“I’m not paying her fifty grand a month!” he shouts, spittle flying from his mouth.
“It wouldn’t be fifty grand. Your living expenses would have to be subtracted so—”
“If that bitch stole my sperm, I’m not paying her ass a dime.”
I lower my voice in hopes of encouraging him to follow suit. I don’t remember Fletcher being such a hot-head. The attraction I’d felt for him during our initial meeting evaporates.
“If the kid is yours, you won’t have a choice.”
His chest is heaving up and down as if he’s just run up a flight of stairs at full speed. Fletcher is successful in business because he has vision. His next words convince me of that.
“If it turns out she stole my sperm and that kid is mine, it makes sense to get her to agree to a child support arrangement now, before she gets a lawyer involved.”
“True.”
“When you speak with her, I want you to make a two-tiered offer. A lump sum payment for her to sign a confidentiality agreement and go away never to be seen again. But if the kid is mine, I’ll pay her seven grand a month in child support.”
“She’s unrepresented. So it’s possible a court might later undo your agreement because she wasn’t adequately advised of her rights.”
“I’ll deal with that if and when it happens. And if the kid is mine, I’m suing that cunt for fraud and asking for millions in damages. Then we can just call it a wash. If she wants to play dirty, I will too.”
“Okay,” I say, wondering where this case is going.
“What else can we sue her for? What about emotional distress? That should get me some major damages, right?”
“We can include it, but you probably won’t recover much for it.”
“Why not?”
“You’d have to prove that you actually suffered emotional harm.”
For the first time since my arrival, Fletcher smiles. “Trust me, Vernetta. If I have to pay Bliss Fenton fifty grand a month, I’ll be a friggin’ basket case.”
CHAPTER 10
Girlie Cortez scanned her cheap desk calendar and frowned. Her two o’clock appointment was yet another potential client pleading poverty.
Before her suspension from the California Bar, Girlie would’ve snubbed her nose at a family law case. As a litigator, she considered herself among the legal elite. One of only a few prominent Filipina attorneys in the city, she attracted major clients based on her ruthlessness in the courtroom. Girlie also had an innate sexiness about her—enhanced by her shapely body, great legs and long, silky hair—that further enhanced her appeal, at least with male clients. But now she was stuck in a solo law practice, eating only what she could kill.
Girlie had only agreed to meet with Bliss Fenton because she wanted the colleague who had referred her to keep the referrals coming. She was bound to get a big hit. Eventually. Girlie planned to listen to the woman’s story, give her enough free advice to make her even more distraught about her situation, then tell her she couldn’t help her without a ten-thousand-dollar retainer. There was no way she could take a child support case on contingency. It could be months or years before she got paid.
Her fall from grace had been embarrassingly public. Being forced to give up her partnership at Donaldson, Watson and Barkley was one thing. But the nine-month suspension for knowingly allowing a witness to lie under oath had almost caused her to lose her home.
But Girlie was no quitter. Yes, at the moment she was leasing a shabby office on the low-rent end of Washington Boulevard in Pasadena, away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Los Angeles. But she was confident that she could work her way back into a lucrative law practice. It would just take time, patience and a little luck.
No longer having the luxury of an assistant to escort clients into her office, Girlie walked out to the lobby to greet Bliss Fenton herself.
The woman who stood to shake her hand was not what Girlie had been expecting. Bliss Fenton dressed as if she had more than a little dough. The suit she was wearing was an Armani. Girlie knew that because she’d seen it in the window at Saks a few weeks back and couldn’t afford it. She hoped Bliss wasn’t some rich penny pincher who was trying to play her.
“Why don’t you begin by telling me what’s going on?” Girlie said, once they were seated in her office.
“It’s been quite an ordeal. Fletcher McClain is the father of my three-month-old daughter Harmony. But he claims she’s not his. Then all of a sudden I get a call from his attorney asking me to come to her office to discuss settlement.”
“If he’s denying paternity, what’s there to settle?”
“Exactly.”
Bliss opened a pink folder. “Here’s a copy of my petition.
Girlie looked it over. “You prepared this yourself?”
“Yep. A paralegal at the court’s Self-Help Clinic helped me.”
“Looks like you did everything right.”
“Do you know who Fletcher McClain is?” Bliss asked.
Girlie shook her head. “Can’t say that I do.”
Bliss pulled more papers from her folder and handed them across the desk. Here’s an article about him that ran in Billboard magazine last year.
As Girlie read the article, she began to see green, lots of it. “This guy is worth four hundred and fifty million dollars and he’s sweating you for child support?”
Bliss nodded.
Girlie tried to keep the excitement out of her voice. The stars were finally aligning. In addition to child support, she would also go after McClain for attorneys’ fees. A man with this much dough could afford to pay her regular rate and then some.
“I really don’t have the money for an attorney of your caliber,” Bliss said. “If you can’t take my case on contingency, perhaps you can refer me to someone else who might be able to.”
No way, my dear. This one is all mine.
“Let’s hold off on talking about my fees until I fully understand your case. I’d like to attend the meeting with you at his attorney’s office. What’s his name?”
