Read Online Hide and Snoop (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) by Sue Ann Jaffarian - Free Book Online

Your billable hours are down, for one thing, and the Hamlin-Hawke folks are digging in their heels about you being a liability to the firm regarding your habit of getting involved in murder cases.”
    I couldn’t believe my ears on the first part. “My billables are down because Erica refuses to give me work. I’m not getting much from other areas of the office either. And for the past several days, she’s saddled me with Lily. Do you know how little work I can accomplish with a three-year-old attached to my hip? Try it sometime.”
    I got to my feet and paced, careful not to step on the files covering the floor. I turned and pointed an index finger at Carl. “Erica Mayfield and Mark Baker are setting me up. As for the liability issue, I wasn’t a liability when the firm needed my help a few years back, was I? In fact, I remember not only saving Steele’s life, but the reputation of this firm.”
    My blood pressure was rising to a boil. For the second time today, I was close to telling an attorney to stick this job up their Ivy League ass.
    After more silence, Carl asked, “Where’s the child now?”
    “Zee Washington agreed to watch her today, but my friends should not be used as daycare any more than I should. If Erica’s sister has taken off, then Erica needs to step up and take care of her own niece.” I stopped my rant long enough to take stock of my words, remembering how scruffy Lily was getting as the days wore on. “Although my guess is Lily is far better off with me or Zee. It’s just not right, though.”
    “I agree.”
    Carl swiveled around in his chair and looked out the window. I wasn’t sure if it was an indication I was dismissed or if he merely needed time to digest the situation. After nearly a minute, I started for the door.
    “Odelia.” My name came from the chair, but Carl still did not turn around.
    I took a careful step back in the direction of Carl’s desk as he spun back around to face me.
    “I know Erica has been stacking the deck against you. We all know it. She hasn’t been very discreet about it. She’s even been lobbying the Woobie partners against you on the liability issue and has succeeded in catching the attention of a few. I’m not sure why she’s doing that, do you?”
    I swung my head back and forth as if on a hinge. “Not a clue.”
    “Have you tried talking to her about it?”
    “Yes, but she shuts me down and won’t give me the time of day. I’m practically barred from her office.”
    I took a seat in the chair across from Carl again, about to unload an unsavory thought. “Carl, do you think Erica’s sleeping with Mark Baker? It wouldn’t be the first time a boss couldn’t keep their hands off the staff.”
    I knew my remark conjured up thoughts of Steele, who loved getting up close and personal with coworkers, especially secretaries—until we hired him a lesbian assistant. He fell in love with Jill’s secretarial abilities and baking skills instead. But as long as I’ve known him, Steele has never used his influence to help or hinder his lovers.
    “I have no idea,” Carl answered after giving it consideration. “It could just be a case of her preferring to work with a paralegal she knows. You know, her comfort level.” Even though the words came out of his mouth, I could see Carl was thinking there might be more to Erica’s motives than mere familiarity.
    Crossing my arms, I leveled my eyes at Carl and let loose a barely veiled threat. “If she is sleeping with Mark, or has some other personal connection to him, and is going around bad-mouthing me to the partners to get me fired, she’s the one opening the firm up to liability, not me.”
    Carl’s a smart boy. He knew instantly I meant Erica was exposing the firm to a possible discrimination suit on the issues of sex and gender, with possible age-discrimination allegations thrown in. Not that I’d thought about filing a suit until that very moment, but now that I’d thrown the comment out,