Lace and Bullets
1
MIA
Mia held the pearls up to her neck and frowned at her reflection. Her mother had been dead for ten years and she still couldn’t wear them.
She slid them back into their case and snapped the lid shut. Ten more minutes. That’s all. Her hands ran over the eyelet cotton comforter, her fingers snagging on the loops of flowers and leaves.
The whole room smelled of dust. It hadn’t been aired out in months.
Not that she cared. It had been a long time since Mia felt welcome in the Davenport residence.
The landscape lighting flicked on outside and Mia turned to the window. Perfect little hedges sat in a row along a stone path. A quaint swing stood empty beneath an oak tree. Grass as green as a golf course covered the hill that used to be filled with her mother’s roses.
A bitter taste rose in Mia’s throat and she looked away. From the outside, the Davenports had the perfect life. Her father was an expert at keeping up appearances. It was the only reason he’d asked her to come back.
The District Attorney for the city of Wellington and the surrounding county couldn’t run for re-election without parading his family in front of the media.
Unfortunately for Mia, she was the only family left.
He might ignore her for three hundred and sixty-four days of the year, but on the eve of re-election, he always called. At least this time, Mia would be getting something out of the deal.
Her father might be the most powerful lawyer in the whole state, but Mia was going to right his wrongs. One conviction at a time.
She checked the time. According to her father’s calendar, he’d just walked into a meeting downtown. That gave her an hour. Her feet slipped on the stairs as she took them two at a time. If she could break into his office and find the file…It just might work.
The idea had first come to her while she sat in her apartment, staring at her father’s email. When he had first asked her to come home, she had turned him down. It wasn’t until he had emailed with details that the idea had come to her. A bad, bad idea.
But the more she thought about it, the more the idea grew. Spiraling out of control inside her mind and hooking its claws deep, the damn little thing wouldn’t let go.
If her father wasn’t going to be home, she had a chance that might never come again. She had to risk it.
Mia scurried down the hall, hugging her body close to the wall. High-tech security cameras dotted the ceiling every few feet. The live feed went straight to an app on her father’s phone and to his security company.
But he was in an important, do-not-disturb meeting. He wouldn’t be checking up on her. Would the security company call if his daughter rifled through his files? It was a risk she had to take. By the time he got the message, she would have found what she needed and would be upstairs getting dressed.
Her father could be furious all he wanted. He wouldn’t ruin the charity gala and his appearance by hurting her. His election meant more than anything.
With a deep breath, Mia turned the knob. The door to his office swung open on silent hinges. All dark wood and leather, the whole room screamed pompous ass.
Mia crept to the file cabinets lining the far wall. It had to be in there. Her father kept duplicate files on all of the office’s capital cases. She pulled open the first drawer and scanned the file folders. Nothing.
She pulled open the second. Flip, flip, flip. She tore through the files as quickly as her fingers would allow, reading each case file, but coming up empty. Damn it.
Crouching, she pulled open the drawer closest to the floor and hit pay dirt. Yes!
State v. Watson. She pulled the file out of the drawer when the sound of voices filled the hall.
“I don’t give a flying fuck what the Governor has to say. That meeting had been scheduled for weeks. He should know better than to waste my time like that!”
Shit. Her father. He couldn’t catch her in his office with a file in her hand. It would ruin everything. Mia scanned the room. Where can I hide?
His footsteps sounded closer and closer. He’d be coming in any second. She raced to the coat closet. Please don’t hang up your jacket, please. She yanked the door open and slipped inside as the main door to the office opened.
Mia pulled the closet door shut and prayed.
“I don’t care when he’s available. I have a re-election campaign to run, or doesn’t he remember? You tell the Governor I’ll meet with him when my time permits.”
Her father cursed and Mia peered through the slats in the door. She watched as he threw his cell phone on the desk and shrugged off his suit jacket. It landed on the guest chair and Mia bit back a sigh of relief. Thank God.
As long as she stayed quiet, he would never know she was there. Hopefully.
