CHAPTER 30
"405 North is packed and the transition to the 10 toward downtown is backing up. Rush hour has started early. Expect more delays than divorce court." – KFWB traffic report
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Ms. Bates. The freeways get worse everyday."
Josie ended her call to Archer. He was headed to Malibu just as Ian Frank walked into his office. He didn't waste a lot of time on the niceties, but wasn't one to disregard them either. He was pleasant, focused, and comfortable in his domain. And a nice domain it was.
This man, worth millions, lived his professional life in a room that, at first glance, was less than impressive. It was the second glance that did the trick. The desk was simple with clean lines, as was the chair, but the wood quality and leather grade was exquisite. Instead of the artwork and honors Rayburn favored, Frank's walls were noticeably bare save for his Harvard Law School diploma and that was hung on a slice of wall near the door as if, once earned, it was of little consequence. Large plants in full foliage brightened the corners. Floor to ceiling windows afforded a spectacular view of the Hollywood hills behind Ian Frank. At Josie's back the view was equally rich. The eye bumped over the stair-steps of the downtown skyline before skimming over the cities that paved the way to the coastline. On a clear summer day Ian Frank could see the ocean but Josie doubted he was ever tempted to play hooky. There was a bit of the farmer in him; he looked up to check the way the wind blew. From his greeting Josie imagined she was just a breeze in Ian Frank's world.
"So what can I do for you?"
"I want to talk about Fritz Rayburn," Josie said, telling him something he already knew.
"What can I tell you? I didn't much care about Fritz's personal life while he was alive, and I don't much care about it now."
"Don't you think you should, Mr. Frank?" Josie asked.
"And why should I, Ms. Bates?" Ian Frank seemed amused.
"Because a law firm is reliant on its goodwill, and the firestorm surrounding the Rayburns could affect that. Telling me about them might keep damage to a minimum."
Ian laughed. He had a wonderful face, a beautiful head of dark gray hair. Trim and handsome, he was a man that would set widows and divorcees scheming.
"Fritz Rayburn's interest in this firm was put into a trust when he took the bench. He wasn't a practicing partner. Whatever you're digging up may impact your client, but the goodwill on my balance sheet is going to be worth exactly what it was worth yesterday, or the day before."
"You seem to be the only one who isn't concerned about the impact of Fritz Rayburn's habits. The governor is worried. The family is worried. The DA is worried," Josie pointed out.
"The governor has reason to worry. Fritz was his prized appointee. No one will believe that Fritz's shortcomings weren't discovered in a background check. So, if Fritz was a bit off, and the governor's office covered up, that will be a public relations nightmare. You can't put the horse back in the barn, you know. " Ian shook his head with certainty. "As to Kip, he'll be disappointed and embarrassed when the appointment doesn't go through, but he'll still be a partner in this firm. Money soothes a great many hurts. But all that aside, gossip or fact, none of this affects me."
"Your clients might not feel the same way." Josie pointed at him as if he kept those precious people nestled in his breast pocket.
"Hell, half my clients are worried about their own skeletons, Ms. Bates. In fact…"
He was interrupted when the door opened. Standing just outside of Josie's line of sight was a woman who was dutifully giving Ian Frank a reason to curtail this meeting.
"John Blosser is on his way," she said with all the interest of someone who had done this a thousand times over the course of as many days.
"Thanks, May. Ms. Bates and I will be wrapping up soon." Ian Frank gave Josie his full attention and a ridiculously patronizing look that was meant to hurry her on. She, in turn, didn't give him an inch.
"Mr. Frank, I'm not intimidated by you, and I am not impressed by your clinical analysis of Fritz Rayburn's conduct. I used to live in a place like this. I used to sit in a chair just like yours. I know, in these surroundings, that nothing is sacred – not even the idea that business exists in a vacuum. I am living proof that it doesn't."
"I know your history, Ms. Bates, but this is very different. We deal in numbers, in mergers, in huge estates, and corporate entities," Ian Frank countered easily. "That kind of business doesn't titillate the public interest.
