Kate Muldoon: For the Dead

Prologue MarcySimpson

The call came late Thursday afternoon, her cell phone buzzed

angrilyonherdesk.MarcySimpsonwasatwork—asusual. Foras longasshecould

remember, her life had been consumed bywork, always struggling toearnenoughtomakeendsmeet.Staringatthestackoftapeswaitingtobetranscribed,shebrieflycontemplatedthepitifulstateofherlife.

If I’m not working in the ER, I’m sitting at this desk transcribingdoctordictation,shethoughtassheclickedofftherecorder,andreachedfor her cell phone. The bills were piling up again, and she had justdecidedtoworkthroughthenight—sheneededtheovertime;shecouldsleeponherdaysoff.

The caller ID screen announced Zeke Peters, her ex-husband’sbestfriend,wouldbeontheotherendifshepressed“talk”. ThemerefactZekewascallingmadeherstomachchurn. Ithadtobebadnews,sheconsiderednotanswering.

WhenwasthelasttimeIheardfromyou,Zeke?Marcywondered.She considered the question for a moment. Maybe a year ago, shethought,finallyhittingthetalkbutton.

Zekedelivered thenews inacoldmatter-of-factmanner. Marcyheard,“Joe’sdead,”andthenshedidn’thearanythingelse;herthoughtsoverwhelmedher.

Eventually,shestartedhearingbitsandpiecesofwhatZekewassaying, “ . . .aheartattack, late lastnight . . . theEMTscouldn’trevivehim...thoughtyoushouldknow...”

Marcydiscoveredshewasholding.He’sbeendeadalldayand Ididn’tknow it. How is thatpossible?

Marcycontinuedtostruggletoprocessthenews. Shehadn’tspokenaword.

Afterawhile,MarcyrealizedZekewasno longertalkingandthelinehadbeensilentforsometime.Unsurehowhervoicewouldsound,shetriedit,“ThanksforcallingZeke.Mythoughtsandprayersarewithyouall,”shesaidandquietlyhungup.

Staringoff intospaceforafewminutes,shetriedtosortoutheremotions. Anodd feelingsettledoverher; therewassuddenlyadeadspot in her world. She looked down at the phone in her hand andwondered if Zeke’s call had really happened or if her exhaustedmindwas playing tricks on her. Using her smart phone, she click onto theInternet, pulled up the Miami Herald’s web page, and located theobituarysection.

NothingaboutJoe,shethoughtwearilyafteraquicksearch.AcallfromZekeissoimplausiblemaybeitdidn’thappened.

SheclickedbacktotheHerald’shomepageandnumblystaredatthetickerstreamingacrossthetopofthepage.

CertainlyJoe’sdeathwouldbeasnotableasthelocalLittleLeaguescoresthey’rereporting,shethought,watchingthewordsrollby.

Then she saw it, “Prominent cardiologist, Dr. Joseph Dugan,pronounceddeadatUniversityofMiamiHospitalat11:10lastnight.”

Marcyfelthollow,therewasaheavinessinthemiddleofherchestasifsomeforcewasswirlinginonherandsettlingthere.Shesatbackin her chair and concentrated on breathing, still trying to process thenews.

After several minutes, she turned off her machines, tidied herworkstationforthenextshift,collectedherjacket,handbagandphone,and went looking for her boss at Jackson Memorial Hospital’stranscriptioncenter.

“Sue,I’mheadedhome.Idon’tfeelwell.”Sue eyed her suspiciously. “Fine, just log out and turn in your

timecard,”Suesighed,turningaway.Marcyswiftlyheadedforthedoor.

++++

Onherwayhome,Marcyrealizedshestill feltnumb, Joe’sdeathseemed unreal. Examining her emotions again,Marcywonderedwhyshehadnotsheda tear,and thenabruptly realizedshedidn’t feel shehadtherighttotears.

Thisisn’tmytragedy,sheconcluded.Hertragedyhappenedyearsago—16yearsago.Longenoughfor

Joe tomarryhismistress, sire threeboys, achieve career success, andbuildafabulouslyhugehome.He’dbeensosuccessfulthenewcardiacwing at UM hospital was named after him, and he frequently jetted

around the world to speak at international conferences on cardiacsurgery—quitealifefora46-year-old.

MarcyandJoehadmetinmedicalschool,andMarcyhaddroppedoutaftertwoyearssoshecouldsupportthemworkingasanERnurseand medical transcriptionist. They’d never had kids, although theywanted them, but they’d agreed to wait until Joe was out of medicalschool.ThenitwasgoingtobeMarcy’sturntoreturntomedicalschool;she’dfiguredshecouldhandlebeingpregnantduringmedschool.But,thingsdidn’tworkoutthatway. Shedidn’tgettogotomedicalschoolorhavekids—insteadshegotdivorced.

She’dnever remarried. She thought itwasbecause shewas tooembittered for anyone to stick around long enough, and, in truth, shewasn’treallyinterestedinfindinganewlifepartner. Joehadbeenhertruelove,hersoulmate,“theonewhocompletedher.” Fiveyearsintotheir seemingly idyllic marriage, Marcy learned Joe was completingsomeone else—apparently on a regular enough basis to get herpregnant.

Joeneverdenied theaffair. He simply saidhehadn’twanted tohurt her, and, because he was so grateful to her for supporting himthroughmedical school, he’d been unable to figure out how to end it.Marcywantedtofighttoputtheirmarriagebacktogether,butwhenJoesaidhedidn’t loveheranymore,Marcy’sheartshutdownanditneveropenedupagain.

Onceshemadeit tohercondo,shecalledacoupleofgirlfriends.Had they heard? No, but they all asked how she felt. Numbwas hertruthful answer; still no tears. A couple of her friends seem toencouragehertobreakdownand“haveagoodcry.”Marcyhadquickly,butpolitely,endedthecalls.

It’snotmytragedy.Idon’thavearighttocry,shekeptthinking.Shepouredherselfa largeglassofredwineandsatatthepetite

tableonhertinybalconyandthoughtaboutherstrangenewsituation.Thisisn’tmytragedy,shethoughtagain.None of the normal emotional reactions to a death seemed

appropriate.She’dalwayshatedpeoplewhoturnedeverythingbacktothemselves, whomade it all about them, saw theworld only throughtheirownexistence.Sherefusedtodothatnow.

Thisisn’tmytragedy,shekeptrepeatingoverandovertoherselflikeamantra.But,itwasherpain,shefeltherloss,andtherewasahole

inheruniverse.Thenitdawnedonher;she’dneverknownanotherex-wifewhoseformerhusbandhaddied.

Another problem to solve on my own, Marcy thought. Sheconsideredthesubjectforawhile,andfinallyconcluded,Iguesstheex-wifecriesalone.++++

Joe’sserviceswerethreedayslater.Therewasanannouncementinthepaper—noonecalledherthistime.

Marcyarrangedtoworkthe8:00p.m.to4:00a.m.shiftatJacksonMemorialsoshecouldhavetimeofftoattendtheservice.Itwasthelastof her four-days-on work rotation as an ER Nurse Practitioner atJacksonMemorial.Sheknewshewouldhaveplentyoftimeduringherfour-days-offtorecoverfromthesleeplessnightahead.

Thechurchwaspacked.Marcycamelateandsatinthecornerofthechoirloftatthebackofthechurch,tryingtobeasanonymousasshecould. She truly hoped no one would see or recognize her and shevowedtoslipoutthesidedoorbeforetheendoftheservicewhenthefamilywouldbeescorteddowntheaisle.Shekeptremindingherselfitwasn’thertragedy.But,shehadrecognizeditwasherlosstoo,andshewasallowingherselftogrievequietly.

Sittinginthefrontpew,JoanlookedmucholderthanMarcywouldhavethoughtpossible.She’dbeen18whenshemarriedJoe.Now,shelookedcloserto44than34,butthentragedydoesthattoyou—Marcyknewthatfrompersonalexperience.

Joe’s twoyounger, towheadedboyssquirmed in thepewnext toJoan, largely ignored by theirmother. Joe’smom tried to quiet themwithout much success. The middle son’s profile reminded Marcy somuchofJoeherheartached.Shedecidedtheyoungmanwiththedarkbrownhairinthefrontpew,betweenJoe’smomandZekePeters,mustbeJoe’soldestson.

He’dbesixteennow,shethoughtasshewatchedJoe’sfamily.The eulogies were eloquent and touching, with just the right

amount of tragic humor these sorts of events call for. At one pointduringhisturninthepulpit,Zeke’seyeswandereduptothechoir loftand landedonMarcy. Hepausedmomentarily, as if trying to sortoutwho he was seeing. Marcy’s heart stopped; she felt like an intruder.ThenZekelookedawayandbeganspeakingagain.

As the recessional music began, Marcy swiftly descended thestairs and hurried out the side door. She was sure she’d been quickenough,andnoonecouldhaveseenherhastyretreatasshewalkedtohercarparkedaroundthecorner.++++

Fourdays laterMarcy’scellphonebuzzedagaininthemiddleoftheafternoon,thistimeinterruptingherattentiontothestackofpatientfiles in front of her, all waiting for a final discharge consultation anddocumentation. It was Zeke again, and again his voice soundedstrange—steely,andcold,almostmonotone.

“WasthatyouIsawatthefuneralservice?”heaskedaccusingly.She thought for a moment of lying, but what did it matter, the

funeralhadn’tbeenprivate;hundredsofpeoplehadattended.“Yes,”sherepliedquietly.“Iwonderedwhatyouweredoingthere?”Zekeasked.Marcy decided it was a rhetoric question, or at least one that

didn’tdeserveananswer,sosheremainedsilent.Whenshedidnotrespond,Zekewenton,“Well,youshouldknow

you’ll begettinga call from Joe’s estate lawyer later today, andweallexpectyoutodotherightthing,Marcy.”

Whatever ishe talkingabout? Doeshe feel I’ve somehowviolatedJoe’sfamily’sprivacyandsomelegalpenaltyisappropriate?

“Zeke,noonebutyousawmeatthefuneral,anditwasnotclosedtothepublic.Ican’tseehowmyattendancewouldrequireacallfromalawyer,forheavenssake.”

