Or if not missing, was he in hiding?
Colin had the sense that Margolis considered it a possibility. The timing was too coincidental for it not to be a possibility. But Maria's point was also valid. Why would he target her? According to her, she'd never even met the man.
Closing the computer, Colin continued to ponder the questions before coming to the conclusion that he needed to clear his mind, and he knew only one way to do that.
He ran the six miles to the gym and spent an hour lifting weights, finishing with half an hour of striking on the heavy bag. Without classes in session, the gym was relatively quiet. Daly spotted him when necessary and held the bag for a few minutes, but otherwise spent most of his time in the office.
He ran home, showered, and changed into his work clothes and drove to work. Behind the wheel, he pondered the same questions he had earlier. Perhaps his defensive instincts were on high alert, but for some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.
CHAPTER 22
Maria
After the meeting with Margolis, Maria headed back to the office, her head swimming with all she had learned. She stopped to visit with Jill and update her on the latest, but Jill wasn't back from lunch. It reminded Maria that she hadn't eaten, but then again, she couldn't even fathom the thought of eating.
Stress. If it continued, she was going to have to buy a new wardrobe in a smaller size or have everything altered; her clothes were already getting loose.
Barney was finally back in the office, though he spent the next three hours behind closed doors, meeting with one paralegal after another. She assumed he was interviewing for Lynn's replacement--who couldn't come soon enough, in Maria's opinion--and though she had a few questions for him about the hospital case, she knew better than to disturb him. Instead, she started organizing her questions, making notes in the margin of the complaint, until eventually she heard a knock at her door. Glancing up, she saw Barney standing in her doorway.
"Hi, Maria. Would you mind coming to my office?" he asked.
"Oh, hey, Barney," she said, gathering her pages and placing them back in the file, feeling a surge of relief. "Thank goodness. I was hoping to talk to you about the complaint. I've been thinking that there are a few different angles we can take, and I wanted to make sure I was clear on what you were planning to do before I really started to dig in."
"You can leave that for now," he said. "We'll go over the case later. Will you join me? There's something we need to discuss in my office."
Despite Barney's outwardly pleasant demeanor, there was something in his tone that made her cautious as she rose from her desk. Whatever he wanted to talk about, she suddenly thought, it wasn't going to be good.
Barney trailed half a step behind her, avoiding even small talk, and it wasn't until they got to his door that he reached her side. Always the gentleman--even when about to lower the boom, no doubt--he opened the door and motioned toward the high-backed chair farthest from the window that faced his desk. It wasn't until she'd moved closer to the chairs that she saw who was already seated in one of them. She came to a sudden halt.
Ken.
By then, Barney was already moving around his desk. She continued to stand in place even as Barney began pouring three glasses of water from a pitcher on his desk.
"Please," he said, urging her to take a seat. "There's nothing to worry about. We're just here for a friendly discussion."
I should simply tell him, no, thank you, and walk out the door, she suddenly thought. What were they going to do? Fire her? And yet, the old habits began kicking in--the ones about respecting her elders and obeying the boss--and she found herself almost on autopilot as she took her seat.
"Would you like a glass?" Barney asked. From the corner of her eye, she could see him studying her.
"No, thank you," she said. She could still walk out, she told herself, but...
"I appreciate you joining us, Maria," Barney said, his drawl just a bit heavier than usual, his cadence a beat slower. It was the same way he spoke when in the courtroom. "And I'm sure you might be wondering why we asked you to join us. Now..."
"You said there was something we needed to discuss," she interrupted. "As in the two of us."
Barney flinched ever so slightly, his surprise at being cut off evident but only for an instant. He smiled. "Excuse me?"
"You said 'we,' as in you and I. You didn't say that anyone else would be here."
"Of course," he said, his voice smoothing once more. "You're correct. I originally asked you to join me. My apologies for misspeaking."
He offered an opening for her to respond--no doubt expecting her to dismiss the error--but Colin probably wouldn't have said anything, so she didn't, either. I'm learning, she thought.
Barney opened his hands. "I suppose we should just get to it, then, so as not to waste your time with preliminaries. The last thing I would want is for this meeting to extend your workday."
"Okay." Inwardly, she smiled to herself.
Again, it wasn't what he expected her to say, but Barney was a master of recovery. He cleared his throat. "I'm sure you've heard the rumors in the office concerning potential allegations by various employees against Ken Martenson. Allegations, by the way, that have no factual basis."
He waited, but this time she said nothing at all.
"Am I correct?" he finally asked.
She glanced over at Ken, then back to Barney. "I'm not sure."
"You're not sure if you've heard the rumors?"
"Oh, I've heard the rumors," she said.
"Then what aren't you sure about?"
"I'm not sure whether the allegations have a factual basis or not."
"I can assure you, Maria, that they do not."
She waited a couple of beats. "Okay." Colin, she thought, would be proud of her right now. More than that, she began to understand how the use of the word okay shifted the power dynamic in the room. Or at the very least, set the tone she wanted, even if Barney didn't like it. He didn't, but he was professional enough to hide it, the drawl and slower cadence continuing in his courtroom rhythm.
