Page 62 of Legally Mated
It was a weak blow, not one that Laine had expected. “Since I’ve been working with him for three years, I think I understand possibly better than you do what his last name means.” And if Balding wasn’t already aware of his and Garrick’s existing relationship, he’d eat the chair he wassittingon.
“Then I’m really not certain what it is you want from me.” Balding sat back and steepled his fingers in front of his chest. “Yes, he was a competent student, but just not useful or trustworthy. They’re not human, and coming from an area that doesn’t have one of these enclaves nearby, you won’t know the history involved with them. There were reasons why they were put behind those walls. They should think themselves lucky that they weren’t exterminated like any othervermin.”
“And that’s your considered opinion?” It had been a catch-phrase of Balding’s, when he’d still been activelypracticinglaw.
A flash of alarm crossed Balding’s face. “It is,” he said, in a slow and definite voice. “Is there something I should know that would make me changemymind?”
“Oh, I doubt it,” Laine said breezily. “You see, I never go into a case without doing a thorough background check on everyone involved. I looked into Mercy Hills before I ever took that first case for them. Before I accepted the partnership at work, I looked into everyone there, even though I’d already been working there for five years. I know why they offered me the partnership ahead of people with more experience. I know that they’re concerned that I continue to associate with Mr. Mercy Hills and the seeds of a vote to push me out have already been planted.” He pulled out his envelope and rifled through the papers inside. “So, you see, I know a lot. I won’t say I know everything, but I do know this.” He laid the first of his pieces of evidence on the desk between them. It was a statement by a retired police officer about a young shifter woman from the Salma Wood pack. She’d been beaten and the officer was certain she’d been raped, but the actual police report had come from an assault charge against her brother, who had hunted down the humans she’d said had done it. “Strange, the things you find when you start following the clues.” He set the second sheet of paper on the desk next to it—a picture of the one piece of evidence that she’d managed to take with her, a sleeve torn off a flannel shirt. “Did you know there’s blood on that piece of cloth? Quite a bit of it, actually. I’m surprised you don’t have a scar.” Then he set the third and final piece of paper beside the second, a form requesting a DNA test on the blood on thecloth.
Balding was almost as white as the papers in front of him. “I haven’t lived in that area in thirty-five years. What good do you think thiswilldo?”
“Oh, well, you know, DNA is never completely gone. It degrades, certainly, but I’m sure there’ll still be enough to get at least a partial match.” God bless Jack, who’d used his family contact to convince the officer to talk to him. “And it’s funny, the stories your neighbors remember. You were kind of a creeper when you were young, weren’t you? But only on girls who’s fathers couldn’t make trouble for you, ones your father could threaten into silence. Your son would be nearing forty now, wouldn’t he? Not the ones you had with your wife. The one youabandoned.”
“This isn’t legal. And there’s no way you can connect thattome!”
Laine shrugged casually again. “I’d leave that for the judge to decide. Or maybe it would be simpler just to let the Bar Association know about it. Or just your backers for the judgeship. It was your name on the list, wasn’t it? I’m sure they’d be terribly interested in your take on ethics.” Which happened to be one of the courses that Balding was teaching this year.Turn that knife and remind him just how delicate hispositionis.
Balding looked sick. "How did youfindthis?"
Laine shook his head reprovingly at him. "You used to be a top litigator. How would you have gotten holdofit?"
Balding blew out a long breath. “It was a bad time for me. I made some bad choices.” He swallowed hard, his eyes still glued to the papers. “What doyouwant?”
Ah, here we go.“I’m going to arrange for Garrick to take the bar. I have no worries about him passing it, but I want it known that you are no longer standing in the way of him sittingthetest.”
“You want me torecommendhim.”
“I won’t ask you to write him a recommendation. No one would believe it, no matter how bland and non-descriptive you made it. But you will absolutely not put any obstacles in his path. If anyone asks you about it, you’ll just say that you’ve been watching him work with me for the past couple of years and that your fears, while not entirely laid to rest, have been sufficiently assuaged that you’re willing to see how he does at the Bar and after. Feel free to imply that you’ll be watching him closely for anything but the most professional of behavior and that you’re still somewhat on the fence, I don’t care.” He leaned forward and smiled his hunter’s smile at the older man. “Understand, I will crush you if you do anything other than this. I have watched a man who is absolutely my equal in terms of his command of the law and his ability to apply it be denied his constitutional rights, because of some fault or failure in you. It stops now. And you’ll stop anyone who looks like they’ll get in my way. Understood?” He waited a moment, then prodded again. “Professor, I need youranswer.”
“I won’t stand in his way,” the man mumbled, as if his lips had gone numb with theshock.
“And?”
“And I’ll make sure no one else stands in his way.” He turned his eyes up to Laine. “Understand, if this gets out, all bets are off. I’ll ruin him, andyoutoo.”
“Hold up your end of the bargain, and the copies I have hidden around town stay hidden.” Another threat, that he’d have to make good on. In reality, nothing he had would stand up in court, but it looked like the rumors of a judgeship run were true, and all it took to blow that to pieces was a juicy rumor. “Don’t screw with me in the courtroom either, or you’ll know what happens. Even a hint that any prejudice is coming from you, and you’re done.” He stared at the man until Balding noddedacceptance.
Laine stood up, ignoring the papers on the desk. “You can keep those, if you want. To look over them, remind yourself of what you have to lose. I haveothers.”
Then he walked out of the room, closing the door gently on the stunned manbehindhim.
Laine took the stairs down to the lobby and as he exited the elaborate front door of the building, he pulled his phone out and dialed Jack. “You still willing to write that letter ofrecommendation?”
“I am. Did you get your problemsortedout?”
“I did. You ever think about goingprivate?”
Jack laughed. “Where did thatcomefrom?”
“Just considering my options. Garrick vouches for you, and I’m thinking about striking out onmyown.”
“Really? You’d leave Handress, Winchester and Associates for a rattrap office with aleakyroof.”
“I think I can find a better placethanthat.”
“Huh.” Jack paused for a moment, then asked in a considering tone, “Garrick goingwithyou?”
“He saysheis.”