“Youknowthat’snotwhatIamtalkingabout,”Zekehuffedbackather.

“No,honestlyIdon’t.Frankly,Ihaven’tacluewhatyou’retalkingabout,andI’matwork.So,I’llsimplysaygood-bye,”Marcysaidasshecalmlyclickedoff.

She reviewed the conversation in her mind and decided she’dsoundedreasonableandnottheleastbitconcerned,butinherheadandheart she was panicking. She tried to imagine what in the world alawyercouldpossiblyhavetosayaboutwhoattendedafuneralopentothepublicoranyotherreasonhe’dneedtotalktoher.

I’veneverbeenoneofthose“fatalattraction”ex-wives.Idon’tknowtheDugans’ newphonenumber, or theaddress of Joe’s spectacularnew

house that was featured in the paper last year. I really don’t knowanything about the Dugans’ lives; except for the occasional photo orarticle in thepaper,andmostof that Ihaven’tevenbothered toread. InevercouldfigureoutwhyJoewassoinvolvedinallthosesocietyevents.Thatcertainlywasn’ttheJoeImarried21yearsago.Ofcourse,thesamecouldbesaidaboutsomuchofJoe’slifeoverthelast16years.

Marcywentbacktoherpatientcharts,hopingshedidn’tlooktoodistracted.++++

When her cell phone rang again two hours later, Marcy wasfinishingupherlastrounds;takingtimewitheachpatientstillintheERtomake sure the transition to the new shift went smoothly. She feltjumpyandwas ready tobolt forher condoas soonas she could. Sheneededtoprocesstheday’seventsoveraglassofredwine.Glancingatherphone, shewonderedwho in theworldmightbecalling this time.When she didn’t recognize the number on the caller ID display sheseriouslyconsiderednotanswering.

“Yes?”shesaidtentativelyaftershepressedthetalkbutton.“MissSimpson?”“Yes.Whoisthis?”“I’mRonaldGray, the attorney representing JoeDugan’s estate,”

hebegan.Iknowwhoyouare,shethought,heranxietyandfearimmediately

rising.Sherememberedhimwellfromthedivorce.Marcysimplyreplied,“Yes?”“I’mcallingtodiscussamatterofsomeseriousness.Isthisagood

time?”“Mr.Gray,Icannotimagineitwouldeverbeagoodtimetospeak

withyou,”shesurprisedherselfbysaying.“Whatdoyouwant?”“MissSimpson,”(shewasprettysurehewassaying‘Miss’not‘Ms.’)

“we’resettlingJoe’saffairsandanirregularityappearstoexist.”Marcy had nothing to say to this, so she said nothing. Shewas

relievedhewasn’tberatingherforattendingherex-husband’sfuneral,because shedidn’tknowhowshe couldpossibly fight this lawyerandhishigh-priced,high-societylawfirm.Shecontinuedtosaynothing.

“Ms.Simpsonareyoustillthere?”“Yes.”

“Isaid there’san irregularity inDr.Dugan’sestate that Ineedtodiscusswithyou.“

“Ican’timaginewhy,andIamatwork.”“Ofcourseyouare,andwhereisthat?”“How is that your business?” Marcy asked, again surprising

herselfwithherbluntness.ItwasGray’sturntobesilent.Finally, he admitted, “I suppose it isn’t. In any event, I need to

speaktoyou;I’dlikeyoutocomebymyofficetomorrow.”“I’msupposedtotaketimeawayfromworktostopbyyouroffice

tomorrow?Idon’tthinkI’llbedoingthat,”thenew,boldMarcyreplied.“Well,whattimewouldbeconvenientforyou?”Marcy liked this much better. Somehow, the power in the

conversationhad shiftedand itwasnowdefinitely inher corner. Shedidn’twanttolosethemomentum,butshealsodidn’twanttocontinuethisprivatecallintheER,soshesaid,“HowaboutIcometoyourofficearound6:30tomorrowevening.Thatwouldbeconvenientforme.”

“Alright,”Graysaidafterashortpause.“We’llbehere.”“We?Who’swe?”Marcyquizzed.“Well,mostlyme,buttheremaybeoneortwoothers.”

++++

Six-thirtythefollowingday,MarcysatinthewaitingroomofGrayandFerguson,PA,takinginitsfinelyappointedmodernisticfurnishings.Itwasamuchdifferentoffice interior thanthe last timeshewashere,but thenmost everything in theworld had changed drastically in thelast16years.

Gray’ssecretaryfinallywalkedintothewaitingareaandescortedher into a large roomwith a conference table that looked like ahuge,floatingslabofmarble.Thetablehadtobe25feetlongifitwasaninch,thesheervisualweightofitwasimpressiveandmeanttointimidate.

But,Marcyhadpromisedherselfshewouldnottobeintimidatedthe way she had been the last time she’d entered these offices. Sheresolvednowtoat leastappear calmand incontrol, even ifherkneesfelt like theywere going tobuckle. Shequickly sat at theheadof thetableandrestedherhands inher lap tohide the trembling fromGrayandtheotherthreemenintheroom.TwoofthemenMarcyhadneverseenbefore;thethirdwasZeke.Shefeltdecidedlyoutnumbered.

Initially,themenweresolicitous.Theyaskedhowshewasdoing,Zeketoldhershelookedgreatandhecouldtellshewasstillgoingtothegym—shecouldn’t say thesame forhim. Theyofferedhercoffee, tea,andcolddrinks.Sheacceptedonlyaglassofwater.

Theconference roomgotveryquietandMarcy looked fromoneman to theother,waiting for someone to speakup. Shewasdyingofcuriosity, but she refused to be the first to talk. And so, they sat insilenceforseveralminutes.

Eventually,theDugan’sfamilylawyer,RonaldGray,couldn’ttakethe silence any longer and he seized the stage, “I’m sure you have anideawhyweaskedyouhere,MissSimpson.”

“Actually,no. Ihaveno ideawhatsoever. So,whydon’tyou tellme?”

Gray looked skeptical and said, “Let me first introduce you tothese twogentlemen;Mr.MeardonandMr.Argyle. They’re attorneyswiththeUptonInsuranceCompany.AndyoualreadyknowZekePeters,ofcourse.”

Marcycontinuedtolookatthemen,shiftinghergazefromonetothe other, still in the dark. One of the insurance men finally saidsomething;shethought itwasMr.Meardonwhohadspoken,althoughheandArgylelookednearlyidentical.

“Yousee,Ms.Simpson,youhavebeennamedthebeneficiaryofaninsurancepolicyDr.Duganpurchasedabout19yearsago,and thathekept current with yearly premium payments,” he slid a copy of theinsurancepolicytowardsher

Marcy saidnothing. She staredoff into space ashermind spunbackward,recallingatime,yearsago,whenJoetoldheroverdinnerthathe’dpurchasedalifeinsurancepolicyandmadeherthebeneficiary.Itfeltlikealifetimeago...maybetwo.

Atthetime,shehadn’twantedtothinkaboutsuchthings,andhadtoldJoeasmuch.Their“masterplan”hadbeensetforyears.Marcywasgoing towork as an ER nurse and amedical transcriptionist until Joefinished medical school and his residency, then they were going toswitch. Joe was going to support her while she returned to medicalschool. Thedivorcebroke theirdealanddestroyed theirmasterplan,alongwithagoodmanyotherthings,includingMarcy’sheart.

Theinsurancepolicy,Joehadtoldher,wouldensureshe’dgettoattend medical school even if he wasn’t there to support her. SherecalledtellingJoehecouldn’tdie—itwasn’t inthemasterplan. They

had both laughed at this, and they’d never again spoken about theinsurancepolicy.

Mr.Meardon,orwasitArgyle,wastalkingagain.“...yousee,youare,ofcourse,nolongerhiswife...”

Noduh,shethought.“Excuseme,”Marcyinterrupted,“couldyourepeatwhatyoujust

said,becauseIamnotcertainIheardyou.”Actually,Marcywascertainshehadnotheardhim.Shehadn’theardanythingbuthermemoryforseveralminutes.

“Isaid,Ms.Simpson,Dr.Duganpurchasedaninsurancepolicy19years ago and the beneficiary is, and I quote, ‘Marcia Anne SimpsonDugan,mywife.’”

Shecontinuedtostareathimblankly.“Ms. Simpson, underone interpretationof this language you are

thebeneficiaryofthis$4millionpolicy.”“What?!?” The question was out of her mouth before she could

think. Shepickedupthe insurancepolicy theyhadslid in frontofherandsaw“$4,000,000”listedastheinsurancebenefitlistedonthepolicysummarypage.

Theyallsatquietlyandletthemomentsinkin. ThistimeitwasZekewhobrokethesilence.

“Ofcourse, itwasn’treallymeantforyou. Imean,youaren’thiswife, and themoneywasmeant forhiswife . . . and family,of course,”Zekesaid,gratuitouslyprovidinghisopinion.

MeardonandArgyleglaredatZeke,andArgylesaid,“That isnothowthepolicyreads,sir.And,thepolicywastakenoutlongbeforeDr.Duganmethiscurrentwifeorhadafamily.Inanyevent,hecontinuedtopayonthissamepolicyeveryyear.Hecouldhaveeasilyletitlapseorconvertitor,evenmoreeasily,changedthebeneficiaryatanypoint.Hewastheownerofthepolicy.Itwashistodowithashepleased.”

Marcycouldnotbelievewhatshejustheard.Oneoftheinsurancedudeswasactually speakingup forher, andmakinganargument thatJoe had kept a $4 million insurance policy current all these yearsnamingherasthebeneficiaryonpurpose.ThatargumentwashardevenforMarcytobelieve.

She’donly talkedto Joeahandfulof timesafter thedivorce,andshe hadn’t seen him in over 10 years. In the earlymonths after thedivorce, she returned of number of his letters unread and refused toanswer his calls, even though shemissed him so desperately shewas

frequentlytemptedtoreachouttohim.Thatis,untiltheannouncementofthebirthofhisfirstsonjustfivemonthsaftertheirweddingday.Theinsult to her injured heartwas devastating;Marcywas barely able tofunctionforamonthafterhearingaboutthebaby.