“It’s a her.” Bliss removed a thin notepad from her folder. “Her name’s Vernetta Henderson.”
Girlie felt a jolt of adrenalin shock her like a prod from a hot poker. She glared at Bliss. “I know her. She doesn’t practice family law. I wonder why she’s representing him?”
Bliss hunched her shoulders.
This case was nothing short of a gift from God. Girlie was sure of it. Not only could she go after the wealthy Fletcher McClain for attorneys’ fees, she’d also get to exact a little payback against Vernetta Henderson. Girlie still blamed Vernetta and her meddlesome friend for digging up the evidence that led to her suspension.
“And you’re one hundred percent sure Fletcher McClain is the father of your daughter?”
“Absolutely.”
Girlie didn’t need to know more right now. She was just thrilled to have a case that offered the potential to replenish her dwindling bank account and stick it to her nemesis.
“I’d like to take you on as a client,” she said. “My fees are four-fifty an hour.”
Bliss gasped.
“But don’t worry about that. I think we’ll be able to recover my attorneys’ fees from Mr. McClain. Let’s see what he’s offering you. I suspect it’s going to be offensively low. But it’s my plan to collect every dime your daughter deserves.”
And every dollar I deserve too.
CHAPTER 11
Eli Jenkins snapped his meaty fingers in Special’s face. “Did you hear anything I just said?”
“Sorry,” she muttered with a vacant expression. “I have a lot on my mind.”
“Apparently so. But this Fletcher McClain guy is paying you a nice chunk of change to dig up some dirt on this Bliss Fenton chick. So if I were you, I’d pay close attention to the knowledge
I’m imparting.”
Eli was the size of a bouncer, but had the heart of a teddy bear. He’d been a successful PI for a couple of decades and had worked his way into a lucrative business, sleuthing for lawyers and small companies. Special was lucky to be doing her apprenticeship under his tutelage.
“Yes, sir, bossman.” Special laughed, holding up her notepad. “Let’s go over it again. I think I blanked out at the part where you were explaining what to look for in the court records.”
“You gotta be kidding me. That was ten minutes ago.”
She raised her right hand. “I swear you have my full attention now. I spent some time last night searching for Bliss’ name in the civil court records but didn’t find anything. I’ll hit the family law cases tonight. And I want to start my surveillance of her. Can I still use your van?”
“Sure, but you better take care of it.”
Eli had a rickety van that masqueraded as Jenkins Heating and Plumbing Company. Special knew from her many late-night surveillance rides with him that most people noticed a strange car parked in front of their house, but looked right past a commercial truck or van with a company name sprawled on the side.
“I’m hoping to get some more information about her paternity case against her son’s father from the court records. Then I’ll see if he’ll talk to me. Any ideas for my initial cover story when I approach him?”
“If she’s jacking him the same way she’s jacking Fletcher McClain, he’ll probably have no trouble spilling his guts and trashing her. But let’s take a break. I need to know what’s going on with you.”
Special fiddled with her ink pen.
“C’mon, girl. You can trust me. You know I’ve got your back. What’s up?”
“Man trouble,” Special admitted.
Eli smiled. “I figured as much. “Who’s the problem dude this time?”
“What do you mean, this time? You act like I always have man trouble.”
“Girl, you’re a mess when it comes to men. Instead of hunting them down, you need to wait for love to find you.”
“I don’t have that kind of time. I prefer to be proactive.”
“So what’s the deal? You think the dude’s steppin’ out on you?”
“Nope, he’s actually the perfect guy for me. We click on so many levels. He’s an ex-Marine. I met him online.”
“If you met him online, no telling what the real deal is. Give me his name. I’m going to investigate him myself.”
“You know I’ve already researched that brother every which way. He’s legit. That’s not my problem.”
“Okay. So what is the problem?”
Special took in some air. “He’s a paraplegic.”
Eli leaned back in his chair. “You didn’t know about his situation before you met him?”
“Nope. We talked for almost two months before meeting in person and he never told me.”
“That’s a problem right there.”
“I understand why he didn’t tell me,” Special said, feeling protective of Darius. “If he had, I wouldn’t have wanted to meet him. And now that I have, I still dig him as much as before.” She told him more about Darius’ background. “But I just can’t get over the fact that he’s permanently confined to a wheelchair.”
“That’s understandable. I have a buddy who has a spinal cord injury. He and his wife have a pretty cool relationship. A lot of paraplegics have tremendous upper body strength. The only thing he can’t do is walk.”
Special doodled on her notepad. “But what about sex? I can’t see giving up sex for the rest of my life.”
“My friend’s pecker works just fine.”
“Seriously?” Special looked as amazed as a kid watching a fireworks’ show. “Even though he’s paralyzed?”
“Yep. Ain’t that a blip?”
Special took a moment to consider what Eli had just said.
“It won’t be easy dating a man who’s paralyzed,” he continued. “But the dude sounds like he’s got it going on. That’s a lot more than I can say about some of your past men.”
