After the Darkness

I've been lucky so far. The FBI has bigger fish to fry. But the knock on the door will come eventually. I know it will.

It wasn't exposure itself that scared him, or even prison. It was losing Maria. Everything he'd done, he'd done for her. And she thinks the whole thing's a game!

"I think I'll wear my new Dior to the trial. The fuchsia one."

"We're not going to the trial."

"Not going? But, Andy, everyone will be there."

"Jesus, Maria, it's not a fucking Broadway show!" It was so rare for Andrew to lose his temper, Maria just stared at him. She rather liked this new, macho Andrew. "Billions of dollars are missing. The feds are all over us like a rash. Everyone at Quorum's under suspicion."

"Well, they won't be anymore," said Maria cheerfully, cutting herself another slice of panettone. "It looks like the FBI has found its sacrificial lamb. Sweet little butter-wouldn't-melt Gracie is going to jail."

Andrew thought, I hope so, then realized what a terrible thought that was.

When had he become so callous, so coldhearted?

I don't recognize myself anymore. Oh, Maria! What have you done to me?

"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO JAIL, GRACE. Let's get that straight from the get-go. You're innocent, and you're going to plead innocent. Okay?"

Grace nodded weakly. It was all so confusing.

Frank Hammond seemed so upbeat. Not like her first lawyer, Kevin McGuire. Kevin was an old friend of Grace's parents from East Hampton. Grace called him the day she was arrested. She wanted him to rescue her from the bullying agent with the dead eyes, and he had. But once they were alone, he didn't pull his punches.

"As a full partner in Quorum, you're legally liable for Lenny's actions, whether you actually made any decisions or not," Kevin told her. "You have to plead guilty."

"But I never even knew I was a partner."

Kevin McGuire was sympathetic, but firm. Ignorance might be a moral defense, but it wasn't a legal one. "You signed the contract, Grace. If you don't take responsibility, the judge may be even harsher at sentencing." He was firm about bail, too. "My advice is not to seek it."

Grace couldn't believe it. "You mean...you want me to stay in jail? But it could be months before the case gets to court."

"It will be months. And I know it's tough. But believe me, Grace, you're safer in there. I don't think you fully appreciate the anger people feel toward you and Lenny."

He was right. Grace didn't. Apart from the small crowd who heckled her when she left her apartment to stay with the Merrivales, she'd had little or no direct contact with the outside world since she returned to New York. John refused to let her watch the TV reports, and did not allow newspapers in the house. The day after the coroner officially ruled Lenny's death a suicide, Kevin McGuire had shown Grace some of the headlines she'd been shielded from.

BROOKSTEIN TOOK COWARD'S WAY OUT

"DESPICABLE" CON MAN COMMITS SUICIDE, CHEATS JUSTICE

BROOKSTEINS "MOST HATED COUPLE IN AMERICA"

A week ago, the headlines would have shocked her. Now, having been through the horror of identifying Lenny's body, Grace doubted anything would have the power to shock her ever again. Instead she felt numb. Dissociated.

Are they talking about Lenny? About me? How can people hate us? We haven't done anything wrong.

As for the idea of Lenny committing suicide, well, that was just ludicrous. Anyone who had ever met him knew that Lenny loved life. He would have clung to life to the bitter end, no matter what. It was an accident, a freak storm. No one could have predicted what happened that day.

Kevin McGuire kept trying to get her to focus on the present, to acknowledge the fact that she may well be sent to prison. But Kevin didn't understand. Prison didn't frighten Grace. It didn't matter what happened to her. Without Lenny, nothing mattered anymore. The world could hold no joy for Grace, no hope. They may as well lock me up. My life's already over.

Once again, it was John Merrivale who had ridden to her rescue and made her see sense. The whole world was accusing Grace of betraying him, of conspiring with Lenny to "steal" his stake in Quorum, but John's loyalty remained unwavering. "It's a mistake, Grace, all right? A mistake. I don't know why Lenny d-did it, but he must have had his reasons."

"You know he would never have tried to cheat you John. Neither of us would."

"Of c-course I do, sweetheart. Of course I do."

When John heard the advice Kevin McGuire was giving Grace, he forced her to fire him on the spot.

"But Kevin's an old friend," Grace protested.

"I daresay. But he's talking nonsense. P-plead guilty indeed! That's insanity. We need to get you Frank Hammond. He's the best."

John was right, as usual. Frank Hammond burst into Grace's life like a cyclone. From the moment she met him, Grace felt her hope returning. She began to see light at the end of the tunnel. Here, at last, was her champion, a strong man, an advocate, someone who believed her and would fight for her. Just being in Frank Hammond's presence made Grace feel better.

She asked shyly, "What about bail? Do you think there's any chance...?"

"I've already applied. The hearing's tomorrow. I'm going to get you out of here."

"You do realize I...I don't have any money. I can't pay you."

Grace was embarrassed, but Frank Hammond was unfazed.

"Forget it. It's taken care of. Now I want you to listen to me. Can you do that?"

Grace nodded.

"Forget about the charges against you. Forget about the trial, forget about what people out there are saying. It's my job to straighten all that out. Understood?"

"Understood." He's so reassuring. I feel like I'm talking to Lenny.

"Your job is to hold on tight to the truth. You did not steal any money. Lenny did not steal any money. The fact that a whole bunch of money has gone missing means that someone must have stolen it. Whoever that person is framed you and your husband. That's our case."

"But who would do that?"

Frank Hammond smiled, revealing a row of jagged, yellowing, old man's teeth. Clearly he did not spend any of his astronomical fees at the dentist's office.

"Who would steal seventy billion dollars? Ninety-nine percent of Americans, if they thought they could get away with it."

"All right, then. Who did steal it?"

"I have no idea. It doesn't matter. All we need to do is establish reasonable doubt. The D.A. has to prove that you and your husband were responsible."

Grace was silent. After a few moments, she asked, "Mr. Hammond, do you believe my husband killed himself?"

Frank Hammond looked his client directly in the eye. "No, Mrs. Brookstein. I do not."

From that moment on, Grace knew she could trust Frank Hammond implicitly. He's going to win the case. He's going to set me free. And when he does, I'm going to find out who stole that money and clear Lenny's name.