Page 36 of Rio

“We’ve decided.”

“I thought you wanted some legal advisory help.”I run a hand over the back of my neck, feeling the heat and sweat, but my temperature just went up a few degrees.

“We did initially, but the damage is too much.It’s too far gone, Raquel.These companies don’t learn.We want to make a scapegoat of this one.Delport Realty.They’re the people behind the eco resort.We believe an injunction is necessary.”

I try to find the right thing to say, or why I don’t recommend this course of action, but it’s not the right thing to do.My gaze falls on the photos in front of me again and I know that I need to fight for these people.I can’t walk away.Pierce can find someone else to take care of the Santos arbitration.It isn’t ideal, but neither would walking away from this case be.I’d hate myself.“This does look bad,” I agree.“And I … I understand your concerns.I’ll need to go out and inspect the damage.”

“We can do that tomorrow, and you’ll see with your own eyes.”

I let out a sigh, bracing myself for the repercussions back in Miami.“The resort is due to open in a month, am I right?”I pull out my documents from my leather satchel.

“Yes.”

“This could raise plausibility concerns.Why now?”

“We didn’t have enough evidence before, but satellite images from last week show dead fish washing up, and the water samples prove irreparable harm.We have a case now, where we didn’t before.This might work better.It will teach them a better lesson.”

My thoughts are all over the place.“A better lesson?”

“The closer they are to opening, the more it will cost them to stop.We have leverage, Raquel.That’s pressure.”

“You should have been a lawyer, Alma.”She’s tactically savvy, and she’s making it harder for me to find fault with the injunction.

“That’s why you’re here.”She pushes her spectacles up again, before sitting back in her chair, watching me closely.“I sense that you’re having an internal battle with yourself, and I know you weren’t expecting this.Are you worried about your boss?”She always seems to tune into my thoughts and can read me like an X-ray machine.

I try to sidestep the question.“I’m thinking of how that changes things.The scope of the work, and of course, I’ll have to let Pierce, my boss, know.”

“We’re putting our trust in you, Raquel.”

I shift on the hard wooden chair, feeling unsure.This isn’t what I agreed to do.Pierce won’t approve.He won’t like this one bit.But my conscience won’t let me walk away.Filing an injunction would be an act of courage.It would be the right thing to do.I agree with everything Alma has said, and looking at these photos only cements that thought.

“I wish you’d told me upfront.”

“I’m sorry for telling you this now, but we only made this decision yesterday.We do need to act now.The damage is happening faster than we thought and construction of this eco resort has already damaged the local ecosystem.Delaying the injunction could make the harm irreversible..”

“I understand your reasons.”I run the scenario through my mind.I was supposed to observe and maybe write a summary.

“Sometimes doing the right thing is the hardest thing to do.If you can’t do this, I completely understand.”Alma’s eyes, wise and all-knowing, stare back at me.Walking away now would be an act of weakness.

“This matters to me, but, Pierce ...he might need convincing.”I don’t want to say anything negative about my boss or the law firm.

“Let me ask you plainly, Raquel.Are you a lawyer who cares about this, or someone who just wants to put it on her résumé?”

This woman reminds me of every reason I became a lawyer in the first place.Clearly, this is no longer some basic environmental due diligence.Now, I’m going to have to build a solid legal case with urgency, precision, and verifiable data.I’m going to need evidence of damage, declarations and affidavits from affected parties.

“We have a lot of the information you’ll need,” she says, reading my mind.“We’ve been putting it together, preparing for the worst.All you have to do is put it all together.”

I’ll still need to verify everything.I’ll still need to carry out interviews, visit the construction site, and venture out to inspect the damage.It’s still so much more work than I planned for.Not that I’m afraid of hard work.

I inhale a deep breath.“Okay.Let’s do this.”

“You’re fully on board?”

I don’t blame her for needing to doublecheck.

“I am.”Even though I’m caught off guard and didn’t come mentally prepared for litigation.I feel guilty, because I came here thinking it would be a short break and already can tell that it’s going to be nothing of the sort.

Chapter 10