Chereads / PLAYING HOUSE / Chapter 4 - Scratch each other's back

Chapter 4 - Scratch each other's back

Christopher

"Snow"

"Hello Agent Snow. I believe we have something we both need and we can help each other out, so I would like to meet"

"Who is this?"

"Christopher Baxter"

Few hours earlier

"Jeremy what have you got?"

"Nothing"

"What was that?"

"Sir look I can't find any other thing about this agent of yours than what is on the FBI data base. I have been trying and nothing is coming to play"

"Jeremy I did not employ you to not give me answers and…"

"I got something" he said and remained quiet.

"What is it!"

"Agent Snow has a lawyer"

"Jeremy, I have a lawyer too. Is it a crime to have one?" I asked dryly.

"This one is. Adam Rawlins. One of the top 5 best defence lawyers in the country and given her salary she can't afford him even for a minute" Jeremy said.

"So what does the lawyer have to do this?"

"He controls her accounts and facilitates every of her transactions. If anyone knows why her accounts were frozen or can give us any information about her" Jeremy said. I looked at him and stayed quiet for some seconds, thinking.

It might be worth the shot.

"Get me Mr Rawlins number". Jeremy checked his laptop and showed me the number on the screen.

"Am I speaking to Mr Adam Rawlins… Okay, Mr Christopher Baxter speaking. CEO of Baxter Incorporated. Yes… I am in desperate need of your expertise on a particular matter… Still not sure of what our stakes are at this point in time but I heard you are one of the best defence lawyers in the country and if it wasn't urgent I wouldn't call you myself and I know I don't have an appointment with you. But if you are too busy… Okay Sir. Well if you can make it in the next 10 minutes I would appreciate it. Thank you" I said and ended the call.

Exactly ten minutes later Jeremy walked into my office with Mr Rawlins behind him. I could tell from the picture Jeremy showed me on his laptop.

"Mr Rawlins, thank you for coming" I said as I stood up and we shook hands.

"And thank you for coming"

"Please sit" I said and we took our seat. "I'm sorry for calling on short notice, without an appointment or anything"

"No problem. Am happy to help" he said and I remained silent for some seconds.

"Yeah… Okay truth is that I don't have any problem in my company. In fact it's doing great. I actually called you here to ask about a client of yours, Alexandra Snow"

"Sorry who is that?" he asked

"You know who I'm talking about Mr Rawlins" I said still trying to keep my cool.

I hate it when they play that I don't know card.

"I'm sorry I don't"

"All I need is information'

"And you know, hypothetically speaking, I can't give any information of any of my clients" he said.

"Well since you are not my client I am not held by any rule of client confidentiality to anonymously leak to the press something that happened 2 decades ago in Berlin" I said as Jeremy placed a file in front of him.

He opened it and his eyes widened a bit as he went through it.

"How did you get this?"

"Just like you, between me and my client, there is something called client confidentiality" I said and he sighed.

"All I'm asking for in turn for this little mistake to go away is information. You know how files get mixed up and lost in the process".

He stayed quiet for a while before he cleared his throat and spoke.

"What do you want to know?"

"Why her accounts were frozen"

"Her grandfather stated in his will that if by the age of 30 her accounts should be frozen and the money he was to give to her will be withheld till she got married within that period of time or she would lose them forever" he said and I looked at Jeremy who stood at the corner of my office then back at Mr Rawlins.

I think we can actually both help each other.

I smiled broadly at that thought.

"Mr Rawlins, let's take a trip to your clients office" I said and stood up butting my suit.

"Please, lead the way" I said motioning to the door with my hand.

He stood up and left the office while I followed him behind and Jeremy behind me.

"Sir, are you thinking of what I think you are thinking about?" Jeremy asked

"What do you think?" I asked Jeremy with a smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We were now standing outside one of the FBI field offices in DC where Alexandra worked. I stood outside as I dialled her number. Maybe we could talk outside without causing a scene.

"Snow"

"Hello Agent Snow. I believe we have something we both need and we can help each other out, so I would like to meet"

"Who is this?"

"Christopher Baxter"

"The one we meet at the crime scene?"

"Yes the same one. I was hoping we could talk"

"About the investigation?"

"No. It's a personal matter"

"Then we have nothing to talk about" she said and hang up then I gave my phone to Jeremy.

First of all she talks to me rudely now she hangs up on me? She does have a thing for trouble. I just smiled to the building with my both hands in my pocket.

I walked into the building and everyone began to look at me and they began to whisper to each other. I asked Mr Rawlins for what floor she was on and I entered the elevator to the21st floor. We came out and people were still staring.

Yeah, it's Christopher Baxter. In your field office.

