Secrets that Simmer Read online

  “Your friend Eric sent an email to my boss. Apparently asking a few innocent questions is worthy of a reprimand and putting me on a temporary probation. I didn’t do anything wrong. But apparently I got in the crossfire of the holier than thou Urban Dwellers. So I quit.”

  Tony straightened. “I didn’t have anything to do with that.”

  Maggie rolled her eyes. “Sure you didn’t. It just so happened that Eric knew that I was at the benefit last night and decided to drop my boss an email? I’m not stupid.”

  Tony ran a hand through his hair. “You’re a good lawyer, Maggie. It sounds like it was a simple slap on the wrist. Why would you go off and quit?”

  “Because she was sticking it to the man,” Daniel said. He hiccupped again. Both Tony and Maggie looked at him in chagrin as Daniel jabbed his finger into the empty air.

  “How about I have my driver take your friend Daniel here home?”

  “As long as he can take both of us,” Maggie said. She was starting to feel a little woozy herself. She hoped that she could keep them both upright as she felt Daniel lean into her.

  “Actually, I was hoping you would stay,” Tony said. He let his fingertips dance down her shoulder. She felt twinges of delight at his touch. “I actually had a case that popped up that I’d like to ask you some questions about, to get a prosecutor’s perspective.”

  Now that was new. She had heard a lot of pickup lines, but that one probably had to take the cake.

  “I don’t think so,” Maggie said. “After careful consideration, I’ve decided to take your advice. I don’t mix business with pleasure.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, she had seen Sophie approach them on the other side of the bar. She’d hung back when she saw that Tony and Maggie were engaged in their verbal sparring. Sophie gave her a small thumbs up signal and grinned at her.

  “It would be all business, I promise. It’s a case from up north that I think you might be interested in anyways. Especially if you might be looking to do some freelancing now that you don’t have a job.”

  She didn’t appreciate the jab. “I would still have a job if it wasn’t for you,” she reminded him.

  “All the more reason that you should know that I am offering a sizable consultation fee for taking a look at this case.” Tony seemed very satisfied with himself.

  The wheels were turning in Maggie’s head. Even though she had quit her job, and technically wasn’t on the DA’s payroll anymore, she still had an insane curiosity about the mystery file. She hadn’t left it behind when she packed up her stuff. If she got a little bit closer to Tony, maybe she could find out why it had been sent to her to begin with. She would need Tony to trust her, though, if she was going to do that. A consultation arrangement seemed like an easy way to accomplish that goal. After all, she did have a bunch of free time on her hands now.

  “All right,” she said slowly. “But I have a few conditions.”

  “Shoot,” Tony said. He rubbed his hands together as if relishing the idea of the negotiation.

  “I’ll dictate my own fee, and just so you know, my expertise doesn’t come cheap.”

  "The best never do," Tony said with a satisfied nod. "Done. What else?"

  "I need at least two weeks with the case file. You can prep the list of questions that you need me to look over, and I will give you my honest opinion. The last thing is that I need you to leave me alone. No bugging me about it while I’m working on it.”

  Maggie was using a bit of reverse psychology on Tony. She figured if she said that, there was no way he’d leave her alone. She felt quite pleased with herself.

  Tony shook his head. "That I can't guarantee. This is highly sensitive, confidential information. I’ll have to have you sign a non-disclosure agreement, but I still need the case file to remain in my possession at all times. So you can either come to my office or my apartment to take a look at it."

  "That means my fee just went up if I have to do it on your time table," Maggie said. She was going to drive a hard bargain. She figured Tony had more than enough money to pay her. She could parlay this into some type of consulting gig until she got her next job. She might even be able to get enough funding to think about starting up her own firm. That was something that she had always dreamed about.

  "Well, then I have a condition of my own," Tony said. He leaned against the bar and waited.

  "What's that?" she asked.

  "Dinner," he said. "Tonight. I can give you an overview of the case, and then you can get started first thing tomorrow. My deadline is just around the corner, so we need to get cracking on it."

