“Don’t you worry, Mr. Warshafsky. I always take care of my clients.”
Leland grinned. He wondered if Felty realized what an asset he had working for him in this junior partner. As he finished his coffee, he devised a plan on the best way to get to Justus and Chaney as they went to meet with the US Assistant District Attorney. He needed to find a way to separate them from their protectors. If not both, at least one.
Masters’ man, Oscar joined him at the table bringing a cup as well as the coffee carafe with him. “You look troubled, Mr. Warshafsky. Has something happened since last evening?”
“A new development that I’m trying to sort out. You seem to be a problems man for Masters.”
“I try. Is there something I can help you with?”
“If I wanted to get rid of someone from a situation, detain him really, so I could get access to what he is protecting…” Leland paused for effect. “Do you have any suggestions?”
“You’re being vague. I’d need more information to give you advice,” Oscar said.
Leland nodded before he leaned in closer and explained what he wanted extreme detail. “I need to separate Justus and Chaney from their protectors. I want to get to them easily. I cannot afford for either of them to testify at trial against my men.”
“I’ll look into it for you,” Oscar said, leaving the table with his coffee.
By the time Master joined Leland to have his morning coffee, Oscar returned. “You didn’t tell me Chaney’s protector has been trying to get in with a pulmonologist. There’s your answer.”
“I didn’t know he was,” Leland replied. “How did you discover it?”
“I hacked his phone,” Oscar said. “You leave him to me. I’ll send him on to a fake appointment the day he should be escorting Chaney to the pre-trial session. That will leave only one protector for the two of them. It will make it far easier for us to ambush the guy with the bum knee.”
“I feel I walked in on something,” Seth said as he stirred sugar and creamer into his coffee.
“Nothing Samson and I can’t handle, boss,” Oscar assured him.
A week later,
The sky was blue, not a cloud in sight as Rafferty and Justus met up with Rawlins and Chaney the first morning of the pre-trial prep. They had decided to have breakfast together at a diner not far from the law office. But it turned out neither of the girls had much of an appetite.
“You need to eat more than dry toast,” Rafferty scolded them. “Who knows when you’ll get a lunch break.”
“We’ve survived on less,” Chaney assured. “We didn’t eat much while held captive.”
“Besides, it’s better not to overeat and go in feeling sick because of nerves,” Justus said.
“What is there to be nervous about?” Rawlins asked. “You already had the deposition. And that meant meeting with the opposition’s lawyer. This is just a meeting with the US Assistant District Attorney to go over your testimony and prepare you for what getting up on the stand might be like. It’s not like you’re going to have to face Felty again today.”
“And even if you did, you’re going to have to face him at trial every day anyway. You might as well get accustomed to it now rather than later,” Rafferty said.
Justus let out a long sigh. She reached for her toast and buttered it. Then slathered it with jelly, she said, “I hope you’re right,” before taking a bite. Even though she tried to eat, her stomach didn’t want to accept the food and she put the toast down and drank her milk instead. “I’m sorry. I just can’t.”
“You tried,” Rafferty said. “I’ll pick you both up some peanut butter and crackers from the little market down the street, so you’ll have something if you get hungry later.”
Rawlin’s phone rang and looked surprised. “Oh wow,” he said, getting out of the booth and walking outside of the diner to take the call.
“It must have been important,” Chaney said.
“Yeah,” Rafferty agreed.
When Rawlins returned, he was grinning broadly. “That was the pulmonologist office I’ve been trying to get an appointmentwith since we arrived. They had a cancellation for later this morning at one of their satellite offices. I had to take it, or I’d be looking at waiting another month to see the doctor.”
“Absolutely,” Rafferty agreed.
“That means you have to escort the girls alone,” Rawlins said.
“I think I can manage,” Rafferty assured him.
