Chapter
Ten
That night Owen waited patiently for Mia to arrive at the Colony Square coffee shop in Midtown they’d agreed on. He’d purposely arrived a few minutes early because that was his usual practice. The anticipation of what Mia had to talk to him about was taking over. He’d run through their conversation over and over in his head. He’d still done as she directed and not talked to anyone at the company about the data issues, but he feared that what Mia was about to drop on him was going to be a lot more.
A few minutes later, Mia walked in the coffee shop and made her way over to the table he’d secured in the corner.
“Hi,” she said.
He stood up to greet her with a kind handshake. “Can I get you something to drink?” he asked.
“No, I’m good.” She sat down, and he took his seat.
“I admit you have my interest piqued,” he said. That was an understatement.
“Sorry about the inconvenience, but once I explain everything to you, I think you’ll understand.”
“Please, go ahead.” Owen steadied himself for whatever was to come.
She frowned, and he knew this was going to be serious.
“I already told you about the data corruption. My IT guy tells me he only has confidence that ninety percent of the documents were recovered, and upward of eighty percent of the metadata is gone. The good news is that Lew’s metadata is completely intact.”
“That’s something.” But Owen knew there was more bad news to come.
“The reason I even found out about this is that I discovered a USB drive in Chase’s office. That drive had a set of documents from LCI on it. When I reviewed them, I found some emails between a dummy account and the VP of technology at Baxter Global.”
“Wait a minute. There were emails pulled from LCI that were sent to the VP of technology at Baxter Global?”
She nodded. “Now you see why I wanted to meet you like this.”
He had to hold himself back from releasing a string of curses. This was bad. Really bad. “You think someone on the inside is working with our competitor?”
Mia bit her bottom lip. “I can’t be sure. The emails only indicated that meetings were being set up, so I have no idea whether they actually took place or what was discussed if they happened. But given the sensitivity of the type of work you do and the fact that Baxter Global is your biggest competitor, this sent up all sorts of warning signs for me.”
His mind swam as he sat in silence for a moment, trying to think through the implications.
“And what’s more, I suspect that the malware or virus was put into the system by the person who sent that email. They’re trying to cover their tracks. With the metadata gone, there’s no way for us to trace where that email came from. The sender probably tried to delete these documents too, but something slipped through the cracks. My IT guy mentioned that they could’ve gotten pulled as temporary internet files. So there could be more that we aren’t seeing because they were wiped from the system.”
He was impressed by her level of strategic thinking. “I don’t have to tell you how big this is. I think you already know that from the way you’ve handled everything.”
She drummed her fingers on the table. “Now we need to think about next steps. Not just in terms of the case, but even more importantly in terms of finding the mole.”
“That’s more my problem than yours.” And it had just become number one on his priority list. Everything else paled in comparison.
She shook her head. “It’s both of our problems. I’m here to help in any way you need it. I think the first step is figuring out who to tell at the company.”
He blew out a breath. “I have to let Lew know.”
Mia nodded. “I figured as much. And the fact that his data was clean definitely decreases the risk that he’s involved. But beyond that, I don’t know how much you can trust the rest of the executive team and their direct reports. I would advise you to think long and hard about who you can actually trust, given how high the stakes are here.”
He ran his hand through his hair. His day had just gone from bad to worse. He had come up with multiple scenarios in his mind for what Mia was going to reveal, but nothing like this. “I need a little time to think through all of this. Also, Lew is probably going to direct me on who I include once I tell him.”
“Do you want to involve me in the conversation with Lew?”
“I think, given the sensitivity here, it might be best to have the initial conversation just between him and me. I imagine it’s going to be a very unpleasant conversation. No offense to you, but I think you get it.”
“Totally. I realize your top priority has to be the mole, but we also have to figure out a game plan for handling the data issue in the litigation. When the opposing counsel finds out, it’s going to get super ugly.”
“Yeah. And the scary thing is that isn’t even the biggest area of exposure for us. You’ve laid a lot on me.” That might be the understatement of his legal career.
“I know you need time to think. But the sooner we come up with a strategy, the better. The timing of the disclosure of the data problem to the other side may become an issue with the court. EPG is going to move for sanctions as surely as I’m sitting here with you right now.”
“And the sad thing is that sanctions might be the least of our problems. We might have to face the fact that sanctions are inevitable and worry about the bigger picture. I know you don’t want to hear that, because your firm could get sanctioned as well. But if we have an insider working with Baxter Global, the existence of the company is at stake. The sanctions would be a mere afterthought.”
She patted his forearm. “I’m really sorry about this.”
“It’s not your fault, Mia. I appreciate you bringing it to me so quickly. And speaking of that, don’t you think it’s strange that Chase didn’t tell me?”
“Maybe he just hadn’t gotten a chance yet. I bet he was trying to find answers so that he’d have some sort of explanation for you. As outside counsel, we hate to drop something on our clients without understanding the full landscape and scope of possible exposure. Given the timing, it’s possible he just didn’t get the chance.” She paused. “You don’t have to answer this, but is there anything the company is working on right now that would be more high profile than normal? Some technology that, if it got in the hands of a competitor, would be devastating?”
