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  “I’m just overwhelmed. The office move, my move, work.” I looked around the enormous room. “I feel like everything I’m taking on and doing right now wouldn’t even fit into this room.” Tightness filled my chest as I stared at Aimee across the table.

  “You’ll get through it. You always do. Just a little at a time.”

  “Then there’s Ashley.”

  “Oh her? Now what did she do?”

  “Friday night. She was at the benefit. She showed up in the exact same dress as me. She claimed I stole her idea from her social post.” The tall, lanky waiter provided a perfectly timed interruption by delivering our mimosas and taking our orders.

  Aimee leaned in and took a book swig of her mimosa. “That bitch! What did you do?”

  “Well, fortunately Cain was there, and then Brice showed up. He ended up taking her out of site for most of the night.”

  Aimee’s look of bitter anger fell from her face and was replaced by a look of brief sadness and jealousy. “Brice? You mean he and Ashley are an item?”

  “No way! As much as I’m not a fan of Brice, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Actually, he gave me some really good information about her.” I filled her in on my conversation with Brice regarding Ashley, not leaving out a single detail.

  “Jen, what are you going to do? How are you going to break this to Cain? I mean, you have proof now, at least more than you did before.”

  “I’m going to talk to him tomorrow. Hopefully I can reason with him and I’ll share what Brice said.”

  “Well, good luck. Let me know if you need me to kick that bitch’s ass.”

  I giggled. Aimee didn’t come across as a fighter, but I’m sure she could handle herself if she ever needed to, especially when it came to having my back. “So, are you and Brice working together a lot? Lucky girl. He’s delicious.” Aimee smiled.

  I grinned back. “He’s ok. I mean, I can see there might be a nice guy deep down inside.”

  “To hell with deep down inside, Jen, have you taken a good look at his outside?”

  “I’ll tell you what, I’ll see if I can set you up on a date, then you’ll see what I mean.” I barely got the words out before Aimee chimed in accepting my offer.

  The waiter approached with our food and I welcomed the distraction to reflect on the other things I wanted to discuss with Aimee. We had been friends since middle school, but it wasn’t until my freshman year—the year my mother passed—that Aimee and I became really close. I used her house as an escape; a retreat away from the pain in my own home. Aimee had always been there and she never probed about things unless she knew I really needed to talk.

  I poked at my eggs benedict. I had been hungry when we ordered, but a sad, sick feeling came over me.

  “Those look delicious.” Aimee looked up at my face from eyeing my plate. “What’s wrong? Is everything ok?”

  “I’ve just been thinking about my mom an awful lot the last few days. I have this case, the guy and girl were involved in a hit and run.”

  “Sweetie, I’m sorry. But I don’t understand…how’s that connected to your mom?”

  “They were both found in the car, sick, throwing up. Both claim they hadn’t been drinking. I mean, the guy said he had a beer and the girl said she didn’t have anything more than a sip.” I finally took a bite of my gourmet breakfast. “He went to the doctor the next day, but she didn’t. They claim it was stomach flu, but it all just doesn’t make sense. It reminded me of my mom and how sick she was when she passed. It was so sudden.” I felt a tear welling up in my eye and dabbed it with my napkin.

  “Could they be lying to you? You know, to cover themselves? Didn’t they do one of those breathalyzer things?” Aimee’s non-legal approach was very simplistic but very refreshing at times.

  “No, they didn’t do one. They refused…and I don’t believe they’re lying about drinking. Anyway, it was just something that triggered thinking about my mom.”

  “If you ever need to talk about anything, you know I’m here.” Aimee reached her hand across the table and gently touched my arm. “Seriously, Jen. Anything you need.”

  “Thank you.”

  Silence lingered a little too long at our table as I tried to move past the thought of Mom and the questions I had for Dad. I wanted to know more.

  “Did you finish decorating the office? I have a ton more ideas if you need them. If you want, I can come over this week and help out.”

