AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes, that was her name.” It was Karly’s turn to look surprised. “Do you know her?”
“She’s a client. She was on her way to the St. Regis to meet me when the accident happened.”
Karly exhaled sharply, interlacing her fingers. “I had no idea. What a horrible coincidence.” A tentative, questioning look. “Do you know how she’s doing? I called the hospital, but they wouldn’t release any information to me.”
“I just hung up with them. Rachel’s assistant was kind enough to get my name put on the list of family and friends.” Morgan gave a weak smile. “She’ll be okay—eventually.” Briefly, she filled Karly in on the update she’d just received.
“That poor girl.” Karly’s throat worked as she visibly battled emotion. “Life is so random. Like I said, seconds later, and it might have been me lying in that hospital. On the one hand, I feel lucky and relieved. At the same time I feel guilty for feeling that way. Most of all, I feel responsible. If only I could have grabbed her.”
“Well, you couldn’t, and you’re not.” Morgan reached across the table and squeezed Karly’s arm. “If anything, you should feel good about yourself. According to Rachel’s assistant, you saved her life by calling 911 so fast. A few more minutes and she might not have pulled through.”
“I’m glad. To be honest, I barely remember using my cell. The whole thing was a blur. I know I made the call, but I was frozen in place when I did. Everything felt surreal. I remember the sirens and the flashing lights. I remember the paramedics doing their jobs. I talked to the cops. I told them what I saw, which wasn’t much. I didn’t get a license plate, didn’t get a make or model, didn’t even see the driver. He was hunched over the steering wheel. I guess he realized what he’d done and was trying to escape without being seen. The bastard. Why didn’t he stop?”
“Because he was a coward,” Morgan supplied. “He knew he’d be arrested for reckless driving, or maybe even drunk driving.”
Karly nodded. “The way he tore around that corner, he could very well have been drunk. And after he hit Rachel, he floored the gas. He was weaving in and out of traffic like a lunatic.”
“The police will trace the van. They’ll find out who did this. And they’ll toss his butt in jail.” Morgan sighed. “Now let’s just pray Rachel makes a full and speedy recovery.”
“Amen.” Karly glanced at the file in Morgan’s hand. “Would you mind if we rescheduled this follow-up? I don’t have the presence of mind to discuss my social life right now.”
“I’m not at my peak, either,” Morgan admitted. “Why don’t we do a telephone follow-up later this week? Or you could come by my office instead. You’ve never seen the place, and now is the ideal time. It’s got more holiday spirit than Santa’s workshop. Jill’s converted it into a holiday extravaganza—Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the winter solstice all rolled into one. She’s an equal-opportunity celebrator.”
“Jill?” Karly’s brows drew together in question.
“My partner. That’s right, you’ve never met her. Well, we’ll have to rectify that.”
Karly blew out a breath. “That meeting might have to wait. Ditto for the visit. I’ll have to take you up on your offer to do our follow-up on the phone. I’m crazed between now and Christmas. But I’d love to meet your partner. Maybe after New Year’s. Or do the decorations come down right away?”
“Are you kidding? At Winshore, the holidays last until mid-January. That’s when Jill starts working on Valentine’s Day.”
For the first time, Karly chuckled. “This partner of yours sounds like quite a dynamo.”
“She is.” Morgan smiled back. “You’ll see for yourself. Even if you can’t break away long enough to come to our office, you will be at our holiday party, right?”
“I have the date in my PDA. A week from Tuesday. Seven p.m. I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Excellent. Then you’ll be meeting Jill then. She planned the party, so it’s bound to be an affair to remember.”
“I’ll wear my new Chanel dress. It’ll be perfect. And who knows? Maybe that’s the night I’ll meet Mr. Right.”
“Speaking of which…” Morgan leaned forward, curious to hear if Karly’s take on the evening was the same as Charlie’s. “What did you think of Charlie Denton?”
A shrug. “Nice guy. A little on the introspective side, but very charming. A great listener. Intelligent, too, and intense.” Karly wrinkled her nose. “I wish he’d directed a little more of his intensity at me, and not at the businessmen at the next table.”
Morgan knew exactly who Karly was referring to, since Charlie had mentioned Arthur’s powwow. “Charlie said something about a high-powered meeting going on at a nearby table. But he didn’t dwell on it. He just mentioned it in passing.”
“Well, he was definitely distracted. So much so that, at first, I thought he was staring at another woman. Which didn’t do much for my ego, given I was his date. But then I saw it was some businessmen and politicians he was focused on. So I assumed his interest must have been work-related. Still, it did put a damper on the evening, having only half his attention.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t personal. As a prosecutor, Charlie must have a lot on his plate.”
“True, but the crowd at the next table wasn’t on that plate. At least not while he was out with me.” Karly broke off with a rueful expression. “Sorry. I don’t mean to sound bitchy. I’m just not a very good sharer. When I’m out with a man, I expect his undivided attention. Call it self-centered, or call it insecurity.” A shrug. “In any case, I don’t hold it against him. We had a lovely dinner. As I said, he’s a nice guy. A really nice guy.”
“Just not the guy,” Morgan concluded.
“No—at least not for me.”
“Enough said.” Morgan filed away the nuances—those she’d picked up from Charlie, and those she’d just had reinforced by Karly. “Let’s see what we can do about zeroing in on the guy.”
