Read Online Redress of Grievances by Brenda Adcock - Free Book Online
Authors: Brenda Adcock
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"You forgot your
picture."
"She
can keep it for her memory book," Riley snapped.
"Do
you want to press charges, ma'am?" one of the officers asked.
Numbly,
Harriett shook her head. Her hands were shaking, and suddenly her lungs
couldn't take in enough air. Alex touched her arm, making her flinch. When she
could finally force herself to look at Alex there were tears in her eyes.
"I
have to get out of here," she managed to say.
"I'll
take you home," Alex said softly.
Alex
called the office from Harriett's apartment and spoke to Doug Winston,
explaining what had happened. Alex helped Harriett undress and poured her a
glass of straight bourbon. When she awoke, it was after dark, and she was
curled up in Alex's arms.
"I'm
sorry, Harriett. There was no way anyone could have known...," Alex began.
"Where's
Lacey?"
"Eleanor
picked her up after school. She'll bring her home in a little while."
"I
need a few days off," Harriett said flatly. "Will you have Eleanor cancel
my appointments for the rest of the week?"
"Of
course. Do you want me to drive you up to the cabin?"
"No.
Lacey has school. I just need some time alone."
"I
don't think you should be alone, Harriett. Not yet."
"Don't
worry. I'll be at the office in a few days."
FOUR
DAYS LATER, Harriett entered the offices of Winston and Dunne, pausing for a
moment before pushing the door open. No one spoke to her as she proceeded
toward her office.
"Schedule
a meeting with Doug and Alex for me as soon as possible, please," she said
as she passed Eleanor's desk. Eleanor nodded and picked up her telephone as
Harriett closed the door to her office.
In
less than an hour, she was seated in Doug Winston's office facing the two
senior partners.
"I've
decided to tender my resignation from Winston and Dunne," she said.
Doug
Winston rose from his seat and moved to where Harriett was sitting.
"I
know what a disturbing business the Wilkes case has been for you, Harriett, but
you can't let it ruin your life. You'd be throwing away everything you've
worked for."
"I
have to do this, Doug," she said firmly.
"What
are you planning to do?" he asked with genuine concern in his voice.
"I'm
thinking about moving and setting up my own practice. The Wilkes case will
always be in my mind, but I'll be able to get over it faster if I'm not in
Dallas."
"We
should have never suggested the case to you," Doug said.
"It's
not your fault," Harriett said with what passed for a smile. "No one
forced me to take the case. It was my decision alone. Every attorney knows this
can happen. They just pray it never does. "
"I
think you're making a hasty decision under duress," Alex said tightly.
When Harriett looked at her, there was sadness in Alex's eyes. She loved Alexis
Dunne, and she loved her job, but she knew she would have to give them both up
to make peace with herself and start over.
"No,
Alex," Harriett said softly. "I accept that my actions resulted in
the death of Ashley Lawrence. I don't like it, but I'll learn to live with it.
What I can't live with is the backlash against me and possibly against this
firm. I can't spend the rest of my life wondering if there will be some type of
retaliation, or if someone at Lacey's school will say something to her about
the case or me. I can't place her in that situation."
"You
might find it interesting that Wilkes has requested you as his attorney
again," Doug said. "I didn't think you'd mind if we turned the
sonofabitch down on your behalf."
"Incredible,"
she said.
"He's
retained the Snake," Alex said.
"Lewis
Sullivan?" Harriett asked.
"Yeah,"
Doug said. "The scuttlebutt is that Sullivan is going to file an insanity
plea."
Harriett
shook her head. "Jared Wilkes is sick, but he's not insane."
"Well,
that's out of our hands now," Doug shrugged.
"I'd
like my resignation to be effective at the end of the month. I'll clear up the
cases I have pending and will probably have to reassign a few of them."
"Let
us know if there's anything we can do to
picture."
"She
can keep it for her memory book," Riley snapped.
"Do
you want to press charges, ma'am?" one of the officers asked.
Numbly,
Harriett shook her head. Her hands were shaking, and suddenly her lungs
couldn't take in enough air. Alex touched her arm, making her flinch. When she
could finally force herself to look at Alex there were tears in her eyes.
"I
have to get out of here," she managed to say.
"I'll
take you home," Alex said softly.
Alex
called the office from Harriett's apartment and spoke to Doug Winston,
explaining what had happened. Alex helped Harriett undress and poured her a
glass of straight bourbon. When she awoke, it was after dark, and she was
curled up in Alex's arms.
"I'm
sorry, Harriett. There was no way anyone could have known...," Alex began.
"Where's
Lacey?"
"Eleanor
picked her up after school. She'll bring her home in a little while."
"I
need a few days off," Harriett said flatly. "Will you have Eleanor cancel
my appointments for the rest of the week?"
"Of
course. Do you want me to drive you up to the cabin?"
"No.
Lacey has school. I just need some time alone."
"I
don't think you should be alone, Harriett. Not yet."
"Don't
worry. I'll be at the office in a few days."
FOUR
DAYS LATER, Harriett entered the offices of Winston and Dunne, pausing for a
moment before pushing the door open. No one spoke to her as she proceeded
toward her office.
"Schedule
a meeting with Doug and Alex for me as soon as possible, please," she said
as she passed Eleanor's desk. Eleanor nodded and picked up her telephone as
Harriett closed the door to her office.
In
less than an hour, she was seated in Doug Winston's office facing the two
senior partners.
"I've
decided to tender my resignation from Winston and Dunne," she said.
Doug
Winston rose from his seat and moved to where Harriett was sitting.
"I
know what a disturbing business the Wilkes case has been for you, Harriett, but
you can't let it ruin your life. You'd be throwing away everything you've
worked for."
"I
have to do this, Doug," she said firmly.
"What
are you planning to do?" he asked with genuine concern in his voice.
"I'm
thinking about moving and setting up my own practice. The Wilkes case will
always be in my mind, but I'll be able to get over it faster if I'm not in
Dallas."
"We
should have never suggested the case to you," Doug said.
"It's
not your fault," Harriett said with what passed for a smile. "No one
forced me to take the case. It was my decision alone. Every attorney knows this
can happen. They just pray it never does. "
"I
think you're making a hasty decision under duress," Alex said tightly.
When Harriett looked at her, there was sadness in Alex's eyes. She loved Alexis
Dunne, and she loved her job, but she knew she would have to give them both up
to make peace with herself and start over.
"No,
Alex," Harriett said softly. "I accept that my actions resulted in
the death of Ashley Lawrence. I don't like it, but I'll learn to live with it.
What I can't live with is the backlash against me and possibly against this
firm. I can't spend the rest of my life wondering if there will be some type of
retaliation, or if someone at Lacey's school will say something to her about
the case or me. I can't place her in that situation."
"You
might find it interesting that Wilkes has requested you as his attorney
again," Doug said. "I didn't think you'd mind if we turned the
sonofabitch down on your behalf."
"Incredible,"
she said.
"He's
retained the Snake," Alex said.
"Lewis
Sullivan?" Harriett asked.
"Yeah,"
Doug said. "The scuttlebutt is that Sullivan is going to file an insanity
plea."
Harriett
shook her head. "Jared Wilkes is sick, but he's not insane."
"Well,
that's out of our hands now," Doug shrugged.
"I'd
like my resignation to be effective at the end of the month. I'll clear up the
cases I have pending and will probably have to reassign a few of them."
"Let
us know if there's anything we can do to
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