“What are you offering?”
“An increase to five hundred a month, more than fair considering my client’s financial status as a small business owner.”
“No deal. We believe the financial records will show your client’s…”
“We’re not going to share those…”
“We already have them,” said Wallis, her face taking on the calm, stony expression she used when she sensed the game was in motion. She had subpoenaed the man’s records from the bank over a month ago, bypassing him altogether.
Richard looked momentarily taken aback, the smile slipping off of his face.
“How…? I mean, what exactly are you saying?” he sputtered.
“I’m saying, we already know how well your client is doing, we also have his list of monthly bills that you provided and based on the state’s calculations, your client should be paying nine hundred and fifty dollars a month, beginning from when the request was filed.” Her face never changed expression. The smile slipped back on Richard’s face, the sides pulled a little tighter.
“We’ll need some sort of assurance your client is actually spending the money on the child.”
“She is. That’s all the assurance you’re getting. If you want to go in and fight about it, we can, but we’ll also be asking for a percentage of all household and medical bills over a hundred dollars and an extra thousand every six months for any extracurricular activities, if you want to break it down and argue the individual points.”
Wallis knew Richard was only trying to save face now. He knew the game was over and there was nothing to be gained by going before the judge, especially not Judge Pearson. He went strictly by the state guidelines and was bound to notice how far back the father had been making substantially more money than he’d been letting onto.
“Let me ask my client,” said Richard, the smile growing more tense.
“We’ll need the back monies owed, today,” said Wallis, in a calm even tone.
Wallis could have sworn he muttered, Black Widow, quietly as he turned and she felt the skin on her neck prickle. That’s going to cost you, Richard, she thought.
She hated the nickname. The old boy network of lawyers with old family names that did most of their business at the Country Club of Virginia, a beautiful expanse of land that stretched out along River Road where the old money lived, or the Commonwealth Club, a boys only private dining club where the men liked to swim in the nude, had been the ones to give her the name. They didn’t like losing, especially to a woman and even less to a name that didn’t have past presidents or generals attached to it. Wallis had been born outside of the network that was always at work in the small city, easily helping the favored to get the advantage. That only meant Wallis took particular pleasure when she was able to get in their way.
Wallis turned and made a point of walking loudly back to June, letting her heels click hard on the parquet floor. She kept her back to Richard and his client and stood in front of June so they couldn’t get a clear view.
“Just another minute, June, okay?”
June nodded vigorously. “Is it going okay?”
“Yes, it’ll be fine. Just another minute.”
June nodded again. Wallis walked back toward Richard who was still chatting with the husband. The husband was shaking his head no, but Richard was making chops through the air with his hand, telling his client something over and over again, wearing him down. The husband looked over at June and sneered, said something to Richard and turned away.
“He’ll take the deal,” said Richard. “Will a check be okay for the back money?”
“Yes, but my client is also going to want seventy percent of all medical bills over a hundred dollars paid by your client, as well.”
Richard’s face grew dark. He looked like he was holding his breath for a moment.
“Let me know,” said Wallis, still calm, and turned to walk back and sit down by June.
The bailiff emerged from the courtroom, the woman from the previous case sailing past him, walking hurriedly back down the hall with her lawyer keeping pace behind her. The man came out more slowly, peppering his lawyer with questions. Hard to tell who won that one, thought Wallis.
“You’re up,” said the bailiff.
“We may have a settlement. Do you have just a minute?”
“Just a minute, because that’s all you’ve got,” said the bailiff, taking a glance back at Richard, watching the two men’s heads bobbing first in one direction, then another.
“Are you two ready?” called the bailiff.
Wallis stood by the bailiff, waiting for the answer. Either way would have been fine with her. She knew the ability to be happy with whatever came at her was a key part of why she usually won, and she at least took skin with her when she lost.
Richard rose slowly, still nodding at his client, who reluctantly nodded back to him, and came over to the court room door.