Evidence of Darkness Page 8

  She turned around briefly, searching for Mike, when Dave made his way over to her. “Well, hello, Reesa. I’m so glad you were able to make it this evening. You saved me from having to make a phone call. I’m curious to see how Melissa Renfrow’s trial went. I heard it ended today.”

  “Yes, it did. I think it went very well. I’m just anxiously awaiting the verdict.”

  They were still discussing the trial when Mike returned carrying a glass of cabernet and a ginger ale with a slice of lemon clinging to the edge of a stylish cocktail glass. They continued chatting a few more minutes, then Dave moved on to other guests. Reesa was relieved when he finally retreated to the other side of the room without prodding her about the trial report.

  Mike leaned over and whispered in her ear, “It’s obvious he’s chomping at the bit to get that verdict.” Then he rubbed his fingers together indicating it would mean a huge contingency fee for the firm if she won the case.

  “Yes, he is. It just makes me more nervous. I thought you said this party would help me relax!”

  “You might be more relaxed if you’d let me get you something a little stronger than ginger ale. Let’s get some food, shall we?”

  “Yes, I’m famished.”

  They walked up to the lavish buffet table and grabbed a plate. Reesa perked up when she saw the carved prime rib, shrimp cocktail, numerous gourmet hors d’oeuvres, and the sumptuous display of fresh fruits and vegetables. After piling their plates full of food, they retreated to a small, candle-lit table against the wall.

  Once they had started eating, Mike looked at Reesa curiously. “So, what made you want to practice law? You obviously have a special talent…or should I say gift. Something had to spark your interest.”

  Reesa reflected back to when she was in college and smiled. “Well, let’s see. I think it began when I took my business law course when I was a junior at IU. I guess I must have shown such an interest in the coursework that my professor referred me to a small law firm in Bloomington for an internship position. Of course, my job consisted of doing all the grunt work, but occasionally I’d get to sit in on a trial. After the first one, I was hooked – line and sinker. I couldn’t get enough of it. I just loved the power and authority the lawyers exhibited in the courtroom. I remember thinking, that’s what I want to do. That’s what I want to be.”

  “Wow. Did you attend law school right after receiving your bachelor’s degree?”

  “Yes. I remember when I told my Aunt Wanda that I wanted to attend law school. Jade and I lived with her while I went to college. I knew it would be hard on all of us, and I was fearful she might try to dissuade my decision. I had no idea how I would even accomplish it, financially or otherwise. I was scared to death!”

  Mike listened intently. “What did she say when you told her?”

  Reesa grinned. “I’ll never forget the expression on her face when she took my hands in hers, and said, ‘Reesa, you have the ability to change the world. All you have to do is be brave enough to live the life that’s in front of you.’”

  “Wanda must be an amazing person. Does she still live in Indiana?”

  Reesa looked down and swallowed, trying to fight off the urge to cry. “No, she passed away during my third year of law school. I was so devastated I didn’t know if I’d be able to finish. She was my rock. I didn’t think I could do it without her constant encouragement. Plus, I had no one to watch Jade.”

  Mike looked like he was about to cry. After he wiped the corners of his mouth with his napkin, he commented, “That must have been very difficult, Reesa. What did you do? How did you get through law school?”

  “Well, unbeknownst to me, my aunt left me her small house that we were living in, as well as a small life insurance policy. The insurance money went for living expenses and daycare. Luckily, IU was not an extremely expensive law school. I still had some student loans, which Aunt Wanda had co-signed prior to her passing, but I managed to get through that year and get my juris doctorate.”

  Mike took a deep breath and sat upright. “What a story. I thought I had it rough when I went to law school.”

  A waiter came to their table. “Another round?” he asked.

  Mike looked at Reesa. “Are you ready for a glass of wine – something stronger than water? I’m driving.”

  “No. Thanks.”

  Mike glanced toward the waiter. “We’re fine, thank you.”