  She saw out of the corner of her eye that Daniel had been watching them like there was some type of tennis match going on between them. Then she saw a sly smile spread across his face. Dammit. She was being too obvious.

  "Fine. But since it's a business expense that you can write off, it better be someplace nice."

  "I never have any problem taking an attractive woman out to a nice restaurant," Tony said. "How about the Violet Lune at 7 o'clock?"

  Maggie managed to keep the expression on her face neutral. The Violet Lune was the one restaurant in Copper City that was notoriously difficult to get into. Reservations took up to six months. He obviously had some pull if he thought he could get a reservation there the same day. "Violet Lune at seven then."

  "Looking forward to it," Tony said. He stuck out his hand. "All business, I promise."

  She put her hand into his, and That was when he gave it a hard tug that pulled her right up against him. He looked down into her eyes with a gruff expression. Then he leaned down and whispered into her ear. "At least, until you ask me nicely for something else. Which I guarantee you will." Maggie’s mind spiraled even as he released her and spun on his heel. "See you at seven."

  He left her standing there with her mouth hanging open, looking like an idiot.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  As Maggie approached the Violet Lune, she glanced at her watch and saw that it was just a hair past seven. She didn’t want Tony to think that she would always be at his beck and call. This was a business arrangement, but a lopsided one at best. She put her hand on the doorknob and turned it. When she entered the restaurant, she felt as if she had entered another world.

  Every table around her was occupied by beautiful, glamorous people. As she scanned the faces, she spotted several well-known politicians and celebrities. She felt uncomfortable even though she was wearing her nicest dress. This wasn’t the crowd that Maggie was accustomed to running with. Definitely nothing like what Tony was used to. She stepped up to the maître d’s podium. There was a man standing there with a slight grimace on his face as he appeared to be checking over the waiting list. She knew that there were people off to her left who were sitting there waiting for their name to be called.

  She heard that the only way to get into the Violet Lune if you weren’t a celebrity or politician was to come and sit and wait for an open table. If you got lucky, a table would open up because a reservation would cancel. The only way you knew that, though, was by being there. So people sat in the lounge by the bar for hours at a time. The thing was, they didn’t serve food in the bar. So Maggie had known several people who had tried to get a table and ended up completely wasted instead, all the while still not scoring a table.

  Violet Lune’s popularity was mostly because of the chef. Chef Marco was world renowned for his Italian cuisine. He was an up and comer in the restaurant industry, and the Violet Lune had been lucky to snag him when they did. They had caught his star when it was on the rise. Maggie had a sneaking suspicion that the Urban Dwellers had a stake in the Violet Lune business. That would be the only explanation for how Tony was able to get in that night. There was some type of affiliation, no doubt about it. The Urban Dwellers had their fingers in just about everything around Copper City.

  The maître d’ looked at her expectantly, and that was when Maggie realized she had yet to say a single word. That wasn’t like her at all. Even
in situations where she was highly uncomfortable, she usually said something. It was almost a guarantee in those situations that it was the wrong thing to say, like her awkward TV interview, but at least it was something. She was hardly ever speechless. But the discomfort of the entire situation had gotten under her skin. She shifted and moved her briefcase to her other hand. She had the mystery file tucked inside, just in case she needed it.

  “I’m Maggie O’Hara. I’m supposed to meet Tony Atwood.”

  The maître d’s face lit up in a bright smile. It almost caused Maggie to take a step backward. His expression changed to one as if he was greeting a long-lost best friend. “Ms. O’Hara! Welcome to the Violet Lune. We are delighted to have you dining with us tonight.”

  Maggie hadn’t expected this kind of reaction at all. “Thank you?” She said the word with a bit of a question in it.

  The maître d’ didn’t appear to notice. He offered his hand across the podium. “My name is Benson. I will be ensuring your complete satisfaction this evening. If there is anything that you need over the course of the evening, please just let me know.”

