Back in college, I had studied literature while she had studied law, and we had taken very different paths. When she heard my voice, she did not waste time on politeness.
“Come today,” she said, “bring everything and tell no one.”
Her office in Bellevue smelled like paper and strong coffee, and I arrived with the box, documents, and almost no sleep. She read everything in silence before finally looking up at me.
“Do you understand how much money is involved here?” she asked calmly.
I swallowed and forced myself to say the number, counting properties, investments, and years of hidden income. “More than fifty million dollars,” I said quietly.
She set her pen down with a sharp sound and said, “Then we act immediately.”
My mind was still trapped in emotion, but hers had already moved into strategy. She began organizing everything into precise stacks, each one becoming a piece of the case against him.
“He believes you are unaware,” she said, “and that makes him careless, and careless men leave evidence everywhere.”
I expected comfort, but instead she gave me something better, a plan. She listed experts, accountants, legal contacts, and steps we needed to take without hesitation.