  Reesa was thankful he declined a second glass of cabernet. If he would have ordered another glass, she would have insisted on driving home.

  Once the waiter left their table, Mike returned his attention to Reesa. “So, how in the world did a small town girl from Indiana end up in New York City?”

  Reesa took a deep breath. She had already divulged more information than she’d ever told anyone. Being a private person, she was surprised she had even disclosed as much about her past as she had.

  She went into lawyer mode and attempted to redirect the questions. “Enough about me. Tell me how you wound up being a high-powered attorney in New York City. You didn’t start out too far from where I did. You graduated from Northwestern. Why did you opt to pursue law?”

  Mike chuckled. “My story isn’t nearly as compelling as yours. I just thought I could make a shit load of money, so I went for it!”

  The way he said it tickled Reesa, and she burst out laughing.

  Mike smiled at her affectionately.

  “No really, Mike. Something had to intrigue you about the legal profession. Law school is far too intense to do it just for the money aspect. I’ve always found that doing something just for monetary rewards usually doesn’t pan out too well. Something must have sparked your interest.”

  “No, really, it was the money.”

  They both laughed again and he continued. “All kidding aside, I did think it could prove to be a lucrative career, but that wasn’t the only reason I went to law school. My undergraduate studies were in political science. I had this crazy notion that I could make a positive impact on society – make things better. Once I got involved in politics at the local level, I found that it’s nearly impossible to enact any sort of change. Not only that, it’s expensive to run for office. Emily and I had just had Samantha, so I needed to get a real job. I ended up working as a claims manager at a large medical malpractice company. After a few years, it became tedious and boring. I just couldn’t see myself doing that the rest of my life. So, we all moved in with my parents for three years while I went to Northwestern.”

  “That must have been interesting. Was it hard on your family?”

  “Looking back, I think it was three of the best years of our lives. My parents are great. You should meet them sometime.”

  His comment made her uncomfortable. She wondered if he was making more out of their friendship than what it was. She decided to begin to distance herself from him before he got the wrong impression. She was determined not to get involved with him, no matter how attractive and charming he seemed to be.

  “No really, my parents come to New York for a visit a few times a year. Next time they’re in the town, I’ll have them stop by the office.”

  Reesa smiled. “That would be nice. I’m sure they love visiting New York City.”

  “Yes. They do get around. Hey, what about your parents? Do they ever make it to the big apple?”

  Reesa froze. She didn’t know how to answer his question. She shook her head and looked down as she grabbed a piece of cheese and popped it into her mouth, hoping he didn’t pursue the question further.

  “Do they live in Indiana? Are they still alive?” he asked, curiously.

  Unable to conjure up a story to make him stop asking questions about her past, she blurted defensively, “I really don’t know, Mike. I haven’t seen my father since I was six years old, and I haven’t spoken to my mother since high school!”

  Mike looked disturbed. “I’m so sorry, Reesa. That must be difficult for you.”

  She thought, no, this conversation i
s difficult. Never seeing either of my parents is easy! “No, it’s fine, really.”

  “So, I take it they’re not together?”

  Reesa was becoming increasingly agitated. “God, Mike, what’s with the fifty questions? No, my dad left my mom when I was only six. But I don’t blame him, she was a bitch!” The moment the words slipped from her lips, she wished she could have taken them back. She wanted to run out of the room – out of the building. She needed to escape, but she didn’t have her car and couldn’t bring herself to take a cab. Her mind ran through various scenarios on how she could quickly disappear. Unable to come up with anything, she put her head in her hands and sighed. “I’m sorry, Mike. It just is what it is. Ancient history. I didn’t mean to raise my voice. Can we please change the subject?”

  “Yes, of course. I’m sorry, Reesa.” He reached over and rubbed her arm to console her and she jerked it back. Looking baffled, he drank the last drop of his cabernet. After he set the glass on the table, he softly asked, “Would you like me to take you home now?”