"Because Mr. Martenson is our managing director, the firm intends to vigorously contest these allegations in whatever manner the firm deems best. That includes litigation. Of course, as you know well, when reputations are at stake, cases like this are usually settled to avoid lengthy, expensive, and distracting legal proceedings. In this particular instance, any potential settlement would not reflect on the veracity of the claims, but rather the time, money, and inconvenience that contesting the charges would bring. Obviously, any settlement--if there is a settlement--would be sealed and confidential."
Maria nodded, thinking, Just get to the point. Why did you ask me here?
"I'm sure I don't need to review Mr. Martenson's stellar reputation with you. Those who know him best--people like you and me--know that he has always kept the best interest of the firm at the forefront of his thoughts and actions. He has made tremendous sacrifices, and it's simply not possible that he would have done anything to put either the firm or his own personal reputation at risk. The allegations, I might add, are preposterous. In his nearly three-decade career as an attorney in our community, no claims of sexual harassment have ever so much as seen the light of day in any courtroom. Three decades of hard work, now at risk because there are people in the world who are simply greedy."
Claims that never reached the light of day because they were settled, Maria thought.
"Unfortunately, whenever there is a pot of money, there are those who believe themselves to be entitled to it. In some cases, these people may lie outright; in other instances, they distort the truth with a story that fits their agenda. Other times, people simply misinterpret behavior that nearly everyone else would find inoffensive. It's my belief that a bit of all three is what is happening here, and that has led to--in colloquial terms--a feeding frenzy. Some people--these greedy sharks--now sense blood in the water and want to m
ake sure they get their fair share because they believe it is owed them by birthright. But our fair Constitution does not say that you're allowed to take someone else's property because you believe that it should have been yours all along. Greed. It's an awful, awful thing, and too many times, I've seen good people hurt by it, even my own kin. My neighbors--fine, churchgoing folk, mind you--were ruined by greedy people. But in these twilight years, I usually feel less anger than simple pity for them. Their lives are empty and they believe they can fill that emptiness with the coins from other people's pockets. Still, Mr. Martenson's reputation is at stake, as is the good name of our firm, and I feel a responsibility--even a duty--to ensure that both Mr. Martenson and the firm receive the most vigorous defense possible."
He was good, Maria thought, even when distorting the truth himself. She could understand why juries liked him.
"Of course, I am certain that you feel just as strongly about integrity and maintaining the high-quality reputation of our firm. But I do have to tell you that I'm frightened, Maria. I'm frightened for the other people here. Your coworkers. Your friends. The young families with mortgages and heating bills. Their babies and their children. I feel an obligation to them to use all the skills the good Lord has given me in the hopes that right and fair and good can prevail over wrong and greedy. But then again, I'm an old man and out of touch with the way things work these days, so what do I know?"
When Barney trailed off after playing the "deeply troubled" card, Maria almost felt like applauding. Instead, she kept a poker face. In time, Barney sighed and went on.
"I know you, Maria. And I know you share my concerns. You're too good of a person not to be scared for all your friends and coworkers here. And I know you'll want to help them because you don't desire a perversion of justice any more than I do. Our firm--all of us--need to stand united as one against these... these greed-mongers who have deluded themselves into believing that they're entitled to your hard-earned money, even though they themselves did nothing to earn it."
He shook his head.
"We just want the truth to come out, Maria. That's all. Just the simple, God's honest truth. And that's why you're here. Because I need your help."
Here it comes, Maria thought.
"All we're asking of you is the same thing we're asking of all our employees. We want you to sign an affidavit that simply states the truth: that you have the greatest respect for Mr. Martenson's character, and that in your tenure at the firm, you have never witnessed, or even heard about, Mr. Martenson engaging in anything that could be construed in any way as sexually offensive to any employee. In your case, and for our female employees, we're also asking that they confirm that they never felt sexually harassed, in any fashion, at any time."
For an instant, all Maria could do was stare at him. Ken, she noticed, had sunk lower in his seat, and before she could respond, Barney went on.
"Of course, you don't have to do this. In the end, whatever you choose to do is completely up to you. There is no reason whatsoever to take into account the livelihoods of anyone else in this firm. All I truly want is for you to do the right thing."
Barney finished; by then his eyes were downcast, his body humbly positioned. Barney: a bearer of righteousness in a world he no longer understood, shouldering a burden that had to be borne by someone. No wonder he was so successful.
But Maria could think of nothing to say. As persuasive as Barney was... he was lying, and he knew it. She also knew that Barney knew that she knew he was lying, which meant all of this was a game. No doubt he wanted Ken in the room as a form of punishment: Do you understand the level to which I've sunk by defending you? For his part, Ken hadn't so much as mumbled a single word.
And yet...
