Hearsay by Taylor V. Donovan Read Free Book Online Page B

Payroll that this doctor was adamant about talking to Chadwick about his baby's condition. I hear it's serious and unexpected, as his other nine children seem to be fine."
    Derrick rubbed his eyes and loosened his tie. "Huh …"
    "Hopefully he'll recover soon. The support staff is sending cards, but it's the attorneys who are supposed to come up with the cash."
    Derrick chuckled humorlessly. "Not surprised about that." The staff loved grand gestures on the associates' and partners' dime. One day he would have to ask Tashana if the partners actually gave any money and where it all went.
    "Same applies to the collections for Mr. Bradford's wedding present," she carried on, reorganizing a few files on Derrick's desk. "Isn't it weird that he's getting married? I thought he was gay."
    Derrick really didn't want to hear the words "Mr. Bradford" and "wedding" together again. They made his stomach churn.
    "I'm not giving a penny to anyone until I hear an official announcement from Alan Chadwick or Roman Bradford themselves about sick children or wedding bells."
    "Whatever you say, boss."  
    Derrick's cell phone vibrated inside the right pocket of his pants. After reading the name on the screen, he put it down and let the call go to voice mail. It was the same cowardly move he'd been pulling for the past twenty-four hours, but he couldn't deal with Tyler just yet.
    Not until he came up with a backup plan.
    But he was out of time. A decision had to be made.
    He rolled his shoulders and said, "Can you call Mrs. Maounis and ask her to come see me at five instead of three?"
    "Sure." Casey moved toward the door immediately, well aware he was done with this particular subject for the time being. "Will you need me to stay?"
    "You can go home at your usual time." Derrick forced a smile. "I can handle it."
    Casey grinned. "Me and my boyfriend thank you."
    He turned toward the window the moment she left his office. It was gloomy outside, and he morbidly relished the sight. The cold October weather perfectly matched his mood.
    His phone vibrated briefly, a reminder he had messages he had yet to listen to.
    Derrick bumped his head against the window and squeezed his eyes shut.
    His court appearance earlier was a mess. Mediation hadn't worked out for this particular couple, and now they were fighting it out in Family Court. But today the Chiantis had apparently forgotten they both had legal representation and opted to yell insults and accusations at each other right in front of the judge. This wasn't the first time his client behaved in such an erratic way, and Derrick was forced to set Mrs. Chianti straight. If she didn't clean up her act, her three kids would be removed from her home by personnel from the Administration for Children Services until she submitted to a psychological evaluation. She wasn't happy to hear that and told Derrick he'd best make sure that never happened if he didn't want to find himself without a job. Derrick had been fuming by the time he stepped outside the courthouse.  
    That episode hadn't helped his mood. He'd been feeling distressed on a personal level to begin with, and now he could add pessimistic in regard to the outcome of the Chianti case. He was officially having the worst day ever, and all of a sudden he wanted to cry.
    Eight days after submitting Tyler Coleman's case for their consideration, Derrick had yet to hear from ABC's Pro Bono team, but he'd heard at least twenty different versions of why Roman Bradford was leaving the firm.  
    He didn't have a way to corroborate the rumors. Short of walking into Roman's office and asking his boss directly if it was true, Derrick didn't have any option but to wait and see, along with ABC's thousand other employees.  
    He needed to focus on finding a way to provide the best legal representation he could for his friend. Tyler was in deep shit and needed his help. That should be his priority right now. He was a constant in Derrick's life, whereas Roman Bradford