The Interview

8 am on the nose. I walked into the office coffee in hand. My feet stepping confidently through the office doors. I greet our receptionist, Stacy. I almost had her she was too good a girl. We had flirted for months before she suddenly got engaged to some loser she met on hinge. She was still hot and every once in a while, I would see her flash her doe eyes at me and smile in my direction.

I raised my cup at the security guard Charlie. He was an ex-felon who was built like a tank. “Hey Charlie, Catch the game this weekend.”

“You know I did sir 35 - 15. I lost 20 dollars to my brother.”

“Ouch” I mimicked as I continued to walk by. “Better luck next time”

He tipped his hat at me as we crossed. Charlie was on his last leg and headed to prison. I owed someone a favor and found him a spot at the door. Everyone turns a blind eye to the fact that he watches games on the clock and steals snacks from the executive break rooms. Hell, we know he’s doing it, we even purposely put out extra for him. He doesn't seem to get the hint and continues to think he is stealing. Charlie helped one of the executives who was being stalked by an ex. Knocked the guy clean out his first week here. He had earned the reputation, and people started to warm up to him.

I took a sip of my coffee and then I heard her.

“Mr.Den, Mr.Den!” She loudly called behind my back.

I freeze with my back to her and roll my eyes.

“Mrs.Sunshine how are you.”

“Please stop calling me that.” She spat.

“I'm sorry, how can I help you Mrs.Den.”

She winced at me.

“The interviewers will be here today. I just wanted to let you know before you goof off and disappear. I know the case you were just on was rough, and we need more hands.

“The case was won without those hands. You would do best to remind those assholes in the suites who abandoned the grunt work.”

She rolled her eyes and handed me three files.

“Just do your job Glint.” She pressed her finger to my chest and walked away.

I watched her for a few seconds as she walked away. The way her ass swung and her hips swayed. Her hair was up in a curly bun. Her lips the curled when she scowled at me. I imagined for a second holding her in my arms. I inhale as I think about everything that went wrong between me and Penny, my wife.

When I entered my private office, I greeted my receptionist, Mark.

I glance over at mark who greeted me at his desk.

“Morning Mr.Den” Mark said with excitement.

“We have guests today. He sung and spun around in his chair.”

Mark was a character, very eccentric. He would wear suits that were too tight and have fresh flowers on his desk. He ate with the other female receptionists and seemed to fit right in.

He thinks no one knows he likes men but if he's not ready to come out than its none of my business. Ive already seen him eyeing one of our third years.

"Morning Mark."

He lowered his voice and said, “They’re in your office already.”

"OK, thanks." I said as I turned around and walked right back out of the office.

Great before I even got to finish my coffee, I have three interviews to do. Our partners saw the last case I had almost lost because we were shorthanded. Two of our interns had left and some of our baby lawyers didn’t know their ass from their elbow without them.

Standing outside my office watching the time. I took a few minutes and sipped my coffee while checking and responding to emails on my phone. I saw a very important email one that I had been waiting for.

“I found a lead on your daughter.” I froze as I read the title, checking the sender reading it again to make sure. Biscuit my PI that I hired after the police failed to do their job. Did he have a lead? Was it another goose run?

I was ecstatic and then sad at the same time. I considered closing the office early and going home. I was too excited to read the email I wanted to sit in private and examine any leads he had. I knew that would take hours for me to obsess over every little detail. I tend to get grouchy when I get interrupted from my hyper fixations.

My first wife had left for Colombia 12 years ago and took our 10-year-old daughter with her. She said she was going to visit cousins there. Her cousins claimed she never showed up. After a year of searching, what was left of her body was found in a shallow grave by construction workers building a hotel. They never found my little girl or any leads. I try not to get hopeful but it's hard not to sometimes. After the news I got last week and my second wife asking for a divorce I wanted to see her one last time.

The interviews. I needed to hurry them up. Most interviews took 1 hour each and I didn't have 3 hours for each candidate.

I opened the files I had before me.

Candidate #1 Uma Mindez Hispanic lady in her 27 from Miami, graduated with honors and with a master's in law. Lots of overcompensations in achievements probably to make up for her age.

