Survive and Conquer

by Andrew Grey

  Chase wasn’t sure where Milton was going with this, but he waited.

  “I know this case isn’t one that you’re really comfortable with.”

  Chase nodded. That was true. “There are personal reasons. But I’m a good attorney, and I will do my best for our clients.”

  Milton didn’t react. “I have to ask. Is there any sort of conflict of interest?”

  “No. It’s nothing like that.”

  “Good. Family law is tough. Before you joined the firm and went into this area—willingly, I might add—we had eight attorneys who did this job, and each left after two years. Family law weighed on them pretty heavily. We see people at their absolute worst, and I’m not ashamed to tell you that I would rather try a dozen capital murder cases than handle just one of the cases you do.” Milton stood. “Just make this case come out positively in some way or another. Do whatever you need to. We are all impressed, and I want to hold this case up to the other partners as the one to say that you deserve to be made partner because you threaded the needle like a pro.” He left Chase’s office, closing the door.

  Chase blew out the breath he’d been holding. Yes, if he made good, he would be a partner in the firm, but his job and reputation hung in the balance of one of the most awful, mean-spirited cases he had seen in his career. He had his strategy, and he wasn’t going to back down. Still, he needed to review everything with his clients.

  “William,” he said. “Can you confirm with the Andersons that they will be in this afternoon? I need to go over our case with them before I file the paperwork.”

  “I already did. They will be here at two, and I have the conference room booked.” William seemed so cheerful. “Is there anything else you needed?”

  “Well….” Chase hesitated. “No, I’m fine. Thank you.” He hung up, and within seconds William knocked on the door and peered into the office.

  “What’s going on?” William asked. “You hesitate when something is wrong and it has nothing to do with a case.” He plopped himself into one of the chairs. “You only get this twitterpated when you’re interested in someone or you’ve decided they’re getting too close and you want to pull away.” He glared. “You aren’t going to dump that guy with the kids, are you?”

  Chase shook his head. “No. I’m conflicted about the Anderson case, and it’s spilling over into other parts of my life.”

  William gaped at him. “You never have case bleed-over. This must be pretty bad.” He leaned forward. “I will say, these people give me the creeps every time I have to call them. Just talking on the phone with her makes me glad I was never into women, because this lady would freeze off anyone’s balls.” He shivered. “I know we don’t have to like these people, but really.”

  “Yeah.” It wasn’t the people, but the situation itself that bothered Chase. “Sometimes we end up on the wrong side of an argument.”

  William nodded. “So this is a crisis of faith.”

  “I wouldn’t say that.”

  “I would. You’ve always put your faith and trust in the legal system. Two lawyers arguing and battling it out in front of a judge. It’s what you love, more than anyone else in this office. You revel in it, and you still think that justice prevails. And now you’re worried that it won’t, because even if you win this case, you’ll feel that maybe you lost. How do you know that your clients aren’t right and that they aren’t…?” William rolled his eyes. “Okay, I get your point. I wouldn’t wish that woman on anyone. But you do your job the same as the rest of us.”

  “Yeah, I know. But it’s hitting too close to home.” Chase swallowed. “I know the grandparents are paying the bill, but in a way, we all work for the little boy in this case. It’s what’s best for the children that we all have to take into consideration.” And the thought that, if Chase did his job really well, he could be putting this particular child back in the path of the man who hurt him scared the crap out of him. “Still, I’ll be okay.” He checked his clock on the computer. “I need to prepare for this meeting and get some other work done.”

  William stood to leave.

  “Thanks for listening.” He could always count on William’s unique perspective to help set him right. He had hired him as an assistant, but got a confidant and a friend in the process, and he often wondered what he’d do without him.

  Chase continued working and ate at his desk in order to try to keep on top of everything. He managed to stay current and to prepare for his meeting with the Andersons. William sent a message just before two to say that they had arrived, and Chase asked William to sit in and take notes for him.

  “Good afternoon,” Chase said as he came into the conference room. He shook hands with both of them. “Would you like some coffee?”

  They both declined.

  William got him a cup, and Chase took a seat, opening his files. “I wanted to do a final review of the affidavit and the motions we are requesting. I have them typed and ready to go. I need both of you to read them over and let me know if there are any changes. If there aren’t, you each need to sign your affidavit at the bottom, attesting to their truthfulness and completeness.” He slid each their copy of the forms he was set to present to the court. Once they were done, he signed the motion.

  “Will we need to testify?” Mrs. Anderson asked.

  “Most likely. I doubt these motions will be granted without testimony. Your daughter-in-law’s attorney is going to fight them, and that means he or she will want to question you.” Chase hadn’t heard if she had an attorney, but privately he hoped she did. Still, there was nothing to battle until he filed the motions, and then things would really begin to happen.

  Chase waited until they had read them, verified that there were no changes, and William passed them each a pen.

  “Why do we have to sign? You’re the attorney,” Mr. Anderson challenged.

