impact all of this will have on your own life. Your home life, your job, your social life—everything will be affected. My first recommendation would be that you talk about this very seriously with your husband, and then get yourself a lawyer.”
“My husband uses William Holder for his business,” Cindy said sullenly.
“Sure, I know Bill. He’s a good lawyer. So, then, I’d suggest you give him a call and talk this over with him. Once you and your husband discuss all of this and come to some sort of mutual decis—”
“She doesn’t need to,” Alex said, his voice fairly crackling with controlled fury. Cindy looked over at him and was positive that, at that moment, she had never hated him more in her life.
“She doesn’t need to because she’s not going to get them. There’s no way in Hell! I’ll fight you on this. I swear to God I’ll fight it all the way to the goddamn Supreme Court if I have to. There’s no fucking way you’re going to take my children away from me!”
Krendall obviously felt uncomfortable, caught as he was in this emotional crossfire. He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath before saying, “My initial advice to you stands, Mrs. Toland. I think you should contact your husband’s lawyer and fill him in on what’s happened so far.”
“But… but why can’t I use you?” she asked, hunching her shoulders. The skin at the back of her neck felt like it was on fire. “You know everything that’s happened so far, and you were Debbie’s lawyer. Why can’t you straighten it all out?”
“You said it—I’m your sister’s lawyer and, thus, I represent her husband’s interests. It would obviously be a conflict of interest,” Krendall replied. “If Mr. Harris chooses to contest his wife’s will—”
“You bet your ass I intend to!”
“—then you will need your own legal counsel. As I said when we began, this whole matter presents a quite complicated legal situation. It’s something I’ve never experienced before, anyway. Now, if the two of you can come to some kind of agreement, that would be best. If you can’t… well, then, I’ll be blunt—it’s going to get very brutal and very expensive.”
And you don’t know the half of what Alex is capable of , Cindy thought, cowering as she glanced over at her brother-in-law. She closed her eyes a moment, fighting back the tears and wanting to explode. Then, in a tight, high voice, she said, “Can they come with me now?”
“Who?”
“The children,” she said, a bit more forcefully. “Can they come home with me… today?”
“There’s no way in Hell!” Alex shouted as he slammed his fist on the chair arm. “You’re not taking my kids away from me! Not without a goddamned court order!”
Cindy looked at Krendall, but he gave her a helpless shrug and said, “Look, Mrs. Toland, until you’ve retained legal counsel, I’m reluctant to say much more. I’d recommend, and I’m sure the courts would recommend, that, in the best interest of the children, they stay with their father … at least for the time being… until all of this can be ironed out. I know this must be… difficult for you, but I’m afraid you’re going to have to make some very tough decisions over the next few days.”
Cindy nodded, knowing that—at least for the moment—she’d been backed into a corner. Again, she wished Harry had come down here with her today so he could have heard everything that had been said. But now, it was time to talk with Harry and their lawyer, and get things in motion. The bottom line was the safety of the children. Cindy’s first thought was that, if Alex had the capacity to murder his own wife, then his children might not be safe in his house, either.
Wondering if she could even stand up, Cindy rose slowly from her chair and leaned across the desk to shake hands with Krendall. Her hand felt like a tangle of cold spaghetti in his beefy grip. When Krendall offered to let her take the will and bank
“My husband uses William Holder for his business,” Cindy said sullenly.
“Sure, I know Bill. He’s a good lawyer. So, then, I’d suggest you give him a call and talk this over with him. Once you and your husband discuss all of this and come to some sort of mutual decis—”
“She doesn’t need to,” Alex said, his voice fairly crackling with controlled fury. Cindy looked over at him and was positive that, at that moment, she had never hated him more in her life.
“She doesn’t need to because she’s not going to get them. There’s no way in Hell! I’ll fight you on this. I swear to God I’ll fight it all the way to the goddamn Supreme Court if I have to. There’s no fucking way you’re going to take my children away from me!”
Krendall obviously felt uncomfortable, caught as he was in this emotional crossfire. He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath before saying, “My initial advice to you stands, Mrs. Toland. I think you should contact your husband’s lawyer and fill him in on what’s happened so far.”
“But… but why can’t I use you?” she asked, hunching her shoulders. The skin at the back of her neck felt like it was on fire. “You know everything that’s happened so far, and you were Debbie’s lawyer. Why can’t you straighten it all out?”
“You said it—I’m your sister’s lawyer and, thus, I represent her husband’s interests. It would obviously be a conflict of interest,” Krendall replied. “If Mr. Harris chooses to contest his wife’s will—”
“You bet your ass I intend to!”
“—then you will need your own legal counsel. As I said when we began, this whole matter presents a quite complicated legal situation. It’s something I’ve never experienced before, anyway. Now, if the two of you can come to some kind of agreement, that would be best. If you can’t… well, then, I’ll be blunt—it’s going to get very brutal and very expensive.”
And you don’t know the half of what Alex is capable of , Cindy thought, cowering as she glanced over at her brother-in-law. She closed her eyes a moment, fighting back the tears and wanting to explode. Then, in a tight, high voice, she said, “Can they come with me now?”
“Who?”
“The children,” she said, a bit more forcefully. “Can they come home with me… today?”
“There’s no way in Hell!” Alex shouted as he slammed his fist on the chair arm. “You’re not taking my kids away from me! Not without a goddamned court order!”
Cindy looked at Krendall, but he gave her a helpless shrug and said, “Look, Mrs. Toland, until you’ve retained legal counsel, I’m reluctant to say much more. I’d recommend, and I’m sure the courts would recommend, that, in the best interest of the children, they stay with their father … at least for the time being… until all of this can be ironed out. I know this must be… difficult for you, but I’m afraid you’re going to have to make some very tough decisions over the next few days.”
Cindy nodded, knowing that—at least for the moment—she’d been backed into a corner. Again, she wished Harry had come down here with her today so he could have heard everything that had been said. But now, it was time to talk with Harry and their lawyer, and get things in motion. The bottom line was the safety of the children. Cindy’s first thought was that, if Alex had the capacity to murder his own wife, then his children might not be safe in his house, either.
Wondering if she could even stand up, Cindy rose slowly from her chair and leaned across the desk to shake hands with Krendall. Her hand felt like a tangle of cold spaghetti in his beefy grip. When Krendall offered to let her take the will and bank
Similar Books
