The Spark by Vi Keeland
CHAPTER 14
Donovan
“Come on, Elliott. Work with me on this.”
Elliott Silver tossed a file from his desk over to a folding table set up on the right. The file hit a giant pile and knocked two other folders to the floor. He frowned.
I definitely didn’t miss my days at the DA’s office.
“He’s got two priors and he’s twelve, Decker. He also broke two bones in the guy’s nose—the violence is escalating. This is exactly the type of case I shouldn’t cut a deal on.”
“What if we give you a dealer?”
Elliott waved his hands around his office. “Do I look like I need another case?”
“This wouldn’t be another case. It would be a better case. You can get rid of this nickel-and-dime shit on a minor and put away a guy whose been polluting the streets with drugs for years.”
He shook his head. “No offense, Decker, but all I gotta do is drive my car over to just about any corner in that neighborhood, roll down my window, and flash some green—I can pick up a drug dealer. Why am I going to let some punk off when I don’t need whatever he’s got?”
This was turning out to be harder than I’d thought. “Storm isn’t a punk. He’s a good kid with good grades who just got screwed over in life. He’s a victim of his surroundings. Putting him in juvey is only going to compound that, not make it better.”
Elliott squinted at me before chuckling. “Damn. You’ve gotten even better over the years. I almost believe you think this kid’s got a chance.”
I blew out a deep breath. This kid does have a chance. I know it because I was this damn kid. I’m generally not the kind of guy to lord shit over people, but I felt pretty desperate right now.
I leaned forward in my seat. “Listen. Didn’t you ever make a mistake?”
“Did I ever break another person’s nose? No, I haven’t.”
“Okay, but you have to have made some mistake.” I hesitated, because it’s really not my style to threaten someone—at least not since I grew up. But fuck. I needed this, for more reasons than one. “Maybe here at work once even? Didn’t you ever make a mistake that could have screwed you somehow, and someone somewhere gave you a second chance?”
Elliott had started packing up his briefcase, but he stopped in his tracks and looked up at me. During our first year in the DA’s office, he’d royally screwed up a case—broke confidentiality to a woman he was sleeping with, who it turned out was the drug dealer’s sister setting him up. I’d taken the case over and buried it for him, cutting a deal the guy didn’t deserve.
He held my eyes as he shook his head. “You’re a motherfucker, you know that?”
I bowed my head and nodded, too ashamed to look the guy in the eye. “I need this one, Elliott.”
He resumed shoving files into his briefcase and spoke between gritted teeth. “Fine. But I’m not dropping the charges right away. He’s going into a pre-trial diversion program. He goes to a psychologist weekly for a year, enrolls in an anger-management program, and does fifty hours of community service.” He held up a finger in warning. “If and when he completes everything, and provided he gets into no further trouble, then I’ll drop the charges.”
I inwardly fist pumped. “Deal.”
Elliott looked me straight in the eye. “And we’re even after this. I’m not fucking around, Decker. Don’t pull this shit on me again.”
I nodded. “Understood.”
He motioned to the door behind me. “Now get the hell out of my office.”
***
“Why are you so late?” Juliette wiped her mouth, crumpled up her napkin, and tossed it into her empty food container on the table.
I reached for the bag and pulled out my lunch. They’d phoned in our usual Wednesday order while I was on my way back from the DA’s office.
“I was downtown on a case.”
“Oh yeah? What undeserving billionaire did you save today?”
I sat down and opened my Szechuan shrimp and broccoli. “Today I used my superpowers for the good of a child, if you must know.”
Trent and Juliette looked at each other. “Have you figured out a game plan for how you’re going to handle things?” she asked.
I picked up a shrimp with my chopsticks and popped it into my mouth. “No game plan needed. Worked out a deal.”
Juliette shook her head. “I wasn’t referring to the kid. I meant his social worker.”
My forehead wrinkled, and I shrugged. “I haven’t told her yet. But I’m sure she’ll be happy about it.”
“I meant how are you going to handle things once you’re sleeping with her again? Or has that already happened? We haven’t seen you in a few days...”
“I’m not sleeping with Autumn, Momand Dad. But if I was, why would I need a game plan? It’s pretty simple…sort of like doing the vertical hokey pokey. You put your penis in, you pull your penis out, you put your penis in, and you shake it all about. I can write down directions, if you want. I know it’s been a while for both of you.”
