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“Nope. I jumped on, and they took me all the way down.” He grinned. “Hello, this is Atticus Logan with Levi Black and Associates, can you
tell me if Mr. Archibald is in?” He paused as he listened to their response. “Thank you for your time, please call us if anything changes.” He hung up and looked at me. “I told you I was in this to win, and I meant it. You’d better pick up the pace, because I’m not waiting for you,” he said, as he dialed the next number.
My mother used to say law school was just the battle, and that being a lawyer was leading a war. I never really understood that until now.
“Game on,” I replied.
LEVI
“Where is Ms. Cunning?” I asked, coming out of the meeting with Mrs. Archibald.
Things were getting worse by the moment, and the plea deal was starting to look more and more appealing, but she’d refused.
“She went to the bathroom and disappeared,” one of my employees replied, without looking up from the case files.
“She probably realized that she was in over her head,” he added, more to himself than to me.
Thea, admit defeat? That will be the day I sprout wings and fly.
Sighing, I noticed the Archibald’s youngest daughter staring at us through the stairway rails whilst she chewed on the end of one of her perfect red curls. She lifted her hand and motioned me over. I crossed the floor and went to her. She cocked her finger at me, a sign that she wanted to tell me a secret.
I leaned down and she whispered, “The pretty lady is upstairs with Richie.”
“Thank you.” I petted her head before rushing up the stairs.
Damn you Thea. At least I have reason to fire you now.
“You spoiled, little, rich, brat,” I heard her snap at who could only be Richard.
“Excuse me? Do you know who you’re talking to?”
“Yes I do, a spoiled, little, rich, brat,” she repeated, enunciating each word.
“I can have you fired!” he screamed at her.
“Go ahead, but before you do, use your brain for just a moment. The only reason you’re sitting up here playing video games is because you said you have nothing to worry about, right? I mean, you have the great and all-powerful Levi Black on your case.”
“Yeah, so what? He’s never lost case, so why should I be bothered? This will all be over in a week, two weeks, tops.”
“Levi Black is an amazing defense attorney, but he’s not God. Even he can’t stop the people from loathing your guts. That’s why he brought me here, because I personally believe you should spend a few years behind bars. It would do people like you some good. My job is to see every reason why the state wants to throw you away, and find a counter for it. And so far, your lack of remorse, your inability to comprehend your own situation, and your superiority complex, will be the death of you. I truly hoped that I was wrong about you. I’d hoped that it was all just a stereotype I’d formed in my head, but sadly, you are worse than I imagined. So please, go ahead and have me fired, you’ll only be adding another nail to your coffin kid. And me? I’ll get to go home.”
“So you’re just going to give up? What type of crack lawyer are you?”
“What kind of human being are you? Two of your friends died, in your house—”
“Don’t you think I know that?” he snapped. “Just because I’m not sobbing all over the place, or cutting my wrists, doesn’t mean I don't know. I didn’t even want the stupid pills, but everyone stopped coming to my parties because I wasn’t fun enough. Hector was the one who told me where to get the pills from in the first place!”
“Richard, why didn’t you say that?” She dashed out of the room, only to run right into me, sending us both sprawling unto the ground.
Once again, I could feel every curve of her, and I fought the urge to hug her to me. But all too soon, she was gone.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry, Mr. Black.”
“Never mind that,” I sighed, standing back up.
Turning to Richard, who looked more like his father than his mother, with his pale skin and dark eyes, I addressed him, “You said Hector, the boy that died, was the one who told you where to get the pills?”
“Don’t use that,” Richard said quickly.