  “You’re the best. I wish we could see more of each other. If anything, I really just need to head into the office and get caught up on some work. I’m overwhelmed with little things right now.” I realized how much time we had spent talking about my issues; I hadn’t stopped talking about my problems since we arrived. “I’m so sorry, enough about me, how are you doing?”

  “It’s ok…the usual. Work is awful, no men in my life. But at least I have shopping and the gym!” Aimee giggled. “I tried what you suggested, cozying up to my boss. She’s just not that type of person. It’s like cozying up to a bear.”

  “Well, it only works with some people. I guess you’ll have to try something else.” I continued picking at my food as I thought about Aimee’s situation. "Aimee, I want to ask you something, and I want you to think about it before you answer."

  She patted her perfect bow lips with a napkin and smiled at me. “Sounds serious…”

  “I need an assistant—someone who can help me manage my schedule, build relationships with my clients—someone who will help me put Dunning and Associates on the map. I’ve thought about this long and hard, because I don’t want to ruin our friendship. It can get stressful trying to stay on top of things, but I think...”

  “Yes! I'll take of it!”

  “Don’t you want more details?”

  “Seriously, Jen? You’ve heard how it is at work. I’ve been considering a change, the timing is perfect.”

  “Great! So when can you start? A couple weeks?”

  “Give me two days! I'll be there on Tuesday.”

  “Ok, Tuesday it is.” I leaned back in my chair and smiled; it felt as though a huge weight had lifted off of my shoulders. Deep down I knew it would work out, and I was sorry I hadn’t seriously considered it earlier. I ordered another round of mimosas to celebrate Aimee’s new job.

  We sat and laughed while Aimee already set out planning the things she wanted to do to help get me organized; her enthusiasm and ideas were more than welcome.

  Aimee grew silent for a moment and then became serious. “Jen, I really appreciate this, it means a lot. I know all of this is tough and I’m sure your dad is proud of you. I’m sure your mom would be as well. You’ve really done well for yourself.”

  “Thank you, that means a lot.”

  We sat and took in the continued hustle and bustle of the restaurant. We had been there for a few hours and had had plenty of time for girl talk and gossip.

  “Maybe they were poisoned, Jen.” Aimee tossed out the words like they had been stewing in her head for some time.

  “Who?”

  “Your clients. Maybe food poisoning or something like that?”

  Aimee’s suggestion struck a chord and I made a mental note to dig a little deeper, although I wasn’t thinking food poisoning at all.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I somehow managed to keep my distance from Cain over the weekend. It was difficult; I loved being around him. I loved everything about us, but I needed to get my head around everything. A few short phone calls and some texts did the trick. I knew he understood—he was a busy man as well—but my focus had to be on work right now.

  It was my first day working in the new office and it was up to Reese or I to be there to let in our one and only temporary employee and a few interns that were on loan from Dunning, Durst and Chandler. Since Reese was only a part-timer, it was left to me to open up and get the day started. I felt like I had never left, given all the hours I had logged since Friday. It had been a bit of an escape, but I looked forward to
catching up with Reese, whenever he decided to come in.

  It was past ten in the morning before Reese finally trudged into the new office; I wasn’t sure if I should scold him, commend him, or ignore the fact that I seemed to be killing myself and he wasn’t.

  “Good morning, Jennifer. Hell of a job you’ve done with this place. Much better than I could ever do.”

  “I was here all weekend getting things decorated and unpacked. It was a lot to do, alone.” I let the last word hang for a minute. Irrationally, I felt a little bitter. “I managed to get some work done this weekend as well.”

  “Yeah, I saw your email. I took a drive by that place this morning. They don’t open until after lunch. I’ll swing by later and get some more info on this Jacob kid.”

  “Well, if you’re too busy I can take care of it. I’ll just add it to my list.” I quickly snapped back at Reese still not looking at him. I was busy multitasking and flipping through folders on my desk.

  “Did I do something to piss you off? If so, let’s hear it, otherwise lose the attitude with me.” Reese’s gruff voice hit hard and I felt like a jerk.