Juliette had been nibbling on the end of her chopstick, but she now used it to jab into my arm. “Seriously, dumbass. What are you going to do about Dickson?”
“Well, I’m not going to do the vertical hokey pokey with him.”
“Stop being a jerk, and be serious for a minute,” she said. “You need Dickson’s vote. Do you really think that when he finds out you’re banging the woman he’s been seeing, he’s going to vote for you?”
“First of all, I’m not sleeping with Autumn, and second of all, if I was, it wouldn’t be any of his business.”
Juliette frowned. “So that’s your plan? You don’t have one.”
I looked at Trent as the voice of reason. “What am I missing here? What plans should I have?”
Trent sucked on the straw in his soda until it made an empty slurping sound. “Your plan should be to retreat, at least until after the partner vote.”
“How can I retreat from a case?”
Juliette rolled her eyes. “You just said yourself that you settled the case she’s involved with. You call her and give her the good news, and then you don’t speak with her again for a month or so.”
I’d been thinking more along the lines of telling her in person and suggesting we have a drink to celebrate. But I didn’t mention that. “You’re worrying about nothing.”
We ate our lunch in a conference room with glass walls, basically a fish bowl. Just as I lifted another piece of shrimp to my mouth, none other than Dickson himself walked by. He glanced inside, saw me, and opened the door.
“Decker, what’s going on with the Stone case?”
What an idiot. I knew what he meant, but why let him off easy? “Stone? Did it just come in? I’m not familiar with it.”
His lips pursed. “You don’t even remember the damn kid’s name? The pro bono I assigned you…”
“Oh! Storm. My client’s name is Storm.”
“Whatever. Where are you on that?”
No way was I letting him call Autumn with my good news. “I’m in talks with the DA. It’s looking promising.”
He nodded. “Good. Make it happen. This case is important to me. Keep me updated.”
I gritted my teeth and plastered on a politician’s smile. “Sure thing.”
Just as he turned to go, he said, “I don’t think I have to remind you that you have a lot riding on how things go the next month. Make sure you give every case your all—even the ones we don’t get paid for. Don’t just skim the surface because there’s no billable hours involved.”
As if he actually gave a flying shit about pro bono cases. Last year when my freebie case was for a nursing-home resident, he’d told me the time I put in should be in proportion to how long the woman was going to last.
My jaw flexed. “Of course. I won’t skim. I’ll penetrate as deep as possible.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Juliette’s eyes widen. She quickly looked away. If Dickson noticed, he didn’t show it. He looked between the three of us and nodded. “Good. Keep me updated.”
As soon as the door closed and he was out in the hallway, Juliette’s eyes bulged. “Are you nuts?”
I smirked. “Just doing what the boss wants.”
“You are such an idiot. Forget the dumb, deep-penetration remark. Luckily that seemed to fly right over his head. But he asked you if you settled the case—which you did—and yet you said you were working on it because you want to be the one to tell Autumn.”
“So?” I shrugged. “Why shouldn’t I get to tell my client the good news?”
“Autumn is not your client. The kid is. Besides, he asked you to keep him apprised of the status of the case. Don’t you think he’ll be annoyed when he finds out from the woman he’s seeing that you settled it?”
She had a point, but I wasn’t about to let that bozo take credit for the strings I’d had to pull. I shook my head. “Stop worrying so much. It’ll work out.”
“You know what you need?”
I nodded. “I do. In fact, I’m the only person who knows what I need.”
Juliette ignored me. “You need a distraction.”
Being here in the office had felt like a distraction lately. “I’m fine.”
“I’m going to set you up with my friend. She’s a yoga instructor—bends like a pretzel and gorgeous.”
“I’m good, but thanks.”
Trent had been quiet, but he looked at me and shook his head. “Juliette’s right. It’s a little over a month until the partner vote. Dickson’s riding you about how that case is going for a reason. He’s obviously really into Autumn. I’m not saying you back off forever. But maybe put what you want on the back burner for a while. A month isn’t that long to wait.”
It had been less than a week since I saw Autumn, and it was already too long. I was sure my friends were overreacting. But it wouldn’t take long to realize maybe their perspective had some merit…