“The insurance company,Ms. Simpson, has an obligation to paytheproceedsofthepolicytotherightfulbeneficiaryandweareunderacontractualobligationtodosoinatimelymanner.Asofnow,weintendtomakethatpaymenttoyou.”

This time Marcy was nearly certain it was Meardon who wastakingherside.

Zekecouldcontainhimselfnolonger.“That’swhyyouhave to tell themyoudon’twant it,Marcy. It’s

notyours.YouhavetorelinquishanyclaimtoitsoitcanbepaidtoJoanandtheboys.ThatiswhatJoereallywanted.”

MeardonandArgyleagainglaredatZeke.Marcysatasifinastuporlookingdownatthetableinfrontofher

forseveralminutes.Finally,shesaid,“AndwhatifIchosenotto?”“What?!? You can’t be serious, it’s not yours to keep!” Zeke

practicallyscreamed.“Mr. Peters, you are neither a lawyer, nor a judge; you are here

only because Mr. Gray, for whatever reason, thought you might lendsomeassistanceinhelpingusunderstandDr.Dugan’sintent.YouwerenotinvitedheretobadgerandberateMs.Simpson.”

MarcystaredatMeardon,hernewchampion.“If there is a legal contest to our payment of the insurance

proceeds,”Meardonsaid,glaringpointedlyatZekeagain,“anditsoundslike therewillbe,wewillhave themoneyheldby thecourtwhile theclaimsare sortedout. We’ve alreadyprepared thepaperwork for aninterpleader and declaratory judgment action, that’swhat this type oflegal matter is called, it will be filed tomorrow,” Meardon concluded,scowlingatZekeagain.“Ifnecessary.”

“That would mean, Miss Simpson, you wouldn’t receive anymoney until a court determines who is the proper beneficiary,” Graychimedin. “Now,ifyouwouldliketotakeasmallfeeforwaivinganyweak claim you could havemade, due to this unfortunate scriveners’error,”Graycontinued,nowgloweringatMeardonandArgyle,“anerrorwhichmostcertainlydoesnotreflectDr.Dugan’sintent,Mrs.Duganhasagreedtobereasonableandgiveyou$10,000.”Graypausedandpulled

a document out from the stack of papers in front of him before hecontinued.

“We have taken the liberty of drawing up the waiver for yoursignature.”

GrayshovedthedocumentandapeninfrontofMarcy.AsmilestartedtoformonMarcy’smouth,justasmalloneatfirst,

butitgotlargerandlarger.Mr.Grayinterpretedthesmiletomeanthatshewouldagreetohisplanandtakethe$10,000andwalkawayfrom$3,990,000. HetappedthesignaturelineonthelastpageofthepaperworknowsittinginfrontofMarcy.

Marcy picked up the pen and held it in her fingers for a fewminutesasshepretendedtoreadthedocument.Shethoughtabouthermaxedoutcreditcards,her18yearoldcarthatneededfournewtires,andthewashingmachinethatcrappedoutsixdaysagoresultinginanever-growing mountain of dirty laundry in her condo. She thoughtaboutnothavingtodomedicaltranscriptionforawhile,ormaybeeventakingasmallvacation.

SheputdownthepenandlookedatGraydirectly.“No,Mr.Gray.Iwill not sign thisdocument, or anyother that youprepare. I donotintend to cooperate with your plan this time. It appears these nicegentlemenarereadytogivemeacheckfor$4million,and,Mr.Gray,Iintendtoacceptthatcheck.”

“YOUCAN’T take thatmoneyMarcy! It isnot yours! It’s Joan’sand the boys’,” Zeke screamed, his face scarlet as he leaped up andrushedtowardMarcyinsuchhasteheknockedoverhischair.

Toherownamazement,Marcystoodtomeethim. Notblinking,not stepping back, not cringing, she stood toe-to-toe meeting Zeke’sfury. When she spoke, her voice was slow and firm, and just loudenoughforallofthemtohear.

“Themoneyismine,Zeke.It’smine,andsowashe.”Zekestoppedinhistracks,wild-eyedandfistsclenched.Marcy turned toward Meardon and Argyle who, by this point,

werealsoontheirfeetandmovingtowardherasiftoprotecther.“Doyouhavemyaddressandtelephonenumber?”sheaskedthe

twomen.Theynodded.“Good.Callmeinthemorningandtellmewhenyouintendtopay

me,andwhatIneedtodotocollect. Oh,andbytheway,Iexpectyou

will defendme against any legal tricks Gray and his buddy Zekemaythinkup.”

ArgyleandMeardonweresmilingastheywatchedherpickupthecopy of the insurance policy and the waiver Gray had prepared, andleavetheconferenceroom.++++

The following morning Marcy called Sue in the medicaltranscriptions department to let her know she would not be in andmightnotbe in the followingdaygivenhowshe felt. Whatshedidn’ttellSuewasthewayshefeltwaswonderful;releasedandlight,andasiftheworldmighthavepossibilitiesagain.

HowlonghasitbeensinceIfeltthisway,shewondered.Oddly,she’dsleptwellthenightbefore,sleepinginpast6:00a.m.

forthefirsttimeinwhatseemedlikeeons.Asshewasbrewingapotofcoffeeat8:30herphonerang.

Iwonderwhatnewadventurethiscallwillbring?Lately,eachoneismorebizarrethanthelast,shemused.

“Ms.Simpson?”Themalevoicesoundedlikeoneoftheinsurancelawyers.

“Yes?” Marcy was immediately concerned her newfound heromighthavereconsideredhisroleasherdefender.

“This isMr.Meardon. Wemet yesterday at Gray and Ferguson.I’mwithUptonInsuranceCompany.I’dliketotalktoyouaboutgettinganattorneytorepresentyou.Mrs.Dugan’sattorneyhasofficiallyletusknow the estate will be fighting release of the insurance proceeds toyou. Youaregoing toneedrepresentation inwhatwillnodoubtbealonganddifficultlegalbattle.”

“Don’t you have an obligation to represent me?” Marcy askedknowing,yetagain,shecouldn’tmatchupwiththebigbucksJoancouldmounttofighther.

“Ms.Simpson,we’rejustthestakeholders.Wecan’trepresentyoudirectly, itwould be a conflict of interests,”Meardon said, confirmingMarcy’sfears.

“I can’t afford legal representation. I work as an ER nursepractitionerand Ihaveapart-time jobasamedical transcriptionist. IhaveschoolloansandI’mstrugglingtokeepmyheadabovewaterasitis. I don’t have money for high-priced lawyers. Look, I read the

insurancepolicylastnight. Youhaveanobligationtoprovidemelegalrepresentation.I’mprettysureIreadthat.Letmegetthepolicy.I’llbeabletotellyouexactlywhatitsays,”Marcy’svoicewasshaky;herfearsweremounting.

“I know what the policy says, Ms. Simpson. The company isobligatedtoobtain legalrepresentationforyou,but the lawyersat thecompanycan’tprovidethatrepresentation.Thecompanywillpayyourattorneys’feesandwehavealistofattorneyswithwhomweworkonaregularbasiswhowecanrecommend,”Meardonexplained.

Marcy was silent for several moments as she collected herthoughts, “I already know who I want to represent me,” she said,surprisingherself.“IwantKateMuldoon.”

Now,itwasMeardon’sturntofallsilent.Afterabriefhesitation,Meardon said, “Ms. Simpson,Ms.Muldoon is an excellent attorney, nodoubt about it. But, she typically handles criminal defense or civilmattersforlargecorporations.Thisisn’treallyinherareaofpractice.”Plus,she’sgottobeincrediblyexpensive,Meardonaddedtohimself.

“I know and trust Kate, and I want her and only her,” Marcyinsisted.

“MayIinquirehowyouknowMs.Muldoon?”Meardonprobed.“Idatedherbrotherforfiveyears.He’sacopinOcalanow,buthe

used to be a detective with the Miami-Dade department before hemoved. Besides, why should itmatter how I know her?”Marcy said,feelingmoresureofherselfnow.

“It’spossibleMs.Muldoonmaybetoobusytotakeonthismatter.She is highly sought after, and this may not be the sort of case she’sinclinedtoaccept.”

Meardonwas trying todancearoundthe fact thatKateMuldoonwas going to cost at least three timesmore than one of his approvedpanelcounsel.

“Here’s the deal, Mr. Meardon,” Marcy was feeling a lot moreconfidentnowjustthinkingabouthavingKateonherside,“I’vebeenina legal battle only one other time, thatwaswhen Joedivorcedme. Itwas so painful I simply gave up,” she said, and then paused to collectherself;sherefusedtostartcryingnow.

“Ididn’thavelegalcounselthenbecauseIcouldn’taffordit,andIdidn’tmakeoutsowell,infactI’vesincelearnedIgotroyallyscrewed.Thistime,I’mgoingtoberepresentedbysomeonewho’slookingoutforme;someonewhowillmakesure Idon’tget takenadvantageofagain.

Is there some limitationonwho I canhire,orwhoyourcompanywillpayfor?Ididn’tseeanylimitationinthepolicy.”

“Actually, there isn’t a limitation, Ms. Simpson. The way thispolicyiswrittenweareobligatedtopayforthelegalrepresentativeofyourchoice,”Meardonreflected foramoment. “Frankly,Ms.Simpson,justbetweenus,”Meardonconfided,“giventheoppositionIsuspectyouwill be facing, you are going toneed strong legal representation. Youneed to know this legal battlewill likely be very unpleasant, and youmay end up getting none of the insurance proceeds. Or, as oftenhappens inthesetypesofbattles,youmayenter intoacompromiseofsome sort. I’m sure the $10,000 the Dugan’s attorney offered at ourmeetingyesterdayisnotthelastofferthey’llmake.Theywillverylikelyofferyou farmore than thatbefore thematter is concluded. Youmaywanttoconsiderthatoption.”

