Chapter 13
Uncovered

At the office, Goldwyn had disappeared while Charles was regaling Jonathon Thomas and Bill Ryan about the trial. Placid was giving his secretary some orders of some things he needed her to attend to before disappearing into his office as well. Toni and Leif headed for his. Before they reached the room Toni blinked on the recorder.

The first sound they heard was a deep, heavy sigh. Then the sound of numbers on a phone being punched. There was a long pause while the dialer was obviously waiting for someone to pick up at the other end. "Yeah, Moretti?" Goldwyn asked. "It's me. We have a problem…"

After a long day in court, Drake Placid enjoyed the quiet solitude of his office. It was his time to peruse the work he would be doing in the next few weeks, the major projects and the minor disputes. It was also a time for him to reflect on what had worked during the presentation and what had not. It always gave him a sense of accomplishment when one of his cases had turned out favorably. It reminded him of why he had become a lawyer in the first place.

During this time he did not like to be disturbed. His secretary knew this, most of the partners knew this and his family knew that after a case, he was not to be disturbed. So when his secretary buzzed him a few minutes after he had settled into his office chair, he was outraged by the interruption. "What is it?" he snapped.

"I'm sorry sir," her tone was apologetic and almost frightened. "But Leif Yahn and Toni Nelson wish to speak with you, sir."

"Tell them I'll talk later. I'm busy right now," his tone was biting.

"They insist that it's very important they speak to you right now," she added. He could tell the nervousness in her voice and realized that they must have insisted and that there must be some important reason for them to need to see him so urgently.

With irritation and annoyance he told her to send them in. Leif opened the door, but let Toni go in before him. Placid made a note of how well the two of them seemed to be working together lately. He also noticed their expressions. It seemed like a mixture of reluctance and a kind of satisfaction. "Well?" he demanded pointedly. His hands were folded in front of him on his desk as he looked from one to the other. "What is all this about?"

"We have something I believe you should hear," Leif began as Toni quickly set up the tape player and the recording. When Leif nodded to her she pressed play.

"We have a problem," Goldwyn's voice came over the player.

Moretti: Problem? I thought you took care of it.

Goldwyn: I did. I don't know how this could possibly have happened. I destroyed the tape, but somehow it wasn't destroyed. Johnson wasn't convicted.

Moretti: What?

The pitch of Moretti's last word had risen. Toni and Leif exchanged glances before turning their attention back to Placid who was staring at the tape player as if he'd never seen it before. A cloud of surprise and hurt passed over his face.

Moretti: What do you mean Johnson wasn't convicted? You said you had it under control.

Goldwyn: I did. I did. I-I-I'll find a way to take care of it.

Moretti: No! You were supposed to take care of it before, but you've blundered the whole thing! What are we going to do when they come after Bellamy? Huh? Do you realize what you have done?

Goldwyn: Yes sir.

Moretti: You're like that girl in the senator's case. She wasn't gonna give into the pressure, and it seems like you ain't either.

Goldwyn said nothing, Placid looked up at the couple. "That's enough," he said wearily. "I've heard enough." He shook his head sadly. "I should have known something. But I'd never have believed it to be Ace."

After a few moments to recover from the realization, Placid went with them to Goldwyn's office to confront him. The man was obviously nervous. He stood up quickly when he saw them, upsetting his pencil holder and spilling pens and pencils onto the floor.

"I'm sorry. Let me…" he was flustered.

"Never mind that," Placid said evenly. "Why don't we get together and celebrate our victory like we did in the old days," his eye was on Goldwyn.

"I'm not in a celebrating mood," Goldwyn sounded tired. "I think I'll pass."

"I can see why you wouldn't be," Placid's tone had changed. Goldwyn stared at his friend questioningly. Placid nodded for Toni to set up the player. When the first words played over it Goldwyn turned pale as death. He grasped the edge of his desk for support.

When it was finished he looked at each of them, his lips twitching with words he wanted to say. "I'll turn myself in," the words were soft, almost inaudible. "I don't want Moretti after me. He's angry enough. I'd rather deal with the police."

"I thought that might be the case," Placid nodded solemnly. "I had my secretary call them. Someone will be here in a few moments."

Goldwyn looked away from Placid's piercing gaze. "I did it because of Sean," he swallowed as he turned back to look at his partner and the younger couple. "I was afraid he'd be sent to jail, so I took the first offer I could find," he shrugged as if trying to justify his actions, even to himself.

The older man turned away, leaving the room in haste. Both Toni and Leif exchanged glances, but stayed, keeping an eye on Goldwyn. The police showed up with in a minute. As they hand cuffed him and started to lead him out of the room he turned to them. "How did you manage to keep an extra copy of the tape?"

Toni glanced at Leif. "I didn't," she responded. "That was the one Placid placed in his office."

"But I used a magnet to destroy it."

"Um, uh…" Leif tried to find an explanation quickly, but Toni just shrugged, a sly smile on her face."

"The new copy had a magnetic protection seal. It prevents a tape from being ruined by a magnet."

"I didn't know such a thing existed," Goldwyn sighed as he was tugged along behind the officers.

"So where did magnetic protection come from?" Leif questioned when the man had left and they were in the corridor.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "It was the first thing that came to my mind. I've learned to think on my feet. I'm not always successful, but I do try."

Placid walked over towards them. "Good work kids," he said sadly. "You know," he said with a far away look in his eye. "We started the firm here. I always thought I could count on him in a pinch. I would never have suspected him of this." He shook his head turning away.

Toni turned towards Leif. "Well, I still have some work left to do before the days out."

"Me too," he agreed.

Darlene Everly had watched the exchange from her desk. She was aware that the two of them seemed to be spending a lot of time together the past several days. Perhaps it was because they were working on two different cases together, but it seemed that their relationship had changed somehow. To the unobservant eye, perhaps it was not so strange, but to her it seemed peculiar.

She glanced at the can of diet Pepsi on her desk. It was not her can of Pepsi, nor had she found it in the lounge. Instead, she had found it in Toni Nelson's office, on her desk. Assuming that it had been left there overnight, she thought she'd help the young woman out by throwing it away. There was some of the drink left in the can, but when she attempted to pour it out…

Nothing had changed. She was sure a gallon had flowed out of the can, but still it was full. What was more, when she touched the liquid it was as cool as if it had just come out of the machine…maybe even cooler.

She vowed that she would keep a wary eye on Miss Antonia Nelson. Too many peculiar incidents had taken place around her and she was not about to let them be written off as mere coincidence. A can of Pepsi that would not empty was not coincidence.

The rest of the day Toni spent in her office, going over files and finishing a report for the Johnson case. Each of them was to write up a report on how the case had gone. It would be minus one report though.

She was busy and engrossed in her work when she realized a relative was in the room. "Glenda!" she hissed. "You know better than popping in here!"

"I know!" Glenda exclaimed excitedly. "But I just had to tell you the news! It's the most wonderful news! And I bet you can't guess!"

"You finally got a Master," Toni half joked.

"No," Glenda was practically bouncing off the walls. "It's even better than that…"

The End

Of I Dream of Toni

The story continues with: What You Don't Know

Author's Notes: Many thanks to those who read and influenced this story in its original writing and with this revision: Barry I Grauman, Gucho, Eric/Kentauros and The Rare Delurker. A special thanks to The Rare Delurker for mentioning this story in his own stories found on the Jeannie Sisters website. – Scarlett Elizabeth Cooper