Read Online Family Dynamics (Pam of Babylon Book Five) by Suzanne Jenkins - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Suzanne Jenkins
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out loud. Maybe he had.
“It’s the publicity I’m worried about,” Pam confessed. “If everyone he was with thinks they can sue me, I’ll be in court the rest of my life. Why didn’t you tell me she’d come to see Jack?”
“I couldn’t justify it. You’d just been sick. The health department call came the day she visited the office! It was such a coincidence. I wasn’t in the best of shape myself. No, I couldn’t lay that on you with everything else. Look, I’m no lawyer, but it all sounds like a bunch of bull to me,” Sandra said. “The family is pissed, so they’re going to threaten you. Call your friend Jeff, Pam. We need his lawyer’s perspective.”
“I did contact my attorney, and he didn’t seem too concerned. He doesn’t know the extent of Jack’s—” Pam was at a loss for words. His reach? “He’s our tax attorney, though; maybe I need to talk to someone else.” Pam felt the anxiety building in her chest. “I’d better get busy and make that call to Jeff, Sandra. Thank you for listening to me yammer on. We’ll stay in touch, OK? And don’t keep anything from me!”
“OK, I’m sorry,” Sandra replied. They said goodbye and hung up. Pam started pacing. She didn’t know where to start. She thought of Jeff. He’d push her in the right direction.
“You need a civil attorney,” Jeff said. “There’s someone in my firm you should talk to. Dan Chua. I’ll get in touch and fill him in, if that’s OK with you. He’s very discreet, by the way.”
“Well, God knows I need that,” Pam said, exasperation with her own gullible stupidity growing exponentially. Why the hell didn’t Sandra tell her about Cindy Thomasini? Who else was she hiding? Out of nowhere, Pam began to think about Marie. She had emptiness in her chest that was almost painful. She wished she’d confronted Marie about her relationship with Jack, pressed for more details. She’d died with so many secrets.
Leaning up against the window sill, Pam looked out over the beach and the water. The view continued to have the same effect on her as it always did, and the negative thoughts and anxiety slowly went away. She jumped up when the shrill bell of the phone rang. Laughing, she went to answer and saw “Law Offices” on the caller ID. She answered with a soft “Hello.”
“Mrs. Smith, this is Dan Chua. Jeff Babcock suggested I call you. Is this a good time?” Pam couldn’t help herself; she had a little chill go through her body at the sound of this man’s voice. It was deep and soft. Contradictory. Here we go… .
“It’s a perfect time. Boy, that was fast. I just hung up from Jeff!” Pam exclaimed.
“He doesn’t fool around,” Dan said with a chuckle. “Seriously, he said it was urgent and briefly explained what you have going on. Can you meet with me today?” Pam thought quickly; she had a hair appointment before dinner. She glanced at her reflection in the hallway mirror; she could go another day.
“Yes, today is fine,” she said. They made an appointment for Pam to meet him at his office in a neighboring town inland as soon as she could get there, and said goodbye. She remembered to call her tax attorney and leave a message that she wouldn’t be putting the letter in her mailbox. She’d explain the reason later. The temperature got warmer the farther she drove from the beach through rush-hour traffic to Dan Chua’s office. She immediately liked the office; it was not a showpiece with expensive furnishings and custom carpeting like Jack’s lawyer had. She was surprised that Dan Chua was waiting for her.
“The receptionist leaves at four to pick her kids up from school,” he explained. She smiled at him, speechless. He was gorgeous. Tall but not gigantic, Dan Chua was young, probably in his forties, and a body builder. She’d gone to the gym long enough to recognize one. He looked nice in a suit, too. Most body builders look ridiculous in suits , she thought. She may have recognized
“It’s the publicity I’m worried about,” Pam confessed. “If everyone he was with thinks they can sue me, I’ll be in court the rest of my life. Why didn’t you tell me she’d come to see Jack?”
“I couldn’t justify it. You’d just been sick. The health department call came the day she visited the office! It was such a coincidence. I wasn’t in the best of shape myself. No, I couldn’t lay that on you with everything else. Look, I’m no lawyer, but it all sounds like a bunch of bull to me,” Sandra said. “The family is pissed, so they’re going to threaten you. Call your friend Jeff, Pam. We need his lawyer’s perspective.”
“I did contact my attorney, and he didn’t seem too concerned. He doesn’t know the extent of Jack’s—” Pam was at a loss for words. His reach? “He’s our tax attorney, though; maybe I need to talk to someone else.” Pam felt the anxiety building in her chest. “I’d better get busy and make that call to Jeff, Sandra. Thank you for listening to me yammer on. We’ll stay in touch, OK? And don’t keep anything from me!”
“OK, I’m sorry,” Sandra replied. They said goodbye and hung up. Pam started pacing. She didn’t know where to start. She thought of Jeff. He’d push her in the right direction.
“You need a civil attorney,” Jeff said. “There’s someone in my firm you should talk to. Dan Chua. I’ll get in touch and fill him in, if that’s OK with you. He’s very discreet, by the way.”
“Well, God knows I need that,” Pam said, exasperation with her own gullible stupidity growing exponentially. Why the hell didn’t Sandra tell her about Cindy Thomasini? Who else was she hiding? Out of nowhere, Pam began to think about Marie. She had emptiness in her chest that was almost painful. She wished she’d confronted Marie about her relationship with Jack, pressed for more details. She’d died with so many secrets.
Leaning up against the window sill, Pam looked out over the beach and the water. The view continued to have the same effect on her as it always did, and the negative thoughts and anxiety slowly went away. She jumped up when the shrill bell of the phone rang. Laughing, she went to answer and saw “Law Offices” on the caller ID. She answered with a soft “Hello.”
“Mrs. Smith, this is Dan Chua. Jeff Babcock suggested I call you. Is this a good time?” Pam couldn’t help herself; she had a little chill go through her body at the sound of this man’s voice. It was deep and soft. Contradictory. Here we go… .
“It’s a perfect time. Boy, that was fast. I just hung up from Jeff!” Pam exclaimed.
“He doesn’t fool around,” Dan said with a chuckle. “Seriously, he said it was urgent and briefly explained what you have going on. Can you meet with me today?” Pam thought quickly; she had a hair appointment before dinner. She glanced at her reflection in the hallway mirror; she could go another day.
“Yes, today is fine,” she said. They made an appointment for Pam to meet him at his office in a neighboring town inland as soon as she could get there, and said goodbye. She remembered to call her tax attorney and leave a message that she wouldn’t be putting the letter in her mailbox. She’d explain the reason later. The temperature got warmer the farther she drove from the beach through rush-hour traffic to Dan Chua’s office. She immediately liked the office; it was not a showpiece with expensive furnishings and custom carpeting like Jack’s lawyer had. She was surprised that Dan Chua was waiting for her.
“The receptionist leaves at four to pick her kids up from school,” he explained. She smiled at him, speechless. He was gorgeous. Tall but not gigantic, Dan Chua was young, probably in his forties, and a body builder. She’d gone to the gym long enough to recognize one. He looked nice in a suit, too. Most body builders look ridiculous in suits , she thought. She may have recognized
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