Was it fair for the rest of the office--all of whom were innocent--to be penalized? Because of a single idiot? And how much money did the women want? Ken had harassed her, and she'd survived. In another couple of weeks, she would likely put it behind her entirely. In time, it might even become the subject of jokes. Ken was a jerk, but it wasn't as though he'd exposed himself or tried to grope Maria in the hallway when they'd been at the conference. He was too insecure--too pathetic--to go that far. With her, anyway. But what about the others he'd harassed?
She wasn't sure, and feeling the need to stall, she drew a deep breath. "Let me think about it."
"Of course," Barney said. "I appreciate your consideration. And remember, everyone at the firm, your coworkers and friends, just want you to do the right thing."
At her desk, Maria forced herself to stare at the claim that had been filed against the hospital, but every few minutes she found herself replaying the conversation and thinking of ways she could have responded better. She found herself wondering what Colin would have done...
"There you are."
Lost in thought, Maria looked up and saw Jill in the doorway. "Oh, hey..."
"Where were you?" Jill asked. "I came by a little while ago, but you weren't in your office."
"Barney wanted to talk to me," she said.
"Figures," Jill said, closing the door behind her. "How did the meeting with the detective go?"
Maria proceeded to update Jill on the things Margolis had told her. Like Maria, Jill wasn't sure quite what to think. She asked the same questions that Maria had and was left with the same sense of confusion.
"I don't know whether it's good news or bad news," Jill finally said. "It's more confusing now than it was this morning."
That's not my only problem, Maria thought.
"What are you thinking about now?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your expression just changed."
"Uh... just thinking back on my meeting with Barney."
"And?"
"Ken was there."
Jill nodded. "Because of the lawsuit?"
"Of course."
"And let me guess. Barney did all the talking... and he poured on the Southern charm and started talking about 'doing the right thing'?"
"You know him well."
"Sadly, I do. So... did you learn anything?"
"They want to present 'a united front.'"
"Okaaay... but what exactly does that mean?"
"They want me to sign an affidavit that would essentially say that I never saw Ken do anything wrong, that he's always professional, and that he never harassed me."
"Did Barney ask that you sign? Or insist that you sign?"
"He asked. In fact, he made it perfectly clear that he wanted it to be my decision."
"That's good."
"I guess."
"You guess?"
When Maria didn't answer, Jill looked at her. "Don't tell me there's even more," she prodded. "Something you didn't tell me this morning?"
"Well..."
"Let me guess. Ken has been harassing you for a while?"
Maria looked up. "How did you know?"
"Don't you remember our lunch? After you'd gone paddleboarding with Colin, when I kept asking whether things at work were going okay? I knew you'd gone to the conference with Ken, and I've been around here long enough to know exactly what he might have tried to do. Even while you were swearing that everything was fine, I had my suspicions."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
Jill offered the kind of shrug that asked, Do you really need me to answer that? "Office politics suck. That's why Leslie and I have already outlawed them. Back then, I didn't want to put the idea in your head if it hadn't happened, but I remember thinking that I was correct in my suspicions. Which is terrible, of course. But I was kind of happy, too, and I know how awful that is for a friend to say."
"What do you mean, you were kind of happy?"
"If you loved it here, you might not have been so eager to throw your lot in with us. Of course, at the time, I didn't know about the potential lawsuits."
"I'm glad you're so concerned with my well-being."
"You're a strong woman, Maria. And frankly, I think you're smarter than Ken. I k
new you'd figure out a way to keep him at bay."
"I did tell him my boyfriend, the MMA fighter, was the jealous type."
Jill laughed. "Like I said. Way smarter than Ken. Okay, but back to the meeting you had with Barney and Ken, our illustrious leader. So Barney asked you to sign and you essentially told him that you'd think about it."
Maria's jaw dropped. "How could you know what I said?"
"Because I know Barney. He's a master at masking the obvious, showing how his side is the righteous one, and then mixing in a dollop of guilt, in case you're still wavering. It's important for you to put all that aside and think about what actually happened. And by the way, what did happen?"
Maria then offered a recap of the conference--to which Jill didn't raise an eyebrow--but when she told her about the subsequent encounters, Jill went stony.
"Hold on," she said. "It's one thing to offer the 'my wife doesn't understand me' tale, but you're saying he actually touched your chest?"
"Well, my collarbone... or maybe just below. He didn't--"
"But his intent was obvious to you? And he wanted to have lunch and discuss being more of a 'team player'?"
"Yes. But I stopped it from going any further... He didn't--"
"Come with me," Jill said, reaching for the doorknob.
"Where are we going?"
"To see Barney and Ken."
"Let's just let it go... I'm leaving anyway. And he didn't actually touch my breast or anything..."
"Well, Barney doesn't know the details. And I'm sure that the meeting wasn't only about trying to protect the firm; it was also intended to keep you from joining the other women and filing with the EEOC."
Maria shook her head. "I'm not going to file."
"Are you sure you don't want to?"
Maria thought about Barney and the other employees of the firm. Ken's attentions had been awful and had caused her stress, but to her mind, simply putting it all behind her and moving on was a far more appealing option than pursuing the matter further.