Catalyst (30 page)

Renee realized she was indeed bare-footed. She limped
back to the examination room to recover her shoes.

****

The next surprise came the following day when they
were back in
French Maiden
preparing to head home. Renee was
packing clothes and picked up Lem's jacket. The odds and ends had
been removed from the pockets but she rummaged through again and
took out odd bits of paper. There were the usual things, a credit
card receipt, checkout counter slips and candy wrappings. In an
inside pocket was a piece of folded pink paper that looked like an
invoice. She unfolded it and read the contents.

She grabbed Lem. "Look at this, Sweetheart."

Lem stopped and glanced over Renee's shoulder. "What
is it?"

"A receipt for a safety deposit box in a Seattle
branch of the Bank of America. It's made out to Nikki Fromont."

"That was Nikki's maiden name," Lem said and grabbed
the paper. "This could be it." He read the carbon copy but it
didn't tell a lot more. There was a number, Nikki's name and a
fifteen-month-old date. He studied the small writing on the back of
the receipt and read one section out loud. "Keep your access number
in a secure place. In the event of your bank card being lost, this
number, as well as proof of identity, is required for access to
your safety deposit box." Lem glanced up. "Interesting. Perhaps
Patrick will get his necklace back after all."

****

Whether it was a family heirloom or not, Lem and
Renee didn't know but the diamond necklace they withdrew from the
box glittered in their hands.

"My God." Renee gasped. "This is worth a
fortune."

"Quarter a million or more," Lem replied as he ran
the glittering diamonds through his fingers.

"So what do we do with it?"

"I don't believe a long drawn out lawsuit on whether
it was a gift to Nikki or not is worthwhile. If you agree, I think
we should tell Patrick we have it."

"I'm not greedy," Renee said. "But I do think Linda
deserves some of that reward he hinted at. After all, if she hadn't
gone on and found your jacket, it could still be lying in the cave.
I doubt if any of us would have bothered to go back again."

"Agreed," Lem replied. "I'll give Patrick a
call."

****

The meeting with Patrick McQuilkin was held in
Renee's office with Lem and Linda present. The elderly man's eyes
lit up when Renee brought the box out from the firm's safe, placed
it on her table and opened it.

"Yes," Patrick whispered and lifted the necklace up.
"It originally belonged to my grandmother." He turned and smiled at
Linda. "You found his jacket that had the invoice in?"

"Well, sort of," Linda replied in a shy voice. "I
happened to be the one who stumbled over it."

"Were you all there?" McQuilkin pressed.

"Yes. Ken and Lem were in the cave with me. Courtney
and Renee went up the mountain and were in the jeep accident."

Patrick coughed. "So you earned the right to receive
the reward."

Linda flushed. "I guess," she said in a shy
voice.

"I believe you're starting at Washington State
University in the new academic year?"

"Yes."

"That is a remarkable achievement at your age,"
Patrick complemented. He fixed the girl with a long stare. "I never
waste money, Linda but believe in sound investments."

Linda glanced at Renee and Lem but they appeared as
perplexed as she was.

Patrick smiled. "I am prepared to pay your full
tuition fees as long as you complete your degree in the usual four
years. After that, you're on your own. Do you agree?"

"The lot? That's tens of thousands of dollars. I was
going to take out a student loan."

"Yes," Patrick replied.

"Thank you, Mr. McQuilkin."

Patrick turned to Renee. "Could you make up a
contract, Renee?"

"Of course."

"Oh, one other thing," Patrick added, almost as an
afterthought. "Make out two similar contracts for Ken and Courtney.
Since you good people have taken these youngsters under your care,
I think it is only fair to treat them all the same, don't you?"

"Three contracts for full university fees for four
years?" Renee was surprised.

"Better add a bit for living expenses," Patrick said
with a smile. "Say ten thousand a year each for four years."

"Of course," Renee answered in a monotone and caught
Linda's bewildered eyes. "I'll have it drawn up and ready for
signing tomorrow."

****

"I can't believe it," Linda said after Pat McQuilkin
shook everyone's hand, gathered up the diamond necklace and left.
"He must be a multi-millionaire."

"Something like that," Lem replied. "Nikki knew how
to pick her boyfriends, I'll give her that much."

"Can I use the phone, Renee? I left my cellphone in
the car and want to call Ken and Courtney," Linda continued, her
voice brimming with excitement.

