Equal Access (11 page)

“And that’s supposed to encourage me?”

“I know you’re up to the task. We both know
you’ve survived far worse.”

Again a few seconds passed before his
response. “I think the difference here is I actually do have a
relationship with Jill. Right now it’s just repressed. When I don’t
care about somebody’s thoughts or feelings, it’s a lot easier to do
something. But I don’t want to put your mom in a worse place than
she already is, which by backlash would also put you in a worse
place. And you’re definitely the last person in the world I could
bear having harm come to. So you see why I’m so hesitant with
this?”

Shad sometimes used that bachelor’s degree in
psychology like a defensive weapon, but Dulsie had lots of
citations to fight back. “It’s you and me against the world,
remember? I’m watching your back, and what doesn’t kill us will
only make us stronger.” She smiled at Shad. “It’s worth a little
hardship to repair your relationship with Mom. Say something next
weekend.”

“Maybe so.” Shad seemed to study the scenery
out the windshield. “But if she offers me a bratwurst, I’m getting
the heck outta there.”

The more laws, the less justice.

--German proverb

Shad was reaching the conclusion he was once
again going to have to do something he would really rather not
do.

He could credit Dulsie with giving him the
idea that Shad was just going to have to talk to Wally. If the man
was still preying on young boys, Shad was obligated to stop him.
But if Wally had actually repented and was no longer a threat, Shad
saw no reason to harass the man, regardless of the limitations
statute. The only way he was going to be able to ascertain what
course to take next was by determining which path Wally had
chosen.

That wasn’t going to be easy. But thanks to
his very thorough experience and training in the dynamics of abuse,
Shad was reasonably sure he’d be able to see through Wally’s
barriers. This time Shad wouldn’t be able to rely on his gut
instinct, since that one flicker of insight he possessed was based
on empathy with victims. Those who were being abused could tip Shad
off, but abusers could fool him as easily as they did everyone else
– unless he was able to pick up on some of the warning signs he had
acquainted himself with so well.

Shad did have the advantages of surprise and
knowledge about Wally. He would keep in mind that Wally had the
reputation of being a liar. And with the change in his surname and
use of his legally given name of Shadow basically limited to Karl
calling him “Shady” in reference to Shad’s law practice, Wally
would never realize who he was until Shad told him.

His profession as an attorney could also
provide a convenient screen for wanting to meet with Walden
Palmer.

That Monday Shad donned a dark grey suit with
a light blue shirt (he wore the white shirts only on court days)
and as always left his tie, which was maroon today, draped
unknotted around his neck as he drove the Ford pickup truck to his
office in Linn.

Since his office and Dulsie’s job were in
opposite directions once they reached the highway, Dulsie drove the
car because it was newer and less likely to suffer a mechanical
failure. Shad drove the old blue pickup because his route took him
closer to the feed store and he could pick up grain and dog food.
Both of them were in the habit of leaving for work early. Shad
wanted to miss the rush hour traffic and Dulsie liked being able to
take off early from her job whenever possible.

It wasn’t even seven-thirty when Shad parked
the truck at the back corner of the old single-story red brick
house with a black hip roof. Over twenty years ago the home had
been converted to an office building. Since he was the first one
there Shad had to unlock the back door to enter the structure. The
back door didn’t have any sign, but at the front door a large wood
sign was mounted under the window, and a year and a half ago it had
been repainted to read “Harcourt and Delaney – Attorneys at Law.”
Before that the names had read “Martin and Harcourt,” but when
Martin prepared to retire, Nolin Harcourt began looking for a new
partner.

At that time Shad had been working for a year
and a half as a staff attorney in Jefferson City. He and Dulsie
often got to ride together, but otherwise Shad started to question
why he had chosen this profession. He had to take whatever cases
were assigned to him, which made Shad feel like just another cog in
the wheel, even though he knew he would benefit from experience
before trying to strike out on his own.

