Page 30 of Jason's Justice
“Well, they did return, and they were led into a conference room. It was standing room only,” he said with a shake of their head. “The worst thing about the entire ordeal was that not one person asked me how I had been doing. They only wanted to know how much money they could get out of me. My boss started talking, and when I stepped forward, everyone asked mewho I was. I didn’t think I had changed that much in ten years, but apparently I did. They didn’t recognize me, and it was my boss that told them to sign the papers if they wanted to talk to me. I know it was mean of us, and if they had been smart, they would have read them first.” He shook his head sadly, and looked off into the distance. He didn’t see anyone there in the present, nor did he feel Ilsa’s hand on his, or realize he’d turned his hand to grip hers tightly.
He continued talking, still looking into the past. “As soon as they signed them, I gathered them up, made sure they were all signed, and nodded to my boss. One of the other lawyers present when they signed notarized the pages right before everyone. It was my parents that started telling us how much they expected me to send them every week, it was some stupid amount of like a thousand dollars.”
“Did you even make that much?”
“Nope, remember, I was with the county prosecutor’s office, and low on the totem pole. I made enough to pay my bills, and still save. I lived frugally at that time, and only had a one-bedroom apartment.”
“What were the papers they signed?” Kevin asked quietly.
“Termination of relationship, or thereabouts. When they threw me out, got rid of my things, and cut me out of their lives at eighteen, they went no contact with me. After about five years, I got a new phone and never put their contact information in the new one. We had already been no contact for those ten years. They never showed any interest in me until my cousin showed up in court. When he saw I was actually a lawyer, and not going to college to be one, that’s when he contacted the family. Those papers, signed and notarized severed my ties with them.” He shook his head and looked at Kevin with a smirk. “Did I mention that they never even read what they signed?”
“They only wanted your money,” Erin said.
“Yes, after they were notarized, my boss took them and read them aloud, and as my family sat there in stunned silence, I walked out of the room. That was twenty-four years ago, and I haven’t spoken, or seen any member of my family since that day.”
“Wow, what happened next?” Erin asked.
“Because my cousin lived in the area, within three months I was transferred to Washington DC, and things started happening for me. It took another ten years for me to get the job with the DOD, but I don’t have any regrets with any decision I have ever made in my life, except for maybe the fact that I didn’t cut them off sooner. Once I moved to DC, and my career took off, the money came along with it. Not that I base things on money, but I’m extremely comfortable. I own my home, I have a housekeeper that cooks, cleans, and looks after me. However, she’s not a live-in. She has a family at home, and I make sure she’s well compensated for her time taking care of me.” He suddenly grinned, and scrubbed his face.
“What did you do?” Ilsa asked as she took her hand back from him.
“I may or may not have set up a fund for her three children so when it comes time for them to attend college, they won’t have to take out student loans. It’s not going to be a full ride, they’ll have to purchase their own books, and pay for their dorm, or someplace else to live, but they definitely won’t have to worry about tuition to any school they choose to attend. Once this case is done, or at least once Grayson and the others involved are behind bars, then when I go home, I’ll tell Mr. and Mrs. Hastings about it.”
“About that,” Erin said with a heavy sigh. “I know you’re working on taking down some heavy hitters with the FBI, and I don’t want to disturb your work, but when you get a minute to breathe, I’d like to talk to you about my case.” She lookedbetween them with a frown. “I don’t know who would be better to take it, you or Ilsa.”
“Why, what’s the difference?”
“You put people in jail, or try to, correct?”
“Yes.”
“And Ilsa, you defend people, right?”
“Yes, in a criminal case. I’m a criminal defense attorney.”
“Okay, I won’t get into all the details here, but there are three men sitting in jail, and their trial is fast approaching, like in May of next year. I got the word this morning. My lawyer called me, and he admitted that he wouldn’t feel comfortable representing me in this case.”
“Why?” the three of them asked.
“He’s a small-town family lawyer, mostly wills and estates. The guys sitting in jail have several felony charges against them, all because of what they tried to do to me. I want the book thrown at them, but I think I’m going to need a lawyer to help me. I’m willing to pay.”
“What is the case?” Ilsa asked as she grabbed a fresh pad of paper.
“I have the files in my office, but there are four men involved. I don’t want to say it’s complicated, but it is. I don’t want to take anything away from your investigation on Grayson.”
“Since we’re taking tomorrow off for the holiday,” Jason said. “Why don’t you give us a brief rundown and we can decide. You said their trail in on the docket for May of next year? That gives us six months to look into it. I’ve been known to work on several cases at a time.” He paused and smiled gently at Erin. “Talk to us, Erin.”
Erin told them everything that happened with Paul Miller’s parents when they tried to take her ranch from her, and how they had almost succeeded in doing the same with Ducky. She then went on to tell them all the problems she’d had when thosecriminals tried to steal a horse or two, about the attempt to seal her cattle, and how Ryan had gone undercover to help capture them, and how Duane had been involved.”
“Holy shit, so this is a multi-state thing?” Kevin asked in shock.
“Yes, because they transferred guns over state lines, it’s a felony, and something to do with Federal. You’d have to ask Duane about it.”
“Oh my God,” Ilsa said in shock when she looked up from her notes, and stared at them with wide eyes and her mouth open.
“What is it?”
“Who got the guns for this Royal person?”
