Jamie Quinn Cozy Mysteries Collection

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

"With all due respect, Your Honor--" I interrupted, desperate to keep my client out of jail. I knew better than to argue with a judge, but still, I had to try.

"Counselor," Judge Marcus said, clearly annoyed. "We all know what 'with all due respect' means--it means you think I'm dead wrong. I've made my ruling Miss Quinn, this hearing is over."

With that, the judge stood up and exited the courtroom, black robe flapping in his wake. He'd made it clear that I was done talking--at least to him.

God, I hate being a lawyer, I thought, not for the first time. My client, Becca Solomon, was seated next to me looking worried and confused. She had no clue what just happened, but she knew it was bad.

I turned my chair so I could face her. "I'm sorry, Becca, the judge denied our motion. That means you have to let Joe take the kids on Friday. If you refuse, the judge will hold you in contempt and you could wind up in jail. He's not happy with you--and he likes me even less."

My client covered her face with her hands and began to cry, shoulders shaking, head down, trying to shut out a world that, in her mind, refused to protect her children. I pulled a tissue from my purse and offered it to her. Divorce lawyers always have tissues handy--it's a tool of the trade you don't learn about in law school. You also don't learn how gut-wrenching it is to practice family law.

After taking a deep breath, Becca regained control. She looked around to make sure Joe and his lawyer had left. Since her arrival at the courthouse, her appearance had changed drastically, going from a well-put-together grad student to a wild-eyed, disheveled fugitive ready to bolt.

I'd seen that haunted look before. My name is Jamie Quinn and after ten years of practicing law, I've seen it all. You wouldn't think a sleepy town like Hollywood, Florida would have much drama, but it does. The judge who swore me in had warned me, saying, 'You'll never believe what goes on between four walls,' and he was right; it's unbelievable. Take my client, Carol (please take her; you'd make me so happy). She and her husband are well-off, successful in their respective careers, and dress like they're posing for a fashion magazine, yet they have screaming matches in front of their kids and pour pitchers of Kool-Aid on each other. Then there was the vengeful couple--I forget their names--who took turns living in the marital home, escalating the damage to the house each time they switched, just to piss each other off. It started when the husband removed all the light bulbs and fixtures, and ended when the wife took out all the sinks and toilets. I figured they'd wind up killing each other, like Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas in ’The War of the Roses’, but I was wrong. They remarried.

I turned my attention back to Becca Solomon, who was having a meltdown. I remember the first time she walked into my office. I thought she looked like a model: Scandinavian blonde with wide blue eyes and a sprinkling of freckles on her nose that made her look younger than twenty-five. She was educated and poised and made a convincing witness. At least that's what I thought. Apparently, Judge Marcus didn't agree.

Becca's story was hardly unusual--she'd met a new guy and wanted out of her marriage. Her mistake was assuming it would be easy. Getting a divorce isn't like changing banks or firing your pool boy, it's a whole lot messier, especially when you have kids. And while new love is wonderful and romantic, it's not real life. Eventually, someone has to pay the bills, get up with the baby, and take out the trash. I don't mean a person should never start over, I'm just saying 'new' doesn't always mean 'improved.' Everyone you meet has emotional baggage--even me. Honestly, if I had any more baggage, I could start my own airline.

But, back to Becca, all she wanted was a divorce and primary custody of her two young daughters, and, of course, child support. Also, alimony and attorney's fees and half the marital assets. And one last thing--she wanted to continue living in her palatial home with her children, plus bring in her boyfriend, Charlie Santoro. If only her husband, Joe, weren't causing so much trouble. I know that makes her sound selfish and awful, but, to be fair, Florida is a no-fault state which means, if you want a divorce, you get it, and things like infidelity don't matter at all. The courts treat marriage more like a financial partnership. Wasting assets is always considered relevant, but your emotional state, not so much.

To say that Joe was angry is like saying Hurricane Katrina was just a little bad weather. And it didn't help that Becca's new love, Charlie, used to be Joe's friend. They say that criminal lawyers see bad people on their best behavior and divorce lawyers see good people at their worst, and it's true. Joe seemed like a decent enough guy, but he spent a lot of time trying to punish Becca. His favorite threat was that he'd take the kids away from her.

Becca had finally calmed down when the judge's bailiff, Harold, started pointing at his watch.

"Hate to kick you out, Jamie, but we have another hearing coming in."

"I've been kicked out of better places than this," I joked as I packed up my briefcase.

Harold laughed at that and even Becca smiled a little. We stood up and turned to leave right when Joe sauntered back into the room, looking smug."

"You'd better get used to this, Becca," he said, a sneer distorting his boyish face. "Because when the judge finds out about you, he's going to give me custody."

Becca stared him down, cold as ice. "If you try to take my kids away, I swear to God, Joe, I will kill you."