Jane M. Choate - Shattered Secrets

“I want to get a handle on your boss,” he said in explanation. “If I learn more about him, maybe I can predict how he’ll react to the kidnappers. It might help us down the road.”

It made sense. Only a few of the partners and associates had arrived, so she was able to get Sal into Calvin’s private office without attracting attention.

Olivia spent the next hour working on witness depositions, preparing motions that would be reviewed by the court and writing a brief. The work was tedious, but it soothed the ragged thoughts that swirled through her mind.

How did the kidnappers know what she was doing practically before she did? How had they known she’d called Sal? How did they know she and Sal had gone to the police? She trusted the employees of Chantry & Hammond implicitly and couldn’t imagine any of them kidnapping Calvin, but that didn’t answer the question.

In many ways, the law firm was her family. When her father and Calvin had started it decades ago, they’d built more than a business. They’d forged a family of friends. How could she suspect anyone who worked there of spying on her, of abducting Calvin?

She’d lost her father five years ago to a blood clot that had moved from his leg to his heart with frightening speed. It had been Calvin who had stood beside her at her father’s graveside and held her as she wept. She’d turned to him with work and personal problems, depending on his experience and pragmatic nature.

How would she survive if something happened to him? She had to get him back. She had to.

The prayer that sprang to her lips came without thought. Taking her problems to the Lord was second nature, had been since the time she’d been a small child, frightened by one of the sudden thunderstorms that frequently punctuated Georgia summer evenings.

“Whenever you’re afraid, there’s always Someone you can turn to,” her mother had told the then five-year-old Olivia.

“You and Daddy,” Olivia said confidently, secure now in her mother’s arms.

“Daddy and I may not always be here,” her mother said softly. “But the Lord will. Turn to Him. He’ll never let you down.”

Laura Hammond was gone less than a year later, taken by cancer. Olivia had often wondered if her mother had known even then that her time with her daughter would be limited and had wanted to teach her the importance of going to the Lord in prayer.

Olivia tucked the memories away to focus on the present. Though she’d felt a measure of peace after pouring out her heart to God, she was still gripped by paralyzing fear and the awful knowledge that she was responsible for getting Calvin back.

* * *

Sal had done some thinking of his own. Whoever took Calvin Chantry knew the man, knew what cases he was working on. Chances were that someone at the law firm was involved, at least peripherally.

Sal’s lips narrowed at the thought of someone Olivia knew, someone she worked with, putting her through this. Whoever was behind this would pay.

He headed to Olivia’s office, found her at her computer, a look of consternation on her face.

“I’ve written hundreds of briefs before. Why can’t I write this one?”

The question didn’t need an answer as they both knew why. “I want to do some snooping. I believe one or more of the people in your office is involved in this. The timing fits. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

Olivia’s denial wasn’t as emphatic as he’d expected. He looked at her keenly, saw the doubt in her eyes. “You’ve already thought of it.”

Her nod confirmed it. “You’re right. I did. But I can’t believe it. Calvin’s like a father to everyone there. Many of the people have been here since my father was still alive.”

“Think, Olivia.” Sal kept his voice quiet but let a thread of steel run through it. “Someone had to know Chantry’s schedule. Where and when they could snatch him. That means someone on the inside. Someone he trusted.” Sal paused. “Someone you trust.”

She pressed her fingertips to her eyes. “I can’t believe it. We’re family. We go to birthday parties for each other’s children. We have a Christmas gift exchange and a Fourth of July barbecue.”

Sal sighed. Time for a different tack. “You read the scriptures, right?”

Olivia nodded. “Every night.”

“Then you know that they’re full of stories of brothers killing brothers. Sons killing fathers. Cain and Abel come to mind.”

“That’s different.” There was enough starch in her voice to iron a dozen shirts.

“Is it? Or is it only that you know the people at the office and like them?”

“Okay,” she said, resentment filling her voice. “You win. Someone at the office may have had something to do with Calvin’s kidnapping. How do we find out who it is?” And some of the starch evaporated.

“We’re going to do a little digging. Ask a few questions. See if we make anyone nervous.”

“How’re we going to explain what you’re doing there?”

“We stick to the truth as much as possible and tell everyone I’m here to make security upgrades.”

“I guess that works.”

“We’ll make it work. This is our best chance.” He took her hands, squeezed them gently before releasing them. “I can’t promise that we’ll get your boss back. But I can promise to do everything I can to make it happen.”

She squared her shoulders. “If spying on my coworkers is what it takes to bring Calvin home safely, then that’s what we’ll do. It doesn’t mean I have to like it.” The starch was back.

“I didn’t think you would.”

FIVE

Olivia introduced Sal as a security expert.

“Bryan Hewston, Salvatore Santonni,” she said to a colleague. “Bryan’s one of the best litigators in the firm.”

Bryan preened a bit. Olivia hadn’t exaggerated. Bryan was a top-notch litigator in the boardroom and the courtroom, but he relied too much on his charm without putting in the necessary work to back up his arguments.

It occasionally made for hard feelings, especially when she had been chosen as lead counsel on the pharmaceutical case over him. She knew he’d wanted the case, primarily for the publicity it would bring along with his part of the settlement, not because he believed in it.

She did. That was why she’d fought for it.

Bryan had been noticeably cool ever since Calvin had assigned the case to her. She’d shrugged it off. There would always be some in-fighting in a law office. She didn’t have to like it to accept the reality of it.

Sal stuck out his hand and, after a brief hesitation, the other man took it. “Glad to meet you.”

“Same here,” Bryan said with his million-watt smile. The man had charisma by the boatload and knew how to use it. He was great with clients but, in her opinion at least, lacked the discipline to carry through with a case. “Look, Olivia, if this case is too much for you to handle on your own, I can pitch in.”

“No,” she said quickly. “I’m fine.”

He darted a doubtful look her way. She didn’t blame him. A glance in the mirror that morning had confirmed what she already knew. Her naturally fair skin was now paper-white, her features pinched, her eyes like sunken sockets.

“You look a little peaked.”

“Long nights,” she said lightly.

She hoped the worry and fear didn’t show in her voice. She wasn’t adept at lying. Not that it was a skill she wanted to develop, but she occasionally wished that her face didn’t broadcast her every feeling.

“Let me know if you decide you need help,” he said and walked away.

Olivia bit back a sigh that hovered on her lips. It wasn’t the first time he’d insinuated that the workload was too much for her. It probably wouldn’t be the last.