“I don’t understand. How do you know he’s missing?” Melody’s hands were trembling and she clutched them together beneath the table.
“He called me last evening, to tell me he had decided to resign. I was out to dinner, told him I’d call him back. When I tried calling him on his cell phone, he didn’t answer. I tried his home number but his…I believe she’s his housekeeper…said he wasn’t home. And then I called again this morning, several times, and no one answered, not even the woman who had answered the night before.”
“But he was here…how?” But Melody knew. Ryan had keys to everything.
Joe shook his head. “He’s a partner, a senior partner. There’s really no place he can’t access.”
“What do we do?”
“Nothing, really. Unless he’s threatened you.” Melody shook her head.
“About this morning, technically he’d be trespassing, except there’s no formal resignation on file. It’s a bit of a gray area at the moment. We’re not even sure if we should contact the police. He’s an adult, obviously, but…it’s just a bit out of the norm for us.”
Uneasiness crept up Melody’s spine. She wanted to run, find Logan, and go far away. But there was no overt threat; just the knowledge that a potentially unstable man she’d humiliated in his own firm was not where he should be.
“We’ll let security in the building know, along with the receptionists. He should be allowed on our floors, but there’s nothing keeping him from being in the public spaces of the building.”
Melody sighed. Her thoughts were churning, her mind in chaos.
“There’s something else I wanted to discuss with you, Melody.”
She started, the frown on her face deepening. “There’s more?”
Joe held up his hands, hurrying to continue. “No, no…nothing bad this time. Actually, we’d like to make you the interim managing partner of the department. There is quite a heavy caseload here and we do need someone to manage the department. That is, until we find a permanent replacement for Marshall.”
“Oh…Joe. I don’t know what to say.” This was all becoming too unreal for her and her mind was reeling. Maybe running away to Scotland and living in a cave wouldn’t be such a bad idea…
“I don’t need a decision immediately. But I would need one soon. Say, next Monday? That would give you the weekend to think it over.”
“The senior partners back this idea?”
“Oh, yes. They’re behind you being made junior partner. You have an exemplary record with us.”
Melody’s mind was racing. Apparently Ryan hadn’t told anyone about her affair with Logan. “Did Ryan have anything to say about me, yesterday? About me being made partner, I mean? Anything negative?”
“No. He had nothing to say yesterday, other than to deny everything and proclaim he was being framed. But nothing regarding any hindrance to you being made partner. He’s actually been quite supportive of your promotion. Why do you ask?”
Melody shook her head. “It’s nothing…it’s just…some of the things he’d said recently, his threats to derail my nomination for partner if I didn’t…acquiesce to him. Honestly, I’m not sure what the truth is anymore.”
She received a sympathetic smile from Joe. “Don’t worry. Right now, you’re exactly what this firm needs. Young, hard working, dedicated. And with a winning track record in court.”
Despite her anxiety, she smiled. “Thank you, Joe. I’ll give you a decision on Monday.” She blew out a breath, sitting back in her chair. “This has been one crazy week. I’ve never had so many ups and downs crammed into so few days. I’m not sure how much more I can handle.”
* * *
Melody spent most of the day working through Logan’s interview answers, deciding the best strategy to handle the counter claim from Ashton and then getting caught up on the rest of her case load.
By early evening, for the first time in what seemed like ages, she sat back and gave a contented sigh. Her desk was still full of papers and files, but the chaos was down to a minimum and she actually felt like she’d done a good day’s work.
“Victoria! Come take a look.”
Victoria peeked around the door frame, a questioning look on her face. Melody spread her arms wide.
“Look. You can actually see some of the actual desk.” She pointed to a corner of the mahogany desk visible between two stacks of case files.
“And it’s thanks to you, Victoria. I couldn’t have dug out of this without you. Thank you.”
She got a shy smile in return. “It’s my job…and, well, my pleasure. I enjoy working with you, Melody. I know we got off to a rough start, with Melissa and everything else that’s happened.”
“I didn’t give you a very fair start. You did land in the middle of a mess, in more ways than one.” Melody glanced at her watch.
“Go home. It’s late and it’s Friday. You’ve done more than enough today. Monday, we have several filings due. Lori will be back and I want you to go over those with her, have her help you.”
“Okay. Thanks.” Victoria lingered in the doorway a moment longer. “Can I ask you something?”
Melody leaned back in her chair. “Sure. What is it?”
“What’s he like? Logan MacKenzie, I mean. He’s just…well, I know I’m probably going to meet quite a few famous people here. I knew that when I took the job. But he’s…I’ve been a fan for such a long time. And he’s just so sexy. I know that’s really unprofessional of me to say but… you know, I’m just a huge fan.”