  “Because while I’m the lawyer, you are the ones making the claim, and they need your affidavit for that, and this is part of your testimony. I’m not making these accusations—you are. I’m only here to ensure that everything is done within the law.” Chase met his gaze. “If there is anything that isn’t truthful or accurate, you need to speak up now. Otherwise this will become part of the court records, and you will be held accountable for their truthfulness.”

  “This is what we told you,” Mr. Anderson said.

  “Yes, but do you see all of the things you describe in here?”

  Mrs. Anderson nodded, and her husband did as well. Then he picked up the pen and signed the documents with a flourish. She did the same.

  “Okay. I will submit these to the court tomorrow in person, and then we’ll wait for a hearing date. You need to understand that what you’re trying to do is a long shot. The court is not going to take a child from his mother without compelling evidence that he is in danger or being mistreated.”

  “I know she doesn’t feed him very much. Every time we see him, he’s starving.” Mrs. Anderson patted her eyes with a tissue, but Chase wasn’t buying that. He’d seen enough crocodile tears to know them pretty well. He always wondered at people’s motivation. It was part of his job, and he was convinced that theirs was to punish the mother.

  “You are also aware that your son’s actions will be brought into any hearing we have,” Chase said.

  “Part of your job is to get that suppressed.”

  Chase loved this portion of any case. “I can’t have court records removed. As far as the courts are concerned, the abuse and harm your grandson received at the hands of your son is a fact, pure and simple. He was convicted, and the same fact that he is set to be released in six months is also something that the courts will look at.”

  “But he served his time and….”

  Chase shook his head. He had been over this with them more than once, and up until now, they hadn’t seemed to be listening. “This is family court, so the fact that your grandson was abused is relevant. They will not put him in a situation where he can be exposed to his abuser ag
ain. If you do get custody of your grandson, I expect the courts will rule that he is not to have any contact with his father at all. Are you prepared for that?” He knew damned well they weren’t. These people were under some delusion that their son still had rights as far as his son went. That was no longer true with his conviction. Children were to be protected from their abusers. “I’m going to need to know what you plan to do. If your son is going to live with you, this entire case is a nonstarter. The court is unlikely to take you seriously.”

  “But he’s our son…,” Mrs. Anderson whispered in the first real show of emotion that Chase had seen.

  “As far as the court is concerned, your son is primarily your grandson’s abuser. As I’ve told you, they will view everything from your grandson’s perspective and what’s best for him.” Chase hoped he was getting through to them. “You need to think about what you’re doing and all of the ramifications before I make any filing. The court will not look favorably on you if you change your tune midstream.” He stood. “You also need to understand that if you lose—and our chances of prevailing are not good, I’ll be honest here—it is likely that your daughter-in-law will not allow you to see your grandson any longer. Ever.” He altered his gaze between both of them. “These sorts of things are not something most people can come back from.” He sat down once again to seem softer. “Maybe you should consider if being a part of his life and being able to help him isn’t a better road to take.” Chase closed his file, stood back up, and left the conference room, letting that idea hang in the air. William stayed behind to walk them out, and Chase went back to his office, waiting to speak with William and get any messages.

  Chase knew very well how to make an exit, and he hoped he had planted a seed that they would at least think over. This case had the potential to get very ugly, very fast.

  “They didn’t know quite what hit them,” William said, once they were safely back in Chase’s office. “Do you think it will make a difference?”

  “No. They’re hellbent on getting what they want and hurting their daughter-in-law instead of helping her.” Chase sat down. “It’s funny, but in situations like this, the mother takes as much heat as the abuser. ‘Why didn’t she see it? Why didn’t she do more to stop it?’ Abusers go to great lengths sometimes to try to hide what they’re doing. That kid’s mother isn’t to blame for what her husband did. But it’s easier for people like the Andersons to blame her than to place the cause of everything at their son’s feet. She should have been more supportive, or she should have done something to make their precious little boy happier… or some such shit.” Chase realized he had gotten on his soapbox and grew quiet.

  “I see,” William said knowingly, and that bothered Chase. He and William worked well together and he was a great person, but Chase didn’t want him or anyone at the office knowing his personal business. “I’ll go ahead and type up the notes from the meeting and add them to the file.” William left the office, and Chase did his best to feel less exposed before he had his next meeting in half an hour.

  His phone vibrated on his desk and he smiled at the message from Newton. Dinner?

  Chase responded. Yes. His fingers paused over the keys. I have something we need to talk about. He pressed Send on the second part of the message before he could stop himself. It’s nothing bad, but I need to tell you some stuff. He pressed Send again, his heart racing, but it was too late to go back now. He had put it out into the ether, and he needed to follow through. It was more than time that he told Newton of his past. Newton had trusted him with his worst days, and Chase should be able to extend the same trust in return.

  You have me a little worried. Are you okay? Newton sent in return. We can talk if you need to.

  Chase smiled. That was Newton, always thinking of others. I’m doing okay. It’s been a challenging day, but I’m going forward. How is your foot? Is it feeling better? He was still worried with the amount of pain Newton continued to have.

