nearing the end of your agreement.”
Brady nodded.
“Leaving?’
Amy watched Brady closely.
He seemed to choose his words carefully. “It’s not the same without Milton.”
The old woman pursed her lips and said mysteriously, “He’d have wanted you to.”
“Wanted me to stay?” Brady blurted out curiously.
Phyllis patted his hand. “Wanted you to leave, dear boy. He only made your working at the firm a contingency of your agreement because he thought you’d be too proud to accept the offer otherwise.”
Brady sat back in his seat, giving Amy the impression that the revelation had caught him off guard. She wondered what kind of agreement Brady had entered into with Milton Willen.
Shaking his head as though to clear his thoughts, Brady said, “We’re not here to talk about me, Phyllis. I’m trying to help Ms. Winn. Rex Leeves delivered a letter to her that Lara thought you might be able to decode.”
Phyllis turned her gaze to Amy. “You saw Rex?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“How is he?”
Amy swallowed hard before saying gently, “Dying. Lung cancer.”
“Damn,” Phyllis muttered. “Can’t say I’m surprised, the man always did smoke more than a forest fire. Show me this letter he brought you.”
Amy handed it to her and then held her breath.
Pulling a pair of reading glasses out of a pocket, Phyllis plunked them on her nose and scanned the sheet carefully. “You need to look in the Ellis v. Snyder file from ninety-four.”
Brady grinned. “Sounds easy enough.”
“And it says your mother has the key.”
Amy exhaled a painful gasp. This had been a wild goose chase. She’d wasted her time. She’d wasted Brady’s time. She’d never figure out what the mysterious letter meant. Her shoulders slumped and she leaned forward.
Brady wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders, holding her upright so that she didn’t pitch face-first to the ground.
“Are you alright, dear?’ Phyllis asked, alarmed.
“My mother’s been dead for a number of years. I don’t recall her having any mysterious keys.”
Phyllis patted her knee. “Not your mother. Baby’s.”
“My mom?” Brady asked on a strangled gasp.
Phyllis nodded. “Your mother was Milton Willen’s junior secretary. Of course that was over twenty years ago. No wonder you don’t remember it.” Phyllis paused, regarding them with a small smile. “Lara was right.”
“Right about what?” Brady asked.
“About the kind of couple you two make.”
“We’re not,” Amy stammered quickly, feeling her cheeks warm. She tried to shake off the arm Brady had draped around her shoulders, but the weight didn’t budge. “We’re not a couple.”
“Is that true?” Phyllis squinted at Brady.
Amy stole a glance at him to see his response.
He shrugged, but then winked cheekily at the older woman.
Chuckling, she waved them away, popping a chocolate-covered cherry into her mouth.
“Why’d you do that?” Amy demanded to know the moment they were out of the home. She clenched her hands at her sides to keep from punching his shoulder like she did when Diego annoyed her.
Brady stopped, crossed his arms over his chest, and smiled down at her. “Do what?”
“Let her think that we’re…” Amy waved her arms wildly back and forth between them. “That you and I… We’re not.”
Leaning forward so that he could whisper in her ear, he said, “We could be.”
“No. We can’t.” Amy whirled away and stalked toward his car.
He easily fell into step beside her, matching her stride. “Why not?”
“Because… the world just doesn’t work that way.”
“What way?” he asked, opening her car door for her. “Two people can’t meet, find each other attractive, get to know each other?”
“Not you and I.” She slammed her door closed, shutting him out. Needing a moment alone to gather her wayward thoughts and get a handle on her emotions.
“And what makes us so different from everyone else in the universe?” Brady asked,
Brady nodded.
“Leaving?’
Amy watched Brady closely.
He seemed to choose his words carefully. “It’s not the same without Milton.”
The old woman pursed her lips and said mysteriously, “He’d have wanted you to.”
“Wanted me to stay?” Brady blurted out curiously.
Phyllis patted his hand. “Wanted you to leave, dear boy. He only made your working at the firm a contingency of your agreement because he thought you’d be too proud to accept the offer otherwise.”
Brady sat back in his seat, giving Amy the impression that the revelation had caught him off guard. She wondered what kind of agreement Brady had entered into with Milton Willen.
Shaking his head as though to clear his thoughts, Brady said, “We’re not here to talk about me, Phyllis. I’m trying to help Ms. Winn. Rex Leeves delivered a letter to her that Lara thought you might be able to decode.”
Phyllis turned her gaze to Amy. “You saw Rex?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“How is he?”
Amy swallowed hard before saying gently, “Dying. Lung cancer.”
“Damn,” Phyllis muttered. “Can’t say I’m surprised, the man always did smoke more than a forest fire. Show me this letter he brought you.”
Amy handed it to her and then held her breath.
Pulling a pair of reading glasses out of a pocket, Phyllis plunked them on her nose and scanned the sheet carefully. “You need to look in the Ellis v. Snyder file from ninety-four.”
Brady grinned. “Sounds easy enough.”
“And it says your mother has the key.”
Amy exhaled a painful gasp. This had been a wild goose chase. She’d wasted her time. She’d wasted Brady’s time. She’d never figure out what the mysterious letter meant. Her shoulders slumped and she leaned forward.
Brady wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders, holding her upright so that she didn’t pitch face-first to the ground.
“Are you alright, dear?’ Phyllis asked, alarmed.
“My mother’s been dead for a number of years. I don’t recall her having any mysterious keys.”
Phyllis patted her knee. “Not your mother. Baby’s.”
“My mom?” Brady asked on a strangled gasp.
Phyllis nodded. “Your mother was Milton Willen’s junior secretary. Of course that was over twenty years ago. No wonder you don’t remember it.” Phyllis paused, regarding them with a small smile. “Lara was right.”
“Right about what?” Brady asked.
“About the kind of couple you two make.”
“We’re not,” Amy stammered quickly, feeling her cheeks warm. She tried to shake off the arm Brady had draped around her shoulders, but the weight didn’t budge. “We’re not a couple.”
“Is that true?” Phyllis squinted at Brady.
Amy stole a glance at him to see his response.
He shrugged, but then winked cheekily at the older woman.
Chuckling, she waved them away, popping a chocolate-covered cherry into her mouth.
“Why’d you do that?” Amy demanded to know the moment they were out of the home. She clenched her hands at her sides to keep from punching his shoulder like she did when Diego annoyed her.
Brady stopped, crossed his arms over his chest, and smiled down at her. “Do what?”
“Let her think that we’re…” Amy waved her arms wildly back and forth between them. “That you and I… We’re not.”
Leaning forward so that he could whisper in her ear, he said, “We could be.”
“No. We can’t.” Amy whirled away and stalked toward his car.
He easily fell into step beside her, matching her stride. “Why not?”
“Because… the world just doesn’t work that way.”
“What way?” he asked, opening her car door for her. “Two people can’t meet, find each other attractive, get to know each other?”
“Not you and I.” She slammed her door closed, shutting him out. Needing a moment alone to gather her wayward thoughts and get a handle on her emotions.
“And what makes us so different from everyone else in the universe?” Brady asked,
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