"Objection your honor, Mr. Canning is testifying." Alicia said exasperated. She'd had enough of his shenanigans, and she knows Kalinda is on her way with the evidence she needs to put this case to rest.
"Sustained, Mr. Canning, you are walking a very fine line here."
"Your honor, I am just trying to show that Mr. Debry has no knowledge as to the whereabouts of the companies missing funds. Mrs. Sabey, the deceased partner to Mr. Debry, was the one moving all of the business funds. And as we can all see through the evidence that has been presented, Mr. Debry's company is going bankrupt. Even if Mrs. Florrick wins this class action suit there won't be anything left to divvy out to her clients. The company is going bankrupt. Your honor, my client is not responsible."
"So just what should our clients tell the IRS then Mr. Canning?" Alicia said with just as much gumption as she used with the past five objections in the past twenty minutes. "That they will happily pay their overdue taxes from the past four years because your clients company stole their hard earned income and didn't pay my clients taxes? Your honor the IRS has given no leeway to our clients. Our clients are not rich. Some of them are small business owners who trusted Mr. Debry's company to take care of their payrolls, and pay their taxes. Someone has to be held accountable."
"What is she doing?" Cary whisperd quietly to Diane who was sitting next to him at the defense table.
"She's winning!"
"Yeah, but this is more than trying to win. She doesn't get fired up like this very often. Do you think it's because of today?"
"No, actually I don't. Alicia always fights hard, but there have been very few times when she gets under the skin of opposing council like this. I think it has to do with the Governor."
"The Governor?" He lookd at her completely confused.
Diane recalled one other time she saw Alicia fight like this. It was the day after the State's Attorney's election. She thought Alicia was all fired up due to her husbands win. But after the next few months played out…. It all makes sense now. I knew she had separated from Peter, but I figured they had separated a few months after the election. I thought the separation was all because of Will. Another thing I feel guilty about from three and half years ago. Their affair wasn't wrong in retrospect, but it wasn't smart. What could have happened that would make her separate from Peter the night he wins an election? I wonder if she has separated again? Maybe that's why she looked so upset earlier this morning.
Diane turned to Cary, "I think she may have separated from Peter."
"What? Why?"
"Because the last time I saw Alicia fight like this was three years ago after I think she separated from Peter. And you didn't see her this morning at Will's grave site."
Just then Kalinda walked into the courtroom and handed Alicia a file..
Louis Canning continued. "Your honor, we ask that all charges against Mr. Debry be dropped. There is clearly not enough evidence to prove my client knew about the missing funds."
"Your honor, we have some new evidence that has been brought to our attention we would like to present," Alicia said, as she handed Mr. Canning, and the judge a copy of the forms Kalinda just handed her.
Louis Canning took one look at the papers, and looked up to the judge. "Your honor, we would like to ask for a brief recess to consult with opposing counsel."
"Yes, Mr. Canning I'm sure you would! We will recess until Monday morning assuming we need to after you talk with Mrs. Florrick." The judge hit his gavel, and Canning walked right over to the defense table.
"Thirty five Million," he offered.
"No, Mr. Canning," Alicia says. Diane and Cary look at her as though she's crazy not to accept and are about to over rule her. "Let me refresh your memory of a case we won against you a few years ago. You told me in confidence that you had won. That your clients wanted to get us down to fifty million, and you had talked us down to thirty five."
"Well, this is different." Canning protested.
"No, no it isn't Mr. Canning. We can all see the thirty million dollar sum on that paper in front of you from an offshore bank account. As you can also see it's linked through fifteen different channels and ends up directly in your client's account. I'm willing to bet there is more money in another off shore account somewhere. So we will take fifty million and settle. Or we can have Kalinda spend the weekend finding the other off shore accounts your client likely has, and meet you here Monday morning." Alicia says with that smirky tilt of the head and smile she reserves for clients like Colin Sweeney, and enemies like Canning.
"Okay fifty million, but not a cent more." Canning said resigned.
"Great! It's always a pleasure doing business with you Mr. Canning! Oh, and I will mark that down as another win for us!" Alicia said as she closed the file. Canning gathered his things and left the courtroom. The celebrating began as soon as the door closed behind him.
