Page 59 of Legally Mated
He found the man he was looking for just exiting one of the courtrooms, head down, phone in hand already. “Jack? Burgess!” he called, catching the AUSA before he could disappear into thecrowd.
The man looked up, pale brown hair cropped short over sharp blue eyes. “Yes?” He didn’t stop walking, though he did slow his pace. “Ah, Laine. I’m not negotiating on the Frisby case. You know you havenothing.”
“So you’d like me to think. No, I had something else I wanted to talk to you about, if you have a minutesometime.”
“What? Are you finally coming over to the side of truth and light?” Burgess grinnedathim.
“No, not yet. When are you coming over to thedarkside?”
“Never. What are youlookingfor?”
They turned a corner into another hallway, this one less crowded. Something Laine felt unaccountably grateful for. “I would have preferred to do this at youroffice.”
“I’m here all day, back to back cases. What doyouwant?”
Laine suppressed a sigh. “You went to school with Garrick Mercy Hills,didn’tyou?”
Burgess came to a sudden halt. “Yes. Why? I thought you two were friendly.” His eyes narrowed suspiciously atLaine.
“We are,” Laine said coolly. “Why did he never take the bar?” He knew, of course, but he wondered how much everyone else knew as well. It would shape how he attacked thisproblem.
"I'm not sure," Burgess said slowly. "I kind of wondered if his people didn't want him too, or couldn't find the money for it. I knew there was some resistance to having him even attend the school, but if he's thinking about taking the bar, I'm pretty sure I can get him a job with the State's Attorney. Unless--" He took a half-step closer to Laine. "Are you planning to hire him? You'd be stupid not to, even if you never send him to court as first chair. He wiped the floor with me in Moot Court. And he was doing Law Review at the same time. I don't think hesleeps."
He did sleep. Laine had fond memories of Garrick sleeping, the habitual wariness washed away with the locking of the front door. Garrick's body warm in Laine's arms. "He's a good lawyer," Laine said. "It baffles me that he couldn't find the references he needed to apply totheBar."
Burgess glanced up and down the hallway, then got so close Laine could smell his cologne. "If that was the problem, you want to look at Balding. But watch yourself--the man is like a spider in the middle of his web. He's got friends everywhere. If he doesn't want you to succeed, youwon't."
“I’m looking for leverage there,” Laine whispered. If he’d learned nothing else in criminal law, it was that everyone had a skeleton or three hanging around in their closet. You just had to know what rocks to turn over. He’d handed a thousand dollars over to Ravi to send to his friend. Now he just needed to wait for theresults.
Burgess studied him for a moment. “If you need a letter of recommendation for him, let me know, I’ll do one for him. Balding can’t do much tomehere.”
“No?”
“Dad’s the State’s Attorney in New Jersey.” Burgess winked. “I’d see if he could help out, but heisa stickler for regulation. At least, where anyone but family is concerned. I think he’d have something to say about Balding giving me a hard time,though.”
Laine laughed and held out a hand. Burgess grabbed it with a firm grip and shook it. “Thanks, Jack. I’llcallyou.”
“You do that. And good luck.” Burgess nodded at him, then strode off down the hall, already digging in his bag for the files for hisnextcase.
Laine strolled out of the building, his brain working furiously. That was two people who had pointed to Balding as an issue, or at least the major part of one. He’d have to see how busy Ravi was, and whether he could fit in some more in-depth investigation of Balding between the work he did forthefirm.
He didn’t realize he was whistling until the security guard at the door gave him a funny look, but then he decided he didn’t care. He was on the hunt and his prey was in his line ofsight.
Chapter49
Isleptlike the dead when I got to my little makeshift bedroom, waking up again near dinnertime to my phone beeping annoyingly in my ear, and the smell of some wonderfully rich stew sitting in a crockery pot near the head of my bed. The note beside it said, “Eat,” signed by Seosamh. My stomach rumbled in response and I didn’t even bother getting out of bed, just pulled the tray onto my lap and started to eat. He’d put a couple of fresh rolls on the tray as well, with some butter, and huge slice of some sort of berry crumble. I tore the rolls open and buttered them, and dipped them in the stew with one hand while I tried to return video-call Laine with theother.
“Hi,” he said. “How was themeeting?”
I could see the kitchen cabinets behind his head—he probably had the table covered in folders and paperwork. “It was good. I have a questionforyou.”
“What’s that?” Laine leaned back in his chair, and I felt a pang of homesickness at the familiar movement ofhisbody.
“Well, I went over the trust documents and it’s all fine. We signed one today, but we’re looking for board member for some of the other ones.” My heart began to race in excitement. “Holland and I talked about it, and we’d like to ask you to sit on the board governing the educationtrust.”
“Me?” Laine sat bolt upright in astonishment. “Holland agreed to that? What were youfeedinghim?”
“Logic,” I said smartly and crammed more roll into my mouth. “And he knows your notstupid.”
