Bargain Hunting Read Online Free PDF Page B

call me back, but no word yet.
    Ellen Lieberman was a senior partner along with Vain Victor Dane and Tony Caprelli. I liked her well enough, though like my mother, she thought I should have higher aspirations than being a paralegal. At least now she’d lightened up a little.
    I stuck my head in Becky’s door on the way.
    “Hi,” she greeted me, looking up from the thick deposition open on her desk.
    She had on a really nice nubby silk suit in a deep persimmon, with a strand of chunky amber nuggets and matching earrings. She was sporting amber bangles on her wrists and, as always, her auburn hair was simply but professionally styled. Becky and I had been roommates at Emory. Becky had gone on to law school, while I’d returned to South Florida. Upon graduation, she’d joined the firm with a singular goal, becoming the youngest female partner. I know she was secretly disappointed that they’d brought Tony in after Mr. Zarnowski’s death, but that hadn’t dulled her ambition in the least. She worked long hours at Ellen’s side and Ellen was truly a mentor to her.
    “I have serious dish,” I whispered.
    Becky placed her pen in the crease of the deposition and gave me her full attention. “Go ahead.”
    “I can’t. I’ve got a meeting, but can you do lunch?”
    She nodded.
    “Will you call Liv and Jane? Maybe we can all meet at Cheesecake Factory. Say one?”
    “Works for me.”
    “If you get hold of Liv, tell her to call me on the main line and to tell Margaret it’s urgent.”
    “Why?”
    “I’ll explain later,” I promised.
    I went to Ellen’s office and found the door ajar. I knocked twice, then grabbed the handle and pushed my way in. “Good morning.”
    Ellen was seated behind her desk, the top covered with piles of varying heights. Her very curly red, gray-streaked hair was secured with two pencils and her face was devoid of any makeup. Even fresh faced, she was attractive, in spite of the fact that she did everything possible to hide it. She smiled and nodded her head in the direction of one of the two chairs opposite her desk. “Hi, Finley,” she said as she continued to sign her name to a small stack of papers. “You look tired.”
    “Last night was a nightmare,” I mumbled.
    “You’re having nightmares?” she asked, giving me her full attention as she slipped her reading glasses up like a headband. “I hope it wasn’t related to the kidnapping.”
    I shook my head. “No. No. I’m fine. You?”
    She shrugged. “I’m glad that mess is behind me. And thankyou for not broadcasting what you found out. Word travels fast in this place.”
    “Don’t I know it,” I agreed as I took my seat, cleared a small space for my file folder, and met the gaze from her bright green eyes. “Lucky for you she got Baker-acted, so there’s no need for your secret to come out in open court.”
    “And if she ever gets out of the institution, she’ll face a parole violation.” Ellen waved her hand. “Enough of this. Where do we stand with the Egghardt matter?”
    I opened my file and took out the memo and the letter. “This is a recap of my last two meetings with Sleepy and Wanda Jean.” I passed her the paper. “In a nutshell, they’re refusing to relocate.”
    “You passed on to them the information that Mrs. Egghardt is willing to allow them to stay at the new location at a rental rate of one dollar per year?”
    “Didn’t faze them.”
    Ellen stood and went to her coffeepot and poured two cups. Her footfalls were silent thanks to the cork-soled Birkenstocks she wore with her shapeless but colorful muumuu. She let out a long sigh as she passed me my cup and sat back down. “You know what has to be done then, right?”
    I handed her the second piece of paper. “I’ve already drawn up this letter.”
    Ellen pulled down her readers. I watched quietly as she scanned the letter, then asked, “How do you think they’ll take this?”
    “Not well.”
    “Have it sent FedEx with a delivery