Chapter
Eight
Landon hadn’t given up on Pierce, so he showed up at the deli the next day and waited for him to come in and have lunch.
When Pierce entered and made eye contact, he immediately frowned, but he still walked over and took a seat beside Landon.
“You shouldn’t be here, soldier.”
“I can’t just walk away. You should understand that.”
“What do you want from me?”
Before Landon could answer, the waitress came over and took their orders. Once she brought back their drinks and walked away, Landon answered Pierce’s question.
“You could help in several ways.”
“Like what?”
“Do you really think Ellie was randomly murdered in that parking garage?”
Pierce took a sip of his sweet tea before he answered. “No reason to think otherwise.”
“You’re saying that, but I don’t think you believe it.”
“You’re not suggesting I had anything to do with it?” His voice cracked.
“No, not at all, but I think you may know something to help me figure out who is behind it. What do you know about the other drugs Ellie was working on?”
“Well.” Pierce rubbed his chin. “She worked on a variety of drugs. That’s the way it works.”
“All right.” Landon felt certain that Pierce knew more, but now wasn’t the time to turn the screws. He needed to build up a level of trust first. “Can I ask you something on a completely different topic?”
“Yeah,” Pierce said softly.
“Is your CEO hands-on?”
“Oh, definitely. He’s involved in every aspect of the company.”
“You tried to warn me off before, but I need to understand how far you believe the company would actually go. Do you think anyone at MPC would be capable of ordering a hit on Ellie?”
Pierce’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you being serious?”
“I know this might be difficult to talk about, but I need your feedback.”
Pierce crossed his arms and avoided eye contact. “MPC is really locked down on the legal stuff—keeping their scientists on a short leash, making us sign very aggressive noncompete agreements and confidentiality provisions. But what you’re insinuating is pretty drastic. I’m not saying that the company executives don’t bend the rules—that’s just the nature of corporate America and Big Pharma. They might even go outside the law, but I don’t think they’d go that far. It’s just too much.”
“You clearly don’t want to get sideways with them, though.”
“I need my job, and the last thing I want to do is call attention to myself or create any unnecessary drama. What happened to Ellie is tragic, and if there is an ounce of truth to your allegations, then that’s even more reason for me to keep my head down and stay out of it.”
Their food arrived, and Landon decided to shift the conversation to small talk. If he could keep getting information from Pierce piece by piece without scaring him off, it would be worth it.
Kate had stayed true to her word to go out with her friends Saturday night. Both Sophie and Mia were more sociable than her. Once she’d turned her life around at the end of law school, she’d actually made a concerted effort to not go out as much. It was easier that way to make a clean break from some of the bad habits she’d formed in college. Partying had only made her depression worse. At least now she was able to face it straight on with a clear head and with a faith that grew stronger with each passing year.
Given the fact that she didn’t have any family—her uncle having passed away a few years ago—it was nice to have girlfriends to lean on and celebrate the victories with, like making lead counsel for the first time. It bothered her that she couldn’t fully open up to them about what was going on in the case.
As usual, Kate was early and the first to arrive. Her friends had chosen a nice seafood restaurant in Buckhead. She was seated and started perusing the menu while she waited.
After a few minutes, Sophie and Mia joined her at the table. They lived close to each other, so it wasn’t surprising that they had ridden together. She stood and gave them each a quick hug.
“We would’ve been here sooner,” Sophie said, “but Mia couldn’t get her act together.”
“Don’t listen to her, Kate. I was ready in plenty of time.” Mia gave her an I’m-your-best-friend type of smile.
Kate enjoyed their friendly banter. She knew that between the three of them, Mia and Sophie were closer than she was to either of them, but she was okay with that, since she knew it was her own doing.
“I can’t believe you actually showed up,” Sophie said. “Mia and I were putting it at about seventy-thirty odds that you’d cancel at the last minute.”
“Am I really that bad?”
Her friends exchanged a glance and then laughed loudly at their inside joke.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“But we didn’t come here tonight to harass you. This is your night to celebrate! It’s not every day that you get tapped as lead counsel on a case this large, and it’s your first one,” Mia said. “It’s a big deal, and we want to celebrate this milestone with you. You work harder than any other person I know.”