  She looked down, unable to look in his eyes. “Yes, if you wouldn’t mind. That would be great.”

  Reesa remained quiet and gazed out of the car window most of the way home, wondering why she felt so guarded about her past. LeeAnn Adams had willingly opened up to her about past. She made a mental note to discuss it with her counselor on her last and final session the following week.

  Feeling the need to apologize, she finally broke the silence. “I’m really sorry you had to leave the party before you were ready. It’s just been a long week and I’m very tired.”

  Mike glanced over at her. “To be honest, that was the longest I’ve ever stayed at one of those things. At least since Em’s been gone. She used to like the firm’s parties. It got her off the hook for dinner and out of the house for the evening. She enjoyed putting faces to all the people I constantly complained about. Since she’s been gone, I make an appearance, then split. So please, don’t feel bad.”

  “I’m so sorry, Mike. It must still be very hard to deal with…I mean, her death.”

  “It’s getting easier. I’m now able to remember her without feeling the immense pain. Sure, there are still some days when I feel like everything that was good in my life is gone, but a lot fewer of them lately. I had an excellent grief counselor who helped me tremendously.”

  “I can’t imagine all you’ve been through.”

  Reesa was surprised when he suddenly asked, “Speaking of counselors, are you finished with your court-ordered counseling? You had said you wanted to complete it prior to Christmas.”

  She looked out the window again. “No. I still have one session left.” She paused for a second. “I was thinking perhaps—” Her phone started ringing, cutting her off mid sentence. She retrieved it from her purse and answered, “Hello? Yes, I’ll be there. Thank you.”

  Mike looked at her. “Is everything okay?”

  Reesa glanced up at him apprehensively. “I sure hope so. The jury has reached a verdict in the Renfrow case already. The judge wants to read it tomorrow morning at six o’clock.”

  “On Christmas Eve?”

  “Yes, I guess he has a nine thirty flight tomorrow morning and will be gone for two weeks.”

  “That’s crazy!”

  Reesa chuckled. “It’s really not that crazy. I had a judge on a grand larceny case that wanted to read the verdict at four thirty in the morning. He had a tee time scheduled at six and didn’t want to be late.”

  Mike burst out laughing. “Wow. But hey, sometimes it can be very difficult to get a good tee time. And if you’re late, you may not get to play golf that day.”

  Reesa suddenly became serious. “Mike?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you think this is a bad sign? I mean, the jury reaching a verdict this quickly in Melissa’s case?” No matter how confidently she felt a trial went, when she received the call notifying her that a verdict was in, she became overly anxious.

  “You know as well as I do that it could just as well be a good sign. Don’t start second guessing yourself. Would you like me to go with you? I’m heading to Chicago tomorrow for Christmas, but my flight doesn’t leave until late afternoon. I’d be happy to pick you up or meet you there if you’d like.”

  “No, that’s okay. I’ll be fine. Thanks for the offer though.” Reesa felt it would be nice to have him there for moral support, but thought it best not to involve him.

  When they were a block away from her apartment building, she became uneasy wondering if he might ask to come up to her apartment. In a panic-stricken voice, she said, “You can just drop me off at the front door of my building. No need to park and walk me up.”

  When he turned the corner to head down her block, she discreetly unfastened her seatbelt and prepared to exit the car before he had time to ask.

  Mike glanced briefly in her direction and started to say something just as headlights from an oncoming vehicle flooded the car.

  6

  THE AWAKENING

  “Mom? MOM!” Jade said firmly when she saw Reesa’s eyes lids flutter.

  Everything was blurry when Reesa opened her eyes. When she turned her head slightly, she saw Jade sitting on the edge of the bed holding her hand.

  Jade smiled. “Hi, Mom. I’m not going to make you go out anymore if this is how it ends up!” She started giggling, although tears were streaming down her face.

  Reesa was still groggy, but managed to respond sluggishly, “Hi, sweetie. What happened? Where am I?”

