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Tacey glanced up, to meet the eyes of the perfectly coiffed and made up receptionist. "Uh, yeah?"
"Mr Lamont will see you now."
Tacey expected Dominic Lamont to actually appear, to shake hands or something, but the receptionist just got up and beckoned for Tacey to follow her down the corridor. Not only was there a sway in the woman's step that made her dress float around her like water caressing every perfect curve, but she wore heels so high, they'd have broken Tacey's ankles in three steps.
Tacey mentally shook herself, then fixed her gaze on the receptionist's pert bottom. Tacey might not look like a model, but she could kick this woman's arse at cooking. She could make better cakes and muffins and cookies and coffee...ha, this girl probably hadn't eaten any of those things since primary school.
Feeling a tiny bit better, she stepped into the kind of office she could live in.
The corner office was as big as her café, only two of the walls were entirely glass, looking out over the river.
"Mr Lamont, this is Tacita Bell," the receptionist said, before she sashayed out.
Tacey had to admire the woman – she'd even gotten the pronunciation right.
"Sit down, Miss Bell," came a deep voice from behind her.
Tacey forced her gaze away from the window.
Dominic Lamont looked just like his picture on the website. Big and dark, like he'd be able to find work as a bodyguard or a bouncer if he hadn't chosen to practice law. Hell, he probably intimidated the opposition just by looking at them.
Even Matt would hesitate to cross him.
With a grin on her face, she perched on the nearest chair. "Hi, I'm here to discuss representation in a custody case over my daughter. Her father, who tried to kill us both before she was born, just got out of prison and is threatening to apply for full custody of her. I need your help to make sure he doesn't succeed."
For a long moment, Lamont just stared at her. Dark eyes seemed to read her very soul, like he was the devil himself.
If she hadn't faced a monster like Wystan every day, Tacey might have flinched. Might have lowered her gaze.
But Lamont was just a man. A lawyer, but also just a man. He didn't scare her. She did hope he could scare Matt and the magistrate, though. That's who mattered. So she gritted her teeth and stared right back.
"If I'd wanted to have a staring contest, I'd have stayed home with my daughter. She doesn't charge by the hour," Tacey snapped.
Lamont just laughed. And laughed, and laughed. Finally, he wiped his eyes and said, "I can see why he was convicted. You make a very compelling witness. Even I almost believe you, and I know the truth."
Tacey's thoughts whirled. What was he on about? She was telling the truth.
"You don't believe Matt tried to kill me? He tampered with the brakes on that car of his, then borrowed my car so I'd have to drive his. If I hadn't been so cautious backing out of the driveway, I wouldn't have even noticed anything was wrong, and I probably would have gone careening over the cliff around the corner from his house, right into the river. Even when I talked to the mechanic who usually takes care of his car, I didn't believe Matt could have done it, until he showed me where the brakes had been cut. He's the one who called the police, who wanted to know if Matt had any enemies. When Matt wasn't the target, it was me."
Lamont just shook his head. Pityingly. The same way Mum had when she'd heard about Matt's arrest. Mum had never liked Matt, she'd said.
"I'm sure all your theatrics went down very well on the magistrate in the initial trial, but a lot's happened in the last six years, while you've been playing mother and baking cakes. Your made up sob story won't work in the Family Court. Not after Matt's gotten himself a decent lawyer who could launch a proper appeal, and he's been cleared of all charges. In fact, it'll only help his case. With your mental health issues and unsuccessful suicide attempt in his car when you found out you were pregnant and he wouldn't marry you, it's no wonder you blamed him for your own problems. Spouting that story now the courts have cleared him, you'll only come across as delusional, which will make my job almost too easy."
Tacey's mouth wouldn't seem to close. "What...what do you mean?" Delusions, attempted suicide, mental health issues? "Matt asked me to marry him the moment he found out I was pregnant. He insisted I come to live with him in his parents' house so he could take care of me until the baby came..." That's why she'd found it so hard to believe he'd wanted to kill her. Well, until the police had discovered the life insurance policy he'd taken out on her. Then she'd lost her illusions, and realised the truth.
So why was Lamont calling her delusional now?
He laughed again. "Miss Bell, I could listen to you spin stories all day, but I'm a very busy man and my time is valuable. You came here for legal advice, and I will give it to you. Give up the case. Give your daughter to her father, and consider yourself lucky he didn't file charges against you for framing him for attempted murder. If you wish to take this matter to court, you will lose, and likely end up locked up yourself. Only you'll go to a prison for the criminally insane, where you'll never see the outside world again."
Maybe she was delusional. She couldn't possibly have heard this lawyer say such a thing. She was as sane as anyone. Well, there was Wystan, but he definitely wasn't a delusion, even if she wished he was.
She wouldn't have imagined kissing a monster...
The receptionist had appeared again, magically summoned by Lamont.
"See Miss Bell out," he said, dismissing her with a flick of his fingers.
Tacey jumped to her feet. "No! I'm here to hire you to help me keep my daughter, not tell me to give her to Matt. If you think I'm going to hand my daughter over to the man who tried to kill me, you're as crazy as he is. I'll tell everyone what you said, and you'll be sorry!"
