Relentless Read Free Page B

last remaining hour of daylight. A short cab ride and he was driving from the courthouse parking garage. He should probably go home he thought, gently massaging his temple. The notion was fleeting. Maxwell was barreling down the street before the notion could fully form into a slight possibility, let alone action. Instead, Maxwell whipped his Porsche 911 into the reserved parking space, stopping inches from the M. M. sign. Late Saturday afternoon, the parking lot was practically empty. Perfect; he could go inside and regroup. Space and privacy was what he yearned and his office was the ideal oasis.
    Maxwell was out of sorts having found his cell phone with a dead battery. He couldn’t get any calls or messages, causing him to be agitated. He’d poke around his receptionist’s desk to see if there were any messages left for him. There was bound to be a stack from Nicole. If his sister had tracked him down in the hospital, he figured Nicole would make the same effort in reaching him. He didn’t want anyone swooning over him. Keeping love at least an arm’s length away from his heart worked and Nicole understood. She’d allowed him the space he required for going on two years. Fear had a way of skewing perspectives though. His mishap at the courthouse was bound to get her all worked up and worried about him. He figured that’s what companions did. Fourteen- and fifteen-hour days didn’t leave much time for dating. So, he based her reaction purely on what seemed logical. He was poised to tell her he was okay and not to worry. He ruffled a few papers on his receptionist’s desk and didn’t find any messages, not from Nicole, not from other clients offering concern, from no one.
    He lingered at the desk for a moment. His eyes moved around the room noting its emptiness and the solitude that mocked him. Refusing to play the victim, Maxwell toughened up and went into his office. It was the room where dreams came true for the weak and retribution was realized for him. Entering his sanctuary was the boost he needed. A few sharp pains here and there and a little blurriness was the only lingering reminder of his recent attack. Couple of days and that would be gone but the troubles strapped to Reverend Morgan weren’t going away as quickly, not after the reverend lost his case yesterday. Neither would those of Bishop Jones once Maxwell orchestrated his due justice.
    He plopped into his chair and extracted the files from his lower right side drawer. They were waiting on his arrival. He opened the folder feeling revived, alive. The absence of Nicole’s call was hurled out of his mind. His heart was entangled in only one love affair and that was his commitment to making hypocritical leaders accountable. Dusk would soon be rolling in and night would quickly follow. Maxwell didn’t mind. Working most of the night in total submersion was the best medication for his mild headache.

    Hustling through the airport was commonplace. Shuttle service, freezing hotel rooms, lavish dinners eaten alone night after night was the reality Nicole knew, one she acknowledged without resistance. Becoming senior consulting manager was the reward, an achievement she’d sacrificed her personal life to earn and graciously accepted. She flipped the magazine pages, hastily without recalling a single image or story title. She checked her watch repeatedly, each time with only two or three minutes having elapsed.
    Maxwell continued crashing her sanity. On any other occasion his memory would be shoved into her bag, surfacing when her plane landed at Philadelphia International. Today images of him couldn’t be suppressed. Hearing the news about his attack yesterday stirred her in a way she hadn’t felt before. She pulled out her phone, wanting to call him again, but how could she? The two calls she placed earlier today and the one last evening were sufficient. That’s what she’d have to keep telling