“Yes. I can’t divulge the details, but I know of a couple of products that would fit that description. In our business, that’s just the nature of the game. Our employees sign highly restrictive covenants not to compete and strict confidentiality agreements. The tech space is high-risk like that.”
“Someone may be looking to sell out, and this case has just gotten in their way.”
That was exactly what he feared.
Mia heard a knock at her door about seven o’clock on Saturday night. She wasn’t expecting anyone. A thread of fear pulsed through her, as she was still on edge, especially now that the picture was haunting her dreams. But logic told her the attacker wasn’t going to ring her doorbell.
She walked to her front door and looked through the peephole. She frowned as she saw Noah standing on the other side. She opened the door, and he smiled at her.
“Sorry to bother you on a Saturday night,” Noah said, “but can I come in and talk for a minute?”
She hesitated.
“If you’d rather come out, that’s fine too.” He stepped to the side.
“No, no. Come on in.” She allowed him through the front door. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Don’t suppose you have some coffee?”
She laughed. “Coffee is a requirement in my life. Come into the kitchen, and I’ll make some. Are you here to check on me?” She wasn’t sure what Noah’s angle was.
He took a seat at her kitchen table while she put on the coffee. “This is a great kitchen,” he said.
The small talk was awkward, so it was better to just cut to the chase. “I know you didn’t come over here to talk about my kitchen. What’s on your mind?”
“I was hoping we could talk about Chase. I’m trying to put together the puzzle pieces here, and I think it would be helpful.”
“I admit I have a lot more questions than answers right now, but I’m still not at the point where I’m completely convinced that McDonald’s not guilty. But with each new revelation, I’ll admit I’m getting closer to that conclusion.”
“Mia.” Noah reached out and grabbed her hand. “David McDonald is innocent.”
His warm touch startled her. For a moment she couldn’t speak, and she didn’t want to move her hand away from his grip. As she locked eyes with him, a spark of electricity shot through her. The last thing she needed was a crush on this guy, but there was a magnetic force drawing her to him instead of pushing her away. Finally she broke contact and stood up to pour the coffee.
Would she be betraying Chase by talking to Noah about him? But then, Noah had a point. At the end of the day, this was about seeking the truth and getting justice. “How do I know that you won’t use what I tell you to help McDonald, and it turns out he truly is guilty?”
“Mia, I realize you don’t know me that well, and I don’t expect you to jump into this and give me all of your trust. But I’m asking you—I’m begging you—for a chance to let me earn your trust.”
“And how do we do that?”
He locked eyes with her. “Honest communication and my word that I will not betray you. I take this all very seriously, and the truth matters to me. If I were to find out that David had done this, then I would want him to be punished too.”
As his words soaked in, a feeling deep inside urged her to give him a chance. “You’ll have to forgive my apprehension, but in my line of work, I don’t really trust people.”
“My faith demands that I see this through, Mia. That I defend the innocent. And that I do it while searching for the truth.”
“I’m learning more and more each day what it means to live your faith. I spent my whole life not believing in anything. To change that has been a challenge, but also eye opening. It’s also caused me to have more questions.”
“Why would God let an innocent man be brutally murdered? Chase did absolutely nothing wrong. He was loved by everyone. Kind, caring, funny. It doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t have the answers, but I’d like them.”
Noah shifted in his seat. “This world is a messed up place, Mia. There’s no promise that life on earth is good or fair or anything like that. I know our culture tells us that life should be good and fair, but it’s not. And God never told us that it would be—in fact, He told us it would be just the opposite. But the thing is that this life here on earth isn’t the end of the line. This situation on earth is only temporary.”
She sighed. “I’ve heard those concepts talked about in church, though maybe not exactly the way you’re saying them now. But why would God design a world that was so messed up?”
“It’s a long story, but I’m happy to try to explain. Do you want to hear?”
“Maybe another time.” The gentleness in his eyes was almost more than she could handle.
“You’re hurting. I want to help.”
“But why? I don’t get it. Why do you want to help me?” she whispered.
“Because I do.”
Noah looked into Mia’s big brown eyes, which were filled with confusion. He could tell that thoughts were flying through her head. He couldn’t help wanting to walk with her on her faith journey, but he also didn’t want to push. She was going through a traumatic time, and it was natural for her to have questions. He appreciated that she didn’t blindly accept doctrines but instead really wanted to understand her newfound beliefs. That made him have a lot of respect for her. But it also made him cautious about how close he was getting.
“I want to help. That’s all I’m saying. Help everyone get to the truth,” he said.
“You remind me so much of Kate.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“She’s one of those people who is always trying to help people. To do the right thing.”
“You say that as if it’s bad.”
She shook her head. “No, not at all. It’s just that I find most people are much more self-interested than they let on. Kate’s a rarity, and I was just pointing out that you seem that way too. It’s refreshing.”
