“They were trying to make it easy should the young man want to return.” The lawyer was flustered, and he was making stupid mistakes. “Should he want to return, they didn’t want the police involved. He was a good boy, after all.”
“I’m sure they didn’t want him to come back. And when he returned, which I’m to understand that he didn’t, what were they going to do to him, or for him? Tell him not to do that again and let it go? From what you just said to me, it had happened before.” More fumbling with paperwork. “Jefferies, do you think that those sheets in front of you are going to give you some sort of divine answer? They’re not, let me tell you. Ask your client what his plans were for the kid if he returned.”
As he sat and began whispering to his client, Vinnie looked at Mitch. He was sitting next to Roger. The two of them were talking as well, but it was more on the game and living with her than anything that was going on in the courtroom. When Jefferies stood up again, they both fell silent.
“They would have gotten him professional help.” The judge waited, as did everyone else in the room. Professional help for what, she wanted to ask him. But apparently that was all they were going to get.
“Okay, let me get this straight here. Because, I have to tell you, this one boggles the mind a little.” Judge Wilson picked up the file and looked at it briefly before putting it back on his dais with a shake of his head. “Your client is suing Mr. Riley, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Stark, and Miss Graham for loss of wages. I’m not even going to ask how the others are involved. I’m figuring it’s a quick buck. But, I digress. They’re suing these people for nine million dollars each over lost wages. And the state as well for the same thing. Even though—and this one is the mind blowing thing yet—they not only continued to take in boys to care for them in the foster care system, but they were paid as well. To the tune of nearly seventy thousand a year. For ten years after the young Mr. Riley left their care. Do you have any idea how utterly ridiculous that sounds? Not to mention, nowhere at any time did the kid say a word against the Bruces. Not verbally, nor did he come in and write it all out. He said he’d had enough and would rather take his chances on the street. That’s all. So this slander? I think it’s something they were maybe feeling a might guilty over and projected. What do you think?”
“My client believes he could have been paid better and had more income had it not been for the leaving of Mr. Riley.” Judge Wilson looked at Mitch, then back at the Bruces as Jefferies continued. The man was completely ignoring the fact there was no basis for their complaint. None. “Because of what he did, they were without the proper funds to have the many luxuries in the house that young men need now, and they believe that is why they were passed over for pay increases over the years as well as some of the other benefits that are afforded to state employees.”
The judge leaned back in his chair and looked at the wall to his left. Wilson was a good man with four boys of his own. He had to know how much this was going to cost the state if this went to trial, as well as how it would be looked at in the future. This case did not need to go any further than it had.
“You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to let you proceed with this thing. I think…no, I know that things are going to come out in this trial that are going to turn your hair white.” Vinnie had started forward when she noticed Mitch and Steele and how they were not surprised by the judgment. Stepping back a little, she waited to hear what else was going to be said by the judge. “I’ll hear this one. It’ll be good to know I was able to do something good on the side of justice of the little guy. We’ll hear this on...two weeks from today. And Jefferies, I’d suggest that you get your crap together in the meantime. Find out what you’re dealing with before it’s too late, if it’s not already.”
Vinnie stood where she was until she knew it would be safe for her to come out of the shadows, when the sun was not so bright in the room. Mitch winked at her and Steele pounded him on the back as he moved to her. There was something extremely sexy about the way her man moved, and she wanted to take him home and show him. The moment he touched his mouth to hers, she decided the house was too far and turned him to the wall. His soft laughter had her grinning up at him.
“As much as I’d like to take you up on the offer you are so deliciously giving me, I think there are too many people around for us to continue this. What do you think?” She nodded, kissing Mitch’s neck as he talked, his hands holding her to him tightly. “The judge has a wife, did you know that? She died about six months ago. And they’re closer now than before.” That gave her pause, and she looked at him now.