Her First Day (Part 7)

He got out of the car, finally looking around to be sure he wasn't followed. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He moved toward the passenger door. She was beginning to wake up. She opened her eyes to see him reaching for the door handle. She hit the lock button. He shook his head at her. He hit the button on the key ring to unlock the door. She tried to scramble to the other side. He reached in grabbing her right leg, pulling her out the door. She tried to hang on to the other door handle and kick him with her left leg. She connected with his right shoulder, sending him backward It pissed him off. He did not expect her to fight back. He was hoping she would be a cowardly little bitch he thought she was, but he was finding out she was not going to go out without a fight.
He yanked her hard, lifting her off the seat. Her left side slammed back down on the center console, causing her to immediately fold herself into a fetal position. He pulled her out of the car. Her head slammed up against the door jam, cutting off the top of her ear lobe. Her eyes watered. She could feel the blood rushing to the injury. He grabbed her by the hair, forcing her to her feet. The blood trickled down the side of her face. She winced as his hand grazed her damaged ear. He lead her by her hair to the front of the cabin. Sandwiching her between him and the door, he unlocked the cabin door. She tried to push him away from her. Bracing herself against the door and pushing backward, she got him off her an inch before he punched her in her left side. She bent to the left, attempting to protect herself. The door swung open. She fell through it, catching herself with her arms spread out before her. He shoved her through the door the rest of the way with his foot. She scrambled to get to her feet. He slammed the door behind him, turning to lock it. She was up and running toward the sliding glass doors on the other side of the house when she heard a gun being cocked.
"Stop right there," he said. "I am not afraid to shoot you if I have to."
"Please," she said, slowly turning toward him. "What do you want from me?"
"I just want to talk. I thought we were friends. I thought we had a real connection. I just wanted to be your lover, but you would't have it. What is so wrong with me? Why wasn't I good enough?"
"I wasn't interested in an office relationship. I wanted to earn my position in the company. I didn't want to get to where was by sleeping my way to the top."
"Well, now we aren't in the same office anymore. How about we give it a go?"
"It will never happen. You just kidnapped me."
"If I can't have you, then no one will," he said, coming closer to her.

Her First Day (Part 6)

He headed toward the elevator, walking right past Missy's office. She was on the phone when she spotted him practically running past her door. She asked her contact to hold on. She headed toward the elevators.
"Hey, did you get a break on the case?" she asked, catching up to him.
"No," he said. "I need to take care of something important. I'll be back in a little bit and we can see where we stand on everything. I'll do some investigating while I am out."
"Okay," she said, retreating to her office. She wondered what he was up to, but knew she needed to get back to work. She had to impress her new boss on this case so she could finally get ahead in her career. She got back on the phone with her contact at the police station. Learning that she needed to go down there to see the files for herself, she grabbed her things and headed out. She arrived at the station. She was about to get out of her car when she spotted him. She slunk down in her seat, hoping he didn't see her. He caught her movements out of the corner of his eye. He recognized her car and her. He walked over to it, taping on her window. She groaned in disapproval, wanting to flee the scene, but knew she couldn't. She rolled down the window.
"There you are," he said, sticking his head into the car. "Why did you just up and leave? I could have made good on my promise. You could have been happy with me, but you chose to run. Your running days are over."
He reached through the window, unlocking the door. She tried to hold the door closed, but wasn't strong enough. She screamed. No one came to her rescue. He shoved her to the other side of the car, climbing in. She tried to climb out the passenger door, but he pulled her back in, grabbing her hair and slamming her head into the dashboard. Blood trickled down her forehead as everything went blurry and then dark. He sped off in her car with her slumped in the front seat. He drove onto the highway, accelerating his speed. He wanted to get to the cabin he had set up for the day he found her again. She would be his and only his. No one would have her. He got off of exit 238, heading toward the wooded area the cabin was tucked away in. For miles, there was nothing on this road. He was sure by the end, she would be his or she would be dead. He never bothered to look in his rearview mirror to see if he was being followed. There was a black car following him from the time he pulled away from the police station. He pulled down the long driveway to the cabin. She was beginning to stir. 'Good,' he thought. 'I need her to be awake for everything that is about to happen.'