  It’s better. I’m getting around as well as can be expected. He ended the message with a smiley face. What do you want to do for dinner? Jolene’s daughter is one of Rosie’s friends. She’s having a birthday party on Saturday, and she invited Eric as well. He’ll come home after the party, but Rosie is going to stay the night. So…. He sent a winky emoticon, and Chase smiled. Maybe we can try again?

  Sounds good. I’ll pack a bag. Now, that was well worth taking a chance on. How about if I stop and get some fried chicken and bring it over? That sounds really good to me, and the two of us can talk once the kids are in bed. It was best to get this over with and clear the air.

  Sounds great. Bring some extra because Eric loves it, and even if I feed him dinner, he’ll be hungry. His appetite has really been kicking in lately. Part of it is the medication.

  Chase smiled. I’ll bring plenty. He checked the time and messaged that he had to go. Then he got down to preparing for his next meeting. Now that he’d made a decision, he felt better about opening up. It wasn’t like he was worried Newton wouldn’t understand or would reject him. It was just that Chase had put these memories into their own box years earlier and liked to keep them there, but for some reason, they were surfacing a lot more right now, and he needed to deal with them.

  CHASE RANG the bell, and Rosie opened the door with a big grin on her bespectacled face, with Newton coming up behind her.

  “Daddy said you were coming and bringing some chicken.” She stepped back. “I like chickens.”

  “Are you hungry?” Chase was suddenly worried that he might not have brought enough.

  “Yes. Daddy said that it was his dinner, but that we could have a piece if we were good.” She turned toward the inside of the house. “Daddy, were we good enough to have chicken?” she yelled at nearly the top of her lungs.

  “You were, up until this moment when you yelled my ears off,” Newton said as he closed the door behind them, leaning on his cane, a bright smile on his face. “Go on upstairs and wash your hands. You’ve been playing with Play-Doh, and it’s everywhere.” He might have sounded slightly frazzled, but he didn’t look it for a second. Newton looked good, really good, in his navy polo and shorts.

  “Can I have chicken too?” Eric asked.

  “Go get plates, and if Chase brought enough, you can have some. Remember that you and Rosie already had your dinner.”

  Eric walked to the dining area, saying something about starving to death, and put plates on the table, as well as silverware and glasses. Chase set down the container of chicken and a bag with coleslaw and fruit salad in it. He pulled everything out of the bag while Newton got drinks, and they all sat down to eat.

  Rosie had a chicken leg and was done, asking to leave the table to play with her dolls. Eric ate nearly as much as Chase did and then got up from the table as well, leaving him and Newton alone.

  “This is good.” Newton had enjoyed his chicken thigh, but loved the coleslaw, eating a great deal of it.

  “It’s from a little mom-and-pop place near the house. They only do a take-out business. He makes the chicken, and she does the rest. I’m not sure which is better.” Chase got a helping of the coleslaw from the container. “I love this stuff. She told me once that instead of using vinegar, she uses dill pickle juice in it. That’s apparently how she gets the dill flavor, and she uses the pickles as a garnish or in one of her other salads. She’s really pretty amazing.”

  Newton chuckled. “Tell me, is there anyone in the food industry that you don’t know?” His eyes twinkled.

  “I like good food, and I don’t get a chance to cook very often. I work late almost every night. So places that offer good, homestyle food are worth their weight in gold. I don’t eat at Garth’s all the time. The food is too rich. It’s delicious, but I like other things. So I’ve made friends with the folks who help feed me.” Chase finished his chicken thigh and his salads before sitting back, full and content.

  “Guys, it’s almost time for you to go to bed. Finish up what you’re doing and p
ut things away.” Both heads turned toward him from the other room. “You can watch a video for half an hour and then go upstairs.” Newton took care of his dishes and went to check on the kids.

  Chase cleared away the rest and sat at the table once again. He wondered how he could put what he wanted to say into words. As a lawyer, he made his living with words. He was good at them—they were his friends, but not right now.

  A video started in the other room, and Newton joined him. “Do you want to talk now, or wait?” he said gently.

  “It’s probably best if I get it over with. See, I know you’ll understand and won’t judge me or anything. It’s why I feel I can tell you this.” Chase took a deep breath. “I don’t quite know how to start. I don’t remember everything, and some of what I’m going to say was supplied by my mother.” He sighed and tried to put what he remembered into something cohesive.

  “As far back as I remember, I was scared of my father. That’s the overriding emotion I have when it comes to him. He used to hit and spank me. Dad had little patience, and I never remember playing with him. Mom said he drank, but I don’t remember that. But he was my dad, and I did what he said.” Chase’s throat closed up. “But what I remember most is the day that I told Mom what Dad was doing to me. I’d been afraid for weeks. I wasn’t sleeping at night because I was afraid that if I did, Dad would come in to get me.” Chase sighed and closed his eyes to shut himself off, but opened them again as the memories came flooding back. “My father used to come into my room at night, and that was when he—” It was so hard to say the rest, and he pushed away the fear that came rushing back, even after all this time. “I do remember falling asleep in school and falling out of my desk chair. All the kids laughed at me. They didn’t understand what was happening and why I never talked to anyone.” He blew out a deep breath.

  “Did your mom believe you?” Newton asked.