner Jonathan did not cook himself was dessert, which he did not chintz on the cost. Jonathan purchased a very expensive had blended amaretto whiskey cheesecake with chocolate covered espresso beans and white chocolate cream.
He planned on asking Sherri to marry him after dinner and would tell her what had happened at the cabin before she gave him an answer. The ring he purchased to be Sherri’s engagement ring was custom made; a rectangular cut ruby surrounded by diamonds in white gold. He tied the ring to the bouquet of red roses in the center of the table and paced constantly until he heard a soft knock at the door.
Jonathan wiped his hands on his jeans before he opened the door. He did not want Sherri to see how nervous he was or she would start asking him questions which he did not want her to do. Jonathan wanted this night to be perfect or as perfect as it could be after he told her the truth.
Jonathan opened the door and was taken aback at how beautiful Sherri looked. Her hair was pulled up and the loose curls gently cascaded over her shoulders. She was wearing a red dress with black pearls. Jonathan had never seen Sherri look as beautiful as she did in that one moment.
/> “Come in, I hope you are hungry.” Jonathan kissed her on the cheek and took her coat.
“I wish you would tell me what we are celebrating, Jonathan. I feel like a schoolgirl on her first date.”
Jonathan smiled at her admission, at least she was just as nervous as he was.
“Something smells wonderful,” Sherri whispered as she walked to the living room and sat on the couch in front of the small fire Jonathan had built in the fireplace.
“I hope you like it,” Jonathan said as he walked to the kitchen for the champagne glasses and strawberries. He carried the bowl and glasses into the living room and handed the glasses to Sherri.
“What is going on Jon? This seems like more than just a dinner?”
Jonathan poured a glass of champagne for Sherri and handed it to her.
“I won’t lie, it is more than just a dinner. But before I ask you about what could be the most important decision of your life, I need to tell you what happened before I called you that morning. I would not feel like I was being honest with you if I didn’t.”
Sherri nodded her head as Jonathan turned his glass as it sat on the table. She knew whatever had happened to him, it had been detrimental.
“There really is not an easy way for me to tell you this, and if you never want to speak to me again, I would understand completely. I can’t ask you to be my wife without telling you the truth.”
“No matter what happened, Jonathan, we can work through it. It cannot be that bad.” Sherri reached over to touch Jonathan’s hand, but he pulled away from her.
“I met several friends from college for what I thought was going to be a few weeks of rest and relaxation. I knew Greg all my life, ever since we were in grade school. We even went to college together. His family had a lot of money and that allowed Greg the luxury to pursue things that were not available to the rest of us. He was always courteous and would sometimes take me with him. He would book dives to old shipwrecks, things of that nature. Greg made his living trading antiquities and collecting, so when he asked me if I would like to go with him on a collecting excursion I really did not think about it being anything other than the types of trips he normally took, until we arrived at the cabin and then everything changed.”
The Collectors: Revenge Becomes Her Page 8