“Thanks,Mr.Meardon.Iappreciateyourthoughts.I’llbesuretodiscuss those ideaswithKate. But, tobehonest Idon’treally feel likenegotiatingwithJoanDugan.IfIwalkawaywithnothing,Iwon’tbeanyworse off than I am right now.” She thought for a moment and thenadded,“JoanFergusonblewupmyworld16yearsago.I’vegotnothingtolose.Thanksforcalling.I’lltakeitfromhere.”

MarcyhungupthephoneandcontemplatedhernextmoveasshelookedupKateMuldoon’sofficenumber.

Chapter1

Sophia Touche, Kate Muldoon’s legal assistant, buzzed through.“Kate, Marcy Simpson’s on line one for you. Can you take the call?”Sophiainquired.

“You bet! I’d love to talk toMarcy. I haven’t heard from her inyears.Putherthrough,”Katerepliedwithenthusiasm.

“Marcy!Whatagreatsurprise!Howthehellareyou?”Kateaskedwhenthecallbeepedthrough.

“It’s great to hear your voice too, Kate. It’s been forever. I justhopeyou’restillhappytohearfrommeafterItellyouwhyIamcalling.”

“Uh-oh. What’s up? I can’t imagine you’re sitting in jailsomewhere,buteven if youare, I’mstillhappy tohear fromyou. Wehaven’t talked since right after Sean blew out of Miami for horsecountry,”Katereplied,recallingherbrother’shastydecisiontomovetoOcalathreeyearsago.

“Yeah,wellI’veonlyheardfromhimtwiceinthreeyears,andheneededsomethingbothtimes,”Marcysighedandgaveasmalllaugh.

“Sounds likeSean. Sorrykiddo,he takesafterhisoldman. Dadwasnevermuchforcommitmentandresponsibility.”ThesubjectofthemeninherfamilyhadneverbeenoneofKate’sfavorites.“SowhatcanIdoforyou?Ihopeitisn’tanythingserious.”

“Actually,itisserious.I’mnotsittinginjail,andit’snotacriminalmatter,butitislegalandit’sserious,”Marcyresponded,andtookalongbreath before launching into an explanation of her rather unusualsituation.

“Kate,IknowInevertoldyoumuchaboutmyex-husbandandourdivorce.Well,Joe,myex,diedaweekago.Youmighthavereadaboutit,” Marcy said. “He was kind of a big deal at UMMedical school—aprettywell-knowncardiologist.”

“JoeDuganwas your Joe, your ex-husband Joe? You’re kidding.You never told us that.” Kate was surprised Marcy had left out thatrather interesting detail the few times she’d mentioned her priormarriage.“Isawtheobitandarticleinthepaper.Soundslikehewillbemissed.”

Katewasn’t really surehowoneconsolesanex-wifewho’sbeendivorcedforover15years.Shecouldn’timagineMarcymakinganysortofclaimonhisestate—shejustwasn’tthatkindofperson.

“Hewill be missed by many people. But, Kate, the reason I’mcalling is Joe’sestateattorneycalledmeshortlyafterJoediedandtoldmetherewas‘anirregularityintheestate,’andhesaidheneededtotalktomeaboutit. Hecalleditsomethinglikea ‘scrivener’serror,’Ithink.Yousee there’s this insurancepolicy,Kate;apolicy Joe tookoutwhilewewerestillmarried. Hemademethebeneficiaryand,well,heneverchangedthat,andoddlyhekeptpayingonthepolicyeachyearand. . .OhKate...”Marcysuddenlyfeltthetearscomingandshestruggledforcontrol.

“Kate,thepolicyisfor$4milliondollars...fourmilliondollars...andtheywantmetowaiveanyclaimImighthavetothemoney. Joe’sattorney and Joe’s best friend Zeke, they say themoneywasn’t reallymeantformebecauseI’mnothiswife...”

Marcyhad lost thebattle, shewassobbingnow. Shewas finallyabletocryforherloss,thelossofamanwho,atonepointinhislife,hadlovedandwantedtoprotecther.Andbecausethatmanwasnowgone,shewouldneverknowifhethoughtofhereveryyearwhenhepaidtheinsurance premium, or ever missed her, or it the money really wasintendedforher.

“Holy shit, kiddo! I’m so glad you called. What an interestingsituation.Youtrulydoneedlegalrepresentation.Doyouhaveacopyofthepolicy?Whohaveyoutalkedto,andwhen?”Katewasinstantlyinherlawyermode.

“Yes, I have a copy of the policy. The guys from the insurancecompany gave it to me. Upton is the name of the company and theinsurance attorneys were Meardon and Argyle—you know, like thesocks. Theywere going to pay themoney out tome, but Joe’s estateattorneyhaschallengedthepayout,”Marcysaidbetweensobs.

“Nowthe insurancecompanyhasaskedthecourttosortouttheclaims.Theestateattorneyofferedme$10,000towaivemyclaim.Hehadaveryformallookingdocumentthathewantedmetosign...”

“Youdidn’tsignit,didyou?”Kateinterrupted.“No,Kate,butIhaveacopyofit.TheythoughtIwasgoingtosign.

Theestateattorney,RonaldGray,andJoe’sfriend,Zeke,kindofgangeduponmeandtoldmehowthemoneywasn’tminebecauseitwasjustamistake,”Marcysaidassheweptopenly.

“Kate, I got so badly beaten by those lawyers the last time . . .whenIgotdivorced...Igaveup,itwastoohard...andIcouldn’taffordanattorney...Oh,Kate,whatamIgoingtodo?”

“I’ll tell youwhat you are going to do, so, listen tome carefully.You are going to come to my office tomorrow—are you workingtomorrow?Ifyouare,Icanmeetyoubeforeorafterwork.Justtellmewhenyoucanbehere.I’mcallingGrayandthetwoinsuranceattorneysimmediatelyandlettingthemknowyouhaveretainedmeandtheycannolongerethicallytalktoyoudirectly;theyalsocan’thaveanyoneelsedosoontheirbehalf—likeJoe’sfriend,whatwashisname?Zack?”

“No, it’s Zeke, ZekePeters. He got really angrywithmewhen ItoldhimthemoneywasmineandIwasn’twaivingtheclaim.Ithoughthe was going to hit me.” Marcy was crying so hard now Kate couldbarelyunderstandher.

“It’s going to beOK,Marcy, this is going to beOK. Youneed torelaxandletmehandlethisforyou.”

I’lltakethiscaseforfreeifIhaveto.Whatthehellgoodisitbeingalawyer if you can’t stand up for someone who’s been knocked down asmanytimesasMarcy?Kateaskedherself.

“Kate, I know I can’t afford you. I’m not one of your usualcelebrity clients I read about in the paper all the time. But, theinsurancecompanyissupposedtoprovidemeadefense.Meardonevensaidso—healsosaidthatIneededareallygoodattorney,andyou’rethebestlawyerIknow. Youaren’toneoftheattorneystheyusuallyworkwith,butthepolicysaysIgettopicktheattorney.Kate,healsotoldmetheDuganfamilywouldprobablyoffermemorethanthe$10,000theywantedtopaymewhenwemet . . .andhesaidImightendupgettingnothing.”

Marcywasstrugglingtopullherselftogether.“ItoldhimIdidn’tcareifIdidn’tgetanything.Iwasn’tinterested

inmakingadealwiththeDugans.Idon’thaveanythingnowandIwon’tbeanyworseoff,nomatterwhathappens.”

Waytogo,Marcy,Katethought,waytoholdyourown.“Marcy, when can you be here tomorrow? You’ve handled this

enough on your own. I’m happy to represent you. We need to talkstrategy, so comeprepared to tellmeeverythingyouknowabout thispolicy.I’llhavemyassociatejoinus.”

Katefoundherselfalreadyintriguedbyhernewestcase.“I’moffat4:00tomorrow,Ifinallygotthedayshift;I’mworkinga

4-days-on,4-offschedule.Is5:30toolate?”Marcyaskedbetweensniffs.“Nope, that will be just fine. If you can send me a PDF of the

insurancepolicyandthewaivertheyaskedyoutosign,Icangetstarted

rightaway. Iwant tocall the insurancecompanyandGraytoday,andI’dratherreviewthepolicyandwaiverbeforeIdo,”Kateexplained.

“I do have a copier here atmy condo, it can send a PDF. It’s acheapone,but itusuallyworks. I’llsendthepapers toyouassoonaswehangup. I’llbe there tomorrowat5:30 . . .andKate, Ican’t thankyouenough.Ifeelsomuchbetteralready.”

Marcysniffedoncemoreandblewhernose.“ItwillbegreattoworkwithyouMarcy.Ican’tpredicthowthis

willturnout,butI’lldomyverybestforyou.”KategaveMarcyheremailaddressandtheysaidgoodbye.After hanging up, Kate sat back and tried to remember the last

timeshe’dhandledacontested interpleaderanddeclaratory judgmentaction.Shedecideditwasabouttenyears.

They aren’t inherently difficult cases, and the presentation of theevidenceiscertainlythesameasthedozensoftrialsI’vehandledovertheinterveningyears.

Katewould have taken this case even if the insurance companyhadn’tbeenonthehookforherfees. Atonepoint,Marcywasascloseaseitherofhersisters.KatewouldhavebeenhappytoloseherbrotherSean and keep Marcy when they split up. Unfortunately, Marcy saidshe’dfeltawkwardaboutremainingpartofKate’s life;shedidn’twanttointrude.

Katebuzzedherassociate,EdEvert’s,office.“What do you need, Boss Lady? I haven’t quite finished the

PrimaryPaintsresponsebrief.I’llneedacouplemorehours,butyou’llbehappytoknowit’singoodshape.I’llhaveittoyoubeforeweheadoutofherethisevening,”Edvolunteeredwhenheansweredthecall.

“Great.Butthat’snotwhyI’mcalling.Wouldyoumindcomingtomyoffice?IhaveanewmatterIwanttobriefyouonandIwantyoutobe on the calls when I talk to the opposing counsel and insurancecompany.I’dcometoyouroffice,butIlosemymindeverytimeIwalkinthere.Ijustcan’tthinkinallthatclutter.”

Kate really did findEd’s office disturbing. Whenever she saw itshehadseriousmisgivingsaboutassigninghimsomuchwork. Ontheotherhand,healwaysseemstobeabletofindthings inthechaosandhisworkwasoutstanding,soshetriednottothinkaboutthemess.

