stirred. I was so desperate to stay in my home I married a man who was a stranger. Jared promised I’d be able to stay in this house.
Liz didn’t even replace the receiver, and didn’t need to look up Marianne’s number. Three rings later, the automated system clicked on. She pushed one, for If you are an attorney or calling on behalf of one . . .’
Sure enough, Marianne herself answered. “Ms. Hartley.”
“Marianne, it’s Liz, Liz Keeny.” Please, please let there be good news. The check was lost in the mail and she’ll send another one right away . . .
“Liz, I’ve been meaning to call you, but was holding off until I had all the details.” Marianne’s voice sounded like the doctor who had given them the results of Gerry’s lung biopsy.
She wasn’t going to die a painful death, but the news wasn’t good. “What’s the holdup now, Marianne? Things are getting very difficult, and I haven’t had any income from the partnership distribution for months.”
“I’m afraid there is none forthcoming. The independent auditor I hired to investigate Bill Jeffers found a lot of creative accounting, as I suspected. But it seems that Bill did a good job of hiding the money, too. He’s been embezzling from several clients, not only you. Now we’ve got a criminal matter involving several plaintiffs all represented by different attorneys. This is going to take a while to sort out, and it looks like we may have to opt for a class-action settlement.”
“A settlement? I’m counting on every penny!” Her chest hurt, she found it hard to breathe, to talk.
“Liz, please, calm down. I understand how desperate you are, but once it becomes a criminal case it’s not about just you. I have been trying to get you paid but there are so many claims against the partnership the judge has put a hold on all disbursements.”
“Is that mother fucker in jail?” She had never used that language in her life but it seemed to suit Bill Jeffers just fine. Too bad it didn’t make her feel any better.
“Not yet. He’s got an attorney trying to keep him out since all his assets are frozen and he won’t be able to make bail.”
Her sadness the law firm Gerry had built was going under got lost in the anger. “What about the new partner, what the hell is his name, Saltzman?”
“Saltzman, right. He seems to be clean and is still working. That keeps the firm solvent, but none of his income will help unless you join the class action. Under the terms of the partnership agreement your proceeds are based upon income from Gerry’s old clients. Since the firm’s reputation has been badly damaged, they’re pulling out completely and jumping on the every-man-for-himself bandwagon. You all have lost escrow, retainers . . .”
Retainers. Oh, God, I have to pay Marianne’s installment . . . The lawyer’s words faded into Liz’s sobs. She dropped the receiver. Her fingers and toes disappeared. A fog swirled around her. She fell to her knees.
“Liz? Liz, are you all right?” Marianne sounded like she was underwater.
“Mary, Mother of God what’s wrong?” Mae ran into the room and skidded onto her knees next to Liz.
Her words blended with the attorney’s frantic maydays into a cacophony, including Eddie howling from somewhere.
Mae grabbed the phone. “Who the hell is this, and what did ya say to her?”
Marianne’s voice through the receiver was like an old-fashioned 33 rpm record set on 78. Liz’s vision blurred, she gasped for breath as Elisabeth’s desperation squeezed the life out of her.
“All right. I’m sorry. Let me get things under control and I’ll be sure to call ya right back. Lizzy, Eddie is alone in the high chair in the kitchen. We need to go back before he falls out. Please, get yourself together.”
Elisabeth writhed in her own agony. Edward told me to stay here . The baby’s pitiful wails penetrated the protestations in Liz’s ears. Mae helped her up. She held onto the walls for balance.
Liz didn’t even replace the receiver, and didn’t need to look up Marianne’s number. Three rings later, the automated system clicked on. She pushed one, for If you are an attorney or calling on behalf of one . . .’
Sure enough, Marianne herself answered. “Ms. Hartley.”
“Marianne, it’s Liz, Liz Keeny.” Please, please let there be good news. The check was lost in the mail and she’ll send another one right away . . .
“Liz, I’ve been meaning to call you, but was holding off until I had all the details.” Marianne’s voice sounded like the doctor who had given them the results of Gerry’s lung biopsy.
She wasn’t going to die a painful death, but the news wasn’t good. “What’s the holdup now, Marianne? Things are getting very difficult, and I haven’t had any income from the partnership distribution for months.”
“I’m afraid there is none forthcoming. The independent auditor I hired to investigate Bill Jeffers found a lot of creative accounting, as I suspected. But it seems that Bill did a good job of hiding the money, too. He’s been embezzling from several clients, not only you. Now we’ve got a criminal matter involving several plaintiffs all represented by different attorneys. This is going to take a while to sort out, and it looks like we may have to opt for a class-action settlement.”
“A settlement? I’m counting on every penny!” Her chest hurt, she found it hard to breathe, to talk.
“Liz, please, calm down. I understand how desperate you are, but once it becomes a criminal case it’s not about just you. I have been trying to get you paid but there are so many claims against the partnership the judge has put a hold on all disbursements.”
“Is that mother fucker in jail?” She had never used that language in her life but it seemed to suit Bill Jeffers just fine. Too bad it didn’t make her feel any better.
“Not yet. He’s got an attorney trying to keep him out since all his assets are frozen and he won’t be able to make bail.”
Her sadness the law firm Gerry had built was going under got lost in the anger. “What about the new partner, what the hell is his name, Saltzman?”
“Saltzman, right. He seems to be clean and is still working. That keeps the firm solvent, but none of his income will help unless you join the class action. Under the terms of the partnership agreement your proceeds are based upon income from Gerry’s old clients. Since the firm’s reputation has been badly damaged, they’re pulling out completely and jumping on the every-man-for-himself bandwagon. You all have lost escrow, retainers . . .”
Retainers. Oh, God, I have to pay Marianne’s installment . . . The lawyer’s words faded into Liz’s sobs. She dropped the receiver. Her fingers and toes disappeared. A fog swirled around her. She fell to her knees.
“Liz? Liz, are you all right?” Marianne sounded like she was underwater.
“Mary, Mother of God what’s wrong?” Mae ran into the room and skidded onto her knees next to Liz.
Her words blended with the attorney’s frantic maydays into a cacophony, including Eddie howling from somewhere.
Mae grabbed the phone. “Who the hell is this, and what did ya say to her?”
Marianne’s voice through the receiver was like an old-fashioned 33 rpm record set on 78. Liz’s vision blurred, she gasped for breath as Elisabeth’s desperation squeezed the life out of her.
“All right. I’m sorry. Let me get things under control and I’ll be sure to call ya right back. Lizzy, Eddie is alone in the high chair in the kitchen. We need to go back before he falls out. Please, get yourself together.”
Elisabeth writhed in her own agony. Edward told me to stay here . The baby’s pitiful wails penetrated the protestations in Liz’s ears. Mae helped her up. She held onto the walls for balance.
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