Gaz
When the three of us leave my office, I’m not surprised to find the two Orchidian police officers slumped over in their seats.
“Izzie?” I ask, but she just shrugs innocently.
“Guess they were a bit tired,” she says. “You know how these interplanetary flights can be. A bit of fatigue is quite normal, so I’ve heard.” She sips her cup of tea demurely, and then smiles at Rex and Hayden. “Everyone made up, I see.”
“Of course,” Hayden says, and Izzie smiles at my future wife.
“Good. Glad to see it. Here’s a copy of your schedule for the day, boss,” Izzie hands me a sheet of paper, which I don’t look at because I’m too busy staring at the front door.
“Seriously? What the actual fuck?” I growl.
Trevor is striding toward the building like he fucking owns it. He marches into the room and looks around, ignoring Rex and the Orchidian cops. Instead, he directs his gaze at me.
“You have to help get these Orchidian cops off my back,” he says. “They’re relentless, Gaz. They’ve already been to my house and my office. They said they’re going to persecute me here on Sapphira. They can’t do that. They don’t have jurisdiction!”
“Do you not notice the fact that there are two Orchidian cops right here?” Hayden asks, obviously confused. “Are you that blind?”
Trevor ignores her. “Gaz, what are we going to do? What’s the plan? You need to bring your A-Game to court, Gaz. We’re going to need all the help we can get. Surely you have a plan. That’s what I pay you for, isn’t it?” He laughs nervously.
“You’re fired,” I say coolly. Trevor chuckles, but then he notices I’m not laughing, and his face pales. He turns a strange, sickly shade of blue.
“What? Why? What? What are you talking about? Gaz?”
“I don’t work with clients who lie to me, Trevor. You know this better than anyone else.”
“What are you talking about, Gaz? Buddy,” he decides to try to appeal to our longstanding relationship. “We’ve been friends for a long time. I never lied to you, Gaz. These charges from Orchid? They’re all false. Made up. Completely bullshit. You know that.”
“No, actually, I don’t know that,” I tell him. “Trevor, I made it clear from the start that if you lied to me, I would be unable to represent you in court. You hid the fact that you’re wanted on Orchid from me. Did you not notice I’m Orchidian and would eventually find out?”
He pales further, if that’s possible.
“No,” Trevor shakes his head. “You’re from Mirroean. You told me.”
“What? I never told you that.” I never tell people where I’m from, but I also don’t lie. If they ask what planet I’m originally from, I simply ignore the question.
“Uh, I might have,” Izzie raises her hand and flashes a guilty smile my way. “He wouldn’t leave me alone, boss. In my defense,” she adds innocently. “You look pretty Mirroean to me, what with the shoes and all.”
We all glance at my feet. Unlike my brother, I’m wearing shoes. I always do on Sapphira. Drawing attention to myself, especially about something like this, is pointless.
“Nice digs,” Rex says.
“Fuck you,” I retort playfully. Then I turn back to Trevor. “You’re going to need to find yourself a new lawyer,” I tell him.
“But no one will take my case,” he says, suddenly looking scared and nervous. Trevor has a lot of money, and I’m not scared of a challenge. I took on his case because I wanted to see just how good I really am. I wanted to win this case because sometimes, being a lawyer gets boring, and I like to push myself.
Winning a case isn’t just about evidence. People always think that if you have enough evidence against someone, it will somehow impact the way a case plays out, but that’s not true.
Being an attorney is about reading people and reading a situation.
It’s about choosing the perfect word that will create emotion in the eyes of the jurors and the judge.
It’s about playing a room like a master, like a game.
It’s knowing exactly what it takes to win, and then winning.
And winning.
And winning.
“That is not my problem,” I say to Trevor. “Leave.”
“But…but…”
Trevor looks around helplessly from Rex to Hayden to Izzie. He even looks at the two passed out guards. They’re starting to stir, and I realize Izzie only gave them a little bit of her special tea. Is drugging people legal on Sapphira? Not really, but Izzie is the best receptionist I’ve ever had and I’m more than happy to turn a blind eye to any of her indiscretions.
“You can’t do this to me, Gaz. The charges…they’re too much. I’ll be slaughtered.”
“You should have thought about that before you committed crimes against the people of my planet,” I tell him.
“But I didn’t know! I didn’t even know you were Orchidian,” he says once more. I’m growing tired of this. He’s whining, and I’m not going to change my mind. All I want right now is to leave and go home with Hayden. I just want to spend the day wrapped around her. I want to lose myself in her smell and her touch and her kisses.
I certainly don’t want to sit around the office fighting with Trevor.
“You stole the diamonds of Perulla, from old women, from the poor,” I shake my head at him. “I would have helped you if you had been honest, but you swore your crimes on Sapphira alone had been overinflated and exaggerated. The one stipulation I have for my clients is honesty, Trevor.”
“I might have an idea,” Rex says suddenly, and I look at my brother. His face is serious, but his eyes are fucking twinkling.
Mischievous motherfucker.
Anything he says right now is going to be a lie or a trick, but I’ve had enough of Trevor, so I allow it.
“What’s your idea?” I say, narrowing my eyes.
Trevor looks at Rex hopefully.
“I’m returning to Orchid,” he says. “And I could take you with me.”
“But why would I go to Orchid?” He says. “I’ll be prosecuted.”
“You could stay,” Rex says. “You could take your chances here, but let’s be honest: Gaz is the best lawyer on the planet. You really think anyone worthy or capable is going to take your case after this?”
Trevor shakes his head sadly.
“I guess I don’t have much of a choice,” he says, looking defeated. “All right,” he glares at me. “I’ll go to Orchid, but I want a lawyer,” he adds. “A good one.”