Sophie raised her glass of sparkling water. “I’d like to make a toast to Kate, our friend and the fearless attorney who is going to take down MPC. Watch out Big Pharma, Kate Sullivan is coming for you.”
Kate lifted her glass. “Thanks, ladies. You can both relate to how hard this job is. Now I just have to actually get it done.”
“You’re going to do great, Kate.” Mia said. “Everyone in the Atlanta legal community knows you’re the real deal.”
At the end of the day, it mattered the most to her what a jury would think—not her peers. “Thanks, but I’m under no illusion that this is going to be an easy case. Just the opposite.”
“I know you can’t talk specifics, but anything interesting you can share?” Sophie asked.
Kate thought for a moment and then decided to tell them, since it wasn’t confidential. “I hired a private investigator to run down some things for me.”
Mia took a sip of her drink. “Someone you used before?”
“No, this is a new guy. He’s actually a former Army Ranger.”
“How old?” Sophie asked.
“Oh, now this is starting to get interesting,” Sophie said.
“Come on, Soph,” Mia said. “There’s no way Kate is interested in this guy. Remember, she doesn’t have time for a love life.”
Her friends were constantly giving her a hard time about not taking the time to date. Both of them did, but neither had found anyone they wanted to settle down with. They were a few years younger than her, though.
“I don’t hear her denying it,” Sophie said.
“Guys, I’m still sitting right here. And there’s nothing going on between Landon and me. But he is a very interesting man.”
“Does interesting include attractive?” Mia grinned widely.
Kate couldn’t lie. “Yes, very. But that doesn’t mean anything.”
Sophie twirled her straw in her drink. “I don’t know, Kate, that look in your eyes says otherwise. You know you can level with us.”
She relented. “All right. I am attracted to him, but going down that road would be really messy.”
“Life is messy,” Sophie added. “You can’t hide behind that excuse, or you’ll just continue to be alone.”
“I’m not hiding.” Kate paused and wondered if she actually was hiding. “And anyway, even if I were interested, which I’m not saying I am, this is a two-way street, and he’s done nothing to make me think the attraction is mutual.”
“You shortchange yourself,” Sophie said. “Any guy would be nuts not to want to date you.”
Kate decided she’d had enough of the romance talk. “This case is hectic with all the discovery we’re looking at. You two understand how that can be.”
“All too well,” Mia said. “I assume you’ve assembled a team to review all the documents that MPC is going to dump on you?”
“Yeah. That’s a work in progress. We’re waiting on the first big wave of production. But enough about me and my case. What’s going on with the two of you?”
“Mia’s pitching for a big case next week,” Sophie said.
“I hope you land the client,” Kate said. “I know how much pressure there is to bring in business. And it’s even more pressure for you, since you mainly work on the defense side. Landing big corporations as clients is hard, and that’s exactly what the firms expect.”
“Especially when it’s an old boys’ club. Breaking into some of those places is nearly impossible,” Mia added. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying.”
“Another reason I’m glad I’m not in a law firm,” Sophie said. “The two of you can have all of that.”
Kate understood why Sophie would say that, but Sophie had her own challenges. “But you have to deal with a completely different set of problems as a prosecutor. I can’t even imagine the types of pressures you face in the courtroom.” Her friend had been a prosecutor since graduating law school. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for the work you do. You work just as hard as we do but for a fraction of the pay.”
“True enough,” Sophie said. “But I have a big safety net to fall back on.”
Sophie’s father was extremely wealthy. So much so that Sophie didn’t even need to work, but she still did. That fact only made Kate respect her more.
Kate laughed more at dinner that night than she had in a long time, and being surrounded by friends made her realize that she needed to make more of an effort to spend time with them.
By the time the meal wound down, Kate was tired from all the talking but energized from the conversations.
As they were saying their good-byes, she looked over at Sophie. “See you in church tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I’ll be at the early service as usual.”
“Me too.” Kate looked over at Mia. “The invite is still open, Mia.”
“Thanks, ladies, but you know church isn’t my thing.”
Kate and Sophie had been unsuccessful at getting Mia to accept their invitation to attend a church service. But Kate never wanted to be pushy, so she said her final good-byes and headed home. She hoped to get a good night’s rest and was glad she had opted for decaf after dinner.