"Unless someone tells the tale correctly and I can tell it in a way that will make people sit up and take notice. Do you think the mothers and fathers in California would take kindly to knowing that the man who was legal counsel to Comfy Toys also terrorized young girls? Do you think the very vocal black coalition in this state is going to turn the other cheek when they find out that Rayburn's taste ran to women of color? "
"And I would be curious to see who the mothers and fathers of California have more loathing for: an attorney who uses her power to isolate a young woman from her mother or an old, dead man who hasn't been affiliated with this firm for over seven years. And, if Kip Rayburn were to admit his father was overzealous in his discipline, there would be a great deal of sympathy for him, don't you think? Oh, Ms. Bates, we can all spin and in the end, when all is said and done, neither of us will win but I'll come out on top. I know my clients. Their attention span is even shorter than mine."
Josie sat forward in her chair, too. She tried another tack; one that she had no doubt would fail, but, when desperate, desperate measures are called for.
"Then tell me about Fritz Rayburn and his son because you're a good man, Mr. Frank. Tell me because it might help Hannah Sheraton."
A flicker of interest ran across Ian Frank's face. For the first time he was truly engaged in the conversation.
"It isn't as though I don't have sympathy for your client, Ms. Bates. My sister has a daughter that girl's age. It's hard to know what's true and what isn't even when it is your own child, so I will be truthful. I don't know anything for sure that will help you. If I don't know it to be fact, then it doesn't exist and that's really all there is to it. I give you credit for sticking your neck out but, then, you don't have all that much to lose, do you? I'm not in the same position."
Josie jumped on the opening. It wasn't more than a hairline crack in his demeanor but it was enough to tell her that he had a conscience.
"You're right. I don't have anything to lose so that means I can fight tooth and nail. Just tell me what you suspect. Give me access to your personnel files. Let me talk to the women in this firm. Tell me if you know anything about the fight between Fritz and Kip Rayburn. All I need is your permission. I'll be discreet. All you have to do is give me the sword. I'll slay the dragon and you keep the castle."
Ian Frank put his elbows on top of his well-kept desk and clasped his hands. He let them fall back against his lips once and then he put them in front of him. He didn't think longer than a second.
"There isn't a businessman on this earth who would believe what you just said. No. I won't open this firm up to you. Though I have a great deal of faith in the practical mindset of our clients, I won't help you tip the balance. Now, I know you're a fine attorney, but I'm probably better. If you try to get a court order to go into my records, I will stop you." Ian opened his hands as if in apology. "Eventually you may get what you want but I'll keep you tied up until this trial is over. I'll protect what's mine and that, as they say, is that."
"I thought this firm belonged to Kip now, too," Josie reminded him.
"You think he's going to give you permission to go after his father on his own turf?" Ian laughed.
"No, I was just curious to find out if he understood he'd be second fiddle around here. That you're the one who will be making all the big decisions."
"That's exactly how it is, Ms. Bates, and I don't think Kip will mind. I've done well at the helm of this firm. I will continue to do my j
ob well and make him rich. I will support him if he is on the bench. I have a great deal of respect for Kip."
"Did Justice Rayburn have the same respect for his son?"
"I have no idea," Ian laughed. "Fritz and I weren't friends. We were business partners. We made business decisions."
That was it. The moment Josie was waiting for. Ian Frank was lying. Josie had cross examined too many witnesses, completed too many interviews, represented too many defendants not to know that lies weren't always dotted with beads of sweat and didn't always quiver with the telling. Sometimes lies came as they did with Ian Frank; behind an expression so controlled it was unnatural. He looked straight at her. There was just the hint of a smile on his lips. It had been there before she asked the question and it remained after. He didn't react to the ridiculousness of the query by waving it off or throwing himself back in the chair as if she was wasting too much of his time.