  “Yes. No. I don’t know, Reese. There’s just a lot going on. I really need your guidance. I feel like I’m over my head. I’m sorry for being short it’s just…”

  “It’s ok. Listen, a little at a time. Step by step and we’ll get through this. It’s not any different to what we were doing before. You’re just feeling the pressure because it’s your name hanging on the door now.”

  I knew it was more than that; I had a lot weighing on me. I pulled out the file I had been working on late last night, instead of packing up my apartment, and handed it to Reese. “Take a look and tell me what you think.”

  Reese thumbed through my notes and looked at the printouts I had added to the file. “How do you plan on proving this? Let me guess, that’s for me to figure out?” He shook his head and handed the file back to me.

  “Once you get the info on Jacob we can see if there is motive. For now, let’s just keep this to ourselves.”

  Reese agreed.

  Rebecca’s voice echoed into my office from the lobby, followed by the deep, familiar voice of my father. He gave his normal pleasantries and found his way into my office.

  “Good morning, you two. Everything looks like it’s finally coming together down here. I hope you’ve been paying your first real client as much attention as the décor.”

  Redness flushed my face and Reese quietly left the office, likely because he knew fireworks were about to start. Dad had a way of pushing my buttons, and the thing I hated most was him checking up on me. “Had I known you would be down here all the time I may have reconsidered this new position.”

  “I’m not checking up on you. I actually came down here just for a chat. It seemed like you want to catch up the other day, and we didn’t have time to catch up at the benefit. Seems you left in a hurry.”

  No matter how hard I tried, he always seemed to keep an eye on me, whether I needed it or not. “Dad, you need to let me do my job and quit checking up on me. I’m not a thirteen year old girl anymore…and yes, we did leave early, but that’s none of your business.” I felt the anger welling up inside me and I tried to keep it in.

  “I’m sorry you feel that way. Actually, Cynthia and I were looking for you because we wanted to share some news with you.”

  I couldn’t take it any longer, and I couldn’t allow him to dominate the only time I had to dig for answers. I didn’t care about his news right now. I had more important things on my mind. “Dad, what happened to Mom? I mean, what really happened to her.”

  Dad froze like a deer in the headlights, his expression a painful mixture of anger and confusion. “Jennifer, where is this coming from? You know what happened to her. Why must we talk about this? Is it because of Cynthia?”

  “Answer the question, Dad! What really happened to her?”

  “Jennifer, your mother got sick. You know that. There wasn’t anything the doctor could do. I’d very much appreciate it if you would respect her memory by not trying to make this into something else. She wouldn’t want that. I certainly don’t want that. You should be happy for Cynthia and I, that we’re finally able to—”

  “I appreciate you’re happy. That’s wonderful, Dad. But I can’t help to think there’s more to all of this. To the way she died.”

  Dad stood just inside the doorway of my office, his arms crossed and a stern look on his face. A vein in his forehead pulsed and he fumbled for words, something I rarely saw him do, not in court or when speaking to anyone. “Do not, bring this up again, Jennifer.” Dad spun and headed for the door.

  “I think she was poisoned, and if I find out you knew about it…”

  Jack Dunning paused in the door for a brief second but didn’t turn around. He showed just enough hesitation to acknowledge he had heard what I had said before he moved on.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The journey along the river and up the hill to Cain’s mansion passed all too quickly. I was lost in thought. Drained. It had been a day from hell, surpassing the other days from hell I’d had recently. Confronting Dad had used up a lot of my emotional energy, and now I had to muster everything I had left to speak with Cain about Ashley. The long winding driveway was still dotted with spots of ice from the recent snow. It crunched beneath the tires of my small sports car as I approached his enormous house. Out front I recognized Cecilia’s car, but I didn’t recognize the red sports coupe. I hadn’t told Cain I was coming over because I wasn’t sure if I’d have the nerve to have the conversation with him. Now I hoped I wasn’t going to catch him in the middle of an important business meeting.

  I opened the large glass and mahogany door and was met by Cecilia in the foyer. “Good evening Miss Jennifer.” Cecilia was always pleasant, no matter the time of day. She and I had built a good relationship over the last few months.

