The Will(171)

I was barely listening.

I had only one thing on my mind.

“She isn’t thinking of trying to take Conner and Amber with her, is she?” I asked urgently and Alyssa stopped working on my toes, wrapped a hand around my foot and squeezed reassuringly as she looked up at me.

“Honey, no,” she said gently. “Has that woman ever considered her children when she’s made a decision?”

I had only known her a very short time but what I knew of her, the answer to this was no.

But I answered, “I don’t think so.”

“No. She hasn’t. Donna thinks of one thing: Donna. Strike that. She thinks of three things: Donna and Jake or gettin’ laid by someone who looks like him.”

I bit my lip.

Alyssa studied me before she noted, “You don’t look happy.”

“Boston is two and a half hours away,” I reminded her.

“Yeah, and Junior’s got no exes that had his ring on their finger but if he did, I’d be a lot happier they were two and a half hours away.”

“I would be happy, if that didn’t mean she wasn’t also two and a half hours away from her children.”

Her face got soft and she muttered, “See your point.”

“Do you think she’ll follow through with this?” I asked.

“No clue. She could have had a wild hair and now think better of it. Or she could be gone. She’s got a good position as a manager at Anderson’s dealership. Be stupid of her to give that up.”

“I need to tell Jake this,” I pointed out the obvious.

“Well, hang tight, babelicious, because I’m not done.”

Marvelous.

I “hung tight,” Alyssa refocused on my toes and kept talking.

“This is the big shit and I saved the best for last.”

I hoped so.

She kept her eyes to my toes as she said, “Okay, well, I got a client, she’s a paralegal at Weaver, Schuller and Associates. She came in right before you and she told me this on the hush-hush so I’m gonna work on your feet and act like I’m just gabbin’. Think she doesn’t know I’m tight with you but she lets shit spill all the time. I don’t say crap but seein’ as all that’s goin’ down with you is goin’ down, you gotta know. But she’s a good gal so you just let this play out and don’t get her in trouble, ‘kay?”

“Okay,” I said quietly.

I had, of course, told Alyssa all that was happening since we talked daily. Something she started and something I kept up because she was funny, kind and becoming a very good friend.

“So, the thing is,” she carried on. “Boston Stone and Stone Incorporated are clients of Weaver, Schuller and Associates.”

“Oh no,” I whispered.

“Hang on, babe,” she replied. “Now, see, Terry Baginski is an associate part of that ‘associates,’ not a partner. And Davis Malone’s got nothin’ to do with Stone Incorporated. So, when he ‘approached’—and I can’t use my hands to put that in air quotes, honey, but you get me—no matter he did it through Stone, she shoulda told him that it was a conflict of interest seein’ as Mrs. Malone, and by extension you, were long time clients. Instead, she made the decision to make Stone happy by takin’ on that case. Or at least that’s what she told Schuller when Schuller got wind of it. She advised they take on your uncle and leave you hanging out to dry. Problem is, she didn’t have the authority to do this seein’ as she’s an associate. Only a partner can make the decision on which client they want to represent.”

I took in a deep anticipatory breath.

Alyssa kept talking.

“Thing is, that firm actually drew up your granny’s will so they can’t exactly not defend it when it gets contested. And Arnold Weaver may be on a leave of absence due to the sad fact that his wife just passed but he didn’t die with her and Schuller and him have been partners a long time. They’re best buds. And they don’t do shit without there bein’ a consensus between them so when Schuller took this to Weaver, apparently, Weaver lost his ever-lovin’ mind.”

Suddenly, I felt better.

Alyssa continued.

“Weaver went into the offices and he and Schuller dragged Terry in and told her to pack up her desk, she was out. Flies came outta the woodwork then, assistants and paralegals tellin’ the partners that Baginski did to other clients what she did with you, that bein’ pushing a variety of Stone Incorporated crap on them including advising sales of properties and investment of assets and this was because she’d invested and heavily. Now, don’t have any legal knowledge but this didn’t make Weaver or Schuller all that happy so I’m thinkin’ this isn’t a good thing.”

I didn’t have any legal knowledge either so I couldn’t confirm or negate.

“Anyway,” she went on. “Stone got wind of this and walked into the office without an appointment, demanded to see the partners, told them they had to reinstate Terry and take on your uncle’s business or they’d lose his. They asked him where he’d like his files sent.”

“Good God,” I breathed.

“I know,” she agreed. “But, way my client tells it, Stone might be loaded but Weaver and Schuller have pretty much cornered the market on legal counsel in this county. There are a couple ambulance chasers here and there but if you want someone who knows their shit, you go to them.”