Then opportunity masqueraded as coincidence.
Shad happened to cross paths with Nolin while both men were
attending a continuing legal education seminar in Cape Girardeau.
Nolin had hoped to take on a young attorney as a partner whom he
could mentor as Martin had once mentored him. Shad’s “home boy”
qualities definitely piqued Nolin’s interest, and he invited Shad
to give the partnership a try.

The back door led into what was once a small,
screened-in back porch which was now totally enclosed. As soon as
Shad stepped in he faced the back of the rock chimney of the now
defunct but still regal fireplace which sat in the rear of the
reception room, formerly a living room, on the other side of the
wall. To Shad’s right was the entry to the kitchen that also
provided the access to the basement which was used for storage and
where the second bathroom was located. To his left was the entrance
to a long hallway that connected to the first bathroom, a
conference room, and finally Shad’s own office at the front of the
building.

Nolin’s office, which had once been the
dining room but now the kitchen access was walled off, was located
directly across on the other side of the reception area. Nolin now
had the larger office but agreed that Shad’s office had the better
location. The joke was Shad could sneak out the back if he wanted
since he had a door to the hallway as well as the entrance to the
reception room.

Shad made a right turn into the kitchen which
was now set up more as a break room. After making himself a glass
of tea and dropping off his lunch, Shad strolled through the
hallway and into his office where he removed the laptop from its
case and opened it on the polished wood desk. Then Shad stepped
over to a nearby mirror on the wall and fastened the top button of
his shirt so he could finish knotting his tie. Once it was properly
adjusted, Shad loosened the tie, undid the top button, hung the
suit coat on a rack beside the mirror, and rolled up his sleeves.
Now he could get to work.

The door to the reception room was ajar, so
Shad knew when it was about five minutes before eight o’clock
because he heard Francine unlocking the front door. He continued
updating files on the computer as Shad listened to their
receptionist put away her things at her own desk, then walk through
the building and turn on lights to the rest of the rooms. As always
she worked her way down the hall and finally stopped to stand at
the entrance to his office.

Francine was a regal woman with short, curled
gray hair. Today she was wearing her own suit, a matching
peach-colored blazer and skirt with a ruffled white blouse.
Francine was old enough to have retired last year, but she didn’t
seem to be in any hurry to leave her job. Ten years ago she became
a widow when her husband died of a long-term illness, and they had
no children. So Francine seemed to be one of those people who
viewed retirement as a threat. Shad was already making plans for
retirement, assuming he made it that long in this profession.

“Mornin’, Francine.” Shad glanced up only
briefly from the computer screen.

“Good morning to you.” Francine’s demeanor
was usually quite dignified, and when he initially started working
here Shad used to be a little wary of her. Then again, his standard
procedure was to initially distrust people. “How was St.
Louis?”

Shad stopped typing on the keyboard and
leaned back in his chair as he leveled his gaze at her. “Hot.”

“Then you didn’t miss anything here. Get to
do anything over the weekend?”

“Swim.”

Francine waved her hand as though she was
trying to shoo him away. “Why do I even ask? That’s all you ever do
is fish and swim.”

“Sometimes I float.”

“Which includes fishing and swimming.” She
proceeded to inform Shad about her own weekend, which he patiently
listened to and remembered to occasionally respond with “Oh yeah?”
and “uh-huh.” Then the phone rang.

Francine glanced at her wrist watch, muttered
“It’s Monday,” and reached for the phone on Shad’s desk. In this
office Francine answered any telephone that was closest to her and
not already in use.

The call wasn’t for Shad, so Francine had to
put the person on hold and return to her own desk to finish
handling it. By the time she wrapped up the call, Shad heard the
front door open again and Nolin entered the building. After a quick
greeting to Francine, he immediately stepped into Shad’s
office.

Nolin Harcourt was the same height as Shad
but was a broader man overall. His hair was dark blonde except for
his graying temples, and his eyes were a lighter blue than Dulsie’s
and Karl’s. The suit he wore today was darker than the one Shad was
wearing, and Nolin’s red striped tie was already fixed over his
shirt, which was always white.