  “Hello, Cecilia, is Cain in a meeting? I saw the other car out front. I didn’t tell him I was coming over and don’t want to disturb him.”

  I was met with an eye roll as she shook her head. “No, not a real meeting. Cain is in the study with Miss Ashley, working on some files for a meeting.”

  “What?! Here?” I stormed off toward the study. I was furious that Ashley was here. I was even more furious at Cain for allowing her to be here. I quickened my pace toward the study. My heels clacked on the marble, alerting anyone near of my impending presence. “Cain? I pushed open the study doors without knocking or worrying about an interruption. The room was empty. A bottle of red wine sat on Cain’s king sized desk alongside two glasses, both empty but showing signs of having been used. “Dammit! Cain?” My voice echoed throughout the house, now angrier than before.

  “I believe he may be upstairs, Miss Jennifer.” Cecilia’s sweet voice and her Central American accent startled me.

  I moved past her, briefly muttering my thanks. I kicked off my heels and ran up the steps toward Cain’s bedroom, the place I had spent many nights in his arms. Many nights making love. I had never brought this much anger or resentment into that room, until now.

  The partially closed large mahogany double doors didn’t slow my pace as I burst into the room. “Cain!”

  “Jennifer?” Cain entered the room from the master bathroom suite. He was shirtless, still wearing his tightly fitted black suit pants. His toned chest and abs glistened as he dried them off.

  “You asshole! Why would you…? With her!” I nodded toward Ashley, who was lying provocatively on the bed.

  Cain spun to look at Ashley. “Ashley? Why are you up here? Jennifer it’s not—I left her in the study, working …”

  “You bitch! You just don’t know your place.” I couldn’t contain my anger and took a step toward the bed.

  “Don’t lie, Cain. Tell her. About us. About your true feelings for me.” Ashley perked up, kneeling up on the bed. She attempted to look innocent, but it wasn’t working.

  Cain looked at me. His eyes showed a
nger, frustration and a lot of resentment. “Jennifer, I promise, I had nothing to do with this.” His words came across as pleading, something I hadn’t seen him do.

  “Oh, I’m sure you didn’t, Cain. I had a long talk with Brice yesterday…”

  “Brice? What the hell, Jennifer? What does he have to do with this?”

  “He spent a good deal of time with Ashley on Friday. It seems your little innocent Ashley has quite the thing for you, and quite the mean streak for me. For some reason she decided to confide in Brice, luckily for me.”

  “You liar! You’re just jealous of what Cain and I have.” Ashley grabbed a heavy down pillow and tossed it at my head. I deftly stepped to the side and the pillow hit a chair holding her purse and knocked it to the floor. The contents spilled out like a piñata dropping its bounty of candy.

  An assortment of items sat on the floor at Cain’s feet. He bent down and picked up two of the items in the assortment. “Ashley? Why do you have two cell phones?” Cain held them up.

  “Those are for…” Ashley trailed off, obviously trying to come up with an excuse but falling short.

  Cain swiped his finger across the screen of the pink cased cellphone. A picture of Ashley and her sister displayed on the screen. He repeated the gesture on the white phone revealing a picture of himself and Ashley. “What is this?” Cain thumbed through the phone and paused as he stared at the screen. His mouth hung open and he shifted his gaze toward me, then Ashley.

  “What is it, Cain?” The tension in the room sent waves through my body.

  Cain extended his hand, holding the white phone out to me. A list of text messages and photos messages filled the screen. Text messages that had been sent to me.

  “Ashley, I can’t believe you would do this to me—to Jennifer.” Cain seemed more disappointed than angry.

  I held back but only for a moment. I charged at the bed, grabbing Ashley by her long blonde hair and pulling her to her feet. Ashley’s petite hand caught me across the face, smacking me squarely on the left cheek. The sting brought a tear to my eye. I jerked her hair above her head, and pulled it downward as I swung my tightly closed right fist. Before I would make a full impact I felt a strong grip on my right elbow.