Page 32 of Client Privilege
Damian
“Come in, Mr. Richards.”
Justice Sommers sat behind her desk, already reviewing documents. She looked up, her expression sharpening when she saw my face.
“You look like you haven’t slept.”
“I haven’t.” I placed a USB drive on her desk. “This contains audio evidence of Marcus Delaney confessing to jury tampering. He paid two jurors fifty thousand dollars each to deadlock our trial.”
Her hand froze midway to the drive. “That’s a serious allegation.”
“It’s not an allegation. It’s a recorded confession.
At approximately 3:20 a.m. yesterday, Delaney broke down the door of my client’s motel room and physically assaulted him.
During the attack, he explicitly stated he’d bribed jurors.
Alex kept his phone line open to me during the assault.
I recorded everything while calling 911. ”
I passed her a transcript I’d prepared overnight while Alex slept fitfully in my guest room.
“I’ve highlighted the relevant sections. Page two, paragraph four: ‘You think you won? I paid fifty grand to each of those two holdouts. Money well spent.’”
Justice Sommers’ eyes narrowed as she read. “And Mr. Delaney is currently—”
“He already posted bail. Which is why I’m here.” I handed her photographs of Alex’s injuries—the bruises around his throat, the cut on his cheekbone where Marcus had struck him. “My client isn’t safe. The protective order Judge Patterson vacated would have prevented this attack.”
She studied the photos, her lips tightening. “These were taken when?”
“Yesterday morning, after Detective Mathers with the Toronto Police department documented his injuries. She’s building a case for attempted murder, breaking and entering, and assault. And now, jury tampering.”
Justice Sommers set down the photos and rubbed her temples. “This changes everything.”
“Yes. And it requires immediate action.” I leaned forward. “I’m requesting an emergency reinstatement of the protective order with enhanced conditions. No bail on any new charges. Electronic monitoring. A complete prohibition on third-party contact.”
“You believe he’d use others to reach Mr. Lajeunesse?”
“He already has. He’s obtained Alex’s phone number twice after changes, found his location at both the shelter and the motel he was staying at. Someone’s feeding him information.”
She nodded slowly, turning to her computer. “I’m issuing the order immediately. Full no-contact provisions, electronic monitoring as a condition of his current bail, and a freeze on all attempts to liquidate assets over ten thousand dollars.”
“Thank you.” The relief nearly buckled my knees.
“Don’t thank me yet.” She typed rapidly. “This recording—it’s admissible?”
“Alex was aware the line was open. One-party consent applies in Ontario. And Marcus broke into his private dwelling, eliminating any reasonable expectation of privacy.”
“Good. I’m also relaying this information to the criminal investigation into the jury tampering. This goes beyond your civil case now.” She looked up from her screen. “How is he? Your client?”
The question caught me off guard. Not because it was inappropriate, but because it forced me to confront the emotional reality I’d been holding at bay while focusing on legal remedies.
“He’s…” I struggled to maintain my professional tone. “He’s traumatized. Again. But resilient. He managed to keep his wits about him even while being choked. That recording exists because he had the presence of mind to keep the phone connection open.”
Something in my voice must have revealed more than I intended, because Justice Sommers gave me a long, evaluative look.
“And you’re housing him now?”
“Temporarily. For security reasons. My home has an alarm system and is in a gated community.”
“I see.” Her tone was neutral, but her eyes were knowing. “Mr. Richards, I’ve known you professionally for many years. You’ve always maintained impeccable boundaries.”
I stiffened. “Are you suggesting—”
“I’m suggesting nothing. Merely observing that this case has affected you differently than others.” She signed the order with a flourish. “Sometimes that’s not a bad thing. The law needs both precision and passion. ”
She handed me the protective order. “This is effective immediately. I’ll have copies sent to the police, Mr. Delaney’s counsel, and his residence.”
“Thank you, Your Honour.”
As I turned to leave, she added, “And Damian? Be careful. Men like Delaney don’t respond well to losing control. He’ll lash out at both of you now.”
I nodded, the weight of her warning settling alongside the protective order in my briefcase. Outside her chambers, I pulled out my phone to call Alex. He answered on the first ring.
“Damian? Is everything—”
“It’s done. The protective order is reinstated with enhanced conditions. He can’t come near you, contact you, or send anyone else to do so. And he’ll be wearing an ankle monitor by noon.”
