no wiggling out of that. Two witnesses have come forward. Money alone won’t let him walk.”
“So, what then?”
“Burbidge is handpicking a legal team that he thinks can pull this off.”
“Wait. You mean, personally? He’s choosing who’ll be—”
Grant nodded. “I told you he isn’t being rational.”
“You’ve known him for a long time. Can’t you reason with him?”
Grant set his beer down and leaned forward. “He wants both me and you as co-counsel.”
Jessica lurched back in her chair. “That’s not funny.”
“It’s not a joke. He specifically asked for you.”
“What part of me not being a criminal attorney doesn’t he understand?”
“I’m not one, either. But he trusts me. And he insists on you.”
“Well, you’ll just have to work harder to get him to see he’s being an idiot.”
Grant’s temper bled through, but only for a second. “Naturally we won’t tackle this alone. Crawford will be lead in every way that counts. And Lister and Ulrich are joining the team.”
Jessica stared at the man she thought she knew. Did he really think she’d want any part in this? “Why on earth would Alan Burbidge ask for me? I’ve hardly had any personal interaction with him. But I have dealt with Sanford Burbidge a number of times, as you know. What I haven’t mentioned is that twice he’s bordered on inappropriate.”
“Well, damn.” Grant stared blankly past her for a long while, then he leaned forward, his elbows on his shiny teak desk. “Alan thinks you’ve got the right stuff to handle a jury. Possibly because Sanford put a bug in his ear, but that’s immaterial because he’s already hired Roger Eastman—arguably the best jury consultant in Chicago—and they came back with a profile that fits you to a T.”
“I understand why they’d want a woman at the defense table for a rape charge, but it’s a moot point, anyway. The prosecutor’s office would have a field day with me at the table. For God’s sake, I’m a contract attorney. Even if I did agree to join the team, I’m not equipped for the job. There are excellent women criminal lawyers in the firm, so asking me is ridiculous. I’m not getting on board with this, Grant.”
“I hear you. I do. I told Crawford you would strenuously object, but he wasn’t particularly interested in your moral objections to the case.”
“That’s too bad. I won’t do this.”
Grant pushed his uneaten sushi aside before he got up so he could sit in the second visitor’s chair. He caught her gaze and held it. “I’m having to do a lot of thinking about this myself. But the reality is, Burbidge is going to get what he wants, even if it means finding another firm. And if he walks over this, you and I will be out on our asses. No question.”
“I can live with that.”
“Really? Just think. It would mean giving up everything you’ve been working for since you started here. You’re a step away from junior partner. You know this would do it. Having Burbidge request you personally is huge. The partners would owe you big-time. It could mean the difference between a good career and sky’s the limit.”
“And it wouldn’t do you any harm, either.”
He didn’t even blink. “True. It’s a lot to consider. You won’t walk away with sterling references either. You’ll be considered a problem, not a team player.”
“It sounds as if you’ve already made a decision.”
“I’ve got a lot of years and sweat invested in this firm. Not to mention the chunk I fork out for child support and alimony every month. I know it sucks, but part of this job means representing causes that aren’t our own.”
“I’m not judging you,” she said, although she was disappointed. But she did understand. Her own predicament was less clear-cut. “So I’m not only supposed to help the bastard get off scot-free, when I’m not even qualified to be anything more than window dressing, but be blackmailed into doing it?”
“The partners have to protect the firm’s reputation. They can’t let Burbidge jump ship. If he goes, that will send a signal to other clients. Major clients.”
She felt sick. The scent of the sushi was making her stomach churn. It would be a crushing blow to lose this job, to get a bad name so early in the career she’d worked hard for, but how could she do anything else?
“Listen,” he said. “I know your reunion is coming up this weekend.”
“I’m not going.”
“I think you should. Get out of here. Take a long weekend. Think it through. You know I’ll stand behind you on this, whatever you decide.”
“Will you?”
“I won’t throw you under the bus. But this is too important not to consider all the angles. Take my advice. A break would do you good. Think about your options. I’ll get the firm to pay for the weekend.”
“No, you won’t. I don’t want their money, not for this.” She stood up. “Keep me in the loop, Grant. Seriously. I’ll need to know if anything changes.”
“Of course.”
She turned to go.
“Don’t forget your food.”
“I seem to have lost my appetite,” she said and didn’t look back.
“SEASIDE ON THE BLUFF, eh?” Joseph, the white-haired cab driver, asked. They’d just left the airport, and Jessica was still in the midst of a silent battle between ethics, duty and career. “It used to be a small hotel, nothing like the fancy resort it is now. Back then Temptation Bay was just a small village of fishermen that had sprung up in the 1800s. They caught and sold fish from one generation to the next, that’s it. Until two brothers—Angus and I forget the other one’s name—they hated fishing and got tired of seeing so many tourists bypass the village to go to other seaside towns like the Cape, so they built the hotel sometime in the 1920s.”
She sighed. It was clear the taxi driver had a spiel he always gave, probably had one for each of the key destinations along the Rhode Island coast. It was clever, though, a way to entertain the tourists for extra tips. Of course she could recite the entire story of her town and then some. In fact, she knew the second brother’s name was John. But frankly, she preferred to let the driver gab for the next ten miles, so she didn’t have to talk.
“Some folks thought the brothers were crazy, but I think they were smart.” Joseph touched a finger to his head. “Temptation Bay has everything Cape Cod has and more. Like the sunken pirate treasure off the shores south of the village. Some people don’t believe there were any pirate ships that sailed up this far but
