Fated Absolution (16 page)

“I trusted you when you said that you’d have this altered in time to fit me. Silly me, I thought you were going to have it let out and lengthened not shortened to my who-haw and so tight I’m afraid to take a deep breath.” Maddy tugged again.

The stupid thing was not moving down, but seemed to keep moving up. If this kept up she thought it’d be around her neck in no time.

“You look like a very chic young lawyer, and you should wear clothes like that more often. Are you even aware of the looks you’re getting? You look stunning,” Mel told her. Maddy had noticed.

“They are probably wondering how much I cost an hour.” But Maddy had to admit, she did look good, despite the short skirt.

The skirt and little half jacket were made of silk and linen and of the most beautiful shade of lavender she’d ever seen. The jacket had three quarter sleeves, wide collar and two small buttons in the front. The buttons themselves were a work of art, ivory carved to look like small wild violets she picked in her yard as a child. The silk camisole was a deep, deep dark purple with the same small buttons around the scoop of the neck line that hung lovingly across her breasts. The skirt, while short had a tiny belt that just peaked below the jacket and was the same color as the camisole. The shoes were the thing she loved most about the outfit. The same color as the suit it featured the flower pattern over the top of her foot and along the strap that buckled them on her feet. The three inch heels were thin, but not dangerously so and made her legs look a mile long and her calf thick and strong. The thigh high stockings were sleek and felt decadent on her legs.

Maddy sat down again and fingered the beautiful bag that had come for her this morning before she’d left to come to the courthouse. It was a gift from her new bosses. They had decided on a name and B.A.C.K. Incorporated wanted to thank their new attorney in an appropriate way.

The leather satchel was dark brown and had a long strap and a pocket on the outside. But it was what was inside that surprised her even more. They had gotten her a laptop, and not just any laptop, but state of the art. It had a large hard-drive, CD burner and player, and was internet and Y-five ready. She fell in love with it and had played with it for nearly an hour before going to bed. The bag had also been filled with every lawyers needs, from yellow pads and pens, to a small digital recorder and calculator.

The appointment book was already marked with important dates, one of which had been circled in red marker. She had gone to see Mel to ask her about it last night.

“What’s this date?” There was no entry, but just a time and an address, the MacManus address.

“Oh that’s the twin’s birthday party. It’s in ink, you have to come now. Every good lawyer knows that.” Mel had told her with a wink.

“Will you please stop pacing? You’re going to wear a hole in the carpet. He’ll be here soon and so will our guy.” Mel had told her right before they’d left that she was Fae.

“And a full blood one too. How you got past my radar is beyond me.” Mel had continued on.

The thing from her dreams he was a demon and a dream walker. And until they could determine who or what was helping him, she would need to be very careful and not be left alone until they caught the being that had been invading her dreams. When she had asked her why, Mel didn’t know, not really. But she had a few ideas and wanted to talk to the Printer, a hired gun for the realm to see what they could find out.

“Also, Kyle is looking into it. He is by far the most tenacious investigator I’ve ever met.

If there is information out there to be found, he’ll find it.”

Maddy wasn’t sure what to think of a hired gun for the realm would entail. She’d thought that Mel being the queen and all she’d only have to zap someone to get rid of them. But apparently even queens had rules to follow. Before she could ask her again about the printer, Danny came running down the hall towards her.

“Hi. I’m sorry I’m late, I got hung up on a tyranny and couldn’t seem to get it in straight, and then I couldn’t get this ridiculous tie to work right. I’m telling…Christ Mad, you look fucking great! Sorry. Who knew you had legs that long, and shapely…could about make a faggot turn hetro really fast.” Danny had finally made it with ten minutes to spare.

“Behave you old poop, you’re just being nice. Now as soon as someone from the p…my bosses bodyguards get here so Mel can leave we’ll be all set.” Maddy was blushing a deep shade of crimson, but felt flattered by Danny’s sincere words.

“I’m here. I’m here. Mel, how are you? You must be Danny March, I’m Bradley Wolff.

I’ll be hanging out with you for part of the day love. The one I had lined up hit a snag.” Maddy just looked at him and when she started to question him about why he was there and not one of the other wolves her case was called and she needed to get inside.