The silence on the other end lasted so long I checked to make sure the call hadn’t dropped.
“Alex?”
“I’m here.” His voice cracked slightly. “I just… I didn’t think… thank you.”
Three simple words, but they carried the weight of a life beginning to believe in safety again.
“I’ll be home soon,” I promised, the word ‘home’ slipping out before I could catch it. “We’ll figure out next steps together.”
Alex
I SAT cross-legged on Damian’s living room sofa, the leather cool against my bare feet. My sketchbook lay open in my lap, but I couldn’t focus enough to draw. The house was quiet except for the occasional ping of my phone—Sandra sending updates about case filings.
When my phone rang with an unknown number, my heart jumped to my throat.
“Hello?” I answered cautiously.
“Alex, it’s Detective Mathers.” Her voice was steady, professional. “I’ve just finished meeting with Crown Prosecutor Victoria Chang about your case.”
I gripped the phone tighter. “And?”
“She’s agreed to pursue criminal charges against Marcus Delaney. Multiple counts.”
The pencil I’d been holding clattered to the floor. I’d been so focused on the civil case and protective order that I hadn’t fully processed the possibility of actual criminal charges.
“What… what kind of charges?” My voice sounded distant, like it belonged to someone else.
“Attempted murder, assault causing bodily harm, breaking and entering, criminal harassment, and jury tampering.” She paused. “The recording you managed to get is damning, Alex. His confession to paying off jurors is clear as day.”
I closed my eyes, remembering Marcus’s face as he’d crashed through the door, the smell of expensive scotch on his breath, his fingers digging into my throat.
“What happens next?” I asked.
“He’ll be arrested again, likely within the hour. Given the severity of the charges and the evidence of flight risk and witness tampering, Chang will request remand—meaning no bail this time. ”
“Can they really hold him? He has so much money, so many connections.”
Helena’s voice softened slightly. “This isn’t the civil system anymore, Alex. This is criminal court. Different rules, different standards of proof. And that recording changes everything.”
I ran my fingers over the bruises on my neck. “He’ll have expensive lawyers.”
“And we have his voice admitting to paying fifty thousand dollars to jurors. We have your injuries documented by medical professionals. We have the broken door at the motel, his fingerprints on your neck.” She paused.
“I’ve been doing this job for ten years.
This case is one of the most solid I’ve seen. ”
I wanted to believe her. I desperately wanted to believe her.
“Can I walk you through what’s going to happen?” she asked when I didn’t respond.
“Please.”
“First, the arrest. Then an arraignment where the charges are formally presented. Chang will request remand, and given the circumstances, she’ll likely get it.
After that, disclosure—where his defence team gets all our evidence.
There might be a preliminary hearing to determine if there’s enough evidence to proceed to trial. ”
“And if there is?” I asked.
“Then trial. But Alex, most cases like this don’t go to trial. When the evidence is this strong, defence usually seeks a plea deal.”
I laughed bitterly. “Marcus would never plead guilty to anything. His image means everything to him.”
“Which is exactly why he might. A trial means public records, media coverage, all those text messages and that recording played in open court. A plea deal offers him some control over the narrative.”
I hadn’t considered that. The Marcus I knew would do anything to protect his reputation .
“How long will all this take?”
“At least a month, at minimum. The criminal justice system moves slowly. But the protective order is in place now, and he’ll likely be in custody until trial.”
A month of safety. The concept felt foreign, almost unimaginable.
“I want you to know something,” Helena continued. “I’ve seen too many cases where wealth and connections let people like Marcus walk away. I won’t let that happen here.”
The conviction in her voice made my eyes sting. “Why? Why do you care so much?”
There was a pause. “Because I’ve been where you are. Different circumstances, different abuser, but the same fear. The same feeling that the system is stacked against you.”
The admission stunned me. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s why I became a detective. And it’s why I’m going to make sure Marcus Delaney faces consequences, no matter how expensive his suits are.”
For the first time since the attack, I felt something unfamiliar bloom in my chest. Not just relief or temporary safety, but something stronger. Hope, maybe. Or the first fragile seedling of justice.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“I’ll call when he’s in custody. And Alex? You did something incredibly brave, keeping that phone line open. You’ve given us everything we need.”