Injustice Read online

  There was tasteful artwork on the walls, and it immediately felt homey. While Ali went upstairs to gather some things, I roamed around. There were pictures of women in various climates and seasons from around the world. The furniture fit the house and was not something you would buy in a chain store. It was a level of living that, while comfortable and not overbearing, made my little apartment feel very much like a college dorm. I pushed that thought aside as I heard her beckon me from above. “Come on up if you’d like.”

  And I did just that. It was a complete sitting room, large bedroom with another fireplace, and a huge bathroom with walk-in closet. I was pretty sure that the upstairs was bigger than my entire apartment. I tried not to let it show, so as not to make her feel as self-conscious as I already did.

  Ali had a small duffel bag, half full of clothing, on her bed. She picked out a few more things and threw the basic shampoos, etc. into the bag, zipped it shut, and abruptly turned and pushed me back onto the bed, lying on top of me and kissing me most passionately. I was shocked, pleased, aroused—oh hell, I don’t think I’d ever been hit by that combination before. She was studying my eyes and could tell that she’d achieved the desired result. And with that she playfully shoved herself off me and picked up the bag, heading for the stairs. Wow! Keep me hanging. It took me a minute to get my body to lift me to an upright position and follow her.

  The ride back to my apartment was filled with a different tension. I was now in the mode of waiting. Not bad necessarily, but the anticipation of things that might never come could eat you alive. I didn’t care at that moment. I wanted more but knew better than to ask, at least not yet.

  We were back to business, putting another hour or so into assignments and throwing in another meal before a grueling evening of the Socratic method.

  Chapter 16

  Upon arrival at Lawyering Process, I put my bags down beside Kristie, and Ali put hers beside me. People were milling about, and there was a screen set up, with a projector in the center aisle. I turned to Kristie “A movie? Did anyone bring popcorn?”

  Kristie smiled but looked slightly tweaked, like she’d had a long day. “I’ll need more than snack items to survive this night.”

  The instructors came in—all three of them, each responsible for different sections of the material—and not professors, just good at what they did, from research to writing. Today we were going to do some fun learning, instead of memorizing. That was the good thing about this class. It was hands-on, creating something instead of memorizing.

  “Everyone look at the following pictures.”

  The screen showed various people, and the images stayed on the screen for long enough to get a good look. Nobody was rushed. “Okay, now, pick out, from these photo lineups, the ones you’ve seen before.”

  There were five photos per lineup. Hands went up right and left. Most of the hands, however, were wrong. We were all eyewitnesses, and we were all the worst form of evidence that was used to convict someone. “Most witnesses do not remember details clearly, and that’s even after only a few short minutes. Most trials never even start until years after the crime was committed. Even if the witness picks someone out a few days after that crime, there are so many factors that can sway that identification, even if the person’s memory of the event is good. There is always, intentionally or unintentionally, the influence of the police and the district attorney’s office. Sometimes the lineup is skewed to suit their purposes, putting in only one tall person or one person wearing the same black hoodie you mentioned previously or one person of whatever color you stated the potential defendant was. There are rules to make identification fair and challenges for those that aren’t. But let’s face it, once the identification is made, the damage is done, and even though the eyewitness seems to cinch the deal, that person could simply be the one cinching the noose around an innocent person’s neck.”

  I sighed. At least the person who saw me that morning would be unlikely to ID me. But then again, I didn’t think Tommy would be looking at a lineup just to pulverize me.

  At our first break, Ali took off for the bathroom. I sat to chat with Kristie for a few minutes. I wasn’t sure how this was going to go. I pulled out the pill I had taken from Tommy’s apartment. “I have a friend who may be depressed and has been taking an antidepressant off of someone else’s prescription for a few days and thinks she’s feeling better. I was hoping that I could get enough for about a week or two, so she can decide whether they’re helping or not. Then, if it’s working, she could go to the doctor and get a regular prescription. Her health insurance hasn’t kicked in yet, but it will at the end of the month.”

  I sucked in my breath. “And I can offer you free drinks for free drug samples, or extra outlines or something. I’d offer money, but that could send you to jail and me to jail or the poor house.”

  Kristie studied me for a few minutes, trying to decide if I was playing her. She nodded. “Let’s talk about this after class. I’ve got to use the little girls’ room.”

  I did, too, so I followed, passing Ali on the way. She was on the phone. I nodded at her, and she smiled in return.

  When it was time to change classes, Ali walked beside me, giving no indication that anything was wrong, but she handed me her phone. There were some ugly texts in there from Tommy. I sighed and looked at her. “He’s got some serious issues.” We walked for a few more minutes in silence. “You’re making breakfast tomorrow.”

  With that she smiled, just a curl of the side of her mouth, but it was there nonetheless. Inside, my lips were curling, too, but not in that direction. I now had a more pressing interest in seeing my plans through.

  During Criminal Law we talked about Breaking and Entering. Most people thought of this as kicking down the door, but that certainly wasn’t the case. All you had to do was break the plane of the structure. No damage was required. So if the door was open and you walked in, without permission, then you committed a crime. Stick your arm through the open window, etc., etc. The actual definition was “breaking and entering of a dwelling place at night.” Back when the rules were written, these break-ins had to occur at night at someone’s house, and the rest of the rule was that the intruder had to be planning on committing a crime. Now there were lots of rules to describe each and every illicit action.

  After class, Kristie stopped me outside the door. She just nodded and beckoned me to follow, which I did, holding my finger up for Ali, letting her know I’d be a minute. She was talking to some others, so she didn’t pay all that much attention to what I was doing.

