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| Faith Creek Mysteries |
A phone call changes everything as Tessa leaves New York and returns to the family she thought she'd left behind.
Episode 3 | The Meeting
They walked inside, taking seats at the end of the table. Margaret Sanford gave them a look.
“The staff is on edge about a rumor floating around the office,” Margaret was saying.
Tessa leaned over to Angie and whispered, “What rumor?”
Angie shrugged.
“I don’t know where or how the rumor got started,” Margaret said, her eyes scanning the room. “But let me be clear—there is no merger happening. What we are doing is preparing for expansion. My late husband Russell and I opened these doors twenty-five years ago with a vision for excellence, and that vision hasn’t changed. If anything, we’ve outgrown it.”
She paused, letting her words settle.
“We’re taking on more clients than ever before, and with that growth comes opportunity—not layoffs. I want to personally assure each of you: your jobs are safe.”
A light ripple of applause moved around the room.
Margaret offered a rare smile. “And we’re going to keep it that way. I also want to thank each of you for your dedication, talent, and tireless hours. Margaret Sanford & Associates wouldn’t be one of the top firms in the country without this team.”
Another, stronger round of applause followed.
“Now, any questions?”
The room was quiet.
“Alright then,” she said, her tone shifting. “Everyone except the attorneys is dismissed. I want to hear what each of you is working on—and where you see yourself growing in the firm.”
The attorneys took turns bringing Margaret up to speed on what they were working on.
“Before you all leave, I have a case that I need to assign. I am looking for volunteers.” She held up a thick binder. “A new client is coming in on Monday to discuss a tax case. We have to make sure that precedents are cited, all of the t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted. Anyone?”
Tessa couldn’t help but notice that no hands went up. She couldn’t take it because her caseload was already full—not only her cases, but several that had been quietly shifted over from the senior partner’s daughters.
Margaret glanced around the room. “I can’t believe this. Alright, I just have to pick someone.” She pushed her chair back, walked around the table, and dropped the file in front of her oldest daughter, Emily. “Emily, it’s all yours.”
Emily, who had been half-asleep, nearly jumped out of her skin. She pushed her red-framed designer glasses up her nose. “Fine. What’s the name of the client?”
“Miles Talbert,” Margaret answered. “He’s the new CEO of Dandelion’s Sweets. The company is being charged with fraud. I don’t care if you have to work all weekend. I need one hundred and fifty percent on this. Do you understand?”
“No problem, Mother,” Emily said. “I’ll make this my number one priority. I’ll cancel all of my weekend plans if I have to.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Margaret said. “The rest of you, head back to work.”
Emily grabbed the thick file and hurried out of the room.
As the other attorneys filed out, Tessa gathered her notes, preparing to leave with the rest.
“Tessa, could you stay a moment?” Margaret said.
Tessa paused, glancing at Angie, who gave her a small nod and slipped out.
Margaret stepped back toward the head of the table, her expression unreadable.
“I’ve been thinking about the next phase for this firm. About legacy, growth—and leadership,” Margaret continued.
“I wanted to tell you this in private,” she said. “The board is preparing to name a new senior partner. Several names are being considered, including yours.”
Tessa blinked. She opened her mouth, but no words came.
Margaret gave a slight smile. “Don’t let the politics distract you. Keep doing what you’re doing,”
Margaret said, gathering her things. “I see you, Tessa. Even when others pretend not to.”
Tessa nodded, pulse quickening. “Thank you.”
Margaret turned toward her notes. “That’ll be all.”
As Tessa stepped out into the hallway, for the first time in weeks, something besides Cameron made her heart race.
***
“What was that about?” Angie asked, meeting her in the hallway.
Tessa was still in a daze. “I made the short list for partner.”
Angie squealed. “Yesss. You deserve it.”
“I wanted it,” Tessa said. “I’ve been working my butt off, but now that it might actually happen... I don’t believe it.”
“Well, believe it,” Angie said. “That partnership is yours. Look at you: high-powered job, handsome and well-off boyfriend—or should I say, fiancé. You have it all.”
Tessa gave a tight smile. “I thought for sure I was going to be handed the Dandelion Sweet case,” she said, changing the subject, as she stopped in front of Angie’s office.
“There’s still a chance,” Angie teased.
“Bite your tongue,” Tessa said.
“Are we still on for drinks after work?” Angie asked.
“I need it now more than ever.”
“See you later at Moe’s,” Angie chuckled, disappearing inside her office.
Tessa turned and headed toward her own office.
Her phone vibrated in her hand, and the sight of her sister Anne’s name illuminated the screen sent a jolt through Tessa. Anne only reached out on Christmas or birthdays—moments reserved for family celebrations.
She swiped to answer. "Anne?" The word barely left her lips before her sister's voice came through, brittle and rushed. Tessa's fingers tightened around the phone. "Is he alive? How bad is it?”
“I’ll be right there,” Tessa said, ending the call. Her fingers trembled as she ran a hand through her black, shoulder-length hair.
Emily's voice cut through Tessa's shock. "Is everything okay?”
Tessa spoke in a shaky voice. “Someone shot my father. I have to get home right away.”
Emily's lips thinned with concern, but her eyes darted to the manila folder clutched in her manicured hand.
"That's terrible. But the Westfield deposition is tomorrow, and I was hoping you could—"
The rest of Emily's words barely registered.
She turned and hurried down the hallway toward Margaret Sanford's office, her heels striking the polished marble floor in quick, uneven beats.
KEEP READING…
🔄 Previous Episode 2: A World Away
🔙 Next Episode 4: Coming Home
Tessa returns to Faith Creek, where an unexpected reunion with Mason Ford reminds her that some things—and some people—are impossible to leave behind.
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Note: Faith Creek Mysteries is a work of fiction created for entertainment and inspirational purposes. Any resemblance to actual persons, places, or events is purely coincidental.
Continue the journey with the James family. Visit the Faith Creek Mysteries collection to read every episode and follow the investigation from the very beginning.
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