Page 102 of Fierce-Matt

“We haven’t had a chance to talk about Shelly,” Amber said. “Any updates that we need to be aware of?”

“Actually,” Matt said. “There are. I wasn’t sure if you wanted to discuss it now.”

He looked at Elliot. He didn’t want to cause any anxiety or set Anya’s father off.

By the look Anya was sending her mother, he got the impression she didn’t want to talk about this.

“We can hold off,” Anya said.

“No,” Amber said. “Elliot would like to know.”

This was putting him between a rock and a hard place.

Anya and her mother were staring at each other. “Go ahead,” she said.

“Don’t let my daughter dictate things,” Amber said. “I asked; you can tell us. She’ll have to get over the fact that she gets anxious about things someone might not understand.”

Heard. Something to file away at a later date.

“I talked to the ADA over a week ago. I knew Shelly’s attorney was going to approach with an offer. Payment of everything back that she’d taken. It’d be her restitution and the hopes you’d drop the suit. That will go a long way for her not getting jail time. I turned it down.”

“Good,” her mother said.

“Wait,” Anya said. “You turned it down without even asking my parents? What if they wanted that and it was the best they were going to get?”

“They are going to get that regardless, Anya. Shelly will be ordered to pay restitution. If her attorney is making that offer to me on the side to drop the suit, they have the money. We know Shelly has it. She has close to a million at this point with the money she used to invest. Her attorney is stating that it wasn’t the money she’d stolen to invest.”

“Bull crap,” Elliot said. “I know what she made and heard her complaining about bills and debt.”

He grinned at Elliot’s firm voice. “Exactly. I countered with the full amount of her investments. She’ll sell and have to pay penalties and that is her problem. The full amount of them is the offer I’d bring to the table to settle out of court.”

“What did they say?” Amber asked.

“This was a few days ago. I’m still waiting. Tomorrow is the deadline. As I said, you’re going to get back what she stole. That’s a given. She wants to stay out of jail, she has the money, and that will work well with her plea deal. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. Trust me.”

“She shouldn’t be homeless,” Elliot said. “She got greedy and people let it consume them.”

“It happened,” Amber said. “But it was wrong. I like what you’re doing, Matt, and if we can get her full investments, I think we take that deal. What do you think, Elliot?”

“Anything to get this over with,” Elliot said. “You don’t need to deal with this much more.”

“I know where we stand right now,” Matt said. “Everyone wants to avoid a trial.”

“That’s right,” Anya said. “We should take whatever we can to just move on.”

“Never give in to the first offer,” he said. “That’s not how it works unless it’s the full settlement.”

“You think I was wrong with my parents accepting the first offer on the building?” she asked, her back straightening.

“Anya,” Amber said. “Matt just said unless it’s the full asking and that is what they offered. What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” Anya said, getting up and going into the kitchen.

“Excuse me,” Matt said, following her. “What’s going on? You’re mad at me and I’m not sure why.”

“I don’t want to talk about this now just like I didn’t want to talk about the case in front of my father. He’s having a good day.”

“Yes,” he said. “He is. And he’s not worked up over anything either.”