The Salvation Case

Bridges wondered what his uncle could possibly want. His uncle was his father's younger brother, the baby of the family. They had never been too close, but they had spoken a few times.

He felt a mixture of apprehension and curiosity as he waited for his uncle to arrive.

.

ATTORNEY MALCOLM'S OFFICE

Malcolm's desk was immaculately arranged, his papers neatly stacked and organized. He was all set to go speak to his client.

Malcolm straightened his tie and checked his appearance in the mirror. He wanted to look his best, as he was about to meet with a client.

The case Lambert had assigned to him was a serious one, involving a sexual assault, and he wanted to be sure he was prepared. He took a deep breath and opened the door to his office.

As soon as Malcolm opened the door to his office, he saw Laurie, the secretary, and Molly, a junior associate, walking past.

Laurie was leading the way, while Molly followed closely behind. It seemed that Molly was trying to follow in Laurie's footsteps, but his eagerness was making him look like a pest in the eyes of Malcolm.

Malcolm rolled his eyes at Molly, annoyed by his attempts to ingratiate himself with Laurie.

It was no secret that Molly had feelings for Laurie, but Molly was still a young guy compared to Laurie, who was a grown woman and far more older and experienced.

As Malcolm thought about his upcoming meeting with the female client who had been assaulted, he realized that he couldn't go alone. He needed a female companion, and there was no one else available. None he could think of.

Malcolm recalled he had sent his paralegal, Marilyn, on an errand, so she wouldn't be able to accompany him. Should he ask Attorney Linda? But she was probably busy.

Perhaps he could ask one of the other junior associates, but they might not be experienced enough for the task. Or maybe he could ask Laurie? Malcolm considered his options.

Malcolm mustered up his courage and approached Laurie's desk. She was sitting with Molly, who was clearly trying to impress her. Malcolm wanted to ask if she could accompany him, but he hesitated.

What if she thought he was trying to take advantage of her, who was the secretary to Bridges? He shook his head and turned to walk away, feeling defeated.

As Malcolm turned to leave, he heard his name being called. "Attorney Malcolm!" It was Laurie. He turned around to see her standing there expectantly.

"Do you need something?" she asked. Malcolm nodded, unable to speak. Laurie approached him and asked again, "What can I do for you?" Finally, Malcolm managed to speak.

"I need some help with a case," he said, handing her the file. By the title, she instantly knew the nature of the case.

"Let me get my things," Laurie said, walking back to her desk.

She gathered her bag and coat, ignoring Molly's pleading looks. She walked over to Malcolm and hefted her bag onto her shoulder.

"Won't your boss be wondering where you are?" he asked.

"Oh, he's busy right now besides, it's just one outing," she said with a dismissive wave. "Let's go."

They headed for the door, and Malcolm held it open for her. As they left the office, Molly followed them. "I can come, too, right?" He asked, looking from one to the other hopefully.

Malcolm would have definitely rejected Molly.

"Sorry, not this time, Molly," Laurie said gently. "We need to focus on the case, and you can't be involved in that."

Molly looked crestfallen, but he nodded and reluctantly returned to his duty post.

As they headed for the parking lot, Malcolm asked, "Do you drive or would you prefer to ride with me?”

Laurie considered the question. "I'd rather ride with you, if that's okay," she said.

He nodded to her reply. He wasn't the talkie kind of man. "We can talk about the case on the way, if you'd like."

"I'd like that," she said. "Let's get going."

They got into his car and headed for the victim's home. As they drove, they discussed the details of the case and how they would approach the interview. They arrived at the address and got out of the car.

Malcolm knocked on the door.

The door opened, and a woman in her thirties stood there, looking at them with a mixture of fear and hope in her eyes.

"Hello," Malcolm said gently. "I'm Attorney Malcolm Gavin from L&J Laws, I'm your attorney, and this is my colleague, Laurie."

