“True. I’ll let him live. You may speak.”
“Shall we start with coffee?” Katie said, looking uncomfortable.
We followed her inside, picking up the twins who were giggling at each other for no apparent reason. Nick figured they were plotting how to take over the world one adult at a time and I was inclined to agree with him. They were little human hurricanes and they scared me more than any security threat or terrorist because of the sheer power they wielded.
“Katie’s given me a lot of information on Lacey,” Nick said, looking at Claire. “I know some shit about him already.” The girls were in their playpen, currently amusing themselves with the stuffed dogs and other animals in there. “None of it means I trust him or think he’s a rational human being so any security measure I put in place are reasonable and rational, given the threat.”
Claire nodded. “I know you know more than I do,” she said to Nick, now serious and professional.
I had little experience with the polished lawyer that Claire had become. When we were at college, I’d seen her studying, talking to other law students and professors and the lawyer she would become was apparent. The past few years I’d only seen Claire when she was decompressing from work and at her most sarcastic, usually sharpening her tongue on me. “But if Katie wants to get herdecree nisianddecree absolutas soon as possible then going to the police is pretty much essential.” She looked at Katie. “I know you’re worried about the consequences. That’s why these guys have been hired. If you come forward with the evidence against him then a judge may well choose to expedite your divorce.”
Katie looked at her, a soft smile on her face. “I know,” she said. “And I don’t disagree. But I can’t go to the police yet because what I have on him incriminates me.”
Nick looked stony, an expression I knew well from when we were kids and when we were in the Marines. “They’d be no charges against you,” he said. “You know that as well as I do.”
“But if the media find out then my life would be over. No charity would want me as a spokesperson and who am I without that?”
He shook his head. “Fine. I’m not going to try to persuade you: you know my opinion. Moving on, there have been threats towards Katie and her family, just not directly from any associate of Lacey or Lacey himself. Katie’s house has been ransacked and we’re thinking it was both to search for evidence that she has and to cause her panic.”
Claire took an audible breath and glanced at me. “Okay. So, what’s the procedure?”
I passed her a coffee. “Almost as you were. We just up everything. Nick wants to add extra security in at your apartment and the times when you requested security not be there will be ignored: security will be there.”
She held my gaze for a moment, her poker face fixed. “To and from work, evenings if I’m going out and weekends?”
I nodded, knowing she hated this. “It just means you give us an itinerary of where you’ll be so we know if we need someone with you. There is another option.”
“What?” She raised her eyebrows.
“You don’t continue as my lawyer,” Katie said, sipping the coffee that she had taken filled with cream and sugar. “And I would completely understand that. You’re putting yourself in danger by doing it, and possibly your family too.”
“No,” Claire said. “I hate bullies and that’s what this is. I’m carrying on with your case unless you and I have a disagreement about you going to the police.” She put down the coffee cup and picked up one of the twins’ toys, fiddling with it in her fingers.
Katie reddened. “Claire, I can’t. Not with this.”
“There’s plenty that you can go with. He physically assaulted you. You have the photos. You have voicemails where he was verbally abusive and threatening. We need to use those to petition for your divorce,” Claire said and I wondered what Katie had confided in Nick, who was looking almost as grim as the day he found out he was a single parent.
Katie shook her head. “If I need to, I will. But Claire, he has stuff on me. If I can get away from him without tarring my reputation and I can continue what I do for my charities, then that’s all I can ask.”
“But you’re potentially freeing him to attack someone else…”
“I know. But at the moment I need to look after myself first. When I know I’m safe I can consider more,” Katie said, her shoulders shaking almost imperceptibly.
“If he thinks you have something on him, Katie, he isn’t going to stop,” Claire said, her tone calm and kind.
I remembered at college when her friend had been struggling with an alcoholic parent and Claire was practically caring for him. She’d been firm but never harsh and I remembered watching and listening to her, wondering how someone could be that perfect.
“I agree you need to protect yourself, but there may be a better way of doing it.”
Katie put her cup down and leaned back in the chair. “I don’t want to be his wife any more. I need to be separate from him. I know I’m going to end up losing money but at least I’ll keep my pride and my sanity.”
She looked choked up and afraid, Nick shifting towards her and putting a hand on her shoulder. I knew my brother well enough to know that he wouldn’t take advantage but I also knew him well enough to know that he’d rather she wasn’t just a client.
Claire stayed quiet and I knew she was thinking, watching Katie’s reaction. “I know he’s manipulated you for three years. I know he’s controlled you and he’s not going to stop trying to do that, but we have to get you the best deal possible out of this.”
Katie had been a successful model so I knew she would’ve had her own income. Claire hadn’t shared the details of her financial situation. “Won’t Katie be better off after they divorce?” I said.
Katie’s shoulder sank and she stared at the floor. “Pre-nup. I was stupid. I didn’t have my lawyer read it and if I divorce Dean, it’ll leave me with virtually nothing. He protected his own assets while ensuring he would have access to mine. He sees divorce as being a failure so he won’t accept it. He wants to stay married to me because then he can still control me.” She looked up at me. “It’s a shit situation, Killian. Claire’s the only lawyer I came across who thought I had any chance of coming away with what I had earned myself. As it stands, Dean takes more than half of that. I’d have a small amount of savings but I’d have to start a new career as it wouldn’t be enough to live off and I don’t want to become a third-rate celebrity doing demeaning publicity crap just to get by.”