There was a part of Melody that wanted to share with someone exactly what Logan meant to her, but now was not the time and Victoria was certainly not the person. She shrugged, hoping the flush she felt creeping up her cheeks wasn’t noticeable.
“I’ve only met him a few times, here at the office. He’s nice. Very professional. Very private about his personal life, from the little conversations we’ve had that weren’t about the case.”
Victoria’s face fell in disappointment. “Oh. You two seemed somehow closer. Like you knew each other. And you came in with him today. I just thought…it looked like you were friends.”
Melody’s inner warning bells were sounding. She’d have to make sure instances like this morning didn’t happen again. If that were how closely others paid attention, she’d have to make sure she paid even closer attention to when she might be seen with Logan.
“He happened to be in the lobby when I came up. Coincidence, I guess.”
“But he wasn’t on your calendar…”
“We talked about it yesterday…after the…incident in Mr. Marshall’s office.”
Victoria shook her head, the disappointment on her face replaced with concern. “Such a horrible thing. It must have been so terrible, being put in such a position, hearing those horrible words.”
Melody regarded the woman standing in her doorway, something tickling the back of her mind. Words. Ryan’s words. What the hell is it? What words?
Of all the people she’d come in contact with that day, Victoria was the only one who had yet to say anything about the events in Ryan’s office. There had been a few whispers, some stares and several people who had stopped by out of sheer noisiness. There had also been a few colleagues who had stopped by to check on how she was, if she needed anything. But the one person she worked most closely with had said nothing.
The warning bells grew louder. Melody tensed behind her desk, suddenly anxious to be out of the office.
“You know, it’s late. I think I’m going to head out now too. Take off, Victoria. Go home. You’ve earned it today. Enjoy your weekend.”
Melody rose and Victoria finally moved away from her door, heading to her cubicle, gathering her purse. As soon as she’d turned off her desk light and waved good-bye, Melody closed her door. She picked up the phone and dialed Logan’s cell phone. He answered after the first ring.
“When are you coming back? It’s late. I called earlier, but somehow ended up talking to your paralegal. Victoria, I think? She said you were in a meeting, not to be disturbed.”
Melody closed her eyes, sighing in frustration. “I’m on my way now. I’ll meet you in your room.”
“Should I make a reservation…”
“No. No reservations.” Melody could hear the rising tone of her voice and she took a deep breath.
“Is everything alright? You sound a little panicked.” Logan’s voice was heavy with concern.
“There are some things here that just don’t make sense. I’ll be there in a little bit and we can talk. I’m fine. Can you order dinner? In your room?”
“For you, I’d order the moon if they’d deliver it. I’ll order wine as well. I’m having the feeling you’re going to need it…that we both will.”
* * *
“I think she’s somehow connected with Ryan.” They’d had dinner and Melody was curled up on the sofa, a glass of red wine in her hand. Logan sat at the end of the sofa, her bare feet in his hands, slowly rubbing the bottom of her feet.
“Ryan is missing. And when Joe came to offer me the interim partner position, he said he didn’t give him permission…”
“Melody. Slow down. One thing at a time. Start with Ryan.”
“Okay, sorry. He’s missing. Or at least he’s not answering his phone. Joe said Ryan had called him last night, told him he was resigning... And when Joe tried calling back, there was no answer. He tried Ryan’s house, but the housekeeper said he wasn’t there. And today there was no answer. But then he was in his office. I saw him there…” Her words trailed off as the thoughts in her head swirled in a maelstrom.
Logan looked up at Melody, a bemused look on his face. “Melody?”
“It…it was like he was waiting for me, or knew I was going to be there.” She closed her eyes, brows drawn together in concentration. When she opened them, her gaze was fixed on Logan.
“Logan, when I went to get the file, what happened? With Victoria, I mean?”
“Nothing. I went into your office, she went back to her desk. She’d asked if I wanted anything and I said no.”
“Could you hear her? Do you remember anything else? Anything at all?”
Logan frowned, the corner of his mouth drawing down. “She may have been on the phone. But honestly, I wasn’t really paying attention.” He colored briefly. “There was a call from Claire right then, and I was distracted by that.”
“Oh, we never listened to her message. Or did you?”
Logan shook his head. “No. Not without you there. Not falling into that pattern again. But go back to Victoria. What is it you’re thinking? That she’s got something to do with Ryan?”
Melody shrugged. “I don’t know for sure. But it’s odd; she was hired by Ryan. Ryan knew when you’d be at my apartment, and he repeated some of our phone call. And then today. He’s there, when I am? Joe said, as a partner, Ryan would have access to almost any place in the building.”