“Afraid not.”
“It seems like you’ve been gone forever,” Juliette, a beautiful woman from Jamaica, said.
I thought about it. “It has been a month and a half. God help me.”
“Any sign it’s going to end soon?” Delia asked.
“Not really.”
“Can we all go to lunch?” Nancy asked as my flying scrum of friends escorted me to my office.
“Sorry, no. I’m joining in the arbitration via video conference, and the time difference means I’m going to be sneaking bites of sandwich during the testimony.”
My assistant, Norma, rose from behind her desk like an iceberg calving off a glacier and stared down at me. Her teased, silver-white hair was like a helmet. “Well, I’m surprised to see you.”
From her tone it was clear it wasn’t a pleasure, and as usual there was no evidence her computer had been turned on once since I had been gone. I had to assume she used it. Just never when I was watching. I had inherited Norma along with my office from my deceased boss, and I didn’t have the nerve to suggest a change. The fact that she was tech-phobic wasn’t that big of a drawback in a white-fang law firm; most of the vampire partners felt the same way, and she did defend me behind my back while insulting me to my face. It was a little like having my mother working for me.
“Hi, Norma, glad to see you, too. And I’m only in for the day.”
“Hmmm!” She sniffed. “Lot of damn money to fly coast-to-coast for one day.”
“Good thing it was the firm’s money,” I said brightly. Norma almost cracked a smile.
“We should all get back to work,” Caroline said, asserting her control as the most charismatic among us. There were more hugs and everyone headed off to their offices.
Mine looked deserted. The desk was bare except for the computer. My plants had been moved by the watering service. The waste can was empty. For an instant I felt like I had been erased from the firm. I shook off the feeling, dumped my briefcase and coat, and went in search of the AV tech to make sure everything was ready for the conference.
I found Ollie in his cluttered office filled with computers, headphones, cables, soundboards and other mysterious electronic items. Ollie was a plump, balding, twenty-something who wore a suit because this was Ishmael, McGillary and Gold, but somehow he always looked rumpled. Today a button was missing on his shirt and his tie was uneven.
“All set?” I asked.
He took another swallow of coffee before answering. “Totally. I’m gonna eat while this is happening. Okay?”
I sighed. “Sure. Just don’t make it anything too delicious. Otherwise I won’t be able to hear over my stomach growling.”
“Check.” His thumb thrust up. “I’ll be sure to buy something shitty for lunch.”
With a wave and a chuckle I left. When I returned to my office, Norma informed me that I was wanted on the seventy-third floor. “Why?” I asked with some trepidation.
“And you think I would know? The senior partners don’t give reasons; they just say frog.”
“Okay, I’m jumping.” I headed to the elevators.
Those of us on the lower floors referred to the seventy-third floor as Teak Heaven. It was opulent in the way Versailles is opulent. The incredibly handsome and incredibly supercilious receptionist, Bruce, told me I was expected in Mr. Ishmael’s office. Which gave me some relief. Since it was Shade who had summoned me, perhaps I wasn’t in trouble. He was my mentor and champion at the firm.
Shade’s secretary nodded at the door, indicating I could go in. Shade looked up as I entered, and the sharp blue eyes scanned me critically. He came around from behind his desk and gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead. His lips were very cold.
“Linnet, child. Thank God, you’re all right. You have the most alarming tendency to find yourself in mortal danger.”
“I think I’m a chaos magnet,” I said, trying to keep it light. “Trouble always finds me.”
Shade pushed back a lock of silver-gray hair that had fallen over his forehead. A smile flickered briefly on his lips. “Just so you don’t cause it,” he quipped in that ponderous way that passed for humor among vampires.
I held up two fingers in the Boy Scout salute. “I promise I won’t. Is that all you wanted? I’ve really got to get ready for the hearing.”
“Actually, I wanted to ask about Sullivan.”
“Oh, God, did he come back and defend me to Gold and McGillary? Is that why he missed the hearing?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I haven’t seen Sullivan since you left for California.”
Cautious now, I took a step back. “So what was it about David that you wanted to talk about?”
“It was a two-to-one vote to reinstate him. I wanted to make sure my vote of support isn’t going to come back to haunt me,” the senior partner said.
“So, who blackballed him? Let me guess: Gold,” I said.
“You’d be wrong. It was McGillary.”
I couldn’t picture the Mr. Milk Toast third partner whose name appeared on the letter head taking such a strong stand. “Good God, why? What did David do that it would upset McGillary that much?”
“It is not something that should be discussed with a human.”
I looked up into that pale, aristocratic face and knew I had been put firmly in my place. “If you’re asking about his performance as the chief arbitrator on this case, he’s doing a great job. He’s firmly in control, very fair, and the parties respect him.”
“He did place us uncomfortably in the news—”
“No, I did that,” I interrupted. “If you’re talking about the press getting a picture of us leaving the studio.” There was a slight nod from Shade. “Well, he was trying to protect me. And the firm,” I added hurriedly.
“He used power and was detected.”
“Look, Shade, it’s not a big news flash that all of you Powers have, well … powers. He’s a terrific lawyer, okay?”
“You like him.”
I considered the stiff, opinionated, curt man that I knew and realized Shade was right. “Yes, I do. And it’s not just because he saved my life,” I added forestalling the words that I could almost see forming in Shade’s head. “He has integrity and he hates injustice. Sometimes he seems almost human,” I added, making a little joke of my own. If it had been any vampire but Shade I wouldn’t have dared. Though I expected my foster liege would have been amused as well.
But it didn’t get the expected response. Instead Shade looked worried. He clasped his hands behind his back and turned away. Almost inaudibly he said, “And that is what worries me.” Then more loudly he added, “You may go, Linnet.”
At 11:50 Ollie and I were in the smallest conference room. He had a muffaletta from a nearby deli, and the rich smell of olive mix, meats, and cheeses was driving me crazy. I sipped my Diet Coke and waited at the head of the table as the tech guru adjusted the computer screen so I was caught by the camera and would be able to be seen once the video link was in place.
“Ollie, may I have a potato chip?” I asked.
“Actually, why don’t you take half of this. It’s a monster.” He came over and gave me half the sandwich and shook out some potato chips from the bag.
“Thank you.”
“De nada.”
I ate the sandwich while Ollie alternated between muttering into his headphones, an indistinct buzz that never quite rose to the level of understandable words, and munching on his lunch.
He flashed a thumbs-up in my direction. “Okay. We’re going live.” I quickly swiped a Kleenex across my mouth, hoping that there were no crumbs or olive paste in evidence and I hadn’t totally wrecked my makeup. Ollie pointed a forefinger at me. “Now!”