“Sure,I’llberightthere,”herepliedhangingup.

KatebuzzedSophiaandaskedhertorunaconflictscheckontheDuganfamilyandUptonInsuranceasshelookedupthephonenumbersforRonaldGrayandtheinsurancecompany.

When Ed walked in to her office, her email dinged, letting herknow Marcy’s PDF had arrived—she’d lost no time sending Kate thepolicyandwaiver.

AfterKate related thedetails of her callwithMarcy, she andEdreviewedthetwodocuments.AlthoughthequalityofthePDFwaspoor,Katecouldmakeouttherelevantinformation.

Marcy,specifically‘MarcyAnneSimpsonDugan,mywife,”wasthesole beneficiary on an annually renewable, thirty-year term insurancepolicyonJoeDugan’slife. Thefaceamountwas$4million;theannualpremiumwasjustunder$4,000.

Thewaiver,ontheotherhand,wasatotallyone-sidedattempttotrickMarcyoutofapotentiallylucrativeclaim. Tobevalidthewaiverhad to be signed on the date it was presented, allowing no time forMarcytorevieworseekassistanceofcounselbeforesigning. IfMarcyhadsignedthewaiverGrayprepared,shewouldhavereceivedexactlyonequarterof1%of thepotential insurancepayout. But, thatwasn’tall.ThedocumentalsostatedMarcywouldwaiveallpresentandfutureclaimsagainsttheDuganestateandreleasedanyclaimsshehadagainstanymember of the Dugan family, aswell as its attorneys, agents andrepresentatives.Privacy,confidentiality, indemnity,andattorneys’ feesclauses,allrunninginfavoroftheDugansonly,werealsoincludedintheboilerplatelanguageofthewaiver. Inaddition,thewaivercontainedapenalty clause Gray had tried to disguise as a liquidated damagesprovision. That clause would have required Marcy to repay the full$10,000intheeventsheeverchallengedthevalidityofthewaiver,orifthe Dugans believed she’d even attempted to violate the privacy orconfidentiality clauses. Kate truly despised Ronald Gray when shefinishedreadingtheoverreachingwaiver.

After briefly discussing the two documents with Ed, Kate’s firstphone call was to the Upton Insurance Company where she wasdirectedtoRalphMeardon.

“GoodafternoonMs.Muldoon.I’vebeenexpectingyourcall.Ms.Simpson toldmeshewouldbe retainingyou,”Meardonbegan. “Iwillsendoverourstandard feearrangementagreement,butyouwillhavetoletmeknowyourbillingrate.I’msureyourrateiswellbeyondwhatwe usually agree to. However, this is a relatively old and specialized

policy and requires the company to pay for the attorney of Ms.Simpson’s choice. I would have never guessed she knew you or anattorneyas...exclusiveasyou.”

“You mean as expensive; you can speak frankly with me Mr.Meardon,” Kate replied. “I appreciate your position and I will beworkingwithmyassociate,EdEvert,whoisherewithmeonthiscall.Thatwillhelpkeepthecostdownabit. I’mgratefulfortheassistanceyou’ve given my client up to this point. It sounds like Gray and hissidekick,ZekePeters,mayhavetriedtointimidateMarcywhenyouallmet. It’s good to know there was a least one ethical attorney in theroomwithher.”

“It was a rather unusual situation, that’s for sure. We neverthoughtMr.Peterswouldbeunabletocontrolhimself. Atonepoint, Ithoughtweweregoingtohavetophysicallyrestrainhim.HechargedatMs. Simpsonwhen she told him shewouldn’twaive her rights to theinsuranceproceeds.MycolleagueandIwereafraidhemightphysicallyhurt her. Just between us, I’ll tell you I’m glad Ms. Simpson didn’tsuccumbtothepressureGrayandPetersputonhertosignthewaiver.”

“Well,shewon’thavetoworryaboutdealingwithGrayagainandImayseeka restrainingorderagainstPeters just so it’s clearhe’snotentitledtocontinuetobadgerher.”

Kate paused only briefly tomake herself a note to consider thepossibilityoffilingaclaimforassaultagainstPeters.

“I’m hoping to fast track this matter, but that will require yourassistance,”Katecontinued.“AsMs.Simpson’slegalrepresentative,I’mmakinga formal request fordocumentsand informationshe’sentitledto as the named beneficiary. Dugan’s attorney may or may not getaroundtorequestingthesedocuments—hemaynotwanttoknowwhatthey reveal. But, the documents and information Iwant are relevant.Hopefully, we’ll be able to find admissible evidence to explain Dr.Dugan’s reason for keeping thepolicy in place all these yearswithoutamendingit,ashewascertainlyentitledtodo.

“Inadditiontothefullpolicy,andanyridersoraddenda,Iwouldlikeyourrecordsregardingtheoriginalapplicationforthepolicy,everydocumentyouhaverelatingtopaymentofthepremiums,andthenameandcontactinformationfortheagentwhosoldthepolicy,aswellasanyotheragentwhohadcontactwithDr.Dugan. I’massuming thepolicywaskeptcurrentandnever lapsed, is thatcorrect?”Kateaskedasshefinishedherlistofrequests.

“Yes,itis.Yourrequestisappropriate.Ifyoucansendmealetterstating you’re representing Ms. Simpson and list the documents youwant, we’ll get them to you immediately,” Meardon said, obviouslyready to cooperate. “I’ll get our records department working oncompilingthemtoday, itshouldn’ttakemorethanadayortwo. CanIcallyouwhenwehavethemready?”

“Thatwouldbewonderful; I’ll senda courier for themonceyoucall. Could youmake two copies and send one to Ron Gray? I don’twant him crying foul somewhere down the line. Thanks somuch foryourhelp.”

“Mypleasure,Ms.Muldoon.I’mlookingforwardtoworkingwithyou.”

“PleasecallmeKate. I’llget the letterof representationand thelistofdocumentswe’rerequestingtoyoushortly.”

As shehungupandcalled thenextnumber,KatedirectedEd toprepare the letter, and fax, email and mail it to Meardon as soon aspossible.

“Gray and Ferguson, howmay I help you?” theBritish soundingreceptionistaskedpolitely.

“RonaldGray,please.TellhimKateMuldooniscalling.”Within a couple of minutes, Gray answered his phone. “Ms.

Muldoon,towhatdoIowethisdelightfulsurprise?”Perfect, Kate thought. Let’s see how ‘delightful’ you found the

surprisewhenwehangup.“Mr.Gray,IrepresentMs.MarcySimpson.Iunderstandthatyou

will be representing the estate of Dr. Joe Dugan in the contestedinterpleaderanddeclaratoryjudgmentactioninvolvingalifeinsurancepolicynamingmyclientasthebeneficiary.AmIcorrectonallthat?”

AfteraslighthesitationGraysaid,“Yes, that’scorrect. ImustsayI’msurprisedto learnyou’redoing insurancework. It’sabitdifferentfromyournormalcelebrityrepresentation,andyou’re...shallwesay...abitoverqualified.”

“Good,thenthere’snolongeranyfearthatmyclientwillbetakenadvantage of or intimidated,mentally or physically. Mr. Gray neitheryou,noranyoneonyourbehalfwillspeakdirectlytomyclientagain.Isthatclear?”

“Of course Ms. Muldoon, I had no idea Ms. Simpson wasrepresented...”

“Obviously; otherwise you wouldn’t have tried to pressure herinto signing that ridiculous, one-sided waiver. You know, Mr. Gray,when you make an agreement that unfair, and you pressure anunrepresented person, as you did, to sign without an opportunity toreview or discuss it with an attorney, the possibility of your waiverbeing ruled invalid increases exponentially. Even if Ms. Simpson hadsignedyourlopsidedwaiver,I’malmostcertainlyIcouldhavegottenitsetaside.

“Now, let me address the matter of Mr. Peters’ assault on myclient. I understand Mr. Peters was in your initial meeting with Ms.Simpson at your invitation. Yet, you didn’t bother to keep him undercontrolor invitehim to leavewhenhecausedMs.Simpson to fear forherphysicalsafety. Icanhope,butIhaveseriousdoubts,thatyoudidnotintentionallyincludehisnearphysicalattackonheraspartofyouroverall intimidation ploy. Mr. Meardon was so concerned for myclient’s safety that he and Mr. Argyle felt the need to take steps tointervene because it looked as if Mr. Peters was going to strike Ms.Simpson.IfMr.Meardon,aman,andanattorney,feltMs.Simpsonwasassaulted, one canonly imaginehowMs. Simpson, theonlywoman intheroom,musthavefeltinsuchanintimidatingsituation.IamcertainajudgewillagreethatthecircumstancesofMr.Peters’attacksatisfytheprerequisites for an assault claim.”Kate pausedonly briefly to let herwordsregisterwithGraybeforeshechargedahead.

“IneedtoknowifyouwillberepresentingMr.PeterswhenIhavehim served with the restraining order and complaint for assault I’mpreparing.”

Edwasgrinningashetooknotes.HelovedwatchingKateinthismode. She was a true tour de force, and he had never seen anyonebetter—notevenhisdrillsergeantintheMarines.

“I’mcertainthatwon’tbenecessary,Ms.Muldoon.Icanspeaktohimabouthisobligations.”

“Yes,andweallknowhowwellthatworkedoutthelasttime.So,I’ll takeyourresponseas ‘no,’youwillnotberepresentingMr.Peters,andIwillhaveMr.Petersserveddirectlyandwaittofindoutwhowillberepresentinghim.

“Now,”Katecontinued,“youalsoneedtoknowthatwhenIspoketo Mr. Meardon, I requested several types of documents and otherinformationthatwillnodoubthelpusallascertainDr.Dugan’sreasonfor taking out, and maintaining unchanged for nearly 20 years, an

insurancepolicynamingmyclientasthebeneficiary.Ihaveaskedhimtoalsosendacopyofthosedocumentstoyou.You’llbereceivingthemwithinafewdays.Youcanalsoanticipateadditionaldiscoveryrequestsfromme shortly. After you’ve had a chance to review the documentsfromtheinsurancecompanywecanscheduleatimetotalk.Thankyouforyourtime.Goodday.”