She pulled up into her driveway and started planning out the rest of her weekend. Stepping out of her Jeep, she made a mental to-do list of everything she needed to accomplish, including making a run to the pet store to pick up more food for Jax.
Digging in her purse, she found her house key just as strong hands grabbed her from behind. She let out a shriek before the attacker put his right hand over her mouth, muffling her voice.
With his left arm, he pulled her dangerously close to him, pinning her arms to her sides. She struggled to turn and get a look at his face, but it was so dark she couldn’t tell what he looked like. She continued to fight in vain against him.
Not willing to give up, she bit down hard on the fingers that covered her mouth. He responded with some foul language, but clamped his hand harder on her mouth so she couldn’t bite him again. He squeezed until she writhed in pain.
“You have the power to influence how this case goes.” He spoke directly into her ear, his voice deep and ragged. “Every decision you make has consequences. So think long and hard about how you handle things.” He tightened his grip. “You don’t want to meet me again.”
Fear shot through her as she fought to get away from him, but he was easily a foot taller than her and much stronger.
“Now, if you don’t want to get hurt, unlock your door, go inside, and think about what I’ve told you.”
He loosened his grip. She couldn’t move at first, her hand shaking as she tried to put the key into the keyhole. What if he came inside the house once she unlocked the door? Her heart pounded, but she didn’t have much of a choice. She tried to steady her hand.
Before she could think through how she should handle him, he let go of her completely, leaving her free to move. Immediately she spun around, but he was already sprinting off into the night—approximately six three, over two hundred pounds, but that was all she could discern.
For a moment she considered running after him but then realized that was a completely stupid idea. She wasn’t equipped to handle a man like that.
Quickly, she got inside and rearmed her alarm system. Her entire body continued to shake as she attempted to steady her jagged breathing. The attacker didn’t mention MPC by name, but it was clear that was what he meant. They wanted her to slow walk this thing and go easy on them. They obviously weren’t afraid to use violent tactics to get their way, but she couldn’t even consider their suggestion. Besides being unethical, it was unthinkable for her.
She tasted blood in her mouth and realized she must have bit her cheek during the attack. Lord, thank you that it wasn’t worse.
As she stood there, she could feel the man’s breath on her neck, his tight grip around her waist, and she thought she might be sick.
She took a moment and continued to pray—not only for her safety, but also for guidance on how to handle this situation. She simply wouldn’t abandon her clients because of some vague threat. They’d come after her directly, but would they take it even further, like they had with Ellie? She didn’t want to find out the answer to that, but she had to move forward.
Pulling out her cell, she dialed Landon and waited for him to answer.
“Hey,” he said. “What’s wrong?”
He must have known it would be strange for her to call at almost ten o’clock on a Saturday night. “Can you please come over to my house?” She could hear her voice cracking, but she had to keep it together.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes. I’ll explain everything when you get here.”
Horrible thoughts raced through Landon’s mind as he broke the speed limit in a desperate race to get to Kate’s house. She said she was okay, but the shaky sound of her voice told him otherwise.
He considered trying to say a prayer. Not for himself, but for Kate. Ever since he’d met her, he found himself thinking about his faith—or lack thereof. He thought he’d never be open to believing that the Lord would be there for him again, but a strange tugging at his heart and mind continued to make him wonder. And even if God wasn’t there for him, would He be there for Kate? Landon hoped so.
What could have happened to her? Whatever it was, he knew it was related to the case. Attorneys shouldn’t have to worry about their safety, but after what he believed happened to Ellie, nothing was off the table.
When he arrived at Kate’s, he jumped out of his car and ran toward the front door. He knocked loudly, and a moment later, the door opened and Kate let him in.
He followed her into the living room, but neither of them took a seat. Just seeing her standing there, alive, sent a flood of relief through him. But her red, puffy eyes told him she’d been crying. “Kate, what happened?”
“I was out to dinner with my friends, and when I got home, just as I was about to open my door, a man came up behind me.” She paused, struggling with her emotions.
“It’s all right, Kate. You’re completely safe right now.” He clenched his fists by his side even though he wanted to wrap his arms around her.
“He grabbed me. He basically told me to go easy on the case, and that all my decisions had consequences. He didn’t mention MPC, but I’m certain that’s the case he was talking about. Then he told me to unlock my door and go inside. I was worried he was going to follow me in, but he took off running.”