  “You’re at Bellevue Hospital. Someone slid into Mike’s car last night when he was bringing you home from the Christmas party. The doctor said you have a concussion. The left side of your head is kinda messed up. They gave you a few stitches, but you’ll be fine.”

  The events of the prior evening came flooding back to Reesa. The last thing she remembered was unfastening her seatbelt as they drove toward her apartment building. “Is…is Mike okay?”

  Jade chuckled. “Yes, he was wearing his seatbelt. He just had some scratches on his face from when the airbag deployed. Why didn’t you have your seat belt buckled? How many millions of times have you yelled at me to put mine on? Geez, Mom!”

  Reesa was becoming more coherent and suddenly remembered she needed to be in court for the reading of the verdict in the Renfrow case. She panicked and tried to sit up. “I need to be in court. What time is it?”

  “Relax. It’s close to seven in the morning. Mike went to court for you. He’s so nice, Mom. After the accident, he picked me up in a cab and brought me here. We stayed by your side all night. I really like him. He should be back after they read the verdict. I sure hope you won the case.”

  Reesa had a look of concern on her face. “Are you okay, Jade?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. You’re the one in the hospital. I was a little upset last night when Mike told me that you guys were in an accident, but once he brought me here and the doctor told me you’d be okay, I was fine. He was really great.”

  “But, did Mike, I mean, he didn’t...” Reesa suddenly had a distressing memory of Bryan making advances toward her when she was young, and instantly became concerned that Mike may have made a sexual advance toward Jade. She quickly dismissed it, realizing she was jumping to conclusions. Her counselor said she needed to stop assuming all men were sex-crazed idiots, so she dropped her question and tried to correct her thinking. She knew Mike was a good man.

  “Did he what, Mom?”

  “Oh, nothing. It’s fine…never mind.”

  “The doctor said you’d probably be able to go home tomorrow, but you’ll have to take it easy for a week. I know you’re not going to like that!” Jade teased.

  “I can work from home. Besides, I tried not to schedule much for next week anyway. I want to spend some time with you since you’re on Christmas break.” She perked up at smiled at Jade. “Hey, how was the play? Did you have fun last night?”

  “Yes! The play was so great, Mom. You should see it.” Ja
de was excited as she chronicled the “The Lion King,” beginning to end, while Reesa listened attentively.

  She was still rambling when Mike entered the room a few minutes later carrying some balloons and a vase of flowers. He was wearing the same suit he had on when he had picked Reesa up for the party the evening before.

  His eyes lit up when saw her. “Hey! I’m so glad to see you’re awake. So what’s the verdict, are you going to live?” he asked, chuckling.

  Jade giggled at his question.

  Reesa smiled and replied, “Very funny, Mike, and yes, I think I’ll make it. Thanks for going to court this morning.”

  After setting the flowers on the table beside her bed, Jade stepped over and embraced him.

  “How are you this morning, Jade? Feeling better?” he asked and as he hugged her.

  “I’m doing much better. Thanks for everything you did last night.”

  “You’re quite welcome. It looks like your mom is doing much better this morning, too.” He released her and walked to the side of Reesa’s bed gave her the balloons.

  Reesa took the balloons and chuckled. “Okay, what’s with all this? Balloons and flowers? Are you trying to cheer me up because I lost the case?”

  “I’m not trying to cheer you up, I’m trying to butter you up. I wouldn’t want you to sue me. After all, I was driving the vehicle you were riding in when you were injured. I would hate to be the defendant in a case against you. I’m sure I’d come up a little short on that one. I have seen you in court a few times you know.”

  Jade was giggling at him as he spoke. “Mom wouldn’t sue you. I won’t let her.”

  Reesa noticed he was grinning and couldn’t help but smile. “Enough with the flattery. How did it go? Was the verdict read?”

  “It was. You must have really impressed the jury.”

  “Well, spit it out, Mike. What was the verdict?”