The woman nodded, and she stepped aside to let them in. They entered the house, and Malcolm introduced them to the woman, whose name was Sarah.

"We're so sorry for what you've been through," Laurie said, taking a seat on the sofa.

They sat down on the sofa, and Sarah sat across from them in a chair. "We know this is difficult for you," Laurie began, "but we're going to do everything we can to help you."

Sarah nodded, but she looked down at her hands, twisting them together nervously. "I don't know if I can do this," she said in a small voice.

"Can we just start with what happened?" Laurie asked. "Do you want to tell us in your own words, or should we ask you questions?”

Sarah thought for a moment, and then she spoke, her voice trembling. "I was walking home from the grocery store," she began, "And I saw a man following me. I tried to ignore him, but he kept getting closer. He grabbed me from behind and dragged me into an alley. I tried to scream, but he put his hand over my mouth. He... he..."

She trailed off, her eyes filling with tears.

"You don't have to continue if it's too difficult," Laurie said. "We understand." Sarah shook her head.

"No, I need to tell you everything," Sarah said, her voice stronger now. "He forced me to do things, things that I don't even want to think about. And then he left me there, and I don't know what to do."

"It's not your fault," Malcolm said. "You're the victim here, and you didn't do anything wrong. Can you tell us anything about the man who did this to you?"

Sarah thought for a moment, and then she said, "I didn't get a good look at his face, but he was wearing this,” she said, handing over a neck chain she groped while the man tried to force himself on her.

Malcolm took it and observed it under his scrutinizing gaze. Its pendant was carved letters O and D. “Can I take this with me?” He asked, his face turning cold and serious.

He hated criminals and he loved catching them. He wasn't called ‘The Ghost Attorney Of L&J Laws’ for nothing. He was as quick as light and as smart as a partly charged brain.

“Yes, you can,” Sarah said.

After speaking for some time with Sarah, Laurie and Malcolm decided to leave. Malcolm was grateful that he had brought Laurie along. She had been the one doing most of the talking, and she had been so sensitive and compassionate with Sarah.

Malcolm was at a loss for words as he and Laurie parted ways after they had gotten to the office.

He wanted to thank her, but he didn't know how to express his gratitude. She had been so helpful and understanding, and he was grateful for her support.

As he walked back to his office, he thought about how to thank her. He decided that the best way to show his appreciation would be to take her to lunch sometime. He hoped that would be enough to show her how much he valued her support and help.

Before they parted ways, Laurie had suggested that if Malcolm ever needed to visit Sarah again, he should let her know beforehand so she could accompany him. He was unsure how to respond.

He simply nodded, not wanting to offend her. But inside, he was thinking about how he could handle these kinds of situations without relying on Laurie. He wanted to be able to do his job independently, but he wasn't sure if he could handle these situations alone.

As Malcolm walked into his office, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace Sarah had given him. He held it up to the light, inspecting it closely. His face was expressionless, but his heart was heavy.

As soon as Laurie returned to her desk, she noticed that Bridges’ uncle had left. She approached his office and knocked on the door. "Come in," Bridges said, his voice sounding tired.

Laurie entered the office and saw that he was standing by the window, his shoulders hunched. "Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," he replied, but his tone suggested otherwise. "Where did you go?" he asked, his voice sounding accusatory.

"I went out with a friend to see a client," Laurie replied, deciding to not go into more details.

Bridges didn't say anything else. He knew that Laurie was an adult and could take care of herself. He turned back to his work.

Laurie stood there for a moment, then walked over to the desk and placed the copy of the case file he asked for earlier, down in front of him. Bridges nodded in thanks.

She took that as her cue to leave, and she walked out of the office. He glanced down at the file, reading the heading: "The Salvation Case."

The title intrigued him but he had some thoughts in his mind, he couldn't open it up to see what it was all about and why Ivan took up the case.

Though, he mentally noted to inform Lambert about it since the case would be handled under the name of the firm.