“Mornin’.” Shad looked up from the computer
and even pulled his hands away.

“And how are you this morning after all your
traipsing across the state?” Nolin asked.

As partners they kept each other informed
about their clients so that one could step in if the other became
unavailable. Shad gave Nolin his latest news on the Simms case.

“Man.” Nolin shook his head as he slipped his
hands into the pockets of his pants. “Think you oughtta double your
fee? You’re doing the work of at least three people.”

“That little girl needs all the help she can
get.”

“I appreciate your tenacity.” Nolin offered
Shad a tight-lipped smile. “And I do appreciate that you’ve got a
soft spot for kids. But lately you’ve been taking on more scale
work, and I don’t want you to short yourself. Remember, you’ve got
your own family to take care of, too.”

Then the phone rang again, and it turned out
to be a call Nolin had to take. As Nolin left to go into his own
office, Shad considered his partner’s allusion. The older man had
been divorced for many years because his wife wearied of Nolin’s
self-imposed long hours. Although at this point in time Dulsie’s
steady income kept them comfortable, Shad knew she planned on
staying home when they finally did have children. He was determined
not to thwart her plans.

But Shad was also determined to stick to the
crucial reason he submitted to this career. The only way he could
uphold this country’s promise of equal access to justice was to
keep his services affordable to its more desperate citizens. Court
decision shouldn’t be based on who could afford the more expensive
lawyer. And that was why despite his continuing reservations about
this job, Shad promised to push himself to the fullness of his
abilities.

Shad wasn’t sure whether or not to be glad
Wally was actually in his office when Shad called there that
afternoon. His heart pounded the whole time Shad was on the phone
with the man, but when the conversation was ended and he hung up,
Shad felt as though he was finally making some progress. He was
deliberately vague about “business opportunities” he wanted to
discuss with Wally in person, and managed to arrange a meeting with
the man at the anchor store on Wednesday. Wally’s office would
provide privacy yet had the security of being located in a public
setting.

The next day, Tuesday, Monica Simms arrived
at Shad’s office for a quick appointment to sign some more
documents and update Shad on Charissa’s progress. Tess’s brother
Vic Phillips and the girl were both with her as they entered the
reception room.

This was the first time Shad actually met the
man who was credited so often with helping Monica find the lawyer
she needed. Since Vic worked nights at a hospital as a
phlebotomist, he was able to use some of his daytime hours to help
out, such as driving Monica to her appointments.

Vic and Tess did share a family resemblance.
He had the same brown hair, which was cropped in a buzz cut, and
had a somewhat thick girth. Shad guessed the fellow was close to
his own age. Vic wore dark-striped shorts and a red tee shirt. The
two men shook hands as Monica introduced them.

“I hope you don’t mind.” Shad never liked to
bother with small talk. “I’ll try to get Monica in and out as
quickly as possible.”

Vic smiled broadly. “Whatever it takes,
dude.”

Shad smiled as he glanced down at Charissa,
who stood beside Vic. She was wearing light blue shorts and a
yellow tank top.

“Hello, Charissa. Did you enjoy your ice
cream?”

She nodded slowly, and her regard seemed wary
again.

“What kind did you have?” Shad asked.

Charissa replied softly. “Chocolate.”

“Yum. That’s one of my favorites. I’m gonna
talk to your mom for a few minutes and then I’ll give her right
back to you. What are you gonna do while we’re talking?”

Charissa glanced up at Vic. “Go buy
candy.”

Shad smirked at the man. “Well, that’s not
original, but it works.”

Shad led Monica into his office and closed
the door. It had a large window, so although nobody could hear his
conversations with clients, the window insured no woman could
accuse him of chasing her around his desk. Shad motioned for Monica
to sit in one of the two leather armchairs in front of that
desk.

She was wearing her usual flowery headscarf
and a long pink sundress, the skirt of which Monica adjusted around
her legs as she settled into a chair.