Candidate #2 Minnie Maroon. Black 24 also from Miami graduated with a masters. Was a combat veteran. Honorably discharged and worked in finance and litigation before switching to criminal defense.

Candidate #3 Drilla Manny. Black also 23 and from Miami. Graduated from University of Alabama Magna cum laude and worked at Starbucks while interning for our competitor.

“Interesting.” I downed the last of the coffee before I turned back around and walked into my office again.

“Good morning, Mr.Den. Mark said loudly. The candidates are in your office and ready for you. Should I block out the next 4 hours?”

“No, just 1 hour.” I said with a smirk.

Mark looked at me and seemed to acknowledge this with hesitation.

“Sure thing.”

I walked into my office and saw an almost exact image of the faces in the files. I had already picked one in my head. Drilla Manny was an obvious choice. We didn't need master's degrees to do this type of work which was a step up from an intern. Also working for our competitor, I could see some value in that. Unlike the rest and despite being the youngest she technically had the most experience.

“Good morning” I said to them as I sat at my desk. They were all sitting in a row on the chairs in front of me.

“Good morning” They all said in unison and looked at me.

“Well since I have you all here why don't you tell me a little about yourselves.” I said as I took out a pen and pretended to write something.

They all looked at each other perplexed. Silence fell on the room as I tapped my pen and suddenly grew tired. Uma, the oldest of them, spoke first.

“Is this a group interview?” She said uncertain.

‘It is now.” I said with enthusiasm.

They all looked uncomfortable as I watched Minnie shift her weight and Drilla check the time on her watch. Uma just looked at the floor. She crossed and uncrossed her arms. That tiny motion that lasted only a second let me know I made the right decision, and I immediately eliminated her.

I turned my attention to the other two. “Any takers?”

“Um sure Um... My name is Minnie and I am... from Albany and I came here. To…"

Suddenly Drilla interrupted her speaking loudly and clearly. "Hi my name is Drilla and I am from Alabama. I worked at XX company as an intern where I handled client records. Updated schedules for executives and assisted with case duties which included field studies, tracking missing people, and collaborating with authorities. Pleasure to be here."

That's it gotta love a woman who knows what she wants. I spent the next few minutes talking to Drilla. The other two women had turned into furniture. Uma was like an uncomfortable light that you would turn off because it was too bright or too dim. Minnie was more of that gift someone got you, and you forgot it was there.

At the end, Uma walked out without saying another word while Minnie extended her hand and smiled at me. Drilla hung back a bit as we talked about some mutual acquaintances. I had everyone out of sight in less than 45 minutes. Once everyone was gone, I told Mark I was taking an early lunch and to divert all my calls.

My hands were shaking against the steering wheel as I rushed through traffic screaming at slow drivers. It took me almost 20 minutes to get home. I opened my laptop and signed in. I needed to be on my laptop to see every bit of information Biscuit sent me. When I hit open on the email icon I read the words slowly. More slowly than anything that I had ever read. Then I read it again. The words were staring at me, but my brain seemed to skim over some parts.

Once my brain had a chance to decompress, I finally cried. I knew the probability that she was no longer here was high. I gathered my coat, my hands shaking at what I just read. Within minutes I was calling whoever I could to pull some strings and get me on a plane. I cried at the thought that she needed me and was out there somewhere. In just 2 days' time I was at a women's penitentiary standing just a few feet away from my daughter

.

When I sat down across from her, she looked older than her twenty-two years. She had scars all over her face. I thought about everything she must have been through and the people she must have met for her to be like this. For a second, I thought Biscuit must have been wrong and then she looked at me with her mother's eyes and smiled. In that moment I saw the little girl carrying stuffed toys in the car and sleeping in my arms. Not a woman charged with her mother's murder.

"Who the fuck are you?" She said, snapping me out of trance. I paused for a moment thinking on my feet.

"I... I am your lawyer. Mr.Den, pleasure to meet you." as I extended my hand.

She looked at my hand with disgust as I slowly put it away.

I don't have long. Six months tops but before cancer gets me, I'm gonna get my little girl out of here.