“All raise this court in now in session. Mr. Button you will now state your case, and be quick about it, no preaching or postulating if you please.” The Honorable Hamish Cornwell was a no nonsense judge and Maddy couldn’t be happier with him being with her today.

“Your Honor, I’d like to state for the record that Ms Harm is being sued by my firm for breach of contract and would like to have a change of venue, if it pleases the court.” Mr. Button said with a touch of impatience in his voice.

“You finally get away from these Jack wipes, Missy?” Hamish turned toward Maddy with a huge smile on his weathered face.

“Yes sir. I have moved on and up. It’s amazing what an office with a window and eight hours a day can do for a girl’s disposition.” She had always had a cheeky relationship with Hamish. She had loved clerking for him when she was in her second and third year of law. He’d also warned her not to go with Schaller and Schaller. Live and learn.

“Yeah, I’ll just bet. Seems to have improved that wardrobe of yours a tad too. If you’d of dressed like that when you worked for me, you wouldn’t have gone any further than my desk, as my law partner that is.” He winked at her and turned to Button. “No, no change and no it does not please me. You never have you overblown excuse for a man. Now, state your case and try not to piss me off any more than you already have.”

Bob blustered around and made it crystal clear that he had not been prepared to try this case, but to have had it thrown out on merit.

“Your Honor, I must in—”

“You do and it will be the last thing you insist on.” Hamish picked up his gavel and banged it twice on the desk. “Proceed damn it.”

Hamish Cornwall had been a judge for longer than either Bob or Maddy had been living and was due to retire soon. He was also a wolf and one in good standing in Bradley’s pack or so Mel had told her.

Apparently when Bradley had called to tell him he’d be in the courthouse on Tuesday morning, “in case you see me around, I don’t want you to worry,” Hamish had asked him why. It didn’t take him long to hunt down the assigned judge and have him trade sessions with him. His Honor hated Bob with as much passion as he loved the young Ms Harm Mel had told her with a huge grin.

“I will need a few minutes then, perhaps a recess until lunch? My second seems to have forgotten the file, err bring the right file.” Bob was sweating. His very expensive suit was going to be ruined if he kept this up Maddy thought. Then she grinned. The stupid man might have looked around a bit before claiming that his ‘second’ forgot the file, as he was standing alone at the table.

“Wrong file you say? Ms Harm, I don’t suppose you have an extra copy of the charges do you, for the Counselor and his…hummm, second chair?”

“No your Honor, I don’t. Perhaps I can read my counter suit against Ms. Rosewood and that’ll refresh his memory?” Maddy chanced a glance back to Bradley and was surprised to see both Kyle and Aaron with him.

“Doubtful, but let’s give it a shot. He doesn’t strike me as being overly bright, does he you?” Hamish looked back at Bob and sneered at him.

“Your Honor. Ms. Rosewood is claiming that my client Daniel March made unwanted sexual advances, lurid comments she found distasteful and demeaning and she further claims that he ‘pressed her against her car and raped her repeatedly’. Maddy didn’t have to refer to her notes, she had written the counter suit motion and literally knew it word for word.

“Does that ring any bells with you counselor? Although I must admit to being a bit confused, but hey if you don’t do your homework then I guess you pay the price.” Hamish winked at Maddy and she suddenly knew that he was aware of what had happened to Danny to make this claim impossible.

Danny was a teenager when his father had found out he was gay. The man had tried everything to get his son to “change his mind”. But after several months of threats and hitting his son, Danny’s father had taken a ball bat to him.

“Yes, that sounds about right your Honor. I have evidence to the fact that Ms Rosewood was brutalized by Mr. March when she came in to pick up her car. Mr. March allegedly told her that in return for her repair work on her car, he would take her body out in trade not money.” He was still shuffling papers around on the desk, for what reason Maddy couldn’t fathom, he had already claimed he’d forgotten the file.

“Your Honor, I have evidence and court records indicating that there is no way medically possible for Mr. March to have raped her, thus making the rest of her claim questionable.”