The thought of a man putting his hands on Kate made him sick. He had to keep his temper in check, because going off the handle wouldn’t help her. “Did you get a good look at him?”
She shook her head. “No, it was dark, and I couldn’t see his face. He was a big man, though, at least your height and weight, if not bigger. And very strong. If he’d wanted to really hurt me, it wouldn’t have been any issue for him.”
“They’re trying to spook you. First, your tires, now this. They want to send you a message. This is becoming way too dangerous. We need to come up with a plan for your personal security.”
“I need to sit down.” She walked farther into the living room and collapsed onto her large beige couch.
It hit him that he was being far too cold about the entire situation. He was already in the mission mindset, but what Kate needed most right now was a friend and a shoulder to lean on.
He sat down beside her and took her hand in his. “Kate, we’re going to get you through this.”
“What does that even look like, though? Getting me through? It’s not like you can shadow me around the clock. They came to my home.”
“We’ll come up with a strategy that works for you. Given this escalation, I’d really like to bring in my friend’s security company. I’ll do all I can individually, but having some backup would be a good idea, especially as this moves forward. If MPC is trying to scare you off now, at these early stages, it will only get worse as the process continues. Especially when they figure out that you’re not the type to back down.”
She looked up at him. “I’m not a weak person, Landon. I’m very independent and driven, but right now I don’t feel like my normal self.”
He felt her shiver, but he didn’t think she was cold—she was afraid. He let go of her hand and instead wrapped his left arm around her shoulders, providing her some assurance that he was right there with her. “Kate, after a traumatic event like that, it’s perfectly normal to be scared.”
“He was so strong, and there was nothing I could do. I was completely helpless. I tried my best to fight him, and I even bit his hand, but that wasn’t enough. I prayed that God would intervene.”
Could that be the case? Was God protecting Kate? Now wasn’t the time to think about these things. He needed to gather more facts. “You said you were out with friends, but you came home by yourself?”
“Yes. Two of my best friends took me to dinner in Buckhead to celebrate me getting the lead counsel position.”
“Did you tell your friends about your tires?”
“No. I didn’t think it wise to involve them in all of this. They’d just worry. And I can only speak to them about the case in general terms anyway, because of confidentiality issues.”
He nodded. “That was probably for the best, although I know it’s hard, because you want to talk about what you’re going through. Just know that I’m here for you, Kate.” A strong desire to protect her surged inside of him, and the responsibility of it weighed heavily on his shoulders.
“So you think we need to call in reinforcements?”
“Before this happened, I would’ve said that I could go it alone, but the circumstances have changed. We should also call the police so you can file a report about what happened.”
“Do you think it’s a good idea to bring in the police?” she asked. “I don’t want to draw more attention to my situation than is needed.”
He quickly ran through the pros and cons in his head. “Between your tires being slashed and this, I think it might lead them to open a more active investigation.”
“But I don’t want that. You know how word gets around. The last thing I want to do is to impact my case or have unnecessary attention drawn to me. I can just see the news headlines now. I think we realize who we’re dealing with, and for now we just lay low and get our work done. No police. I would like to meet your friends, though.”
“I’ll stick by whatever decision you make, but you may want to sleep on it.”
“That’s fair. But I don’t think I’ll be getting much sleep tonight.”
“You should try. I’m going to be right outside in my car keeping watch, so you won’t have to worry about anything else happening here tonight.”
She looked up into his eyes. “No, Landon, I can’t possibly ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t ask. I offered. Believe me, I can handle pulling an all nighter.”
“You’re going way above and beyond what I hired you to do for this case.”
“This isn’t just about the case. It’s about you and making sure you’re safe.”
She stood, and he joined her. “I’ll personally pay you for this additional work.”
“No way. Kate, I don’t want your money. I’m offering my help as a friend. Let me give that to you.”
She smiled at him. “As you can probably tell, I’m not that great at accepting help from others.”
“I can relate. You and I are a lot alike.”
“That isn’t such a bad thing, is it?”
As he looked down at her, he realized that he needed to keep himself in check. He wanted to keep this woman safe, but could he actually be developing feelings for her?
That seemed like an even more dangerous proposition than anything else that had happened so far.