/
Back at the office, the celebrating continued. After their clients get paid, the sum the firm will take in is huge. Cary walks over to Kalinda. "Hey, nice job finding that evidence!"
"Yeah, does that mean I get a raise Cary?" She says with a smile half jokingly, half not.
"Let me talk to Alicia and Diane!"
Alicia sat on the other side of the conference room enjoying the brief distraction from Peter's mess. Her phone kept vibrating so she finally pulled it out of her bag. She had two text messages from Eli, and one from Peter. Four missed calls two from Peter, two from Eli. She sighed reading the first message from Eli.
We need to meet. We have to make a plan.
She let out an audible sigh, which Diane noticed. Then texts Eli back.
Not today Eli.
She returned her phone to her purse where she could ignore it at least for a little while.
Make a plan? Peter should have thought about that before he… The last thing I want to do today is to sit down with Eli and make a plan. I am so tired. I should be, I was up all night. Coffee, maybe coffee can get me through the rest of the day. No, it will take something stronger, much stronger.
She looked up to the clock on the wall of the conference room. It was almost time. The time Will was shot and killed one year ago. The time they had all planned on toasting him today.
She gazed around the room eyes landing first on Diane. After Diane had joined the firm they had found some new office space in the loop. It was nice. She, Diane, and Cary, all had corner offices. They were hoping to get the floor just below them in the upcoming year so they could expand. It was still open like their warehouse office had been, but with more walls for a little more privacy. Lots of glass just like there had been at LG. Alicia smiled to herself.
This is nice, who would have thought we would be where we are a year ago? Certainly not me! Definitely not Diane!
As Alicia was thinking to herself, Cary walked in with the champagne and glasses. At the same time Eli and Peter were in the elevator on their way up to make a plan with Alicia.
A few minutes later everyone's glasses were full. No one really knew what to say. Finally Alicia lifted her glass. "To Will. One of the best lawyers I ever knew."
"To Will" everyone in the room including, Kalinda, Cary, Robin, Diane, and Clark held up their glasses. They all stood there for a few moments sipping, in silence. Everyone sat back down as Diane spoke up.
"You know one of the things I miss the most? I miss looking out across the desk in my office to his, and watching him work I miss seeing the wheels spinning through his mind. He was such a good lawyer. That and dancing! I miss dancing with him after a big win! He was such a great dancer! Such a good friend." Heads nodded in agreement.
Kalinda spoke up next. "I miss sitting in a bar after work chatting with him, and watching all of the people around us while making jokes about them. Also his trust. He was always asking me if he could trust me. Not because he thought I was betraying him, but because he liked to know I had his back."
Then it was Cary's turn. "I miss going up against him in court!"
Everyone looked a bit surprised.
"Oh really," Diane said, with a smile and raised eyebrows.
"Hey, you have to remember I spent most of the five and half years I knew him arguing against him on the opposite side. It was so maddening, yet awe inspiring to argue against him. He really was a great lawyer!"
A few others share their thoughts. Then Cary turned to Alicia.
"Hey Alicia, what do you miss most about Will?"
All eyes turned to her, but she wasn't listening. She was lost in thought.
"Alicia,"
"Huh, what?" Alicia looked up from her glass.
"What do you miss about Will?" Cary asked again.
She thought for a moment then smiled. "I miss seeing his name pop up on my phone. Then having to decide whether or no to answer it!" Everyone laughs. Then Alicia stood up from her chair. "And with that I am going back to my office. I have a meeting at three I need to prepare for."
As she left the conference room Diane and Cary looked at each other with a knowing glance. "She's putting up the "Alicia front." Diane commented quietly to him as the others left.
"I know. Did you see the look in her eyes when I asked her about Will?"
"Yes. Hopefully things will be better after today." They get up and left for their offices.
As Alicia walked back to her office she shook her head. What do I miss about Will? Cary, what kind of question is that? I miss everything. But as she turned the corner to enter her office she was jolted out of thought when she saw Peter and Eli sitting on the sofa just inside her office.