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I was still pleased with myself at the fact that the little tree was still in Adrian’s office. It had been almost a week and it remained on his desk right next to his computer. Every now and then when he was on a call, his gaze would land on that tree and he would flick the red ornament, making the red ball swing back and forth. Occasionally, he would even take the blue blanket and rearrange it around the tree. It was all I could do not to grin like an idiot while my prediction came true. He'd never admit I was right, of course, but that didn’t matter. He was starting to like the damn thing.

“Let’s hope he doesn’t mind this on my desk,” I said under my breath.

I’d brought in a desktop tree to add some holiday cheer to the area. I still couldn’t quite understand why Adrian wanted nothing to do with celebrating Christmas or any other holiday, but I suspected it might be related to the fact that he didn’t have any family pictures displayed anywhere. He never talked about his family.

Any time I cautiously tried to engage in conversation about it, he would immediately change the subject. To be fair, he didn’t know a lot about my family, but he was aware of Lug Nut and my dad. He never asked any other questions, most likely because he didn’t want me to reciprocate.

My hand automatically lifted to the chain around my neck, the fingers taking the small ‘B’ charm and sliding it back and forth. I really did need to tell him about Blair, but how did one go about that exactly?

“Hey, boss, just wanted to let you know that I had a sister who was killed last year and I’m still trying to navigate my grief…” with a sigh, I pushed away from my desk needing to walk around and get a change of scenery. I knew Adrian would be occupied for at least the next thirty minutes, so I could make my way to the lobby to see how the toy drive was progressing.

Adrian may not celebrate holidays, but for the last several years, Benedict Technologies hosted a toy drive for local children in need. Bea told me that whatever the office staff was able to donate, Adrian would match monetarily so even more children could have a good Christmas. The man was an enigma for sure.

“Oh my lord,” I said when I rounded the corner and saw how full the lobby was. A large tree had been delivered right after Thanksgiving and we had all had a nice time stringing lights and putting on the ornaments. Co-workers from multiple departments helped and we even played Christmas music while we worked. It had been a lot of fun.

There were so many toy donations that it was becoming more difficult to walk through the lobby. Dolls and stuffed animals, board games, Legos, skateboards, card games, action figures, and toy cars and trucks were piled up around the large tree. We would be able to help so many children this year that I got a little teary-eyed thinking about it.

“What do you think?” Stephanie asked from behind the front desk.

“I think a lot of kids are going to get a visit from Santa this year,” I replied. “Is it always this much?” Steph smiled and shrugged.

“Actually, I think we’ve outdone ourselves this time. We’ve not ever had this much stuff at this time in the drive. Usually people rush in on the last day because they realized that the drive was almost over. While I love it, I’m afraid I’m about to get buried under a mountain of toys,” she laughed.

“We’ll send someone in to come get you,” I teased in return. I had already placed a few baby toys on the pile the week before, but as I perused the different items, I realized that there might be a need for more board games. Video games were fun, but I still felt there was a benefit to having the family sit down around a table and play a few rounds of Chutes and Ladders, Monopoly, RISK, or even Sorry! Blair, Dad, and I used to play games all the time and we all loved it. Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit left me with fond memories.

I chatted a few more minutes with Steph, then headed back toward my desk before I might be needed. I never went anywhere without my phone, and Adrian could ping me anytime, but I didn’t like to keep him waiting. I always wanted to make sure he knew that he could count on me.

I really wanted to drive that point home because I had stuck to a more regular work schedule. I would stay later one night a week, but for the most part, I was out the door between six and six-thirty. Lug Nut was happier, I was happier, and even the neighbor seemed a bit happier that he didn’t have to keep the dog so late. I would never be able to bake enough cookies to thank him for hanging in there the first few months.

Sitting back at my desk, I could hear Adrian on his call. There was a format that was followed for every status meeting and based on what I knew, they had reached the point where it was open discussion with a Q and A. So many questions were lobbed at my boss, yet he answered each one with ease and a wealth of knowledge. It was no wonder he kept his key stakeholders placated.

I was head down working on some materials for the next week when my cell phone began to vibrate on my desk. Most of the time, I just let it roll to voicemail, but the caller ID made me inhale sharply. My heart rate kicked up a notch when I answered.

“Brynn Davis.”

“Ms. Davis, this is ADA Kennedy with San Francisco County, did I catch you at a bad time?”

I swallowed around a tongue that suddenly felt too big for my mouth. “I—no. No not at all. I have a few moments to chat. How may I help, ADA Kennedy?” I heard a deep chuckle on the other end.

“Please, call me Eric. This is a courtesy call since you were not at the legal proceedings for Randall Evans.”

Randall. I should have known. After he had drugged and assaulted me in the back of that car during Colleen’s happy hour, I had filed charges against the man, then promptly went about my business. I had heard through the grapevine that the man had initially been put on leave, with pay, of course. It soon became evident that Randall was a serial offender. So many other women had come forward once word got out that I had filed. Each one of us had similar stories and I became infuriated that the company had basically turned a blind eye, allowing him to work there for years.

While I was onboarding for BT, I had been called in for a deposition, given numerous statements, and even picked his mug shot out of a lineup. I requested that I not be made to give in-person testimony, and that request had been approved, so my testimony was digitally recorded, then played during the court trial. I was thankful it had been allowed, as I really didn’t ever want to see that man’s face again unless it was on television or in a newspaper.

“…you still with me Ms. Davis?” I refocused on the conversation and realized he had asked a question.

“I am. Apologies. Someone approached my desk and didn’t bother to notice that I was on the phone. I’m still here.”

“Great. As I mentioned, since you were not at the trial, I just wanted to provide an update for you. The jury deliberated and came back with a guilty verdict, ma’am. With your help and very detailed testimony, we got him. Your willingness to come forward empowered others to do the same. I wanted to thank you and give you the good news myself.”

I sat there, stunned, and not quite sure I had heard correctly. “Wait. So Randall was found guilty? Meaning the jury believed us? What kind of time are we looking at?”

ADA Kennedy laughed louder at that question. “We just got the verdict. The sentencing phase is separate and that should come before the end of the week. With so many victims, he is looking at a very long time in prison. We have requested a minimum of forty years.”

My mouth fell open as we spoke for a few more minutes. About that time, Adrian stepped out of his office and noticed the look on my face. He walked to me and waited for me to end the call. Once finished, I placed both hands over my mouth and stared off into space while I processed the news.

“Brynn?” He didn’t elaborate beyond my name. He didn’t have to. Just the sound of his voice indicated he was concerned but would wait briefly for me to talk to him. There was no doubt that I would talk to him because that was our dynamic.

I lifted my eyes to his and searched the depth of his gaze. I saw a flicker of worry before he concealed it.

“Brynn.” This time it was an order.

“We got him.”

“What? Who?” Adrian frowned and lowered his voice, making me shiver. “What are you talking about, Brynn.”

“Randall. He’s been found guilty. That fucker is going to jail and I am so glad.”