Page 99 of Dial L for Lawyer
I listen to his side of the conversation as he presses the phone to his ear.
"David? It's Caleb... About the Luminous situation... We need to meet with Wong and Sterling as soon as possible... We have evidence. Concrete evidence that Maya Bolton orchestrated everything..."
A pause as he listens.
"Yes, all of it. The badge cloning, the leaked campaign, the frame job... Her IT accomplice confessed everything..."
Another pause.
"Monday morning would be perfect... Yes, before the quarterly audit... I'll send you the preliminary files now..."
He's nodding. "Uh-huh... Yes... Of course..."
Then his expression shifts slightly. "Tonight?" He glances at his watch. "But isn't Michaela's?—"
A pause. "Emergency? Right... Of course..."
More listening. "I can do that... Yes, I'm free... What time?"
He looks at me while talking. "Six works... No, that's fine... I think I can afford pizza... She's allowed two episodes before bed?"
Logan and Bennett exchange glances.
"Seven-thirty bedtime, got it... Yeah, I'll handle it... I have the key... See you then."
He hangs up and everyone stares at him.
"What did he say?" I ask.
"He'll coordinate with Wong and Sterling for Monday morning. Full board meeting." He pauses. "He also asked if I could babysit Michaela tonight. The nanny's mother had a fall and she needs to drive to Milwaukee immediately."
The pivot is so sharp I almost laugh.From plotting Maya’s destruction to bedtime stories in under a minute. Typical Kingsley.
“Babysit?” I repeat, suspicious.
“She’s seven. Sharper than half the partners at my firm–including me. Future Supreme Court justice. Last week she put her teddy bear on trial for cookie theft.” His mouth quirks. “Cited precedent.”
Despite myself, I grin. “Sounds terrifying.”
“She is. Which is why I want you to come with me.”
I blink. “You want me to meet your niece? Tonight?”
“Of course. Unless you hate kids?”
“No, I just…” My chest does that tight thing again. “I didn’t expect to go from clearing my name to being cross-examined by a second-grader about my intentions with her uncle.”
His grin is wicked and soft all at once. “She’ll definitely ask if we’re getting married. Just tell her the truth.”
“And what truth is that?”
“That you’re madly in love with me but trying to play it cool.”
I smack his arm. "I am not?—"
"Yet," he says with that cocky grin. "Give me time."
"So?" He asks again. "You in? There'll be pizza."
