Every instinct screams for me to retreat, but I stand my ground. “I never promised you anything, Reid. I never led you on, and if you think I did, or if I said or did anything to make you think I saw you as anything other than a professional colleague, then I apologize.”

We take our seats and the judge arrives. After listening to our arguments, he peppers Reid with questions about the documents I’ve requested and Farnsworth’s reasons for refusing to produce them. After an interminable silence, the judge says he will have a decision for us next week. Court dismissed.

Reid immediately whips out his phone, no doubt to call Farnsworth and report a possible defeat. Apparently, Farnsworth didn’t know the judge’s mind quite so well, or maybe it was the other way around and the judge knew him. Either way, Farnsworth will be worried. If those files contain complaints of harassment from staff and associates, as I think they do, he’ll definitely not want them to fall into my hands.

Humming a happy tune, I pack up my stuff and join Ray at the elevator. But before I can tell him the reason for my good mood, Evil Reid catches up to us, his hair slightly mussed and his tie askew, as if he’d been running. “I need to talk to you.” He slicks his hand over his hair, smoothing everything into place. “I just got off the phone with Farnsworth. Although he has nothing to hide, and he is not at all concerned about the outcome of the hearing today, he wants to make an offer to make this lawsuit go away.”

My breath catches in my throat, and for a moment I can’t believe my ears. Farnsworth never settles. Never. He litigates everything to the death. Why break the tradition for me?

“He’s afraid of what’s in those files, isn’t he?” I try and fail to repress a smile. “Farnsworth & Tillman would certainly get some bad press if the managing partner was found to have engaged in sexual harassment and blackmail. And it would be especially bad if I found some witnesses who would testify against him.”

Reid snorts his derision. “He’s an upstanding member of the legal community. You won’t find anyone willing to drag his name through the mud. Guaranteed.”

His conviction and the emphasis he puts on the word guaranteed niggle at my brain. Maybe Farnsworth or Reid were somehow involved with the break-in at my office. A quick glance at an unusually silent Ray confirms my suspicions. He’s thinking the same thing, too.

“What’s the offer?”

Evil Reid shifts from one foot to the other and then sighs. “It’s not that simple. There’s a catch.”

“Of course there’s a catch. We’re talking about Farnsworth. What is it?”

“Timing. He’s flying to Kuala Lumpur later tonight and he wants it wrapped up by then. Quick and dirty.”

So tempting. Settle with Farnsworth. Make the stress go away. Vindication. Revenge. “I might be interested if I saw the terms.”

Evil Reid glances over his shoulder and then turns his gaze to me. “His secretary is typing something up now and will fax it to your office. I can meet you there and we can go over it and, if you’re happy, we can draft up a settlement agreement I can take to Farnsworth at the airport.”

Anticipation ratchets through me, but I hold it at bay. Something about this doesn’t feel right. It can’t be this easy. If Farnsworth really wanted to keep the documents out of my hands, he would find a way to destroy them. Nothing stops the Barracuda. Nothing gets in his way. Especially not a former junior associate with no money and only one trick up her sleeve.

Still, it can’t hurt to take a little peek. “Think you can handle slumming it in Hippie Land?”

Reid’s eyes darken, taking on an almost feral gleam. “Actually, I’m looking forward to it.”

Chapter 22

THIS IS NOT ME

“I don’t like it.” Ray paces across the reception room. “Cravath can’t be trusted. Not only that, my contact at the police department thinks they have a match on the prints from the break-in. He’s pretty sure it’s Farnsworth’s PI, Eugene. He’s got a criminal record, so his prints came up in the database search. I would stay, but I’ve got an urgent meeting after I drop Penny off.”

“I’ll be fine.” I give his shoulder a reassuring pat. “I’ll work at Penny’s computer so we’re out in the open. And I’m a fighter. If he tries anything funny, I’ll twist him up in a quick triangle.”

“I’m sorry I can’t stay either,” Penny says. “My mum jumped on the first plane from London when I told her what happened, and I’m picking her up at the airport this evening.”

Almost giddy at the thought of settling the case, I give them a reassuring smile. “You guys go and do what you have to do, and hopefully tomorrow we’ll be celebrating the end of Farnsworth and the start of a whole new law firm.”

Ray gripes for another ten seconds and then shouts something unintelligible at me before following Penny down the hallway. I pull out my files and then fire up Penny’s computer. Although I’m not worried about being alone with Evil Reid, I wouldn’t want him in my office. Too personal and too far from the front door, as I learned the other night.

Reid arrives five minutes later with his briefcase in his hand and a grimace on his face. “Ready to do business?”

“I haven’t received anything from Farnsworth. Do you have the terms of the offer?” My hands hover over the keyboard, shaking slightly with nervous anticipation.