"You liar. A law partnership is closer than most marriages. You know everything." Josie put her hand on the top of his desk; she made sure she didn't look away. "You're not concerned about the emotional value of Fritz Rayburn's legacy so what's the deal you made? Was Kip going to be an active member of the firm? Was he just going to collect the partner's share? There had to be documents that were signed, discussions held, decisions made. Were you and Fritz on the opposite sides of the fence when it came to good old Kip?"
Ian Frank's eyes clouded. He was wary, on his guard. Sexual aberrations were something to pass off but now Josie was treading on sacred ground – the firm's.
"Fritz didn't know he was going to die, Ms. Bates, so passing on his interest in the firm wasn't exactly top of mind."
"Fritz Rayburn was a lawyer, Mr. Frank, and so are you," Josie drawled. "Lawyers don't leave anything to chance where their firms are concerned. Was Kip the beloved son, trusted with the legacy over your objections? Did you welcome him, but Fritz wanted him controlled? What was the deal? You might as well tell me because I swear I am going to kick up a ruckus until I find out."
"Mr. Frank?"
Ian Frank's eyes snapped to the doorway. May was back.
"Yes, what is it?"
The woman's expression changed from bland to startled. It was tough to be snapped at when you were just following orders.
"Mr. Blosser is on his way up."
Ian Frank dismissed her by looking back at Josie. She pressed her case.
"I know that Kip and Fritz had a huge argument just before he died. I want to know if it was about business. I know that you. . ."
Ian Frank stood up abruptly. He put out his hand and said:
"This interview is over, Ms. Bates. I have an appointment."
Josie hesitated. She stood up too but ignored the hand he held out to her.
"I'll be calling you to court, Mr. Frank, so clear your calendar."
Ian Frank lowered his outstretched arm. He was not insulted, and he wasn't stupid enough to dismiss the message.
"That is your prerogative, Ms. Bates. In fact, if time permits, I might even show up. It could be fun to see what would happen between us in a courtroom."
"I assume you wouldn't ignore a subpoena?" Josie raised a brow.
"I've always found sympathetic consideration given to the schedules of busy attorneys. Even the court knows its only business at the end of the day," Ian reminded her.
"No, Mr. Frank, at the end of this day we're talking about a young girl's life and I'll bet the system will see it my way. If I want you on that stand, that is where you'll be."
Josie made her statement and her exit. Ian Frank let her go without another word. By the time she made it to the elevator he was dictating a memo. When the elevator came, Josie had to step back for a man who was in a hurry. The receptionist greeted him as Mr. Blosser, the man Ian Frank was waiting for. In the minutes it took the elevator to whisk Josie down fifty-four floors Ian Frank and his client had probably slapped one another on the back a few times and were sitting down to business. Ian Frank probably hadn't given Josie Baylor-Bates another thought, but someone else had.
"Excuse me."
Fingers touched Josie's arm. The touch was light and surprising. Josie's mind had been on the rich possibilities opened up by Kip's fight with Fritz, and now a woman she didn't know was railroading her. The woman's body pulled in tight against Josie, steering her to a corner of the lobby before Josie reached the door to the valet parking. Josie looked down to see who was insisting on a moment of her time. It was May, the one whose job it was to interrupt Ian Frank.
"I have to talk to you," she said, her voice quiet, her eyes lowering as she linked arms with Josie. Deftly the short woman herded the tall one into an alcove. She backed Josie up until they were well hidden behind a wall of black marble and a bank of telephones.
"I don't want to testify in court, okay. I don't want to lose my job, okay. But somebody needs to tell you about him." May laid out the ground rules before Josie even knew what the game was.
"You mean Fritz Rayburn?"
"No, no. Not the old man. The young one. Kip. Stupid name for a grown man. Kip is the one you need to know about."
She squinted up at Josie but it was her tone of voice that was telling. May hoped she wasn't talking to an idiot.
CHAPTER 31
The conversation lasted no longer than five minutes. May was her last name; she didn't offer a first. Easy enough to find out, but Josie wouldn't unless it was absolutely necessary. May lived up to Josie's initial impressions. She was exacting, professional and got to the point.
