Law and Addiction

by Mike Papantonio

  Of course, all of that didn’t prevent Jake from being disbarred. There was always a price for martyrdom. It was a ramification that

  283 seemed to bother Deke and Paul much more than it did Jake. But then again, Jake had been busy getting clean. The Naltrexone was a godsend, and had allowed Jake passage through the rocky shoals, but Jake hadn’t wanted to be dependent even upon that.

  He’d chosen a private rehab facility with a view of the mountains and not the ocean. He’d eschewed villas in Malibu and Miami, and instead got clean in a log cabin in West Virginia. Anna visited him every day.

  Jake’s friends also checked in with him. When Paul and Deke called, they invariably updated him on the goings-on of the MDL. Together they were keeping the unwieldy beast on its proper course. The MDL was one of the largest in legal history.

  Carol and Bennie were also frequent callers. Sometimes they just wanted to see how he was doing; on other occasions, they called with news. Deke heard how much Jake enjoyed these calls. Carol and Bennie said he was fascinated with the way they tracked down leads and accumulated evidence. Deke suspected that Jake felt as if he were working the case with them.

  The U.S. military’s Warrior Ethos is: “I will never leave a fallen comrade.” Deke was a believer in that same ethos, as was the law firm of Bergman/Deketomis. That was why Carol and Bennie continued to pursue whoever had abducted Jake. They weren’t going to forget the assault, nor were they going to let West Virginia law enforcement forget it either.

  After Jake left rehab, Deke hired him part-time to help them review the millions of documents that had been produced by the MDL. The work seemed to be good for Jake. Reading the emails, memos, and clinical data that the distributors were finally forced to hand over confirmed everything he had always believed about those who had helped facilitate the deaths of so many people. During one of their conversations, though, Jake had told Deke that he was ready to move on from the MDL work.

  “I know I won’t be able to escape the sanctions for what I did,” he said. “That means my trial-lawyer days are behind me. It’s about time I stopped playing at the law.”

  He’d told Deke that he wasn’t sure what was ahead, other than knowing that Anna would be part of that future. The two had become a loving couple. As for what Jake would ultimately do, he’d told Deke that he was “letting the universe decide.”

  That wasn’t good enough for Deke. Behind the scenes, he worked with the universe.

  “So,” Carol asked Jake one day, “have you made a decision on the job?” Deke stayed in the background, letting Carol do most of the talking. Jake and Anna, he knew, were sitting together at the Rutledge house—because they’d moved in together, the couple was now referring to it as “our” house.

  Jake had been offered the position of assistant director of Complex Investigations at Bergman/Deketomis. That meant he would act as a combination investigator/lawyer. His legal background—disbarred though he was—and his investigative knack made him an ideal candidate for the position. But now it was up to Jake, not the universe, to decide.

  “In case you’re wondering,” said Deke, “Paul said that West Virginia would miss its native son, but you had his blessing to take your leave for a time.”

  Jake laughed. “We actually talked to him. Anna got his blessing as well.”

  “We know you’re a package deal,” said Carol. “And we’re hoping Anna might be amenable to considering a few open positions we have in mind.”

  “Thank you,” said Jake. “However, before we make a final decision, Anna and I think we should spend a few days in Spanish Trace.”

  “How about I book both of your airline reservations and hotel accommodations?” Carol said.

  “That sounds great,” said Jake.

  “Tomorrow too early for you?” she asked.

  Both Anna and Jake agreed that tomorrow was great.

  “You should tune in to the news,” Carol advised. “We’re still working on catching the big fish, but the little fish are being pulled in right now.”

  “I’ll do that,” he said. “Thanks for everything, Carol and Deke.”

  “Our pleasure,” said Deke. “And I do mean that.”

  vvv Eva Whistler stood on the Davis County Courthouse steps. She had made sure her mascara was running. The smudged makeup didn’t detract from her beauty but bespoke her inner turmoil for the world to see. She wanted to make sure the public knew how distraught she was. After all, her beloved husband, Danny, had been arrested.

