She was beginning to feel comfortable with this client of hers, too. All week long as they prepared for the preliminary hearing, he had treated her with charming deference and respect, never once getting out of line. That first day in her office, he had said he could control his impulses,
bailiff with a stiff black smudge of a mustache and a grim look. The clerk, court reporter and the bailiff were the only others present in the courtroom.
Damian glanced at his watch, no longer needing to feign impatience. Its nine twenty-five. Any idea why Mrs. Nye and her attorney arent here yet?
They might be caught in traffic.
Damians eyebrows rose in amusement. Traffic? May I remind you, its a sunny, seventy-degree Friday morning in June in Seattle. The only traffic to speak of is heading out to the recreational areas.
She looked up and flashed him a small rueful smile. Youre right, of course. I spoke without thinking.
Damian liked the way she easily admitted her mistakes, almost as much as he liked her sunny, infrequent smiles. He found himself fascinated by these glimpses of genuine warmth beneath her cool facade. He wondered what she would be like if she ever stepped totally out of her legal persona.
Do you wish you were heading out to one of those recreational areas for a head start on the weekend, too? he asked.
She quickly extinguished the smile, reestablishing her emotional distance and refocusing her eyes on her reading. Not particularly.
To you, work is fun, isnt it?
She looked up at him in surprise. I didnt think youd...
Her voice trailed off uncertainly. It wasnt difficult for him to guess what she had left unsaid. Understand?
Yes, thats what I was going to say.
Then why didnt you?
Because, frankly, I didnt think a psychologist could ever view work as fun.
I often view my work as fun, Kay. Exploring the mind is an exciting adventure. And helping people to get in touch with their happier feelings is the greatest high I know.
Her eyes shone as she looked off into a mental distance. I know that high. Sometimes when Im addressing a jury, and I know the logic of my argument is indisputable, and I can see the understanding dawning on their faces, its likeits like my birthday and Christmas and the Fourth of July all rolled into one.
Looking for that high in your work is what makes you good at it.
Her returning smile was small but possessed genuine warmth. Then she began to look uncomfortable at the prolonged eye contact and tugged at her right earlobe. Damn, it was an adorable earlobe and she looked adorable tugging at it.
Is your first name really Kay, or does the K.O. stand for something else?
It stands for something else.
What?
Sorry, but I limit the number of people who know that secret to my three closest friendsall of whom have given me their solemn vow of silence in a blood pact.
He grinned. Its that bad, huh?
She chuckled. Worse.
You were named after a mad aunt?
Her chuckle deepened. Good guess. Actually, I was named by a mad aunt.
I have to hear this story.
No. Really. Id rather not go into it.
But you must. I insist.
Are all you psychologists so inquisitive?
Are all you lawyers so tight-lipped? Come on. You dont have to tell me what the K.O. stands for. Just give me the rest of the story.
Kay smiled in good natured defeat. Okay. Edited version. My mothers small like me. Her doctor warned her that there were bound to be complications in any pregnancy. Shes a medical researcher herself and knew to take the warning seriously. She planned me carefully, even scheduling her delivery for when my dad would be back from his engineering job in Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, I decided to be born at seven months and threw off all her careful planning. Caught unawares and out of the range of immediate medical attention, she...lapsed into a coma.
Her voice had dropped and gotten even softer than usual with that last detail. As if of its own accord, his hand covered hers. But she did eventually get medical attention and you both came out of it all right?
Yes, but because of the delay, she was unconscious for several days. With my father out of the country, that left my aunt, Loony Luddie, the only one available to put a name on my birth certificate.
Loony Luddie?
Not that Aunt Luddies really loony, you understand. Shes actually a sweetie. Its just that she has a very simple and rather lighthearted view of life.
So your name ended up reflecting that simple, lighthearted view?
You could say that.
Of course! Damian exclaimed, catching on. K.O. arent initials for a girls name. Your loony Aunt Luddie named you K.O. because you knocked out your mother when you were born!
That small frown reappeared between her eyebrows. Damn it, Dr. Damian Steele, you are entirely too clever.
to be different, to be noticed.
The press is interested in this case? Ingle asked.
I was just meeting with a local station about the possibility of filming the trial and broadcasting it live, Croghans all-too-loud voice announced.
Damian watched as the judges bushy eyebrows rose in even more interest. Broadcasting it live, you say? Well, well. One of my cases on television.