Maddy was walking to the judge’s dais when she felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. She turned slowly and saw a figure, a blurry…something. It was only there for a second or two, then gone. Both Kyle and Aaron had stood and turned in the same direction, whether from her movement or because they too had felt the eerie feeling she didn’t know.

“Yes, Ms Harm I’m aware of the evidence. Counselor, have you even done any homework on this case?”

“Yes your Honor, but as I have said, I do not have my notes in front of me, if I could have a brief—”

“Asked and answered. Proceed with your case. Bailiff.”

The case started with very teary Ms Rosewood telling; in graphic detail what Mr. March had done to her when she had went to his place of business to pick up her car. She also went on to say that he had called her house repeatedly since then, demanding that she finish her bill off.

She had just pulled out her industrial sized box of tissues and a note pad to read off dates of the alleged calls when someone tapped Maddy on the shoulder. She turned to have Kyle lean in and speak in her ear.

“That dress on you should be illegal, and if those stockings are thigh highs, you are
not
leaving this building unmolested.” Then he just leaned back in his seat, looking for the all world as a bored man.

Maddy turned back around and stared blankly at the wall. Her whole body was on fire for him. When Danny poked her for the second time to get her attention, she was startled to remember where she was and blushed furiously, and turned around again to glare at Kyle.

“You’re up Ms. Harm.” The judge smiled at her and she just knew that the old coot knew exactly what she’d been musing about.

“Ms Rosewood,” Maddy cleared her throat twice before she could continue. “You said that Mr. March raped you repeatedly, is that correct? And this was in his garage, his place of business.”

“Yes,” the woman sobbed. “He said that he had enough money and wanted him some…well, ladies don’t speak of such things.”

“Of course not. Enough money? Well that must be nice, to have enough money, I mean.

Do you? Have enough money?” She had opened the door thought Maddy, and decided to go for it.

“What a rude question. I won’t answer that.” Ms. Rosewood squirmed around in her seat.

“The reason I’m asking is because three years ago you said that same thing about the owner of the dry cleaners on Seventh Street. Of course it isn’t there now. I guess giving you five point seven million dollars in settlement meant he’d over exaggerated his lack of need for money a little. Then there’s the antique dealer on Tenth from eight years ago. Of course that was only a mere three million. But cost of living and all.”

“Your Honor,” Button hopped up from his chair and nearly toppling it. “I don’t know where Ms Harm is going with this, but bringing up Ms Rosewood’s unfortunate past is uncalled for. She is a very beautiful woman and some men just won’t take no for an answer.”

“I wouldn’t say nearly ten million dollars in less than ten years unfortunate. I could go back further your Honor, if you’d like. The ‘unfortunate’ Ms Rosewood, aka Rose, aka Wood, aka Woodrose has been bilking…sorry having men allegedly taking advantage of her for nearly twenty-five years, to the amount of forty three million five hundred dollars. That’s an income of nearly two million per year. And, I believe, its tax free.”

“You bitch. You make it sound as if I’m lying! Those men deserved what I did to them.

Not a one of them paid me a second glance when I offered myself to them. Well I fixed them didn’t I? All men are stupid and only think with their dicks.” Ms. Rosewood had jumped up from her seat and threw her box of tissues at Maddy, narrowly missing her.

“Also your Honor, I have documented medical records stating that it is in fact impossible for Mr. March to have raped Ms. Rosewood, repeatedly or otherwise. He is—”

“I know what he did to me,” Ms Rose screamed at Maddy, trembling with her anger. “He raped me, right there on the hood of my own car. Why it took me a new paint job to get the scratches off. I should charge him for that too. In fact, he wasn’t all that good.”

“Well I should say not. Mr. March can’t have raped you Ms. Rosewood. It is physically impossible for him to of done so.”

“What he couldn’t get it up for you so you assume that it’s because he can’t get it up for anyone else? I got news for you honey I can get anyone to get it up. Even the biggest queer you know.”

“As it happens, Mr. March is the biggest queer I know, and his dick as you so delicately put it won’t get up for anyone. He doesn’t have one.”

Every man in the courtroom shifted in their seats and some even went so far as to hold themselves in a protective-like cup.