"Sure," Renee replied. "Go ahead."

She watched the seventeen-year-old grab the
telephone, reached over to Lem, found his hand and squeezed it so
hard her fingers hurt. Somehow, she knew Patrick McQuilkin had made
a sound investment in supporting their three charges.

****

The trial was halfway through the second day when
Judge Ward interrupted the plaintiff's attorney with an abrupt, "I
am declaring a fifteen minute recess and wish to speak to Mrs.
Erksberg in my chambers." He glared at the defendant's attorney.
"You, too, Mr. Pyratt."

Renee frowned and turned to the fifteen-year-old girl
beside her. "It'll be okay, Tania," she said in a confident voice
that she didn't feel. "There's some technical hitch, that's
all."

"I hope so," the girl whispered. Her dark eyes looked
haunted.

Renee swung a rotund body from the bench and limped
across the courtroom. Every time she became tired her ankle ached
but at least the baby had stopped kicking. She was determined to
finish the case. It was so important, not only for Tania but the
precedent it would set. She sighed and brushed a sweaty hand across
her brow.

Once they were in the small anti-room the judge
turned to Renee like a stern high school principal. "How many cases
have you handled in this court over the last three weeks,
Renee?"

"Four," she replied, "but this is the only major
one."

"And how long do you intend to stay here today?"

"Until the end of the hearing," Renee replied as she
stood with a shaky hand gripping the edge of the judge's desk.

"Oh, sit down," Maurice Ward retorted and almost
pushed Renee into an armchair.

Renee nodded, swung her body around and let go to
collapse into the soft leather.

"How long is it before your infant is due?" the judge
asked in a softer voice.

"Ten days."

"And your leg?"

"I know it's there."

"Well, I'm declaring you unfit to continue," Judge
Ward said. "You are going home even if I have to call a cab to get
you there."

Renee protested. "I have to bring my client to the
stand. It is imperative I handle her with discretion, or she will
freeze and everything we've gained will be lost."

"Get Suzanne Norwood to do it. She's a capable
lawyer, Renee...a carbon copy of yourself in many ways. I'm sure
she is well informed on what your approach will be."

"She is," Renee sighed.

"Mrs. Erksberg," the judge retorted. "You've won this
case and we are now going through the motions. Don't you agree, Mr.
Pyratt?"

The opposing lawyer gave an embarrassed cough. "As
the respondent's attorney, I..."

"Can it, Peter," Ward interrupted. "You haven't a
snowball's chance in hell and you know it."

"The girl may slip under my cross-examination,"
Pyratt replied, saw Renee's tired face and smiled. "Okay, Renee. I
agree your client deserves to win. Get Suzanne to do the closing
arguments and leave Tania off the stand. I'll tidy up my side and
we'll save ourselves three hours."

"Thank you, Peter," Judge Maurice Ward said and
turned back to the pregnant woman. "Do you need a cab, Renee?"

"No, I can drive myself."

"You will not." The judge reached for the telephone.
"Who do I call?"

"Lem is in Everett renegotiating a contract with
Boeing, so will be out of touch." Renee sighed.

"Trouble? I noticed the big extension being built at
Epsilon Products
."

"No," Renee replied. "It's the opposite in fact. A
while back Lem won a massive contract with the Airbus consortium.
We also won another Boeing contract." She grinned. "So the two
competing airplane companies will be using Epsilon components."

"I'm pleased but that doesn't solve our immediate
problem. I don't think you should go home to an empty house."

"I have the kids' cellphone numbers. They'll be at
Washington State but one could be free."

"Good." The judge took the address book Renee handed
him.

****

Twenty minutes later Courtney arrived and escorted
Renee to her car. "God, you look awful. I'm taking you straight to
your doctor."

"No." Renee grimaced. "The maternity hospital, I
think."

Courtney turned and stared at the redheaded
mother-to-be. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Renee managed to smile. "I'm getting pain in
more places than my leg."

She leaned back and let Courtney concentrate on
getting through the afternoon's traffic. A misty rain fell over the
city and traffic moved at a walking pace. Courtney cursed and Renee
bit her lip as another spasm of pain shot through her body.
"They're getting closer."

"I know. I'll get you there."

The light changed to green, Courtney cut across a
lane, ignored blaring horns and accelerated. She wasn't about to
let her best friend down.

The End