  Maggie put her hand in his and was surprised when he didn’t shake it. Instead, he brought it to his lips and kissed the top of it. She had to chuckle a bit. The man’s over-the-top demeanor would normally have irritated her, but instead she felt a bit like a fairy princess. Wasn’t this the way that it was supposed to feel when you had so much money you were richer than God? She thought it wouldn’t hurt to enjoy the feeling of having someone fall all over her a bit.

  “I appreciate that. Thank you, Benson.” She gave him a small little curtsy because she didn’t know what else to do. This seemed to satisfy Benson. He took her by the elbow and started to guide her across the restaurant. He quietly pointed out several of the celebrities that she had already noticed and a few that she hadn’t. He chatted about the fact that they were so busy because there was a new movie being shot in Copper City, and the whole cast loved to come to the Violet Lune for their evening dinners after a long day on set. Then he proceeded to tell her that if she enjoyed rigatoni, she had to try Chef Marco’s rigatoni before they ran out. It flew off the shelves every time he made it, and it was a bit of a special occasion that he was making it that evening at all. Maggie’s head spun as he motioned for her to climb a small flight of stairs at the back of the room. She started to look around in confusion. “Where are we going?”

  “Mr. Atwood has reserved the private table on the veranda for your dinner this evening,” Benson said. He chuckled. Maggie wondered if she had missed the joke.

  “Is there something about the veranda that I should know?”

  Benson shook his head. “Oh no, no I’m sorry. I’m probably speaking out of turn, Ms. O’Hara, but Mr. Atwood only brings the ladies that he likes quite a lot to the veranda.”

  Maggie wasn’t quite sure what to do with this information as she realized that Benson also had the wrong idea about their dinner. “Oh no, this is a business dinner.”

  Benson seemed to look at her with an understanding nod as if he heard this all the time. “Of course, ma’am.”

  They reached the top of the stairs, and, for a moment, Maggie forgot all about the fact that she was supposed to be there for a business dinner. Tony stood waiting for her at the top of the stairs. He gave Benson a nod and took Maggie’s elbow.

  She would have had to have been a nun not to notice how good Tony looked. He was wearing a dark blue suit with a light blue shirt and a matching tie. His blond brown hair was stuck up in a way that should have looked messy, but instead made him look dashing. She knew he was thirty-five-years old and had never been married. His line of girlfriends and girls of the moment was lengthier then any in recent memory based on that afternoon’s internet search. Maggie didn’t have anywhere near that kind of past relationship resumé. She felt nervous. It was as if she needed to reestablish why they were there.

  “I was afraid that you weren’t going to come,” Tony said.

  “I’m not a flake. I said I would do the job, and I’m going to do it.” Of course, Maggie had an ulterior motive in the whole thing. She thought again about the report in her briefcase.

  She looked at him again as he settled her into the booth. It was a large booth that could have easily accommodated at least ten people. She thought it was awkward that it was just her and Tony sitting there.

  “This isn’t a date. This is strictly business,” she reiterated.

  “Just business,” Tony said. He pulled a briefcase up off the floor and into the air, showing it to her with a mocking grin. It was black suede leather and had the symbol of a popular luxury brand on the buckle. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”

  Maggie decided to ignore the innuendo. She put her beat up briefcase on the tabletop and was embarrassed by it. It had seen better days to be sure, but it had been a gift from her parents when she graduated law school. They had probably had to save for several months to buy it. Her family hadn’t been well-to-do like Tony’s.

  Maggie pulled a pad of paper and a pencil out of her briefcase and looked at him expectantly.

  “We haven’t even ordered wine yet,” he said. As if on cue, Benson appeared next to his elbow. “Mr. Atwood, Ms. O’Hara, again we are delighted to have you here at the Violet Lune tonight. May I suggest the chef’s tasting menu? There’s a lovely wine pairing that goes along with it prepared by our sommelier that I think that you will find exquisite.”

