Ride Steady (Chaos, #3)(29)

I watched and was about to call out to him when my phone rang. He was already at the stairs at the L to the building and I had a phone ringing so I closed the door, locked it, and hurried to my phone on the kitchen bar.

The display said Unknown Caller.

I took it anyway.

“Hello?”

“May I speak with Carissa Teodoro?” a businesslike woman’s voice asked.

“This is she.”

“Right, hold for Ms. Howard, please.”

“Sorry? Who?” I asked.

“Ms. Howard. Of Gustafson, Howard and Pierce. Hold please.”

Oh no. I didn’t like this.

Did Aaron find a new way to make trouble for me?

Gustafson, Howard and Pierce sounded like an attorney firm. I didn’t need any more of those in my life, except the one selling off Aaron’s false tokens of love was going to buy me.

“Ms. Teodoro,” a more businesslike woman’s voice said.

“Uh… yes,” I replied.

“Right. Hello. I’m Angelique Howard, but my clients call me Angie.”

“Well, okay,” I got in before she kept speaking.

“I received a call from Mr. Allen this morning so I’m introducing myself before I send you back to my assistant. She’ll take the details of your last attorney so we can contact them to get your files. When we get them, I’ll go over what’s been happening with your former husband and construct a strategy.”

I didn’t know what was going on so I started with the easiest part first.

“Mr. Allen?” I asked.

“Yes. Mr. Allen. Kane Allen. Operating manager of Ride Auto Stores and Custom Design. We’re on retainer with them, and my specialty is family law. So I’ll be taking care of you.”

I didn’t speak because I couldn’t.

She didn’t need me to. She wasn’t finished.

“Once I see what’s going on, I’ll ask Leanne to contact you and we’ll set a meeting so we can meet face to face and talk about what we’re going to do going forward. Are you all right with that?”

No. I wasn’t. Mostly because I had no idea what was happening.

“I, well, I have to admit, Ms. Howard—” I began.

“Angie.”

“Right, Angie,” I said quickly. “I have to admit, I don’t know what’s going on.”

“Mr. Allen didn’t speak to you?’

He didn’t. I wasn’t even sure I knew who he was.

“Not really,” I replied.

“Okay, then, Chaos is utilizing their retainer agreement with us to look into what Mr. Neiland has been doing to you. I’ll say from the little I’ve heard that it sounds suspicious. To be honest, though I think this is something that won’t surprise you, Neiland and Belkirk have been around so long, they started the good ole boys network in Denver and they enjoy their status as founding members. Which, I’ll share, I find annoying. Thus, I’m going to enjoy digging into this one.”

“I—”

“So, to end, it’s all in good hands. Just tell Leanne where we can get your files and I’ll start.”

“Well—”

She spoke over me. “Nice meeting you, even on the phone. Have a good day.”

I heard nothing until I heard the first voice come back and say, “Hello again, Ms. Teodoro. I’m ready to take down the information about your old firm.”

“I think I need to speak with Mr. Allen first,” I shared.

“Right. Okay. You do that. In the meantime, give me your last attorney’s details. Angie is raring to go on this and she’s had me clear her afternoon to do it.”

Clear her afternoon?

This afternoon?

“Okay, then perhaps I should speak with Ms. How… I mean, Angie again for a moment,” I tried.

“She’s already on another call.”

I drew in a deep breath.

“Ms. Teodoro, sorry to rush you,” Leanne said when I took my time doing that. “But Angie wants these files by this afternoon so I have to get cracking. Your old attorney’s name?”

I let out that breath, telling her my old attorney’s name.

“Good man,” she muttered. “Not as good as Angie. Okay!” she cried brightly. “We’re on it. Have a lovely day, Ms. Teodoro.”

She didn’t wait for me to share that sentiment. She disconnected.

I stared at my phone, wondering how they even got my number.

Then I thought Tyra. Or Lanie. Maybe Elvira. We’d shared numbers last night. Maybe that was it.

I felt something biting into my palm so I lifted it and looked to it.

My car keys.

New tranny.

I looked to the door.

Kane Allen. Operating manager of Ride Auto Stores and Custom Design. We’re on retainer with them, and my specialty is family law. So I’ll be taking care of you.

Kane Allen, Operating Manager of Ride Auto Stores and Custom Design.

And Joker was a member of the Club that ran said business.

Something unpleasant slid through me. And after yesterday, baking the pie for Joker, having him set it aside like it meant nothing, the call from Tory, my son being sick, my mortification in front of five people I didn’t know (and Joker) caused by me shrieking like a lunatic, breaking down in front of three women I also did not know, all that Aaron was doing to me, I didn’t cry (again). I didn’t feel mortified (again).