Katehungupwithoutwaitingforaresponse.Shesatbackinherchairandgrinnedear-to-ear.

“Ed,IneedyoutodraftacomplaintforassaultagainstthisPetersguy and amotion for restraining order keeping him at least 100 feetfromMarcy,herplaceofwork,andherresidence.Nocalls,mail,email,texts, all the usual stuff,” Kate directed as she turned toward hercomputerscreen.

“I’llproof it tonightandwe’lldiscusswhether to file itwhenwemeetwithMarcytomorrow.Iwantitreadyincaseshesays‘go,’whichshemightnot. Inanyevent,we’llhave itonhand incase thisassholePeterstriesanythingelse. ImightsendacopytoRonaldGrayandaskhimtoshareitwithPeters.Maybethethreatoflitigationwillbeenoughtogethimtobackoff;butsomehow,Idoubtit. There’smoregoingonwiththisguythanweseeonthesurface.He’swaytoointerestedintheWidowDugan’smoney.WeneedtogetTerryDriverlookingintohim.

“Ialsowantyoutopreparetwosubpoenasfordocuments:onetoJoe Dugan’s medical practice, and one for the University of MiamiHospital. Request all employment records, including benefits andinsurancepolicies,aswellashealthandmedicalrecordsrelatedtothegood doctor himself, and any personal notes, letters, diaries, orcalendars hemight have kept. Give them twoweeks to respond; thatshouldbeplentyoftime.There’ssomethinggoingonhere,andweneedtofigureitout.”

Ednoddedandpickeduphisnotes,“OK,BossLady.”Hegaveheraminisaluteasheheadedoutthedoorandthought,yep,arealtourdeforce.Iwonderwhatshe’slikeinthesack.

Ed’sgrinmatchedKate’sashecontemplatedfindingout.

Chapter2

Later that evening, Kate walked down the hall to Ed’s chaos-strickenoffice.

“Hey,”shesaidtraininghereyesonEdandawayfromthestacksof papers, books, and files covering everything but a small walkwayleading from the office door to his desk. “I made a few edits to thePrimary Paints response brief, and sent it on to FredRichards for hisfinal review. I asked him to call us in a couple of days to give us histhoughts.Ilikethebrief;IthinkFredwilltoo.Itshouldbeawinner,butyouneverknowabouttheCircuitCourt,itwilldependonthepanelwedraw.” Kate had her briefcase in hand and an “I’ve-got-to-get-out-of-here-before-I-scream”lookonherface.

“Good to hear,” Ed said. “It was mostly a rehash of ourmemoranduminsupportofthesummaryjudgmentmotion,butIfounda few new cases, and put an additional twist on our caveat emptorargument.”

“Yeah,Ilikedit.”Kate was feeling anxious to leave; the mess in Ed’s office was

beginningtooverwhelmher.“I’moutofhere for today. I’vegot toget a run in tonightor I’ll

shoot someone tomorrow. And, as much as I love my funkyneighborhood,itisn’tthesafestplacetorunafter9:00.So,Ihavetogethomenow.”

“Wantcompany?”Edaskedtentatively.“Onmyrun?Sure,ifyouthinkyoucankeepup,”Kateteased.“I’ll take that challenge,”Ed said reachingunderhisdesk forhis

gymbag.“OK,whereshallwemeet?”Kateasked.“Iliveintheheartofthe

Old Cigar District. There’s a park at Habana and Del Rio. Is thatanywherenearyournewcondo?”

Ed was disappointed; he’d hoped Kate would suggest he comehomewithhertochange,buthedecidedtheparkwasagoodmeetingplace—atleastfornow.

“Sure.I’mactuallyinthecondostheymadeoutoftheoldCuesta-Reyfactory.Iknowthepark,”Edfiguredhe’drevealhisresidenceandmaybeshe’dgettheidea.

“Perfect.Meetyouattheparkinforty-fiveminutes?”

Kate sensedwhatEdwasup to anddecided toplaydumb. Thelasttimesheletherselfflirtwithhim,anearseductionhadresulted,andthatwasthree long,abstinence-filledmonthsago. Shewasn’tsureshestillhadthatkindofwillpower.

Edagreedtomeetheratthepark’smainentranceoffHabana,andKateheadedout.++++

KatewasstretchingwhenEdshowedupattheparkandheonceagainadmiredher legs,but this time fromanathleticstandpoint. Hercalves and thighs were ripped, and her body was sleek and lookedstrong. They’d run together once before, briefly on the beach at theBreakers,buttheyhadbothbeenbarefoot,andrunninginthedeepsandhad givenhimno real senseof her speed. He suddenly felt a pangofmaleegoasheworriedwhetherhereallycouldkeepupwithher.

Naw,Ed thought, I’vegotnearly six inchesonherandmyMarinetraining.IfIcan’tsmokeherI’llhavetoquitcallingmyselfaMarine.

Kate waved when she saw Ed walking towards her—shirtless.She felt a twinge as she recalled seeinghim inhis swim trunks at theBreakers.

Man, I need to get these hormones under control. He looks goodenoughtoeat,Kate thought,andshe felt thebloodrush tohercheeks.ShewastryingtogethermindoffEd’sbody,buthavingnoluck.Maybetherunwillhelp,shethoughthopefully.

Kateexplainedshewasplanningonrunningsixmilesandhadagoodcourseshecouldrecommend.Edletherleadbothindirectionandspeed—whichwasanythingbutslow,butstilllefthimplentyreserveinthetank.

Astheyrantheychattedaboutwork—casesandclients,andthenmovedontoracescomingupinthenext fewmonths. KatewantedtorunahalfmarathonintwomonthsandEdwasplanningonrunningthefull marathon in the same race. Ed suggested they train together acoupleofnightsaweek. Attheendoftheruntheywerebackattheirmeetingpoint in theparkandKatebegan to slow fora cooldown laparoundthepark.

“Youdon’tmind if I blow it out ononemore lapof theparkdoyou? I’ll comebackaroundandmeetyouon thenext loop,”Edaskeddisplayingmorethanalittlemaleego.

“Of coursenot. Knockyourself out,”Kate smiled at him, andhetookoff.

Sheknewhe’dbeenholdingbackon theirrun,andshewasalsoprettysurehewasnowtryingto impressher. Whenhewasabout20yardsaheadofher,shedecidedtoseeifshecouldmaintainorclosethedistancebetweenthem.

There’snofuckingwayI’mgoingtolethimlapme,Katevowedasshetookoffafterhim.

Shemanaged to keep the distance between them from growing,butshemadenoprogressonhimatall.

Whentheynearedthepointonthepathwherethey’dseparated,Edbeganlookingaroundforher.FinallylookingdirectlybehindhimhespottedKatepoweringtowardhim.Helaughedoutloudandslowedabittoallowhertocatchup.

“Impressivegateyou’vegotthere,whenyouletitallout.Ishouldhaveknownyouwereholdingbackearlier. Ialsoshouldhaveknownyou wouldn’t be able to just watch me run off. You’re even morecompetitivethanIam,”hepanted.

“Howaboutthatcooldownlapnow?”shepantedback.Theybothslowedtheirpaceandcircledtheparkonelasttime.As

theywerereturningtotheirstartingpoint,Ednoticedaverycasualbarwithoutdoorseatingacrossthestreetfromthepark.

“Want to catch a cold beer before heading home?” Ed asked,hoping toprolongtheir timetogetherashepoppedonthe t-shirthe’dcarriedtuckedintothebackofhisshorts

“I look like shit and I doubt I smell too great. Besides, the lastthingIneedisabeer;I’mtryingtokeepweightoff,notputiton,”Katereplied.

“OK, then how about some water and a salad. I doubt you’veeatenmuchtoday. Ifyou’regoingtotrainwithme,you’vegottokeepyourstrengthup,”Edsaid,crossingthestreetwithoutwaitingforKatetoagree.

“Who says I’m training with you?” Kate shouted after him,standingstillwithherhandsonherhips.

Sheconsideredsomethingtoeatanddecidedshewashungryandcrossedthestreetafterhim,knowingsheshouldjustheadhome.

“Besides, I only have my emergency $20 bill in my shoe, and Ididn’tbringacreditcard.”

“Mytreatthen,Godknowsyou’vedoneenoughformetoallowmeto treat this one time,” Ed responded, reaching the table the farthestfromtherestaurantdoorandsignalingthewaiterashesatdown.

What is it about guys? They seem impervious to sweat; it justdoesn’t stop them or even slow them down, Kate thought recalling thefirsttimeshemadelovetoBill;hehadpouncedherwhenshewasinafullpost-runsweat.

Kate followed him into the restaurant and sat across the tablefrom him, attempting to keep her sweaty body to herself. Edimmediately changed to the seat right beside her. Her surpriseapparentlyshowed,becauseEd flashedherhismostmischievousgrin.She could feel the heat pouring out of his body and found it oddlyintriguing,ratherthanrepelling.

“I think we’ve thoroughly contaminated this corner of thecourtyard,”shesaid,tryingtolightenthemood.

SheresolvedtokeepherselffromflirtingwithEdthistime.Theyordereddrinksandlookedoverthemenuofbarfood.Kate

found an omelet that looked reasonably light, and Ed ordered ahamburgerandfriestoaccompanyhisbeer.

“Mycondoislessthantwomilesfromhere.Howfarawaydoyoulive?”

Kate changed the subject, but Ed was determined; he wantedmore than a working relationship with Kate. Actually, he’d wantedmore since they started working together. At first, he was toointimidated to initiate anything, plus, his prior screw up, gettinginvolvedwithhisfirstfemaleboss,hadalsoheldhimback.Until,thatis,their weekend at the Breakers. He’d been certain he sensed interestemanating from Kate and he went for it. Up to that point, Kate hadalways been very careful to keep things on a business level. It drovehimcrazy;he’dstartedtothinkhewasgettingoldandlosinghisappeal.

