Betrayed (Rosato & DiNunzio, #2)(43)

“No, but we have to be realistic. We can’t lose that business.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I can lose that business. It’s not my firm, as an associate, but it is my practice and my life.” Judy made a decision. “I’m going to talk to Bennie.”

“Okay.” Mary’s tone grew gentler. “But do yourself a favor. Wait until her trial’s over, your chances are better. She should be finished Wednesday morning.”

“You think it can wait?”

“Sure. It’ll take a while to get those cases and files. You want me to go in with you? I’ll be your co-counsel.”

“No, thanks.”

“How about I soften her up first?”

“Is that even possible?” Judy couldn’t help but crack wise.

“Good point.”

“Text her, will you, Mare? We’re almost there.”





Chapter Twenty

“I can’t wait to get rid of this dough.” Judy rode up in the elevator with Mary, holding the duffel bag of cash and feeling as if their floor couldn’t come fast enough. “It stresses me out. I almost confessed to the security guard and I didn’t even do anything.”

Mary smiled. “You’d make a lame drug dealer.”

“I know. How do they do it?”

“They have guns.”

“I’m surprised you’re not nervous. You’re always more worried than I am.” Judy watched the floor numbers change above the elevator doors.

“The wedding cured me. Nothing is as stressful as planning a wedding.”

“How about a pregnancy test?” Judy asked, and they both laughed. The elevator pinged when they reached their floor, and the doors slid open, parting to reveal a reception room filled with exhibits and cardboard boxes that hadn’t been there Friday.

“Poor Bennie,” Mary said, stepping off the elevator. “She told me her trial was a monster.”

“That’s a helluva record.” Judy followed Mary past a wall of cardboard boxes, stacked five high.

“Oh geez, there’s more.” Mary turned right down the hallway, and Judy followed, surprised at the sight. The hallway was lined with cardboard boxes that ran the entire length of the baseboard, stretching all the way to Bennie’s office at the end of the corridor. There had to be a hundred boxes or more.

“Yikes, I feel sorry for her.” Judy followed Mary to Bennie’s door, where they both stopped at the threshold of her office, unnoticed by the boss, who sat working at her desk. Her large blue eyes focused on her laptop and her curly blond hair had been twisted into an unruly knot by a ballpoint pen. She had on her trademark white oxford shirt and khaki suit, which Judy assumed she had been born in.

“Hi Bennie,” Judy and Mary said, in unfortunate unison.

“Ladies, good to see you.” Bennie looked up with a concerned frown. “Carrier, is that the bump?”

“It looks worse than it is.”

“Sheesh, sit down. You, too, DiNunzio.” Bennie waved them into the patterned chairs opposite her desk. Files, notes, and documents sat stacked around her, and the cherrywood shelves lining the office were filled with crystal awards and fancy bowls that she had earned over a long career, as one of the best trial lawyers in the country.

“Thanks, but we can’t,” Judy told her. “My aunt and mom are waiting in the car. Can we get this money into the safe?”

“Sure. Follow me.” Bennie rose quickly and came around the desk, eyeing Judy’s injury. “Is this why you didn’t call Linda Adler back? I got a message she was trying to reach you. If so, it’s a good excuse.”

“Right, sorry,” Judy answered, without elaborating. “We keep missing each other, but I’ll follow up.”

“Good. So, tell me what happened to you guys. Who jumped you? Do the cops have a suspect?” Bennie left her office, and Judy and Mary followed her down the hall.

“Not so far.”

“Carrier, about this money you’re bringing me, you have to get it out of the safe tomorrow. Overnight is fine, but not longer.”

“Why?” Judy hadn’t even thought about what to do with the money, after tonight. All she could think about for tomorrow was Aunt Barb’s mastectomy and a deposition in Adler that she was going to try to postpone. “I can’t tomorrow. I have a deposition in Adler, I’m deposing Govinda from PennBank. That’s what Linda was calling about.”

“We can’t have that amount of money here. You’ve made yourself the de facto custodian of these funds, which puts you in an unethical position vis-à-vis the Code. It looks like we’re commingling funds, which we aren’t.” Bennie barreled ahead. “Get yourself an estates lawyer, tonight. It needs to go into an IOLTA account, tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Judy said, though she had no idea what an IOLTA account was. She had an old friend from law school who was an estates lawyer and she made a mental note to email him.

“By the way, we can’t have these boxes in the hallway and reception area. You’ll need to get them into a war room tomorrow.” Bennie gestured to the wall of cardboard boxes, as they walked past.

“Wait. What? These boxes are mine?” Judy tried to catch up, the duffel bag bumping against her leg. “I thought they were your trial record.”