"Look, I know how you feel. I've talked to everyone about this.
There's not a soul in the office who doesn't want you with us.
Hell, you're one of the best lawyers in the state. We need you."
"I appreciate that and I want you to thank everyone. Hearing what you just said is important to me. But I've had an offer I can't turn down."
Stamm looked back and forth between Abbie and Matthew.
"I'll be damned," he said. Then he broke into a grin. "I guess some good came out of this after all."
"Will you be our best man?" Abbie asked.
"Hell, no. In fact, I'm going to jump up when the minister asks if there's anyone who objects to the wedding. If you think I'm going to let you two gang up on my office without doing anything to stop you, you're crazy."
Chapter TWENTY-NINE
The way Tracy Cavanaugh was feeling, you'd think there was bright sun and a profusion of flowers outside her window, instead of a pounding downpour and predictions of solid rain for the rest of the week before Christmas. Tracy was humming while she worked and smiling when she wasn't humming, and there was more than one reason for her high spirits.
The case against Abigail Griffen had been dismissed because of her detective work, Matthew was almost fully recuperated and would be released from the hospital in two days and her relationship with Barry was terrific.
A knock on her office door made Tracy turn away from her computer. On the monitor was a draft of points for the oral argument in the Texas case. Matthew wanted her to come with him when he argued before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
"Tracy," Emily Webster, Matthew's secretary, said excitedly, "Dennis Haggard just called. They're dismissing the case against Jeffrey Coulter. Mrs. Franklin flunked the polygraph examination."
"Fantastic. I'll tell Matt when I go to the hospital this afternoon."
"The wedding invitations arrived," Emily said, handing one to Tracy.
"Why don't you bring him a sample."
"Sure." Tracy grinned. "He'll get a kick out of it."
"Could you give him this, too. It's Dr. Shirov's bill. I want Mr.
Reynolds to approve it before I write the check."
Emily handed Tracy a sheaf of papers and left the room.
Tracy set down the invitation and Dr. Shirov's bill and went back to work. Fifteen minutes later, she stopped typing and walked down to the library to check a case. She found the volume of the United States Supreme Court reporter she wanted and brought it back to her office, laying it on top of Dr. Shirov's bill so she could copy the passage she needed. When she was done, she closed the book, revealing the part of the bill that set out an account of the hours Dr. Shirov had spent on the case, the dates on which he had worked and the reason for spending the time.
Tracy frowned. Something was wrong with the bill. She picked it up and shook her head. It was obviously a typo. Tracy decided to straighten out the problem so Matthew wouldn't have to deal with it from his hospital bed. She was certain he would want Dr. Shirov paid promptly.
"Dr. Shirov," Tracy said when she was put through to the scientist, "this is Tracy Cavanaugh at Matthew Reynolds's office.
I'm sorry to bother you. I have your bill here. I'm going to bring it to Mr. Reynolds when I see him at the hospital this afternoon."
"How is he feeling?"
"They're releasing him in two days. There's no permanent damage."
"That's a great relief. Give him my regards."
"I will. About the bill. There's a mistake on it. I'm certain it's a typo. I wanted to get the correct date, so we can pay you."
"Good. I'm going on vacation and Matt's check will be welcome."
Tracy laughed. "I'll make sure we send it out pronto. Do you have your copy in front of you?"
"Let me get it."
"Where is the problem?" Dr. Shirov asked a moment later.
"The first entry on your time records. It says Mr. Reynolds called you about the case in early October."
"Yes."
"We didn't know we would need you until the trial was halfway through.
That would have been in mid-November."
The line was silent for a second. Then Dr. Shirov said, "The date is correct. I remember the call because Matt rang me at home."
"Can you give me a summary, so I can refresh Mr. Reynolds's memory in case he has any questions?"
"Oh, it wasn't much. He said he was going to be in trial soon and might have a rush job for me. He was checking to make certain I would be in town. That was pretty much the whole thing, except for some small talk."
"Did he tell you what he wanted you to do?"
"Not specifically, but he asked about the availability of the reactor."
"Thanks, Dr. Shirov."
"Remember to give Matt my regards, please."
"I will."
Tracy hung up and stared at the monitor. The words blurred.
Her heart was beating so fast, it felt like it might blast out of her chest. Tracy walked out to Emily Webster's desk.
"Where does Mr. Reynolds keep his account ledgers?"
"I've got them."
"I have to see if he wrote a check to Dr. Shirov in connection with the Griffen case," Tracy lied. "I'll look it up for you."
"Don't bother. I'll do it. It could take some time."
Tracy took the trust account ledger and check register to her office.
She went back several months, but could not find what she was looking for. When she brought the ledger and register to Emily, the secretary was getting ready to leave for lunch with the receptionist.
"Who's minding the store?" Tracy asked.
"Maggie is sick. We're having the answering service handle the calls during lunch. You're the only one in. If you want, I'll tell the service to put your calls through."
"No. That's okay."
Tracy forced herself to wait five minutes after everyone left.
Then she locked the front door and walked quickly up the stairs to Matthew's, living quarters. She had never seen them before.
At one end of the hall was a small kitchen. She went through the drawers quickly, finding only kitchen utensils. The next room was Matthew's bedroom. She hesitated before violating his privacy. The idea of searching his bedroom repulsed her, but Tracy steeled herself and entered.
The contents of the room gave no clue that it was the twentieth century.
The oak bed was large; its head- and footboards polished and ornamented with hand-carved floral designs. There was a standing mirror next to a chest of drawers that may have been part of a set some pioneer shipped around the Horn.
On the chest of drawers were several photographs. They were old. The first showed a man and woman standing together.
The man was tall and solid. He had an easy smile and short steel-gray hair. The woman was slender. Neither person was handsome, but both were strong-featured with faces that radiated intelligence, humor and compassion.
The second photograph was of the man. He was dressed in a suit, walking down the steps of a courthouse, his back erect, his hands manacled in front of him. The photo was part of a newspaper story. The headline read: OSCAR REYNOLDS SENTENCED TO
DEATH.
The third photograph was of Matthew and his father. They were standing by a stream in the forest. Matthew must have been six or seven. His father held a fishing rod in one hand and his arm was draped around Matthew's shoulder. Matthew beamed out at Tracy, so proud to be the one his father was honoring with his touch.
Tracy felt like she might cry. She took a deep breath. When she was back in control, she started going hurriedly through the drawers.
Matthew's clothes were whites and blacks. There were no golf shirts, no tennis shorts, nothing that hinted at leisure.
Nothing that hinted at anything but single-minded devotion to his cause.
Across from the bedroom was Matthew's study. Tracy glanced at the position on the marble chessboard. She had been bringing the ,postcards from the correspondence games to the hospital and recognized it.