Page 27 of Precise Justice

It was still heavily bandaged and both eyes quite black and blue. Still smiling, Robbie said, “It looks good on you. A major improvement.”

“Move along, Carla. You too, Emily,” they heard Ms. Gillian say from behind them.

Alex had been prepared to say it before Ms. Gillian spoke. Instead, with his body blocking her vision, he held his right hand in his front. Alex gave Robbie a nasty look then flashed his middle finger.

Robbie just shook his head, continued to smile and ignored it.

Ten o’clock the next day, Marc was at his desk reviewing a case file. He was representing a twenty-year old college student accused of rape. The young man, already expelled from the University of Minnesota without a hearing, swears it was consensual. Except in this day and age, especially at liberal colleges and universities, guilty until proven innocent was the standard.

His client was the son of a business owner client of one of Marc’s officemates. Chris Grafton had a nice corporate and business practice with clients ranging from small to medium size. Deathly afraid of courtrooms, Chris was a source of litigation clients for Marc and another lawyer, Barry Cline.

“Maddy’s back, Maddy’s back,” Marc heard a couple members of the staff yell out.

Maddy was Madeline Rivers, a private investigator. She was also an ex-cop from Chicago, who did something foolish. Maddy posed for Playboy magazine. Cops, having the maturity toward this equal to ten-year old boys, mercilessly drove her out of Chicago.

She moved to Minneapolis, got a P.I. license, made friends easily and was earning a good living. Maddy was also blessed or cursed, depending on how one looked at it, with stop traffic looks. At five feet ten inches, a hundred-thirty-pound head turning body, auburn hair, blue-eyes, she could make most men and a lot of women, sit up and bark like a seal.

The first time Marc met her; he came close to swallowing his tongue. She came to work for him by way of a mutual friend. Another ex-cop, P.I. Tony Carvelli. Maddy was also capable of defending herself in almost any situation.

When he heard the ruckus in the office, Marc simply continued to peruse his file. Maddy had to make the rounds to say hello to everyone before she joined him.

Marc’s door was open so she strolled in. She closed the door behind her and sat down in a client chair.

“Hi,” Marc said without looking up.

“Hi to you,” she replied.

Marc finally looked up at her and said, “I have more work for you. Do you have something for me?”

“Yep, I do,” she replied.

“You first,” Marc said.

“I only have work product notes, so far. If you want, I can get you complete witness statements,” she said.

“Hold that thought. I might want them. I’ll let you know. Give me the Cliff Notes version,” Marc said.

“The girl’s a total slut,” Maddy said speaking of the victim in Marc’s rape case.

“That was succinct.”

“The more friends of hers I talk to, the worse it gets. You want the good news first?”

“Okay.”

“I have two of her friends who said they are willing to testify that your victim, Kendra Barker, told them she wanted to, quote, fuck Branson Fellows so she could claim rape, sue him and make a bundle of money.”

“You have this…”

“Recorded. The girls thought what she was doing was disgusting and she needs to be stopped.”

“Did you interview them separately?”

“Yes, I did,” Maddy said.

“Get that typed up and signed. Will they do that? Sign a statement?”

“Yes, or they said they would,” Maddy replied. “I have others who say she’s, well, not the most chaste girl.”