Kate outlined her plan – how she would prove Alexandra couldn’t have done this while bolstering the prosecution case against her sister.
‘I think that could work,’ said Alexandra, finally.
‘Tell that to the rest of the firm. You’ve seen their strategies. I think mine is the winner. They have a lot of cases – this is just another job. For me, this is personal.’
Alexandra leaned forward, she was taking care to listen to every word Kate said. Kate meant it when she said she could win, but the lie about the firm not using her strategy felt hard on her tongue. Levy and Scott would steal her ideas, and run with them. Kate wanted the best for Alexandra, and she believed she could win.
‘My mom died not long ago – cancer. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up. She and my father had a choice – they could send me to law school, or they could buy medication that would’ve prolonged her life. They sent me to law school. I didn’t know about this until after she passed and I’d graduated. Look, I know what it’s like to lose a parent and to carry that pain, on top of the way he was taken from you … Jesus, I don’t know how anyone could cope with that. I want to help you. I would give anything to have my mom back. And I will do whatever it takes to put your sister behind bars.’
There was a moment of silence between them. Kate didn’t dare break it. In those moments she felt a connection with Alexandra. Two young women with more pain in their lives than they deserved. If Kate had any doubts about Alexandra’s innocence, they vanished in those seconds of silent exchange.
Alexandra rubbed her face, then said, with a sigh, ‘What am I going to do?’
‘Hire me as your lawyer. I just quit Levy, Bernard and Groff. You pay me half of what you were going to pay them. I’ll make sure you get justice, for you and your father.’
Kate wrote out a form of authority on a piece of paper, authorizing the transfer of files from Levy, Bernard and Groff to Kate Brooks, Attorney at Law. The authorization appointed Kate as Alexandra’s sole attorney. She flipped the page around and handed it to Alexandra along with her pen. Kate knew that if Alexandra signed, this would be the beginning of her career, and the beginning of an almighty war with her old firm.
‘When did you quit the firm?’
‘When you opened your front door and let me in. I’m walking away from a dream job in one of the best firms in this city. I’m doing this for you, and for me. If I let Levy lose this case, or worse, if he strong-arms you into a deal with the prosecutor, I don’t think I could handle it. Trust me. We can do this together. You will be my only client until this case is over. I promise I will work day and night for you. For your dad. I will not let you down.’
Alexandra took her time to read over the authorization. She put the page down, and stared at Kate. Then she picked up the pen, signed it, and extended a hand to Kate across the table.
‘You remind me of, well, me, five years ago,’ said Alexandra. ‘We’ve both lost our moms. We’re both dealing with that pain, and I know you’ll use it to fight. That’s what I did. I think you’re smart and passionate. That’s who I need representing me. Let’s do this together.’
They shook hands, and both women smiled with some relief and excitement. Kate buzzed for the next ten minutes – expanding on her strategy, giving Alexandra the next steps. Her client drank it in, and by the look on her face Kate knew Alexandra was impressed.
‘I do a lot of charity work with the homeless and some animal sanctuaries. Should I get references or maybe I could get someone to testify as a character witness? My dad knew a lot of good people – former mayors, people in congress, his old campaign manager, Hal Cohen?’
‘Send me all those details. Character witnesses are self-serving so they would need to be someone of good standing who can hold up in cross-examination,’ said Kate.
‘I think I might have someone,’ said Alexandra.
They talked some more, and Kate found herself enjoying Alexandra’s company. She was warm, determined and positive. If Kate were in Alexandra’s shoes she wondered if she would be able to maintain that kind of attitude. When she was done, Kate took a long drink of tea, finished toweling her hair while Alexandra told her all about her father and how great a dad he was growing up.
‘My sister, she’s like a plague on our family. She broke Dad’s heart a long time ago. She’s crazy. I saw it when we were kids. She wasn’t like anyone else I knew. She was cold, and weird.’
‘You two don’t talk anymore, is that right?’
Alexandra stared past Kate, out the window at the steel and glass towers of Manhattan – and Kate knew Alexandra wasn’t taking in the view. She was miles away. Lost in decades’ old thoughts and feelings.
‘We haven’t spoken since Mom died. It was a terrible accident, on the stairs …’
‘I read about it,’ said Kate. ‘How old were you?’
‘Eleven, twelve? I’m not sure. Part of me shut down that day. I can’t really think of Mom’s face. I can’t picture it. Not clearly. She’s with Dad now. They’re back together as they should always have been.’
‘Were you close to your mom?’
‘Yes and no. My mother wasn’t warm and affectionate. Not really. She showed her love in different ways. If I won a chess match, she would buy me a present, or take me for a treat. She didn’t show love unless it suited her purposes. The love was there, but she rarely let it out.’
‘I can understand that,’ said Kate.
For the past few days Kate had lost count of how many times she had seen pictures of Alexandra online. The vibrant, nascent Manhattan socialite. She had money, beauty and relative celebrity. And yet looking at her now, Kate didn’t see that. She saw a young woman in pain, struggling with her messed-up family, grief and anger too. Alexandra was not someone to be envied, and perhaps she never was. A sadness underlined her features – it was there just beneath her eyes.
At first, Kate’s motivations for stealing Levy’s biggest client were largely to do with her own revenge. Kate wanted the case to launch her career, and stick two fingers up at Levy. But while sitting in Alexandra’s apartment, listening to her – those motivations had changed.
Alexandra was innocent. And Kate knew then she didn’t just want to win the case for herself – for her career – she wanted to help Alexandra. She needed to save her. And send a murderer to jail for the rest of their life.
‘Sofia ruined my life. She was just wrong. I hated her growing up. I hate her even more now. I’m sorry, I don’t like talking about her. I want you to nail her for my father’s murder. She should’ve been put away a long time ago.’
Kate rose to her feet to leave, and said, ‘I promise I’ll get justice for your father. And for you. Thanks for everything. The tea was delicious. Oh, should I put this towel back in the bathroom?’
Alexandra took the towel gently but firmly from Kate and said, ‘Better not go in there. I just got out of the shower when you arrived. It’s still a little messy.’
FIFTEEN
EDDIE
Harry took Harper’s arm as we stood on the sidewalk outside the hotel bar, waiting on a cab. Harry’s place was just a few blocks away, but he wouldn’t leave until he saw us both into a cab. Harper’s place was on my way home.