  To all appearances, Eva was doing a great Tammy Wynette impression. She was standing by her man. Or at least that’s how it seemed.

  In reality, she was walking a perilous tightrope. The deputy Danny had been working on those Oakley properties with had flipped on him after being confronted by the Bergman/Deketomis investigators, who’d gathered plenty of damning evidence. The clincher was an affidavit from the Mexican drug dealer, who told a story very different from the one concocted by the deputy and Danny. Because the deputy was willing to testify against Danny, Dunn would get no jail time. He’d been the first domino, but others were already clicking. County officials throughout West Virginia were now letting loose with their sobs of “mea culpa” at being caught subverting due process in their blight and condemnation schemes.

  Eva knew there was no way her husband was going to walk. Luckily for Danny, the police had not yet found the man that Jake Rutledge referred to as “Screech.” And, Eva was sure, they never would. Screech was distant kin, and blood looked after blood. It was possible Danny would escape kidnapping charges. If he was lucky, he might get off with ten years.

  Of course, Eva had to make Danny think it wouldn’t be that bad, and that she would be waiting for him on the other side of whatever he had to face. She had to look loyal and pretend to be in great pain, but still make it clear that she was yet another of his victims. If she played her cards right, Danny would never get it into his head to point his finger her way.

  Some of those trying to pull her down had made it clear they suspected her involvement, or even more. The worst of them had been that woman named Morris, an investigator who worked for that ambulance chaser Deketomis. Carol Morris had outright told Eva that she believed her guilty of pulling Danny’s strings while leaving hubby holding the bag.

  Luckily for Eva, few others suspected her of such a thing, and she needed to keep it that way. Eva wiped her eyes for the cameras and sniffed loudly into the microphones.

  She pointed to one of the reporters who had his hand raised. Her apparent anguish didn’t stop him from calling out, “Are you saying you knew nothing about your husband’s criminal enterprise?”

  “ Alleged criminal enterprise,” said Eva, “and I most certainly did not.”

  The reporter continued. “Your husband didn’t say anything or do anything to make you believe something might be suspect about his businesses?”

  Eva squeezed her nose with the hankie. “I’m sure Danny is guilty of nothing more than bad judgment,” she said. “No doubt the incident of Whistler’s Mother will be brought up again, and Danny will once more be dragged through the mud.”

  She pretended to ignore their snickering, even though she had purposely raised her husband’s sketchy past. What the public didn’t know was that it was Eva who had always reminded Danny that he couldn’t treat his mother any better than he did the other residents. It was Danny, though, who’d tried to hide his mother away in a closet. His stupidity had made them the laughingstocks of West Virginia.

  And that was something Eva would never forgive.

  “Will you be resigning your job as prosecuting attorney?” another reporter yelled.

  Eva shook her head emphatically. “As far as I know, it’s not a crime to love your husband, and that’s the only thing I’m guilty of. That said, I have no plans to resign.”

  A few crocodile tears ran down her face. She dabbed at them with her hankie.

  36

  OVER THE RAINBOW

  T
eri Deketomis crept out of the bedroom where her husband, Deke, was sleeping. When they’d first married, Teri had resisted calling him Deke, and instead had addressed him as Nick or even Nicholas. It hadn’t been long, though, before she’d given in. The nickname just seemed to fit him.

  Deke had arrived home just before midnight. He’d been so tired that Teri had insisted he go directly to bed. Deke had tried to argue that he had a pile of work he needed to attend to, but she’d overruled his every objection.

  He should have known resistance was futile, but he had continued arguing even after he fell into bed. He was halfway into a sentence—and an appeal—when he’d fallen asleep. After Teri was sure he was down for the count, she’d removed his business suit and hung it up.