MIA
Mia held the pearls up to her neck and frowned at her reflection. Her mother had been dead for ten years and she still couldn’t wear them.
She slid them back into their case and snapped the lid shut. Ten more minutes. That’s all. Her hands ran over the eyelet cotton comforter, her fingers snagging on the loops of flowers and leaves.
The whole room smelled of dust. It hadn’t been aired out in months.
Not that she cared. It had been a long time since Mia felt welcome in the Davenport residence.
The landscape lighting flicked on outside and Mia turned to the window. Perfect little hedges sat in a row along a stone path. A quaint swing stood empty beneath an oak tree. Grass as green as a golf course covered the hill that used to be filled with her mother’s roses.
A bitter taste rose in Mia’s throat and she looked away. From the outside, the Davenports had the perfect life. Her father was an expert at keeping up appearances. It was the only reason he’d asked her to come back.
The District Attorney for the city of Wellington and the surrounding county couldn’t run for re-election without parading his family in front of the media.
Unfortunately for Mia, she was the only family left.
He might ignore her for three hundred and sixty-four days of the year, but on the eve of re-election, he always called. At least this time, Mia would be getting something out of the deal.
Her father might be the most powerful lawyer in the whole state, but Mia was going to right his wrongs. One conviction at a time.
She checked the time. According to her father’s calendar, he’d just walked into a meeting downtown. That gave her an hour. Her feet slipped on the stairs as she took them two at a time. If she could break into his office and find the file…It just might work.
The idea had first come to her while she sat in her apartment, staring at her father’s email. When he had first asked her to come home, she had turned him down. It wasn’t until he had emailed with details that the idea had come to her. A bad, bad idea.
But the more she thought about it, the more the idea grew. Spiraling out of control inside her mind and hooking its claws deep, the damn little thing wouldn’t let go.
If her father wasn’t going to be home, she had a chance that might never come again. She had to risk it.
Mia scurried down the hall, hugging her body close to the wall. High-tech security cameras dotted the ceiling every few feet. The live feed went straight to an app on her father’s phone and to his security company.
But he was in an important, do-not-disturb meeting. He wouldn’t be checking up on her. Would the security company call if his daughter rifled through his files? It was a risk she had to take. By the time he got the message, she would have found what she needed and would be upstairs getting dressed.
Her father could be furious all he wanted. He wouldn’t ruin the charity gala and his appearance by hurting her. His election meant more than anything.
With a deep breath, Mia turned the knob. The door to his office swung open on silent hinges. All dark wood and leather, the whole room screamed pompous ass.
Mia crept to the file cabinets lining the far wall. It had to be in there. Her father kept duplicate files on all of the office’s capital cases. She pulled open the first drawer and scanned the file folders. Nothing.
She pulled open the second. Flip, flip, flip. She tore through the files as quickly as her fingers would allow, reading each case file, but coming up empty. Damn it.
Crouching, she pulled open the drawer closest to the floor and hit pay dirt. Yes!
State v. Watson. She pulled the file out of the drawer when the sound of voices filled the hall.
“I don’t give a flying fuck what the Governor has to say. That meeting had been scheduled for weeks. He should know better than to waste my time like that!”
Shit. Her father. He couldn’t catch her in his office with a file in her hand. It would ruin everything. Mia scanned the room. Where can I hide?
His footsteps sounded closer and closer. He’d be coming in any second. She raced to the coat closet. Please don’t hang up your jacket, please. She yanked the door open and slipped inside as the main door to the office opened.
Mia pulled the closet door shut and prayed.
“I don’t care when he’s available. I have a re-election campaign to run, or doesn’t he remember? You tell the Governor I’ll meet with him when my time permits.”
Her father cursed and Mia peered through the slats in the door. She watched as he threw his cell phone on the desk and shrugged off his suit jacket. It landed on the guest chair and Mia bit back a sigh of relief. Thank God.
As long as she stayed quiet, he would never know she was there. Hopefully.