  Maggie had no idea quite what was happening. Tony looked at her expectantly. “Any allergies or foods that you definitely don’t like?”

  “My father used to joke that I have a hollow leg.” Maggie had no idea why she said that. It sounded as if she could eat a horse when she said that kind of thing. “No, no allergies, nothing like that.”

  Tony turned back to Benson. “Then we will gladly put ourselves in Chef Marco’s capable hands for the evening.”

  Benson nodded appreciation. “Very good, sir. And I’m sure he’ll want to come up and have a chat with you once he has a free moment in the kitchen.”

  Maggie wouldn’t admit it, but she was impressed with the fact that Tony knew Chef Marco personally. Chef Marco was written up in the paper at least twice a week for his avant gard style and risky dishes. Critics came from all over the country to taste his cuisine. The fact that it sounded like he was a close personal friend of Tony’s was surreal. Tony seemed to take all that in stride as if that kind of thing happened every day. Of course, she had to correct herself. It probably did happen every day in Tony’s world.

  He caught her look and frowned. “What?”

  “You are a piece of work, aren’t you?” Maggie said exactly what was on her mind. She realized she was going to have to reel that in if she wanted Tony to actually like her enough to open up to her. She backpedaled with a sweet smile. “I just mean I don’t normally have this kind of dining experience. It is a whole new level for me.”

  “I don’t think you’ll be disappointed by Chef Marco’s choices. He is one of the newest up-and-coming chefs in the country.”

  “I know. I might not get to dine at the Violet Lune on a regular basis, but I do have an awareness of what’s happening in our city.” Maggie couldn’t quite keep the snarkiness out of her voice. She wasn’t sure what it was about Tony that just brought it out.

  Tony looked as if he wanted to say something else when Benson appeared again. The man nodded apologetically as if he was aware that he had interrupted them, but then filled two glasses of wine to the brim. Maggie knew that she was going to need it to make it through the next couple of hours in one piece. She picked up her glass and started take a sip when Tony stopped her.

  “A toast?”

  “All right,” she said grudgingly.

  “To new alliances,” Tony said. He gave her a smug smirk.

  “To new alliances,” Maggie said. She clinked his glass, and then she eagerly took a sip of the wine. She closed her eyes in appreciation. There was
one thing that Maggie truly enjoyed, and that was a good glass of wine. She would save for months to splurge on a perfect bottle of Pinot Noir from her favorite French vineyard. It was something that she only opened for special occasions like winning her latest case at trial.

  She nodded with a small shrug when she saw Tony’s expectant look. “It’s good,” she admitted.

  “Everything is good here,” he said confidently.

  “So now that we’ve ordered our food and our wine, how about we get down to business?” Maggie didn’t want to get too far afield of their true intention there by appearing as if she was the slightest bit interested in anything other than Tony’s case.

  Tony chuckled. “What is it about you? Can’t you ever just loosen up a little bit and have some fun?”

  “I don’t have time for fun,” Maggie said. Then she realized the fallacy of her words. She had just quit a job she loved. She had more than enough free time on her hands now, but she wanted to put it to good use. “That was why I’m here. I’m here to work.”

  “Okay then, let’s get down to it.” Tony pulled out a file out of his briefcase. “I have a confidentiality agreement here. You’re welcome to take your time looking it over, but know that I can’t tell you the full details of the case until you do. I won’t tell you the defendant’s name, where he lives, or the circumstances around his particular personal situation.”

  “That will make giving an opinion a bit more difficult,” Maggie said as she took the thick document from him. She didn’t plan to sign anything until she could give it a thorough review.

  She was a bit intrigued; she had to admit. Given Tony’s reputation, he could have his pick of any case he wanted. It seemed that he usually picked ones that had high visibility. The ability to be able to see things on this side of the fence was exhilarating and more than a bit flattering. She had to wonder what kind of case he would decide was appropriate to consult with her on.