Asheconsideredallthis,Eddecidedtotakethedirectapproach.“So,Kate,didyouandBilleverpatchupyourlover’squarrel?”he

askedstaringdirectlyintohereyes;hesawherflinch.“Itwasn’talover’squarrel,Ed.BillwantstoremarryandIdonot.

We want different things. And, his ideal mate is about 180 degreesdifferent fromme. So, no, I’mnotwithBill now, if that’swhat you’reasking. As a matter of fact, I haven’t even heard from him since thenightIturneddownhismarriageproposal.”

Kate looked down at the tabletop and thought what a shame itwas that she’d lostmore than a fabulous loverwhen she toldBill shewouldn’tmarryhim.Whatshe’dreallylostbygettingsexuallyinvolvedwithBillwasanincrediblygoodfriend—shevowedshewouldn’tmakethatmistakeagain.

“Well,rememberwhatIsaid,”Edbrokeintoherthoughts.“What’s that?” Kate said, shaking off her momentary self-

recriminations.“Shit, Kate! You really know how to crush a guy’s ego.” Ed

pouted,notentirelyinjest.“Don’tyourememberattheBreakers,afteryoustoppedmefrom

carting you off into my bedroom and having my way with you, youagreedyou’dletmeknowwhenyouwerereadyforalittle ‘no-strings-attached,reboundsex.’You’llkillmymaleprideifyoutellmeyoucan’trememberthat.”

Katelaughed,“WhatIrememberfromthatconversationiseachofthereasonsIgaveyouforwhyIsaidno.Doyouwantmetorecapthemforyou?”

“Iremembersomethingbogusaboutyoubeingalittleolderthanmeand,ofcourse, thewholeBossLady,sexualharassment thing. Butseriously, Kate, I would like to see you outside of the office. We getalongsowell,andhavesomuchincommon.Don’tyouthinkit’sworthatry?”Edpersisted.

“Ed, I’ve lost one ofmy best friendsmixing sexwith friendship.It’sjustabadidea,”shesaid,noticingthesexypoutonhisface.

“But,don’tworrysailor,”KateknewtheMarineinhimhatedtobecalled ‘sailor’, “you’ve still got your magic. You just need to findsomeoneyounger...andlessdamaged.”

He really is quite hard to turn down. Imust never letmyself getdrunkaroundthisguyagain.I’mnotsureIwouldhavethesameresolveifpresented with that opportunity a second time, Kate thought as shecontinuedtoregardEdappreciatively.

“Well,untilthisyoungerwomanshowsup,IthinkI’lljustkeeponsexuallyharassingyou.Afterall,Ihavetokeepupmyskills,”Edteased.

“Youreallyaretotallyincorrigible!I’msogladyoutoldmewhatyourmomusedtosayaboutyoubeingunabletotake‘no’forananswer.Shehadyoupegged—youreallycan’t.Nowstopbadgeringme.Ithinkourfoodiscoming.” Kateneededtoendthismildflirtation;shecouldfeelherselfbeginningtoyield.

“OK, fine. Let’s talk running. I propose we work out togetherthreetimesduringtheweekandonetimeontheweekend.IthinkIcanwhipyouintogoodenoughshapetomanageapersonalbestinthehalfmarathon in two months,” Ed said, deciding to take a less directapproachforawhile.

“Soundslikeaplan,butatleastoneofourweeklyworkoutshastobeahotyogasession.Ican’twaittohearyouwhimperlikealittlegirlafter 20minutes in the hot classroom.” Kate said, knowingmostmenhavenoideawhatthey’regettingintowithhotyoga.

“You’reon,”Edsaid,fullofmaleego.“Afterall,howhardcouldayoga class be? And hot is nothing new to me, remember, I did anextendedtourinAfghanistan.”

Katejustsmiledknowingly.

Chapter3

Thursday morning Kate’s direct office line rang, and caller IDindicateditwascomingfromPhillipBentley,theCEOofSquareFoods,Kate’slargestcorporateclient.

“KateMuldoon.Goodmorning,Phillip,”sheanswered.“MorningKate.I’vegotanewoneforyou!”Phillipgreetedher.“Alwaysgoodtohearfromyou,”Katerespondedwithalaugh.“Yesterdayatfive,oneofourassemblylineworkers,BobGentry,

wenthomewithhislunchpail inhand. Thismorning,BobbiJoGentrycametoworkwithherlunchpailinonehandandapurseintheother!Theguyswhoworkonthelinewithhim...er...heraregoingnuts,andtheworkers fromevery otherwork area are strolling by to checkoutBobbi Jo’s makeup and hairdo. We need help, and fast. No work isgetting done, and I’m afraid there’s going to be a fight or an accident.Nobody’spayinganyattentiontowhatthey’redoing. It’sacircusoverhere!”

“Believe itornotPhillip, this isn’t the firstof these situations tocomeacrossmydesk. Letmeguess,thechiefissuerightnowiswhichbathroom she will be using,” Kate said, briefly recalled her first suchmatter, involvingthe50-year-oldCFOofanothercorporateclient. Theguywasmarriedwith three kidswhen hewent on a family vacation;oneweeklaterhereturnedasawomangettingdivorcedfromherwifeof25years—thatonehadbeenadoozy.

“Howdidyouguess?”Philreplied.“It’salwaysthefirstissue.Andoften,oncethatissueisresolved,

everythingelsefallsintoplaceprettyquickly,”sheinformedhim.“JosieMyers,yourHRDirector,isreallyterrificwithyouremployees. Ithinkweshouldpressherintoservicetoday.HavehergivemeacallandI’llwalkherthroughmyrecommendations.

“But, Phillip, just so youknowwhere this is headed, letme giveyou a quick overview. The law will likely protect Bobbi Jo’s choice,whetherit’stocrossdressorundergoacompletesexchange—surgery,hormonetherapy,andall.Mybestadviceistotrytokeepheremployedand work with her as she makes this transition; it’s the best way toavoid potential litigation. That said, she is not entitled to create adisruptionintheworkforce.Also,it’sverylikelyshe’salreadyengagedlegalcounselandknowsherrights.”

Shewasprettysure Josiewouldbeable tohandle the firststepswithoutmakingherowntripouttotheplant,andshewouldprefertohandle it thatway. Sheknew ifshe conducted the interview,Bobbi Jowouldthinkthecompanyhad“lawyered–up”onher.

“OK,I’llhaveJosiecallyourightaway.Ineedtogetthislinebackup and running at capacity as soon as possible,” Phil said, making itclearhisprimaryconcernwasprofits—asusual.

AsKatehungup,shebuzzedEd’soffice.“I’vegot anew issueat SquareFoods that I’ll needyouon. Can

youcometomyofficeinafewminuteswhentheHRDirectorcalls?Myguess is you haven’t handled a matter like this before,” Kate saidsmiling.“Itwillbegreatexperience.”

“OK,InstantMessagemewhenshecalls,”Edsuggested.Five minutes later, Josie was on the line; Kate put her on

speakerphone,andIM’dEd.“Hey, Josie,” Kate greeted her. “I hope you weren’t planning on

doinganything important today. I thinkyourhandswillbepretty fullmanagingtheBobbecomesBobbiJosituation.”

“I had a full day of employee evaluations and promotionrecommendations planned, clearly that’s all on the back burner now.Whatazoo! Myphone isringingoff thehook;womenrefusing tousethesamerestroomasBobbiJo,menrefusingtoworkonthesamelinewithher,”Josiesighed.“I’vereadsomearticlesonlineaboutthissortofsituation,and,sofar,ourgroupofemployeesareprovingthearticlestobespoton.”

EdwalkedintoKate’sofficeandsatdownattheworktableinthecorner,openedhislaptop,andbegantakingnotes.

“I have confidence you can handle thiswithoutme there, but ifyouwantme, I can be there this afternoon. It’s actually better if youdeal with Bobbi Jowithout ‘legal’ becoming involved—unless or untilwehaveto,thatis. Ido,however,wanttosendmymaleassociate,EdEvert, out tomeetwith Bobbi Jo’s teammates and the foremen in hersection.Edisherewithmeinmyoffice.Hecaneasilybetherelaterthismorning,”Katesaid,shiftingaquestioninggazetowardEd;henodded.

“Iknowmostofyourlineemployeesaremale.Canyoutellmethemake up of Bobbi Jo’s team and the name of her foreman?” Kateinquired.

“TheforemanisGerryBlack,he’snottoobad.But,Kate,weonlyhave7womeninthewholeplant,noneareonherline.Ijustcan’tfind

women candidates with an interest in line work. I’ve beenworryingabout our lack of diversity in this division for some time,” Josieresponded.

“Well, this is oneway to increaseyourdiversitynumbers!”Katelaughed. “But I don’t think you’re going to get many of your maleemployeestodemonstratethissamelevelofcommitmenttodiversity!”

“No,kidding,”Josiechuckled.“ItwouldbegreatifEdcouldcomeout this morning and handle the conversation with the co-workers,”Josie said. “I’ve already fielded 10 calls just from women employeessaying theynearly freakedoutwhen theysawa setof feet in thestallnext to them pointed toward the back of the stall instead of the stalldoor,”Josielaughed.“BobbiJomusthaveaweakbladder!”

KateglancedatEdandsawhisheadjerkupfromhisnotesasanincredulous look crept across his face. He IM’d Kate, “ur conf calls ralwaysthebest.”

“Hopefully, she’s not just making a point,” Kate replied. “I gavePhillipaheadsupthatBobbiJoisprotectedandweneedtoworkwithher, if we can. I also told him she’s probably already received legalcounselonherrights.

“The first thing I need you to do is go to the line where she’sworking and invite her to your office for a confidential conversation.Expecthertobedefensive.YoushouldhaveyourassistantHRmanager,Kathy,joinyousoyouhaveawitnesstotheconversation;askKathytotake notes. If Bobbi Jo asks for a union rep to join the meeting youshouldallowit,ofcourse. But, ifsheaskstorecordyourconversationor have an attorneypresent you should tell her ‘no’ because taping isagainst company policy, and it’s also your policy to have the firstconversationonanypersonnelissuewiththeemployeeonly,becauseitensuresanopendialogueaboutaworkplaceissue.”