I stood in the middle of the building, brought out my hands from my pocket and stretched them wide open.

"Alexandra dear. I'm here" I shouted gaining everyone's attention. She didn't come out.

Okay. Let's try that again.

"Alex honey…" I said louder this time. And finally I saw her majesty come out from her glorified throne. She walked through the crowd as she came down from the stairs and they gave way as she came to meet me.

"Mr this is a Federal facility so please can you shut up"

"I will if you listen to me"

"Mr I have told you that I have nothing to say to you"

"What kind of FBI Agent doesn't want to hear information about an on going investigation she is working on?"

"What the hell is going on Snow?" a man from upstairs asked. He appeared to be her boss.

"Nothing Sir. Someone just got the wrong building"

"I doubt that"

"Please attend to the gentleman" he said and got back to his office.

She sighed loudly before motioning for me to follow her. I did as motioned with Jeremy behind me and the eyes of her fellow workers on us. Well on me.

"I hope your information is good. You've got 5 minutes" she said

"Thank you" I said and sat on the seat in front of me.

"I didn't ask you to sit"

"I know, I helped myself and if we start arguing about the whole situation of why the hell did you and why the hell wouldn't I then I will have to need another 5 minutes and I really don't want to spend more time than necessary in this place"

"Well then you have 4 minutes left"

"I will get straight to the point. The information I have on the case is that I don't have anything. All I know is Owen was shot and I was knocked out and when next I woke, I found myself 5 blocks away from the incident".

"Please tell me something I don't know" she said with irritation evident in her voice.

"Okay. Jeremy get me Mr Rawlins" I said and she was looked at me as Jeremy stepped out of the office. I had Mr Rawlins stay outside till I called for him.

"Like I said on the phone we have something in common and I believe we can help each other" I said as Mr Rawlins entered the office.

"Should I tell her or you will? You know what, I'll tell her myself"

"What is going on here? Mr Rawlins?"

"He asked for some information and I had no choice"

"Let's say that both our parents have lost their way, still thinking we are 5 and they can control our lives on a daily basis and we happen to share the same views on marriage being another form of physical torture" I said and she looked at Mr Rawlins.

"So what do you propose?"

"We scratch each other's backs. My parents, like yours, have seized my assets till I get married by the end of the month. So why don't we both get married. We have 3 weeks left to make this work and I believe…"

"No"

"No what"

"No I'm not interested in marrying you Mr".

"Baxter. Mr Christopher Baxter. And why would you say no. Do you think you have all the time in the world? I mean you think in 3 weeks you can find someone willing to marry you with no strings attached. Or try to pull one on you and disappoint you cause you will be the only one with something to loose. So here is a free opportunity where we are certain we can't screw each other over cause we both have something to loose"

"Well if you wanted this to work you shouldn't have started by threatening my lawyer, walking in here like a mad man and the way you talked to me. Yeah I am not letting the seat incident go down nicely"

"Well if you change your mind, give me a call" I said as I got up and buttoned my suit.

"You have till 12 midnight to change your mind" I added and left

Hours after leaving her office felling so victorious with a huge smile on my face I am now feeling a lot less victorious. When I left her office I was sure she would call me back but with each passing hour, I had less hope.

"Sir" Jeremy called bringing me out of my thoughts.

"What is it?"

"Mr Braxton was on the line again, he said it was important"

"And is he going to call back"

"I doubt that. I told him it's almost 12am and you will be having your beauty sleep"

"Now I remember why I hired you"

"Really?"

"Yeah, cause sometimes you get me wondering" I said and he laughed.

"So has she called back?"

"No. I really thought she would call back"

"After all the stunts you pulled I would be shocked if she called back"

"Was it too much?"

"Yeah, definitely" Jeremy said and laughed. "11:57. Should I start working on other options" he asked. I stood quiet for some seconds. It was going to be hard to find someone with such an impressive résumé to convince my dad and I know he will not believe me if I get some actress to do it for me.

"Sir" Jeremy called again.

"Yes please" I told him and he went back to his desk. Seconds later my phone rang and I looked at the time, 12:00.

"Hello"

"It's me" he said and I recognised her voice. I need to be saving peoples numbers.

"I'm in"

"I said offer lasts till 12"

"I believe I called you by 12. You are the one wasting my time now. So are you in or what, or do I have to give a long speech"

"No. let's start making…"

"It's 12 in the morning, I need my sleep" she said and ended the call and I smiled.

"Jeremy" I called and he entered the office.

"Cancel any plans you might have made. Ms Snow just called back" I said and he smiled then turned back and left the office. I turned and faced the glass window of my office, giving me a great view of the city.

No matter what it takes dad. I'm getting my throne back.