Southern Justice, Part 69

I’m Fixin’ To present part 69 of Southern Justice:

When B. Wendell observed Ray escorting Patty into his office he lifted his immense frame from his chair, walked around his desk and said, “Welcome back Patty,” as his eyes traveled up and down her. “I see you have maintained your new look. Please have a seat.”

As Patty took a seat she noticed Ray did likewise, which prompted her to say, “Mr. Hormel, this is to be a private meeting between you and myself.”

“Patty, Patty, drop the mister stuff and call me B. W., just like always. And anything you have to say to me, I don’t mind Ray hearing. Now, please tell us what we can do for you.”

“You might want to change your mind after you take a look at this,” Patty said as she leaned over and placed the folder containing a photocopy of the original list written by Rick Senior, the one B.W. had forged an additional item onto, along with notarized copies of the letters from the handwriting experts.

B. Wendell ignored the folder and sarcastically said. “You know, I expected you to be out chasing ambulances, but here you are with a big corporate job. Would you mind telling me how you got that job and when you really started working for that Pic-Ric Bunch?”

“That’s none of your business,” Patty retorted. “Please take a look at the contents of that file.”

Reluctantly, B. Wendell opened the folder, while Patty sat back and observed as his expression changed from smug to angry, and then to frustration while he examined the documents.

After about 20 seconds into his observation of the contents of the file, without looking up he said, “Ray, would you mind excusing us for the time being?”

“Huh? Oh, sure, boss,” Ray said just before he gave Patty a threatening look and then walked out and closed the door behind him.

Patty completely ignored him and concentrated on B. Wendell, who was struggling to maintain his composure.

She decided to compound his misery and said, “We intend to sue you for fraud, and also turn this information over to the American Bar Association. You can expect to be broke and disbarred very soon, and possibly incarcerated.

B. Wendell choked on his own words when he attempted to speak. After a coughing fit, he regained his voice and said, “Now hold on Patty, let’s talk about this. There must be some way we can work this out.”

“What did you have in mind?” Patty calmly asked.

“You can come back to work here as a full partner,” B. Wendell offered with a feeble attempt of a smile.

“Not interested!” Patty snapped without any hesitation.

With the smile turning into a painful grimace B. Wendell made another offer. “I’ll split the fee from representing Jackie with you. Split it fifty-fifty. It’s a lot of money, Patty!”

“You’re getting warm,” Patty told him as she handed him another file folder, the one containing Jackie’s will. Take a look at this one.”

“Oh God! Another one? I can’t take anymore!” B. Wendell moaned.

“This one might not be as disturbing as the first one, but we’ll see,” Patty told him. “It contains a copy of Jackie’s will, which you wrote and I filed it at the courthouse on the day you fired me. It’s all legal. Everything she was getting from her late husband, including your fee, will go directly to Rick Junior, and—-“I’ll have nothing left without my fee!” B. Wendell uttered as if to himself.

Patty brought him back to reality when she said, “You’ll have your current assets and your law practice. The deal is that we probate this will without any resistance, or we’ll see you in court and see you disbarred. Take it or leave it, Mr. Hormel!”

B. Wendell knew when he had been had. It hadn’t happened to him often, but he knew the feeling when it did. He slumped back into his chair and asked, “So if I relinquish any and all claim to the Haselton estate and just disappear, then you’ll keep that handwriting file to yourself?”

Triumphantly Patty said, “You got it. Are we agreed?”

B. Wendell took an unusually long and deep breath of defeat and capitulated. “Yes, yes, we are quite agreed.”

Patty silently let out a sigh of relief herself before she said, “Okay, I’m leaving now, but there’s just one other little item.”

“What else could there possibly be?” B. Wendell asked with a painful expression on his face.

Without hesitation Patty told him, “I don’t ever want to see Ray again. Get him out of the building before I leave.”

B. Wendell got Ray on the phone and Patty heard him say, “Ray, I want you to go to the liquor store and get two bottles of my favorite. Now, Ray. Do it right now.”

Patty gathered up her materials, deposited them into her case, closed it and said, “Goodbye, Mr. Hormel.”

She walked out of the building, got into her car and drove away without ever noticing the red Corvette that was following her.

(tmdunagan@aol.com)