Page 90 of Key West Homecoming

Emma straightened. “More how?”

“Nothing that changes what we know about the cottage. It has to do with the rest of what Arthur received from Gloria’s estate, and I want to go through it carefully before I say too much. Come to my office Friday and I’ll show you.”

“How worried should I be?”

“I don’t know yet, and that’s why I don’t want to speculate over the phone.”

“All right. Friday.”

“Good. Now we need to talk about Chicago.”

“I know.”

“I’m not your career adviser, but you’ve got a hearing next week and depositions coming after that. This case is going to want your attention on a schedule neither of us controls. You can’t keep telling your firm you’ll be back in a few days.”

“I know that too.”

“So call them.”

Emma looked at the phone in her hand. “I will.”

“Today.”

Emma smiled despite herself. “You and Rebecca would get along very well.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It was meant as one.”

After they hung up, Emma stayed on the patio for another few minutes before calling Frank Reyes.

Frank had been the managing partner at Ashcroft & Payne for eight years, and Emma had worked with him on and off since her second year at the firm. He picked up on the third ring.

“Hello, Emma.”

“Hi, Frank. Do you have a few minutes?”

“For you, yes.”

She had rehearsed what she was going to say twice before making the call, but when the time came, she kept it simple. The family matter she’d come to Florida to handle had become more complicated than she expected. There was now a legal dispute that required her to remain in Key West, and she needed a formal leave of absence. Two months at least, maybe longer.

“Is anyone hurt?”

“No.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

“Is this one of those situations where a lawyer has told you not to say much?”

“Some of it.”

“All right.” He paused. “Emma, you’ve been here twelve years. I can’t remember the last time you took a day you didn’t have coming to you, and I’m fairly certain you answered email on most of those days anyway. If you need two months, take two months.”

Emma hadn’t realized how tightly she’d been holding herself until then.

“Marcy can handle the day-to-day work on your accounts, and Greg can take Brookfield. Your position will be here when you come back, along with your office, your parking space and that plant on your windowsill that I’m pretty sure has been dead since February.”