“Tell me about Chase.” He thought it best to move on. For now.
Mia raised her floral coffee cup to her lips. “Like I said, everyone liked him. He was the type of guy people wanted at firm events. He could talk to anyone, but he wasn’t the least bit pretentious, even if he was incredibly smart.”
Watching her talk about him, he wondered again if Mia had feelings for Chase. “You don’t know of anyone who would want to hurt him? Anyone he had disagreements with? Friends, coworkers?”
“The only disagreement I know about is his running feud with McDonald.”
“What kind of work did he do at the firm?”
“Same as me. We’re both in the litigation department, but on the corporate defense side.”
“You defend big companies?” Noah asked.
“You don’t have to say it with such contempt.”
He lifted up his hands. “Wait a minute, I never said there was anything wrong with it.”
“You didn’t have to say it. It was written all over your face.”
“I really didn’t mean to give you that idea. In my line of work, I deal with companies of all sizes.”
“I have six figures in debt I’ve been working to pay down from Emory law school. I had to take out loans because I didn’t have any support or money from anywhere else. So my only option is to work in Big Law and get the six-figure salary. As you can tell, I don’t live a particularly flashy lifestyle.”
He had noticed that her home was nice but not what he would call luxurious. It actually felt very homey and warm to him. “I respect you for all the hard work you’ve put in. I can’t even imagine making it through law school, much less the years you’ve put in at the firm. I’ve heard that most lawyers in big law firms get burned out by the five-year mark.”
“Yeah, it’s really common. Not many stay to try to make partner. Ideally, I’ll stay long enough to pay off my debt and then transition into something else. But I’m still a few years away from that.”
“Was Chase working on anything high-profile at the time of his death?”
Mia pursed her lips. “He had his normal caseload, which included one high-profile case.”
“Can you tell me about that one? Just generally, nothing confidential.”
She set down her coffee cup. “I actually took it over.”
Now, wasn’t that interesting. “How did that happen?”
“Honestly, I think Harper Page, the managing partner, felt sorry for me and wanted to give it to me to help me process the grief.”
“What’s the case?”
She leaned back in her chair. “We represent LCI.”
“The software company?”
“Yeah. It’s a breach of contract case brought by a smaller company called Electronics Pursuit Group, or EPG.”
“So some type of tech dispute over a contract?” He was no lawyer, but he understood general business terms.
“To simplify it, yes.”
Noah shook his head. “I’m just trying to gather the facts. Understand the landscape. See who Chase was interacting with at the time of his death. Those people could hold the clues to finding how he was connected to this mystery man.” He could tell that she hadn’t shut him down yet. She was a smart woman, and he was trying to appeal to that side of her. The emotional side of her would still fight for vengeance against David, and he couldn’t really blame her.
“You really think so, don’t you?” she said.
“I do. I can’t say that any of this will matter, but it’s worth tracking down every single person he’s been in contact with.”
She bit her lip. “There is something else.”
“What?” He was intrigued by her hesitancy.
“Nancy, an associate at the firm, claimed she was Chase’s secret girlfriend.”
“You seem very skeptical.”
“I think she’s crazy. Chase wouldn’t have kept me in the dark.”
“There sure wasn’t any sign of Nancy in the apartment.” Noah took a moment and then had to ask, “How did you and Chase get to be so close?”
She didn’t immediately answer. “I know you think we had some type of romantic history, but it’s actually much different from that.”
What did she mean? “I don’t understand.”
“We had a lot in common. Once we started to get to know each other, we found out that we came from a similar background. We were both raised by single moms who struggled with drug addiction and relationship problems. As you know, his mom is still alive. Mine succumbed to her addiction a few years ago.”
So that was where a lot of the pain in Mia’s eyes came from. She hadn’t had an easy life. That also explained why Mia was helping Chase’s mom with the packing. So many pieces were fitting together. “I’m sorry that you had to go through that.”
“It is what it is. But that’s one of the reasons Chase and I clicked. He took me under his wing and made me a better attorney. Like the big brother I never had. He was fiercely protective of me, threatening to beat up the random guys I dated.” She smiled. “And he meant it. He wanted to make sure I was safe.” But then her eyes filled with tears. “Like I said, Chase was a great guy.” She looked down.
“I didn’t mean to upset you.” Noah’s gut clenched at seeing her in pain. He hated seeing people hurt—and it really bothered him seeing Mia like that. It was almost as if he felt somehow responsible for the hurt she felt, given his connection to David. That was just another motivating factor for him to find the real culprit.
Mia looked up at him. “I live in a constant state of pain right now.”
That statement was the final punch to the gut. He couldn’t help himself. He rose from his chair and pulled her into his arms.
At first he thought she might pull away, but she rested her head on his chest and returned the hug.
He leaned down, and the smell of peach shampoo filled his senses. What had started as a friendly outreach effort was turning into something more. At least for him.