She heard what Josie had asked. About Kip Rayburn. About Fritz Rayburn. She had worked for the firm for fifteen years. She'd seen a lot. She wouldn't lie. If it was anything else except this, she would have kept her mouth shut, but she'd been following this case. May had read about it in the papers, heard about it on the news, and discussed it with people in the firm. Oh yes, despite what Mr. Frank thought, people in the firm were talking about Fritz like crazy, and that included some clients. May thought it was awful that they had brought charges against Hannah as an adult. She wasn't convinced that the girl had killed her grandfather. Why? Because May knew that other people were really upset with Justice Rayburn. Not that she liked what Josie had done. She thought the emancipation deal was a raw one. There had to be another way. But there it was. The ball had bounced. Still, at the end of the day, May figured Josie's instincts were right.
"Specifically?" Josie wanted to know everything May did.
"Kip Rayburn," May answered. "He and his father had been fighting for six months and it was getting ugly."
"Because?" Josie prodded though May seemed less in need of encouragement than waiting for Josie to ask a question. May had been around lawyers too long.
"Justice Rayburn was going to assign his share of the partnership to Mr. Frank unless his son – "May paused and shook her head. She made a face as if there was something distasteful in her mouth "Unless he divorced his wife. I'd never heard anything like it. That old man wanted his son to trade his wife for money. I heard them arguing. I typed the codicil to his will."
May had heard at least three fights about the matter. Mr. Frank wasn't in favor of it. Kip had worked with the firm. He was an asset. Justice Rayburn was unmoved. He hated Linda and her 'half breed' daughter. May heard Mr. Frank accuse Justice Rayburn of playing dirty, just doing it to make Kip miserable, just doing it because he could. He was angry because Justice Rayburn was using the firm badly. Mr. Frank hadn't liked Mr. Rayburn for a long while. She could tell by the way Mr. Frank answered the phone when the judge called, and the way Mr. Frank ran the firm like it was his own without consulting Justice Rayburn on important matters.
"So, what happened?" Josie asked.
"I don't know," May shrugged. "I don't know what Kip Rayburn decided to do but his father was bringing it to a head. For some reason he wanted Kip to make a decision fast. Now that I've heard about what he did to that girl, maybe he wanted to get rid of
the evidence. Get the mother out of the house and the girl goes too. Maybe that is why he offered Kip that weird deal."
"Did Mrs. Rayburn know about this?" Josie asked.
"I never saw her. I don't know. But I do know that Kip was going to fight tooth and nail. He didn't want a divorce. He said she loved him and nobody ever had. It was sad. I heard him crying once. The old judge was laughing at him."
"Do you think he was mad enough to do something desperate? Do you think he was angry enough to kill his own father?"
Josie looked over May's head. A man had stopped in the entry to the alcove. May looked over her shoulder and eased herself away. The man changed his mind and went on to the parking structure. May lowered her voice and talked faster.
"I don't know. I saw bits and pieces. They were really angry. I heard raised voices, and you didn't hear that when it was only Mr. Frank running the place. Even he got crazy when the other two men went at it. What was sad is that Justice Rayburn seemed to be having such a good time. I think he liked sticking it to his son – maybe even to Mr. Frank. I think he'd been doing it so long it was second nature. I felt sorry for Kip Rayburn. Grown man being treated like that just isn't right."
"What about Mr. Frank?" Josie's eyes scanned the comings and goings outside the alcove. No one was interested in them.
"What about him?" May followed Josie's lead and checked over her shoulder now and again.
"Maybe it was in his best interest that Kip didn't divorce. Then he wouldn't answer to anybody if Rayburn died. Maybe he wanted to hurry along the process so he could have the firm to himself."
May rolled her eyes. She knew two things better than most people: the law wasn't always about justice and that lawyers sometimes weren't very practical.
"If Mr. Frank killed Justice Rayburn he would still have had Kip for a partner. The codicil hadn't been filed. Nope, if you have to look at anyone, look at the son. He was between a rock and a hard place and he was in agony. The girl he didn't care about, but the wife was a different matter altogether."
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