Finding Sam (Featured)

Chapter 40 - A Big Step

Erik was right.

Other than cause me misery, there was nothing that David could legally do to take away the house that Eunice had passed on to me. If anything, it had given me something to use against him.

The next day, Erik took me to the office of his college friend, Doug Chambers. Doug and Erik had both started out taking their general education courses at a local junior college before transferring to their respective universities. They became good friends, a relationship that they maintained as Doug pursued political science and Erik went into kinesiology. Their friendship continued through their years in grad school, Doug majoring in law and Erik, in medicine. These days, Doug was a partner at an Marina del Rey law office that specialized in corporate law. Erik was one of his clients.

It was a small world, I thought, as I walked into the expensively decorated office, with its large floral display in the lobby and leather sofas and chairs. It made my family lawyer's office simply pale by comparison, and while I couldn't fault Erik for his pick of friends, I couldn't help but feel envy at the camaraderie between both men. Though I hadn't met Doug in person till that morning, I remembered seeing his face on the photographs that hung on Erik's clinic office.

Erik was there to sign documents finalizing Serena's removal from his clinic's board of directors. Not wishing to learn more than I already knew about Serena's involvement in his clinic - and her subsequent removal - I busied myself in the far corner of Doug's office to peruse an Architectural Digest magazine.

But the beautiful interiors on the page before me couldn't stop my thoughts from returning to the fact that I was sitting inside a legal office, one that could possibly help me with something I'd been mulling since David broke into my house. Erik was right about David having primed me like some violin, ready to play at the snap of his fingers. All he had to do was say, "jump" and in response, I'd ask, "how high?"

It took them only about fifteen minutes to finalize the documents and as Erik and Doug said their good-byes, discussing a time to get together some time during the week, I realized that it was now or never. There was no point in waiting any longer. I cleared my throat.

"I know we have to leave, Erik, but I have a question for Doug," I said as both men turned to look at me.

"Fire away, Sam," Erik said. "That's what Doug is here for."

This time I turned to face Doug, my throat tightening. I wiled myself not to let my voice crack, or my courage to waver. "I know you handle corporate law, but is there anyone you can refer me to if I needed to file trespassing charges and -" I paused, glancing at Erik. I wished he would step out of the office now that all the documents he had come in to sign had already been signed and notarized. I didn't want him to hear what I was about to say

"And what?" Doug asked.

I heaved a sigh. What was the point of hiding something that everyone else already knew, I thought. Even my framer knew what David had been doing to me.

"Domestic abuse charges," I stammered, my face heating up. "It's been almost two years but...if there's someone you can refer me to -"

"Our office can help you with that," Doug said, his expression kind. "We can set an appointment for you for another day, unless, of course, you have some time now. I had set aside the whole morning for Erik but it seems that we got done sooner than I anticipated."

"Now would be fine, if it's possible," I said, knowing that if I set up an appointment for another day, there was a chance I'd change my mind, like I always did.

"Take all the time you need, Sam," Erik said before turning to Doug. "Is there a conference room available for me to make a few calls?"

Doug excused himself to direct Erik into a conference room at the end of the hallway before returning into the office, though this time, he was accompanied by another attorney who specialized in family law. She was a tall woman with cropped auburn hair and large blue eyes.