Her First Day (Part 5)

She wasn't sure if she wanted to be a part of this case. She wondered if she could ask not to be after what she just encountered in her own life. She told herself it was a job and if she didn't do it, then she was going to have to be bumped down to petty crime and traffic tickets until she was ready. She didn't want that. She worked way too hard already to get where she was. There was no way she was going to start from the bottom, again.
"What evidence do they have and what were the circumstances?" she asked, shifting uncomfortably in her chair.
"I'm sorry. If you don't want to work on this case, I can find you another one to work on."
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, now can we discuss the case?"
"Yes," he said. "Like I said, they don't have much evidence against him. The main thing is his alibi never check out. He claimed he was working late, but when the janitor, who cleans his office, was interviewed he said he never saw him that night. We need to know where he was and what he was doing. He is going to hire the best he can, because he is among the elite in this city. If the cops can prove he was anywhere near the crime scene at the time of the murder, then he will go to jail. We will need to conduct an investigation of our own to see what we can find out. Sometimes, people are more open to speaking with lawyers than cops. Are you up for it?"
"Where do we begin?"
"I say we start with his office. Maybe someone there will have a little more insight into what he was doing that night."
"Was he cheating?" she asked. "Could he have been with another woman and just did not want anyone to know he was cheating on his wife at the time of her murder?"
"It is possible. He was a well known playboy in his bachelor days and is still highly sought after even though he claims to be happily married."
"I'll begin there," she said, standing up. "Thank you for allowing me to stay on the case."
"You're welcome," he said, walking her to the door. He watched her walk to her office. The sultry sway in her hips as she took each step made his heart race. He was in trouble. He knew he needed to stay away, but he wasn't sure if he could. He needed to think of her situation. She just came from an office where she was stalked by a psycho coworker. He may not act on his compulsion, but he damn sure wasn't going to let anyone hurt her. He had his own investigation and business to conduct. He was going to make sure she was never bothered by that self serving prick again. He grabbed his jacket off the back of his door, draping it over his arm. He picked up his briefcase and headed out.

Her First Day (Part 4)

"I'm sorry you had to deal with that arrogant prick. How dare he threaten your life. Just because his dad owned the firm, did not give him the right to treat you like you were his."
"Thank you. That is why I left," she said, voice shaking. The tears were coming. She thought she had finished crying over that place and him. "I was no longer comfortable working there. I thought his father would put a stop to it, but I was wrong. I  knew if I stayed there any longer it would only get worse. I have moved out of my apartment and into a hotel under a different name since then. I again changed all my numbers and got rid of my email accounts, starting all new ones."
"Good, girl. Do you still talk to anyone at your old firm?"
"No, I cut off all communication with everyone for not only my own safety, but theirs as well."
"Good. You don't need to put anyone else in danger. If you want to press charges against him, I will help you with that."
"Thank you for the offer, but I would rather just not deal with it anymore, if I can avoid it."
"I can't say that I blame you. If you ever need anything, you let me know. We will take him down."
"I will," she said, giving him a weak smile. He returned it.
"Now, let's get down to business. Are you ready for your first case with us?"
"I am," she said, straightening herself up in her seat. She was nervous about telling him why she left, but was now glad she had done it. He seemed to understand the severity of her situation and why she ran from the prestigious firm. She was caught up in her own thought when she heard him calling her name.
"Missy, Missy, earth to Missy," he said, grinning at her.
"I'm sorry. I was still thinking about what happened. Please, repeat what this case is about, again."
"It's okay," he chuckled. "You have been through a lot and were just trying to forget it. Here I am making you relive it all over again."
"No, I should have shut that part out when you said it was time to talk about the case. Let's get started. I am eager to dive into my first case here and learn what you have to teach me."
"Alright, well your first case will with me has to do with a murder. The cops know who committed the murder, but the evidence is lacking. We need to help them build the case against the guy for a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt. Are you up for it?"
"Yes, who is he suspected of murdering?"
"His ex girlfriend. The cops think he did it in a jealous rage," he said, visibly wincing at the statement. After what she just told him, he knew this one was going to hit a little too close to home for her. 

Her First Day (Part 3)

She began to fidget with the hem of her dark blue suit jacket. He saw her getting nervous. If she was going to work with him, he needed to know what had taken place.
"Do you want to discuss what happened at your last job," he asked. She shifted in her chair. She wasn't ready, but knew she was going to have to tell him eventually. Today, might as well be that day. She took a deep breath, steadying herself before answering him.
"I really don't care to discuss it, but I know I will need to tell you if we are going to work together and end up on a case against my old firm."
"Yes, I don't want you to be discredited in court by the opposing firm."
"I worked for them for quite a long time. My boss really liked me. He liked me enough to take me under his wing and teach me almost everything he knew. He told me it was possible I would end up becoming one of their top lawyers and a junior partner before I knew it. I was elated. The problem happened when his son asked me on a date and I refused. He started making rude comments to me as soon as I came into work. He would tell me all the the things he wanted to do to me and what he wanted me to do to him. He began calling my house late at night. When I disconnected that phone, he got my cellphone number and started calling it. I would let every call go to voice mail and kept all of them as evidence. When I finally got enough nerve to approach his father about it, I played him the messages. He called his son into the office and asked him about it. His son told him that it was all a joke we played with each other. I had changed my phone number that morning. After I left the office, I received a phone call from him. He had somehow learned my new number. He threatened my life. That is when I went looking for a new job and came across this one."
"Do you think he would actually hurt you?"
" I don't know. I left before I could find out. What I do know is that he is sick and I couldn't take that chance."
"Do you still have those messages? More importantly the thrreatening one?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. She nodded her head, pulling out her phone. She slid it across the table to him. He slid it open, accessing her voicemail and listening to the threatening message. He closed his eyes as the voicemail ended. With his jaw clenched, he slid the phone back across the desk to her. He sat there just staring at her. He didn't know what to say. What he heard on that voicemail angered him. He didn't know Missy, but he damn sure wasn't going to let anything happen to her.

