Page 23 of Following His Orders

“Case? What case?” I ask.

“Luke Gallah vs. Mark Kemp,” Xavier says.

The breath leaves my lungs, and I swear I choke on stale air. Mark Kemp. My father’s old business partner. The man responsible for hurting all of those people, the one who got off scot-free while my father was sentenced to prison time. Luke Gallah is the owner of a huge fragrance company. I didn’t even know the two were in business together.

“You can say no, Bentley. You don’t have to work on this case. It won’t reflect on your reputation here in any way.” This comes from Nathan.

When I look up at him, I see worry on his face. It’s comforting that he’s concerned about me. But this is something I’ve wanted for a long time.

“No, it’s okay. What are the details? What’s the claim?” I ask.

“Falsifying research documents. Gallah and Kemp were developing a new fragrance line together. Gallah is claiming that Kemp falsified reports and used company funds for personal expenses. Pretty much, he stole the research budget and handed in heaps of dodgy data,” Alistair says.

I blink. I’m trying really hard not to get excited. Maybe this is it. The chance I’ve been looking for to clear my father’s name. I mean, a man like Kemp can’t escape criminal charges twice, right? “Is there solid evidence?”

“It’s solid enough to build a case,” Nathan says.

“Okay.”

There’s a knock at the door. Nathan’s assistant pokes her head in. “Luke Gallah is here to see you, sir.”

“Thanks, Tracey. Send him in,” Nathan responds.

The man walks in and sits down, without looking twice at me. “Gentleman.” He nods at the three partners. I’m not sure why they’re all here. They don’t even specialise in the same fields of law. But who am I to question their methods?

“And lady,” Nathan corrects him, nodding his head in my direction.

Oh my god, if the world could open up and swallow me whole, I’d really appreciate that right now.

“I apologise, Miss Johnson. It’s good to see you again. I don’t think I’ve seen you since you were… what? Thirteen?” he asks.

“Sixteen,” I clarify.

“Huh, well, I heard you were working here. It’s why I came. Your father was a good man, Bentley. He’d be hella proud of you.”

“Thank you.” My voice is quiet. I’m confused. He knew I was working here and still sought out the firm’s representation? I thoughtwe, my family name at least, were all classified as pariahs in the Melbourne corporate world.

“Just to ensure everyone is up to speed, I’ll summarize. Mr Gallah, you’re here because you want to initiate a suit against Mr Mark Kemp. I’ve looked over the files you’ve provided, and your case is good, but it’s not foolproof,” Nathan says.

“Right, but you can win, can’t you?”

“I can.” Nathan nods his head. “Why not just end your partnership with him and write the whole thing off as a loss?”

“He will just do this to another company. I knew something wasn’t right when Oliver went away. I just didn’t have any solid proof, of course. But I knew Oliver well, and I knew he wouldn’t have put products out into the market without conducting thorough research. He had integrity.” Mr Gallah looks at me, his eyes filled with pity.

I don’t want his pity. I don’t want anyone’s pity. What I want is to prove that my father was innocent, and that Mark Kemp is a horrid excuse for a human being and someone who should be locked behind bars for the rest of his life.

The meeting carries on for an hour or so. I take as many notes as I can while the partners talk amongst each other. After Mr Gallah says his goodbyes and leaves the conference room, I stand. “Thank you for allowing me to sit in on this case. Let me know what you need me to do,” I tell the partners.

“We’re lucky to have you, Bentley,” Xavier says.

“Thanks.”

The second I sit down at my desk, the door to my office opens and Nathan strolls in, closing and locking it behind him.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“Yes,” I lie. Sitting in on that meeting brought up a lot of memories, ones I really don’t like to think about.

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