Page 101 of Ghostly
“Sir, you are sure you want me there? I don’t think I need—”
“I know,” Gabriel said. “But I…”Heneeded someone. Someone who would feel like a friend.
“I understand.” Ollie gave him a small nod. “Let’s do it, then.”
Gabriel knocked rapidly and pushed the door open before anyone inside could object. He strode into the room, summoning all the confidence he could find, even if he was trembling in his shoes. “Good morning, Mrs. Ashford-Abernathy, Mr. Ernest… Mr. Clifford.”
Well. Go figure he’d get both of his bosses in one place. Mrs. Ashford-Abernathy sat on one end of the long, white table; Ernest sat two chairs away from her, with his partner across from him. As Gabriel entered, the three heads simultaneously snapped to him.
“Vane.” Ernest’s voice cut into the name. “We’re in a meeting.”
“Yes, we can see that, sir,” Ollie began. “But Mr. Vane had to—”
Gabriel nudged him in his ribs. “I’m sorry for intruding. I need to speak with all of you. Urgently.”
“You can do so once we’ve concluded with Mrs. Ashford-Abernathy,” Ernest bit off.
“Can’t do. I need the client.”
Mrs. Ashford-Abernathy’s painted-on eyebrows rose.
“You must know you’re not getting the case.” Ernest’s voice left no room for objection.
“But Crawford has retired, and we’d planned to—”
“I know what we planned, and if I remember correctly, the article currently circling aroundwasn’tpart of the plan.” Ernest’s chest rose in indignation. “The case is being assigned to another lawyer. Now get out.”
Gabriel clenched his fists, fighting for air that suddenly felt too thin. He was back at the huge, intimidating, and very real courtroom at his first mock trial—and there was Anderson, taking all the credit for Gabriel’s work, and Gabriel staying silent because surely Anderson would see, surely someone would recognize his effort, someone would help him—“No.”
“Excuse me?”
Gabriel swallowed. “I said, no. I’m not leaving. This is my case.”
“The gall!” Ernest jumped to his feet; behind Gabriel, Ollie took a preventative step back. “The deal was you’d steer clear of scandal. You couldn’t do that, you’ve endangeredourreputation, and now you dare to request a case—”
“My boy, do calm down.” Mrs. Ashford-Abernathy lazily patted a hand in Ernest’s direction. The man silenced, though Gabriel wasn’t sure whether out of respect for her, or because a woman his age (perhaps—Mrs. Ashford-Abernathy’s age was difficult to pinpoint) dared call him a boy.
“Vane, your reputation is best not to be paired with an already scandalous case,” Clifford said, gentler.
“Not any case, really,” Ernest grumbled.
I’m working on fixing that,Gabriel wanted to say, but felt he’d come off as a schoolboy who’d forgotten his homework.Forgiveness has no place in myworld.
He didn’t need them to feel sorry for him, he needed…
He needed to use what he had.
“Mrs. Ashford-Abernathywantsa scandalous trial. If she didn’t, she’d have settled long before this.”
Mrs. Ashford-Abernathy didn’t say anything, but her slight tilt of head gave him enough encouragement—she was interested in what he had to say.
“I’m the best-prepared lawyer in this firm for her case. I did all the research on it. She wants to make the news with her victory…”
“I’ll settle for nothing but the front page,” Mrs. Ashford-Abernathy said.
“And as a bonus to my already accrued knowledge, I’m also really good at getting into front-page news,” Gabriel concluded, clasping his hands
behind his back. Mostly to steady himself—although it did make him look more confident.
