flinches and her mouth tightens, lips pressing together so hard the color seems to drain from them. She swallows, then says, “I want to join the lawsuit.”
Ryan hesitates, looking expectantly at Joseph, who doesn’t seem surprised by this development. Joseph nods his head calmly and says, “You know that your husband didn’t want to be part of this?”
She jerks her shoulders up and down in something resembling a shrug. “I know. I think he was wrong. I told him so. But he still—God knows why, but I think he still felt some sort of allegiance to… to that man .” She spits out those last words as if they’re poison.
“We would of course love to have you as part of the suit,” Joseph says. “Your family was very hard-hit by Jack McNeil’s actions. But I’m going to tell you the same thing I told all the other plaintiffs: this case could drag on for a long time. With high stakes litigation, you need time and patience. No doubt you’ve seen the stories in the press?” Slowly she nods her head. “Yes, it can get ugly. On both sides. I can understand why your husband might not have wanted to drag your family into it.”
“I’m his heir,” she says firmly. “Everything that’s left—not that there’s much of it—but it’s all mine now, including everything that McNeil owes us. I’m not going to stand by and let him get away with it. I spent years working and raising this family, scrimping and saving. I’m not willing to let it go.”
Joseph nods. “Of course, and I’m planning on getting as much of it back as I can. For all of you. I’ve staked my reputation on this case, and I intend to win.”
She nods, her eyes locking onto Joseph’s face with the fervor of the newly converted. “Phil was wrong about you. I’ve read about what you’ve done for other people. Phil said that you were corrupt and bad news. That you were just in it for yourself, for your percentage and the publicity.”
“Of course, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t ultimately in it for myself,” Joseph says, not breaking eye contact. “But I earn my percentage when I win money for my clients. And the fact that this case is worth a lot to me professionally means that I’ll do everything I can to win it. You have my word on that.”
She sucks in a breath and bows her head, staring down at her clasped fingers. “There are a lot of files,” she says hesitantly. “When Phil left the office the day everything happened with the company, he came back with a trunk full of files and papers and paperwork. He was very protective of all of it, and I always thought there must be a lot of sensitive material there. The way he’s been acting these past few months….” She thins her mouth into a brittle, shaky line. “I thought he was paranoid. I thought he was acting crazy. I guess I didn’t realize just how crazy….” She trails off, raising her hand to smooth over her messy ponytail. “But I want you to take it away. I don’t want to think about any of it anymore, and I want… I want it all to help. To mean something.”
Ryan’s heart thumps wildly. He casts a look at Joseph, but Joseph looks as calm and serene as he always does when dealing with clients.
“Thank you,” Joseph says, leaning across the table to clasp her fingers. His eyes widen, looking sincere and honest and very green. “I promise that I’ll do all I can to get back what you and your family is owed.”
She nods again, thanking him with watery eyes and a trembling smile. She gets up from the table and moves to an old-fashioned bureau in one corner of the room. She pulls open a drawer and takes out a small key and a business card. She puts them on the table and slides them across to Joseph.
“Everything he took is at this storage facility. I told him I didn’t want any of it in the house,” she says. “He used to go there a lot. Sometimes he’d be there all day.”
Ryan looks down at the business card. Castle Storage , he reads, and a
Ryan hesitates, looking expectantly at Joseph, who doesn’t seem surprised by this development. Joseph nods his head calmly and says, “You know that your husband didn’t want to be part of this?”
She jerks her shoulders up and down in something resembling a shrug. “I know. I think he was wrong. I told him so. But he still—God knows why, but I think he still felt some sort of allegiance to… to that man .” She spits out those last words as if they’re poison.
“We would of course love to have you as part of the suit,” Joseph says. “Your family was very hard-hit by Jack McNeil’s actions. But I’m going to tell you the same thing I told all the other plaintiffs: this case could drag on for a long time. With high stakes litigation, you need time and patience. No doubt you’ve seen the stories in the press?” Slowly she nods her head. “Yes, it can get ugly. On both sides. I can understand why your husband might not have wanted to drag your family into it.”
“I’m his heir,” she says firmly. “Everything that’s left—not that there’s much of it—but it’s all mine now, including everything that McNeil owes us. I’m not going to stand by and let him get away with it. I spent years working and raising this family, scrimping and saving. I’m not willing to let it go.”
Joseph nods. “Of course, and I’m planning on getting as much of it back as I can. For all of you. I’ve staked my reputation on this case, and I intend to win.”
She nods, her eyes locking onto Joseph’s face with the fervor of the newly converted. “Phil was wrong about you. I’ve read about what you’ve done for other people. Phil said that you were corrupt and bad news. That you were just in it for yourself, for your percentage and the publicity.”
“Of course, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t ultimately in it for myself,” Joseph says, not breaking eye contact. “But I earn my percentage when I win money for my clients. And the fact that this case is worth a lot to me professionally means that I’ll do everything I can to win it. You have my word on that.”
She sucks in a breath and bows her head, staring down at her clasped fingers. “There are a lot of files,” she says hesitantly. “When Phil left the office the day everything happened with the company, he came back with a trunk full of files and papers and paperwork. He was very protective of all of it, and I always thought there must be a lot of sensitive material there. The way he’s been acting these past few months….” She thins her mouth into a brittle, shaky line. “I thought he was paranoid. I thought he was acting crazy. I guess I didn’t realize just how crazy….” She trails off, raising her hand to smooth over her messy ponytail. “But I want you to take it away. I don’t want to think about any of it anymore, and I want… I want it all to help. To mean something.”
Ryan’s heart thumps wildly. He casts a look at Joseph, but Joseph looks as calm and serene as he always does when dealing with clients.
“Thank you,” Joseph says, leaning across the table to clasp her fingers. His eyes widen, looking sincere and honest and very green. “I promise that I’ll do all I can to get back what you and your family is owed.”
She nods again, thanking him with watery eyes and a trembling smile. She gets up from the table and moves to an old-fashioned bureau in one corner of the room. She pulls open a drawer and takes out a small key and a business card. She puts them on the table and slides them across to Joseph.
“Everything he took is at this storage facility. I told him I didn’t want any of it in the house,” she says. “He used to go there a lot. Sometimes he’d be there all day.”
Ryan looks down at the business card. Castle Storage , he reads, and a
Similar Books