Her First Day (Part 2)

His cherry wood desk was accompanied by a high back chocolate brown office chair. He motioned her to sit across from him in one of the matching chocolate brown leather chairs in front of his desk. She sat down, tentatively. He waited for her to look up at him before speaking. Her hazel eyes shone with specs of green and light brown as her gaze met his.

“Mrs. Herring,” he started.

“It’s Ms. Herring,” she said, not quite sure why she felt the need to correct him.

“Okay, Ms. Herring, welcome to our office.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. How much experience do you have in criminal law?”

“I am very experienced. I worked as a paralegal for five years before going for my PhD. I continued to work as a paralegal while pursuing my degree. I never missed a beat when it came to my cases or my classes. I graduated top of the class.”

“That is all great, but tells me nothing. I asked how much experience you had not what you did in school. Have you ever tried a case or assisted in trying a case?”

“I was second chair on most of my former boss’s cases. He wanted me to get the courtroom experience.”

“Good, so you are familiar with the courtroom.”

“Yes.”

“Good, that is less I will have to teach you. You worked at Farmer and Gold, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you leave?” he asked. She knew this question was going to come. She was just hoping it wasn’t today. She didn’t want to reveal her past to anyone just yet.

“I had an issue with one of the other lawyers,” she mustered. Issue wasn’t the word for it. Mr. Farmer’s son was an obsessive asshole that wouldn’t leave her alone. He wanted her to date him and she refused. Telling him no wasn’t going to fly with him. He kept harassing her. It would start as soon as she walked into the office in the morning. He would corner her and tell her all the things he wanted to do to her and what he wanted her to do to him. He called her on her cellphone at night. She even changed her number, but that bastard got a hold of it and kept it up. She even went to Mr. Farmer about it. She thought he would do something about it. She was wrong. Even though, he had been the one to hire her and take her on all of his cases, he still favored his son. Finally, she couldn’t take it. She searched for another job. She didn’t want to leave the one she had, but she was no longer comfortable there. She found this one and came in for an interview. Thankfully, they saw her record and hired on the spot without too many questions.

“An issue?”

“Yes,” she said, a little embarrassed. She knew what he was assuming about her, but it was far from the truth. Should she let him think what he wanted or explain the situation to him?

To be continued....... 

Her First Day (Part 1)

She studied her face in the mirror. Her porcelain skin was flawless. It was the first day of her new job and not a blemish in sight. Normally, her nerves would have gotten the best of her and she would have seen the stress on her face. Today, there was nothing. She was excited to start this new adventure in her already illustrious career. She hoped the day went just as smoothly as the interview process. She finished getting ready. Her black pinstriped pencil skirt paired perfectly with her white three quarter sleeve button up blouse and matching jacket. She accented the entire outfit with her red pumps, ruby earrings and the ruby solitaire necklace her mother gave to her when she landed her first job as a lawyer. The slight punch of color made for a perfect ensemble. She checked herself over in the full length mirror one last time before grabbing her briefcase and heading out the door. She didn't want to be late her first day on the job.

She drove to her new office. She parked her car in her newly designated spot in the parking garage. Checking in with security, she made her way to her new office. The elevator ride to the fifty second floor seemed to take forever. There were intermittent stops along the way for extra passengers getting on and off. No one spoke to her. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry to get their office and start their day. She relished the quite as the doors finally opened up to her floor. She was greeted by the same woman who she saw before her interview. Her warm, friendly smile lit up the room.

“Good morning, Ms. Herring.”

“Good morning.”

“Welcome to our firm. Please let me show you to your office.”

“Thank you.”

“Follow me,” she said rising from her seat. They walked down the hall to the back corner office. It was small, but it would suit her needs just fine. The oak desk sat at the center of the room. There were books shelves on both sides lined with law books. She sat her briefcase down on her desk as she walked around to sit in her chair. She turned her computer on as her phone began ringing.

“Good morning, Melissa Herring’s office. How may I help you?”

“Good morning, Ms. Herring.”

“Good morning.”

“This is Mr. Holland. Can I see you in my office for a moment? We need to consult on a case.”

“Sure, I will be right there,” she said standing up from her seat. She could see a man across the office watching her. He waved at her. “I am going to guess that is you waving at me?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Okay, I will be right there,” she said hanging up the phone and grabbing her legal pad and pen. Making her way across the office, she noticed his striking features. His piercing blue eyes were the first thing that grabbed her attention as she entered his large office.

To be continued………