Blood Rubies by Jane K. Cleland

Author:Jane K. Cleland
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781466857155
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Max Bixby’s small law firm was housed in a big white house on Brook Street, just outside Rocky Point’s main shopping area. He owned the building, which used to be a private residence, and rented out suites to other professionals. His current tenants included an independent insurance agent, two psychotherapists, a title company, and a nutritionist. Max kept the sprawling ground floor for his company.

Max was just what a lawyer should be: smart and knowledgeable, objective and fair, protective and flexible. Today he wore a blue and brown tweed jacket with brown slacks and shoes, a yellow shirt, and a blue bow tie with brown polka dots. He was tall and thin, and his eyes twinkled when he said something he thought was funny, which happened a lot.

He opened his office door in response to his secretary’s buzz. I didn’t recognize her. I wondered what happened to his longtime assistant, Gloria.

“Josie!” Max said.

He extended a hand. We shook. He stepped back and waved me in.

His office was as modern as I recalled, an odd variance to his courtly old-world appearance and manners. His desk had been created from a slab of black granite. Smallish diamond-shaped glass-topped tables were positioned on either side of the black leather and chrome sofa. A glass-topped conference table stood near the windows. The iron gray curtains had gold and silver threads running vertically through the fabric. The rug was charcoal gray. The walls were light gray, a sort of pale blueberry color. Abstract paintings, mostly geometric shapes, hung on every wall. Some contained slashes of red or purple.

Max led the way to the conference table. The glass top sparkled under the overhead recessed lights. A phone console sat at the head of the table next to a black leather portfolio. A Polycom voice station was positioned in the center, its cords running through a black flexible plastic tube that disappeared under the carpet. Next to it, a tray held a cut-crystal carafe of water and four matching glasses.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” I said.

“No problem, Josie. Ana arrived a few minutes ago. I have her parked in an empty office. I wanted to talk to you first, see if there’s anything new about Peter’s threats I should be aware of.”

“No. I just hope she isn’t mad at me.”

“Let’s find out.”

He pushed a button on the phone console, and his secretary opened the door and looked at him.

“Please bring Ms. Yartsin in, Marian.”

She said she would and shut the door as she left.

“What happened to Gloria?” I asked.

“She took a four-month leave to go help her daughter Danni in Texas. Danni had a baby.”

“Oh! That’s wonderful. Wonderful for her, not so great for you. So Marian is a temp?”

“No, she’s an admin shared by two of the firm’s associates. She’s terrific.” He grinned. “They got the temp. I poached.”

I laughed. “You devil, you.”

He shook his head, his eyes twinkling. “The guilt weighs on me.”

“I can tell.”

He sat up straight, pressed his palm against his chest, and in an orator’s voice said, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

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