  Deke’s long hours were nothing new, but Teri hoped this MDL business would be over soon. She knew how important this case was to him, though. To Deke, it wasn’t a case so much as a cause. Some lawyers chased dollars signs, but not her husband. It wasn’t the money that motivated him, as much as it was the hope that he could help return a little balance to the world. When Deke spoke about the need for lawyers to focus their skills in places that would “even the playing field,” Teri knew it wasn’t Pollyanna pabulum. What her husband loved most about his work was being able to speak for the have-nots.

  Over the course of their relationship, time and again Teri had pulled Deke back from the brink of exhaustion. Sometimes she felt like a battlefield nurse. It was up to her to patch Deke up so that he could once again engage in the fight. This MDL case had been particularly tough on him. As the lead counsel, Deke was orchestrating a case whose outcome would reverberate nationally. It was a responsibility he embraced, despite its physical toll. It was rare for a boxer to enter into a heavyweight fight and leave the ring unscathed.

  Of course, it was understandable that Deke had forgotten what day it was. Thirty years ago today, the two of them had exchanged vows. They’d been little more than kids at the time. Deke was a first-year law student. Back then he’d dreamed of being a criminal prosecutor. Teri had supported the two of them during those early years of their marriage.

  I won’t give him his anniversary gift, she thought, until he remembers. It’s better that he gets as much sleep as he can while he’s here.

  Teri had looked up the appropriate gift for a thirtieth wedding anniversary and found that it was pearl. She’d considered getting him fine pearl cuff links but then thought better of it. Deke didn’t like wearing finery.

  That hadn’t stopped her from finding the perfect pearl present for him. She had located an antique Colt Single Action Army Peacemaker with mother-of-pearl handles. This was the gun that had supposedly won the West. There was a crack in one of the pearl handles, but Teri learned that was the price of beauty. The seller had told her there were very few antique mother-of-pearl stocks available on Colt Peacemakers because of their propensity to crack or split when fired. That was fine with her. Deke wouldn’t be firing this weapon. It would go in a display case in his man cave.

  Teri finished dressing in the bathroom. When Deke awakened, she planned to spoil him with a pancetta-and-cheese omelet, along with fruit. The only thing missing was the croissant Deke liked with strawberry jam. In downtown Spanish Trace, there was a wonderful French bakery where they brought out fresh, warm croissants on the hour. Terri was sure Deke would still be asleep when she returned. She took care, though, not to make any noise as she opened the front door and stepped out onto their patio.

  “What?” The word came unbidden out of her mouth. She turned her head from right to left, taking in the colors. That’s what kept her mouth open.

  How had all these flowers magically appeared? There were so many flowers filling their patio that there was barely a pathway out. Teri felt like Dorothy stepping into OZ. Around her were vibrant colors of all shapes and sizes.

  It wasn’t only flowers, though. Atop a stand was a necklace rack. Hanging from one of the displays was a three-strand pearl necklace. Next to it was a card.

  Teri ran to it, ripped it open, and pulled out a handwritten note. Deke had written: Thank you for being my rainbow. Love, Deke.

  It was like being in a rainbow, Teri thought. All the colors were overwhelming. With tear-filled eyes, she read Deke’s postscript.

  P.S. Did I happen to mention to you that we are now half owners of a flower farm?

  Teri wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry, so she did a little bit of both.

  37

  A STROLL INTO THE FUTURE

  Jake and Anna walked along Navarre Beach, the crown jewel of Florida’s Emerald Coast. The nickname hadn’t been idly earned. The water was a striking emerald color, and clear enough to see colorful fish moving along in its shallows.

  The two of them were barefoot and walked along the surf line. It was their first day in Spanish Trace, and both of them were enchanted. The beach was clean, and the white sand was pristine.

  “It’s like walking on newly fallen snow,” said Anna, “except that it’s warm and inviting.”

  She ran ahead and scooped up another sand dollar. She’d discovered the trove of seashells along the high-tide line, and now the pockets of their shorts were overflowing with her “treasures.”

  “Isn’t this incredible?” she asked.