“That’s cold.”
“It’s the truth.”
Special continued to doodle.
“Just spend some time with the dude and figure out if you can hang. Ain’t like he’s asking you to marry him tomorrow. You’re always rushing things. Like I said, stop chasing love and let it find you.”
Special nodded. “I just don’t want to end up hanging out with him out of guilt. I already feel sorry for him.”
“That’s on you. I suspect he doesn’t feel all that sorry for himself. After my buddy got shot, it was a long time before I stopped seeing him as helpless. We still get together for poker once a month. He still invites us over for the best barbecue in L.A. We even went to the movies last week. Practically everything he did before his spinal cord injury, he still does. Except now he does it from a wheelchair.”
Special gave serious thought to what he was saying.
“Give the man a shot,” Eli urged. “You never know what could come of it. If nothing else, he could end up being a good friend. And we could all use more of those.”
CHAPTER 12
“I don’t believe you.” Jessica threw up her hands. “With everything that’s going on, you’re dating a new guy?”
Bliss twisted from side to side, admiring her new outfit in her bedroom mirror. The tight red dress seemed to caress every curve of her slim body.
“Who says it’s a new guy? Anyway, just because I filed that paternity case against Fletcher doesn’t mean I have to act like a nun.”
“Please tell me this guy isn’t married.”
Bliss responded with a devious smile.
Jessica sighed. “I guess that means yes.”
“If a woman can’t keep her man at home, that’s her fault. Not mine.”
Jessica flopped onto the corner of the bed. “If a man’s not happy at home he should talk to his wife rather than cheat on her.”
“See, that’s the problem. Talking isn’t going to solve a thing. Women need to understand that God didn’t make men to be monogamous. That’s why the men in the Bible had so many wives. They’re just not built that way. All men want to cheat. Some act on it, some don’t. If a woman wants to keep her man, she needs to make sure things stay spicy in the bedroom. If the sex gets boring, he’s definitely going to stray. I’ve had my share of married men and what they did with me, they couldn’t do at home with their prudish wives.”
Bliss turned away from the mirror. “Why do you look so down in the dumps?”
“I think Paul is seeing someone.”
“No way.” Bliss smoothed down the front of her skirt. “Not Perfect Paul. At your birthday dinner he was all over you.”
“That’s how he acts in public, but at home he ignores me. We rarely have sex. He’s either working around the clock or out of town. There must be someone else.”
“Oh, give up with the woe-is-me act. If Paul is screwing around, do what you need to do to fix the situation.”
“If I knew for sure he was having an affair, I’d be too devastated to even want to fix it.”
“See, that’s why it’s so easy to have an affair with a married man. Their boring, insecure wives don’t know how to fight for what’s theirs. First, you need to spruce yourself up. Look at how you’re dressed.”
Jessica glanced down at her floral sundress. “What’s wrong with the way I’m dressed?”
“For one, you never show any cleavage”
“Paul doesn’t like that. He says it looks slutty.”
“Yeah, that’s what he’s telling you. I bet his mistress is showing off her boobs. And when was the last time you had sex someplace other than the bedroom?”
Jessica’s cheeks colored.
“Oh my God! Don’t tell me the bedroom is the
only place you have sex.”
Jessica lazily hunched her shoulders.
“Okay, this is an emergency situation. First, we’re going shopping to get you some new clothes and then we’re going to have a little primer on reigniting the fire in your marriage. Maybe I’ll take you by A Touch of Romance to pick up a few sex toys to liven things up.”
Before Jessica could object, Harmony cried out.
Bliss hoisted her hair into a high bun. “How does this look?”
“Excuse me, but don’t you hear your daughter crying?”
“She’ll be fine. Anamaria will check on her.”
“Unbelievable.” Jessica marched out of the room and returned cuddling Harmony to her chest.
Bliss looked at the two of them through the mirror. “You’re spoiling her rotten. I don’t want her expecting to be picked up every time she cries.”
Aiden and Jonas ran into the room. Aiden grasping a peanut butter sandwich, Jonas holding up fingers dipped in the brown goo.
“Mommy pretty!” Jonas dashed straight toward Bliss with outstretched hands. She jumped to the right, just in time, her hand on his head, holding him at bay.”
“You’re going to mess up my skirt,” Bliss screeched. “Get back in the kitchen. Anamaria, please come get them!”
Both boys shrank away.
“Bliss!” Jessica yelled, almost as loudly as Bliss. “You shouldn’t yell at them like that.”
“And they shouldn’t come running at me with sticky fingers.”
Jessica placed Harmony in the middle of Bliss’ bed, then consoled the boys with a group hug before handing them off to the nanny.
“Instead of scolding them all the time, you need to spend some quality time with them.”
“They’re fine. Anamaria takes good care of them.”
“That’s my point. You should be taking good care of them.”
Bliss ignored her friend’s advice. “Guess who I’m meeting with on Friday?”
“I don’t want to know about your married men.”
“Fletcher’s attorney,” Bliss went on. “She wants to discuss settlement.”
Lawful Deception Page 5