“OK,letmegetKathyinheresosheknowswhatwe’redoing.”Josieplacedthemonabriefhold.KatelookedoveratEdwhowaslookingatherwithasomewhat

stunnedlook.“IsthiswhatIthinkitis?”heaskedindisbelief.“Probably.Staytuned,andtakenotes,”Kateanswered.“OK.We’rebothherenow,”Josiesaid,andKathychimedinwith

herhello.“Kathy, your role in the conversationwithBobbi Jo ismostly as

witnessandscribe,”Katebeganagain. “This firstconversationwillbe

primarilyfactfinding.We’llneedtotalkagainafteryourmeeting.Letmegiveyouthetalkingpointsyoushouldcover.

“First, letBobbi Joknowyourecognized this isabigday forherand that she’s excited, andmaybe abit anxious. Sheneeds tobe toldrightupfrontthatthecompanyisreadytoworkwithhertomakehertransitionasmoothone,intheworkplace.Youshouldencouragehertoacknowledge that her co-workers haven’t had an opportunity toprepare for this big event, as she has. She needs to understand theymightneedhelpwiththeadjustment,andthatyouwouldappreciateherunderstanding.

“Second,youshouldremindBobbiJothatifshefeelsharassedorthreatenedbyaco-worker,sheneedstocometoyouwithanyconcerns.Informherthecompanywillbetalkingwithherco-workerstoexplainherrightsandprotections.

“Then you should ask her a series of questions. What is herintentionregardingthepermanenceofthischange?Specifically,isshegoingforwardwithaphysicalsexchange,orissheonlygoingtodressandotherwisepresentherselfasawoman?Isshelookingforflexibilityto move back and forth with her identity, or is she planning onremainingBobbiJogoingforward?

“Youshouldaskwhatshewantstobecalled?Canweconsistentlyrefer to her as ‘her’ or ‘she’? Find out if she’s gone public with herfamilyandfriends.Sheneedstounderstandifthereareinquiriesfromoutside the company you will be referring them to her directly. Thecompanyshouldsimplyletherknowifaninquiryoccurs.

“Findoutwhatstagehertransitionisin,andexplainthatyoucan’tchangeheremployeerecordstoreflectanewname,etc.untilit’slegallychanged, thesamewaywehandlenewlymarriedwomanordivorceeswhotaketheirmaidennameback.Askhertokeepyouinformedofherprogressinthatregard.Askifshehasanattorneytohelpherwiththeprocess,andifsowhoitis.Findoutwhethershewillneedmedialleaveforsurgery,and,ifso,whenandhowlong.”

Edwaseagerlytakingnotes,butwincedatthementionofsurgery.“Ask her about the restroom situation and explain some of her

femaleco-workershaveexpressedaconcernandaskforherthoughts.Also ask if she has amessage for her co-workers and if shewants tohave them ask questions or engage in some other form of directdialogue.

“During this interview, you will be able to determine herwillingnesstoworkwithusversesanintenttocreatealegalissuethatcouldprovideheracauseofactionorcreateaplatformforprotestsandpresscoverage,”Kateconcluded.

“OK,”Kathyexhaled.“We’vebothtakennotesonthis,butIwanttomakesureourlistofquestionsiscomplete.Wouldyoumindsendingusanemailofthosetalkingpoints?”

“No problem, I’ll have Ed email you the list within 15 minutes.Read it through a couple of times, so it comes across more as aconversationthananinterrogation,”Kateadvised.

“Josie, I think you and Kathy can handle this, and it’s actuallybetterifyoudo.TheconversationwilltakeonadifferenttoneifIshowup.Thinkyoucanhandleit?”

“Yes,butI’mnotsurewehavemuchconfidencethemenherewilltakeourmessagetoheart. Itwillcertainlyhelptohaveyourassociatecomeoutandhandlethataspect.

“I’llgethimpreparedandouttotheplantthismorning.Plus,I’mgoingtomakesurePhillipattendsthemeetings.Itwillsignalthere’sanexpectationofcompliance.Edshouldmeetfirstwithalloftheforemen,and then have a groupmeetingwith the rest of the guys on her line.The message Ed will be delivering is that Bobbi Jo’s transition isprotected and they are to treat her like any other co-worker—withrespect.Theyshouldtreathernodifferentlythantheydidbeforetoday;andtheymustunderstandharassment,oranyotherformofabusewillnot be tolerated. Under your company policy Gender identity isprotected, similar to employee’s race, ethnic background, nationalorigin, religion,gender, age,ordisability. Theyalsoneed toknow thecompany’s complaint and dispute resolution policies and the union’sgrievanceprocessapply.

“IfBobwasonacompanybowling,softball,orotherteams,BobbiJoshouldcontinuetobeontheteamunlessthe leagueisrestrictedbygender. Inthatcase,wewillneedtoseewhereBobbiJoisinthelegalandmedicalprocess.Youneedtoexplainthatthecompanywillcontrolthosethingsitcanandwillworkwithhertotrytoreachtherightresultonthosemattersthatareoutsidethescopeofthecompany’scontrol.”

“Thisallsoundslikealandminefield;lotsofwaysforustoscrewup. Ihopewecanpull itoff as smoothlyasyoumake it sound,” Josiesaid,skeptically.

“Oh,there’llbeproblems,youcancountonthat,”Katetoldthem.“We’ll just try tomake themasmanageableaspossibleand, frankly,alotdependsonBobbiJo’sintentions.But,let’snotborrowtrouble.Callmewhenyou’redonetalkingwithherandwe’lldiscussnextsteps.”

“Also,sendmeanemailassoonasyouhavesetupatimeforEdtospeak with the foremen first and then the rest of her co-workers. Irecommendtherebenobreakbetweenhisdiscussionwiththeforemenand thecrew. The foremenneed to remainwithEdand justhave thecrew come into the same room. Wewant tomake sure the foremendon’thaveanyunauthorizedsidebarswiththeirguysandstirupissues.Having Phillip there will set the expectation of what the companyconsiders acceptable leadership behavior for the foremen,” Katewarned.

“Finally,whatsortofemployeewasBob?Washeagoodworker,anypromotionscomingup? Howaboutperformanceproblems?”Kateasked,tryingtoanticipateanydifficultiesthatmayariseinthefuture.

“That’sthecrazypart. Bobwasagreatemployee. Ijustputhimup for promotion to foreman, but hedidn’t knowabout it yet, andnoactionhadbeentakenonourrecommendation,”Josiereplied.

“Well,thatcouldbeablessing.BobbiJowon’tbeabletocomplainthather transitionhasnegatively impactedhercareer ifweultimatelypromote her after this. Hang tough ladies; the fun is just beginning!”Katelovedherwork.

SheturnedtoEdasKathyandJosiesaidtheirgoodbyesandhungup—heseemedabitshellshocked.

“Kate,I’veneverhandledanythinglikethisbefore.I’mnotsureIcanpullthisoff,”heconfided.

“Yes, you can and probablymore effectively than I could. I’m awoman,butyou’reabig,strongMarine.Whichoneofusdoyouthinkabunch of assembly line workers and their foremen will listen toobetter?” Kate wanted to challenge Ed to stretch outside his comfortzone.

“I’ll give you the talking points. There aren’t asmany as I gaveJosieandKathy,andyou’lldoalmostallofthetalking.But,therewillbequestions,andyouhavetobeabletoanswerthem,”Katedirected.

“OK. Butdon’tthinkforonemomentyou’llalwaysgetyourwayjustbycallingmea‘big,strongMarine.’ThoughIhavetoadmitIlikeitawholehellofa lotbetterthan ‘sailor’,”Edsaid,shootingherhisbestgrin.

Kate smiledbackand then launched into theguidancehewouldbedeliveringtotheplantforemenandBobbiJo’sco-workers.++++

Later that afternoon, Kate heard from Josie and Ed that theirmeetingshadgonewell,butsheknewtheyweren’toutofthewoodsyet.Thenextthreeweekswouldbetherealtest.

Bobbi Jo had been surprised by the company’s response; she’dcome into themeetinghostile, expecting tobe fired. Whenshe finallyunderstoodthecompanyplannedtohelpherwiththetransition,BobbiJoseemedtogetonboardwiththeideaofworkingcooperativelywiththe company and her co-workers. She decided during themeeting tomakethetransitionpermanent,at leastatwork,andwouldnotswitchbacktohermalepersonae.Sheacknowledgedthatswitchingbackandforthwould be harder for her co-workers to handle and could createconfusionoranunintendedaffront.

She also confirmed that she wanted to be called Bobbi Jo andreferred toas “her”or “she”going forward. Sheultimately seemed tounderstandthereasoningbehindthecompany’sinabilitytochangehernameandgenderontheirrecordsuntilshedidsolegally.Atfirst,she’dwantedtomakeanissueofthispointandsaidshe’dbetalkingwithherattorneyabout it. But,sheseemed lessdefensiveonce Josieexplainedthe company did not change women employees’ names when theymarriedordivorceduntiltheybroughtintheirmarriagelicense,divorcedecree,orsomeotherlegaldocumentgrantinganamechange.

The next few weeks would determine whether Bobbi Jo wouldtrulygiveupherinitialbeliefthatsheneededtosuethecompanytogetwhatshewanted,or if shewas looking forsomething to litigate. Katehadseenplentyofsituationswheretheemployeereallywantedafight,andtogarnercashorpresscoverage,ratherthanfindatrueresolution.

Ed’smeetingshadgonewellforthemostpart.Theforemenweresurprisedgenderidentitywasprotectedandoncethatfactsunkin,andthey heard it reinforced by the CEO, they were more interested inwhetherBobbiJowasgoingtobe“surgicallyaltered”and“whatthehellthat would entail.” Ed reported a number of the guys seemed to getquitesqueamishwhenthetopicofsurgerycameup,butwererelievedtoheartheyweren’texpectedtoknoworlearnaboutthesurgeryunlesstheywanted toand Bobbi Jowanted to tell them. Ed emphasized the

employees were not to text, email, IM, or Facebook about Bobbi Jo’stransition and, while they all seemed to understand this directive,human nature being what it is, Kate anticipated the story wouldeventuallysurfacesomewhereonsocialmedia.