  “It’s like a postcard,” Jake admitted.

  “The weather’s here,” she said. “Wish you were fine.”

  Jake laughed at her transposing of words.

  “Can we do this every day?” she asked.

  292 “We could try,” said Jake. His tone changed, becoming suddenly serious. “What do you think about committing to living here for a few years?”

  “I’m willing to give it a go if you are,” she said.

  “The temperature isn’t this perfect every day,” said Jake. “It’s hot and humid during the summer, and let’s not forget that hurricane season goes from June to November.”

  “You think the weather here will scare me away?” she said. “I’ve spent my life in West Virginia.”

  “You’re okay with being away from your dad?” he asked.

  Anna nodded. “I think we could both use the separation. And there’s a widowed neighbor woman who I could pay to make meals and look after him. Truth be known, I think they’re a little sweet on one another, and probably would have gotten together already if I hadn’t been in the way.”

  “Truth be known,” said Jake, repeating her words, “I think I’m a little sweet on you.”

  “A little?” said Anna, kicking some sand his way.

  Jake offered her his hand. After pretending to deliberate about accepting it, she took it into her own, and the two of them continued their walk.

  “Did you know there’s a paralegal program at the community college in Spanish Trace?” she asked.

  “No, I didn’t,” he said. “What of it?”

  “Remember that job you gave me where I was sorting through all that Freedom of Information material related to your case?”

  Jake nodded.

  “At the time, you mentioned that was the kind of work that paralegals did, and that sort of stuck in my mind. I was surprised at how interesting that job was. That’s when I began to seriously consider the possibility of working as a paralegal.”

  “You never mentioned anything to me,” said Jake.

  “You were kind of preoccupied with being a prisoner, and an addict, and then working on the most important trial of your life. And that doesn’t even take into account your being disbarred and getting clean.”

  The two of them started laughing. It had been an interesting few months. “Now that you frame it that way,” said Jake.

  Their walk continued as the sun sank lower and lower on the horizon. Without needing to consult, both of them stopped walking. A minute passed, and the sun finally disappeared from view. The clouds were red and purple and looked altogether too stunning to be real.

  “Did you ever see anything so beautiful?” Anna asked.

&
nbsp; She offered up an “Oh” of contentment and awe. With his hand, Jake smoothed a strand of her hair, and then he lightly touched her cheek.

  “I believe I have,” he said, and kissed her.

  It was a long time before either of them came up for air. Anna didn’t think the moment could be more perfect. She was wrong.

  “What are you doing for the rest of your life?” asked Jake.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  MIKE PAPANTONIO is a senior partner of Levin Papantonio, one of the largest plaintiffs’ law firms in America taking on Big Pharma, tobacco companies, and the automotive industry. The firm is taking legal action against the wholesale distributors and manufacturers of opioids in order to recover the immense damages more than 400 cities, counties, and tribes have sustained as a result of these companies creating the current opioid epidemic.

  Papantonio has handled thousands of cased throughout the nation involving tobacco and pharmaceutical drug litigation, securities fraud actions, and many of the nation’s largest environmental cases. He is

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  one of the youngest trial lawyers to have been inducted into the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame. In 2012, Papantonio became president of the National Trial Lawyers Association, which represents forty thousand trial lawyers nationally. For his trial work on behalf of consumers, he has received some of the most prestigious awards reserved by the Public Justice Foundation, the American Association for Justice, and the National Trial Lawyers Association.

  He is the author of the legal thrillers Law and Disorder and Law and Vengeance, as well as four motivational books for lawyers. He is also the coauthor of Air America: The Playbook, listed by the New York Times as a “political best seller.”

  Papantonio is the host of the nationally syndicated radio show Ring of Fire, along with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Sam Seder. In addition to the radio show, Papantonio hosts America’s Lawyer on the RT America network. He has also served as a political commentator who has appeared as a regular guest on MSNBC, Free Speech TV, the RT America Network, and Fox News.