##Chapter 12: A Call to Action

The trash icon clunked and expanded as a word document hovered over it for the requisite minute and a half. Abigail rolled her shoulders, stretching out her hands and fingers, as it vanished.

She had forgotten a comma in the opening statement. Such sloppiness was unbecoming. There were also logical fallacies in assuming that the judge overseeing the trial would have kept up with every particular in the case. She needed to include a more general overview of Bobby Holiday's history of crime.

Opening a new file, adjusting the headings and font to be uniform, Abigail plugged the tape into her ear and set it so the portion she needed was playing on loop. It would form the backbone of her thesis.

"As you can see via state evidence A, Mr. Holiday's offenses are not singular. The evidence suggests he has…. no. A statement like that calls for too much speculation on the part of the jury and witnesses. It'll be thrown out for sure. I also need to find another word besides evidence."

Disposing of the unneeded file, she went to open another when something flashed in the corners of her vision.

The visibility in the office was low; the sun had sunk beneath the horizon thirty minutes prior.

The flash came again, and with a start, she realized it was her phone. She'd placed it on silent about halfway through the project when the repeated interruptions from news reports started impacting her concentration.

"Good evening, this is the phone of Abigail Fredricks. May I ask what your business is in calling?"

"We need to talk. Are you in a safe place?"

Abigail checked the number on the phone against the one in her head. It was certainly not the same. She pulled out a pad and a piece of paper, writing down a note for Barington that an emergency personal situation had arisen and that she was taking off for the evening.

"Elaine? This isn't the number you wrote down earlier. Where are you? Are you in need of assistance? If you're at a police station of any kind, tell them that you're waiting for your lawyer and that you will not speak until your legal counsel arrives. I will be there--"

Elaine's voice was tight. It was also difficult to hear over the music in the background. Was she at some kind of club? Could this be some kind of call for rescue from a date gone wrong? If anyone had laid their hands on her, Abigail would give them--

Everything according to the process of the law. Nothing more. Elaine was a grown woman capable of defending herself.

"Please just listen to me. We don't have much time. Grace and her mother were ambushed. I don't know how they managed to find out the location so quickly, but it happened, and we need to deal with it right away."

The note in her hands crumpled.

"Ambushed!? Elaine, I need you to tell me everything you know. Leave out no detail."

***

Elaine nearly sobbed when Abigail's voice drifted through the speaker. Now they could help Grace. She could have kissed the woman for her willingness to help and married her for the speed she had at handling things.

Smiling at Hannah's look of concern, she waggled the phone.

"I got a hold of her! How's Grace doing?"

Hannah gave her a thumbs up which eased her nerves a little. At least she wasn't determined to rescue her mother anymore.

"Is someone there with you, Elaine? You do realize that they will have to be taken into a non-disclosure agreement until the matters of this case are settled, yes?"

She hadn't realized that no, but she was sure that Frank and Hannah would have no problems with signing whatever needed to be signed.

"Just two of my friends. Frank Sims, a local public defender, and Hannah Saint-Clair, a defense attorney. Do you need to speak with them right now or...?"

Computer keys were clicked, and a small hum came soon after.

"No, I've noted their names down for later reference. We can hash out the details once we've ensured the safety of Grace and the others. Now, please continue your story as to how you came to obtain this information."

Right… now to say it just as practiced.

"I was spending the evening at the club with some friends of mine when Grace called me. She told me that men had ambushed the building. From her story it sounds like they must have killed the guards and her mother. We're still on the phone with her right now."

Elaine hoped that was sufficient. She heard the other woman scatter things on her desk.

"Did she say anything about the appearances of the men involved? The kinds of cars they were driving? The weapons they were using?"

Oh, she probably needed to tell that to the people in charge so they could plan how to deal with it.

"She mentioned that they spoke a foreign language and that one of them had a tattoo and a beard. I don't know anything about the weapons or cars. We had Grace stay where she was to keep her safe."

She kept going before Abigail could do anything more.

"If it helps, it seems like they aren't there anymore, but that doesn't mean that Grace couldn't be in serious danger. I need to know, Abigail, do you know the address of the safe house?"

A coat was being buttoned; some type of chair scraped across the floor.

"I do not, I was blindfolded for a majority of the trip there and back, but I will obtain it and relay it to you as quickly as possible. Stay on the line with Grace, and be ready to move out when I message."

Motioning to Hannah and Frank, who were telling Grace what was happening, the three of them walked out the door, thanking the bouncer for his help, apologizing for the inconvenience.

"I'll be waiting in my car. I promise I won't move an inch until I hear from you. If I get to the scene first, I will wait for you and the police to arrive."

***

"Thank you, Elaine."

Making sure the call ended, Abigail grabbed the office phone from its hook. She flipped through a book of emergency contacts and pressed the code for the chief of police.

Layla Winters had only just been instated as the police chief this year, but so far, she had been nothing but prompt, willing to listen, and eager to ensure the relationship between the police force and the DA's office remained strong.

Winters answered on the third try. "Fredricks, I was wondering when I'd hear from you again."

Abigail shut down her computer, arranging all the file's she'd stuffed into her briefcase.

"I need the location of the Holiday family safe house. There's been an attack on the premises. I received word from Elaine Roberts, a social worker who was contacted to assist the Holidays, who has been in direct contact with Grace Holiday."

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

"I apologize for the delay; I was relaying this information to the battalion chief in charge of the arrangements for their safety. He's checking on the status of these claims as we speak. Are you sure this phone call is legitimate?"

The insinuation was a fair one to make, but for some reason, it rankled Abigail. Elaine may have been many things, but she certainly didn't seem a liar.

"Truthfully, I believe it is. Although I did not speak to Miss Holiday directly, and the location of this call did take place where alcohol is sold, Miss Roberts did not sound inebriated nor did the panic in her tone sound false."

The woman whistled, a high pitched tune that bloomed color into Abigail's cheeks.

"Easy there, Fredricks. I'm not trying to insult your intelligence or Miss Roberts' credibility. I have a job to do as well as you do. Can't be sending off my men on wild goose chases or into traps. We'll know here in a moment what the case may be. Just a moment."

Abigail took the time to look outside. There were no clouds in the sky, but the loss of sunshine would render the air frigid. Grace would need something to warm her.

"It seems your friend had the right to be concerned. The radio signal to the team at the location has gone unanswered. We are dispatching a team to the location. Because I know you'll call around to get what you want, it's 55 Jersey Avenue. Be safe Fredricks; I don't wanna hear about any heroics."

Abigail grabbed her raincoat off the rack, sliding her arm into it as she texted the safe house address to Elaine. She knew the woman was too foolhardy and kindhearted not to try coming on her own, so it was better to bring her with them now to prevent trouble later.

As she waited for the elevator, she sent a belated prayer to whatever God happened to be listening. She wasn't overly religious but….

She'd take help from anyone if it meant Grace would be alright.