Betrayed (Rosato & DiNunzio, #2)(56)

“It will be gone by the end of the day.” Judy would have to deal with it before she went to the hospital.

“Good, talk to Marshall when you’re ready to remove it. She has the combination. I have to go. Take care.”

“Good luck,” Judy said, catching Mary’s eye, then she noticed Allegra’s lower lip puckering.

“Judy,” Allegra said, “I didn’t mean to get you in trouble.”

“You didn’t.” Judy patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, cheer up. You didn’t do anything wrong, and I’m a big girl.”

“I never saw Bennie get that mad.”

“You haven’t been here that long,” Judy said, forcing a chuckle.

“Judy,” Mary said, frowning. “Can I talk with you a minute, alone?” She smiled at Allegra. “It’s not personal, but you can’t be there when I slap her around.”

“Okay,” Allegra said, with a shaky smile, but Judy was already in motion, heading for her office, plopping her files and laptop down on the desk, with Mary following her inside and closing the door behind them.

“So, are you okay?” she asked, when they were alone.

“I’m just so, arg.” Judy set her phone face-up on her desk, where she could see if a call was coming in. “Meanwhile, what is my mother’s problem? I’ve texted twice. She can’t return a text?”

“Come on, why don’t you tell Bennie about your aunt?”

“It’s not her business.” Judy started pacing, too agitated to sit down. Unfortunately she had a small office, so there wasn’t far to walk, plus the floor was a mess, which only bothered her more.

“Bennie asked you directly, and it explains what’s bugging you.”

“No it doesn’t. What’s bugging me—” Judy stopped pacing to try to figure out how to finish this sentence, but threw her hands up. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes it does.”

“I don’t agree with her, how about that?”

“Okay,” Mary said slowly. She cocked her head the way she always did when she listened carefully, and she folded her arms, in a dark charcoal pantsuit.

“And the fact that my aunt has cancer doesn’t have anything to do with my not agreeing with Bennie.” Judy couldn’t tell if she was thinking clearly or emotionally, or both.

“So tell her anyway. What’s the harm? She’ll understand. She’s another woman.”

“I don’t want to be cut slack because my aunt is ill.”

“Why not? Everybody needs a break sometime.”

“I don’t need a break, that’s not the problem.” Judy stopped pacing, caught up short with the realization. “The problem is that I’m starting to be really unhappy here, because the lines of authority are not clear.”

“What are you talking about?” Mary asked, her expression bewildered. “I didn’t know you were unhappy.”

“I didn’t know it, either. Not until recently.” Judy shrugged, pained. She was thinking aloud, which she had done with Mary for as long as they’d known each other. “I recognize that I’m only an associate, but don’t I have any autonomy at all?”

“Of course you do.”

“No I don’t. I’m not allowed to decide which cases I take. I’m not even allowed to make the decisions in cases I’m assigned to. Am I even a lawyer?”

“Aw, honey.” Mary moaned. “She didn’t mean it that way.”

“Yes she did. Since when is that the way we work, take it and shut up?” The more Judy thought about it, the more right she felt, which was something that happened to her often. “What about female empowerment and all that? Or does it only apply when men are bossing us around, not women?”

Suddenly Judy’s phone rang on her desk, and she leapt for it, her heart beginning to hammer. The iPhone screen showed it was Rick Kelin calling. “Oh crap, I should take this, it’s Rick. Give me a minute.”

“Go ahead, and make nice.”

Judy picked up the call. “Rick, hi.”

“Judy?” Rick said, in a huff. “What the hell was that about?”

“Come on, Rick, since when did you turn into such a baby?”

“You think I’m going to sit there while you harass my witness?”

“Oh will you stop using that word? There’s no jury around. The case turns on credibility, and I’m entitled to press him. How long have you been practicing law? You’ve never had a rough deposition? You’ve never thrown an elbow?”

“You tore into the guy!”

“The hell I did!” Judy raised her voice, though Mary was flashing her the peace sign.

“I’m calling because I expected you to apologize.”

“Don’t hold your breath.”

“I’m warning you, I’m not going to let you treat Morrell that way tomorrow. I’m not.”

“He’s a liar, and I’ll do what I have to do.” Judy heard a click on the phone, which told her that another call was coming through. She checked the screen, and it was her mother calling from the hospital. She couldn’t let it go to voicemail. “Rick, hold on, I have to take this call.”