  In the parking lot, I walked over to Kristie’s car. I pulled out the gel cap, still wrapped in a piece of tissue paper from his apartment, and she handed over a few small boxes of the same.

  Kristie didn’t close her case. “Do you need anything else?”

  I might in the future, so I would take what I could get. “Hey, you got any good samples with you?”

  “Always.”

  I laughed. “Well, I would be grateful for some muscle relaxers and something to let me sleep. My back is just causing me all kinds of issues.”

  Kristie didn’t seem concerned about the details, which I was grateful for. She reached into her case and handed over a variety pack. “Here, these are the popular items. You see what works for you.”

  I thanked Kristie and knew that I wouldn’t hit her up for anything often, because I didn’t want to take advantage of her. This was a special occasion, however, and I needed any party favors I could scare up.

  I nodded, telling her that this weekend she should come by and bring some friends, as the bar was having a few shows, and they could all get in free. Kristie brightened. I hugged her, put the goodies in my bag, and turned to find Ali, standing a few feet away.

  “What’re you up to?”

  I looked back at Kristie. “Oh, just doing a little drug deal.”

  Ali shrugged, but I thought I caught a look of disapproval in her eyes. “Cool. I think I need a drink. How abo
ut you?”

  I had a lot of things I wanted to take care of, but I did need to talk to someone at the bar, so I agreed to ferry her to the watering hole. “You got it. Any place in particular?”

  She smiled. “Your bar is fine.”

  Chapter 17

  There were few people occupying the stools. I asked Ali if she wanted to play pool, and she nodded and headed over to the table. “What do you want to drink?”

  “Just a beer.”

  I leaned against the bar and was waved behind. As long as it came from the tap, I could fill up without cost, except for a tip here and there, to be fair.

  Mondays were slow at the bar, and I found Adam on the stage blowing up a kid’s swimming pool. The pool was large, and Adam looked like he was going to pass out from the effort.

  “Why don’t you get a few of the boys to help you with that? They’re all good at blowing.”

  Adam took a break and sat on the floor. “That was almost funny, Riley.”

  “Thanks, I try. I cringe at the possibilities, but what are you doing?”

  “Lube wrestling.” Adam wore an evil smirk. “We need to pick up the Monday business.”

  “Oh, for Pete’s sake, lube wrestling? You’re going to fill that whole thing with lube?”

  “No, vegetable oil, sugar, and some food coloring. Lube is too expensive. It’s going to be great.”

  I left Adam to his blow-up pool and noticed a Colorado Avalanche hockey game on television. The team was at home, and the postgame crowd would be coming into the bar within the next hour. I checked the clock and wondered if Jessie or Jane would come in. I knew I didn’t want to see either of them at this point.

  Within the hour, Jessie bounced in the front door, nearly breaking it off the hinges. She scanned the room, saw me behind the bar, and made a beeline in my direction. I started laughing as she climbed over the bar and jumped into my arms. Jess was small, and I held her easily, spinning in slow circles. She shrieked and pulled back from the hug. I put Jess down with a thump and gave her a huge smile.

  “No more kissing. That got me in trouble last time.” I winked.

  “Yes, valid point.”

  “Good day?” I asked.

  “Oh my God, you will never believe what happened!” I actually could, but why spoil the fun? “The head of Mosaic’s legal department called me this afternoon and said there had been a misunderstanding and asked if I would return to the company. He said they had experienced a—quote, ‘significant and unfortunate situation in regard to Mr. Costelli,’ end quote—and offered me my job back.” Jessie made the quotation gesture with her fingers while doing an admirable impersonation of a stiff lawyer.

  “Nice. That’s awesome, Jessie! Good for you.”

  “There’s more! They offered me exclusive control of Sarah Conway’s account, which means I also get a huge bonus and a raise! This is karma, I tell you, karma. Whoo hoo!” Jessie spun in a circle, laughing at the ceiling.

  “Yes,” I said, “it’s karma.”

  I leaned toward her. “Hey, I need a favor.”

  Jess bowed in front of me. “Anything you need. I’m at your service.” I explained what was required, and she grinned and nodded as I outlined it. Then I headed over to the table, with Jessie in tow, where Ali was warming up, just shooting around.

  Before I could make the introductions, they’d taken care of it themselves and were busily chatting, which both pleased and terrified me.

  I played a few games of cut throat with them, and then we all called it a night. I dropped Ali off at her fathers’ house. They lived in Cherry Creek, not all that far from her but behind one of those fences, so that you can’t see the house until you’ve gone down a long driveway. I declined going inside, due to the hour, but I did want to see it at some point. It looked amazing from the outside.

  Chapter 18

  Morning again, and this time I was going to drive for a little ways and then run through Tommy’s neighborhood, being mindful to wait until the neighbor was gone. I had replaced the insides of the capsules, so the switch of the pills was easy enough. For good measure, I moved a few more things around in the apartment. The first pieces were definitely in play. I could count on Tommy to go off the deep end when his new meds took effect.

  Upon return from my drive and run, I found Ali sitting outside the door. I looked at her with curiosity. She had bags from Whole Foods in her hands. “Breakfast?”

  I hadn’t thought about the possibility that she might not be a good cook. In a short time, the smell that filled the kitchen told me I had nothing to fear. She put me to shame, and I happily gobbled down the feast. When I was stuffed, she moved to do the dishes, but I waved her off. “You cooked, so I’ll clean up.”

  Ali seemed pleased. “Fair enough. I have a lot to do today anyway.”

  I was in a playful mood. “Why don’t you just stay here instead? Or I could go with you to run errands.”

  She declined; the look on her face deflated me. “I can’t, but maybe another time.”

  I didn’t push the issue, but my curiosity was aroused. “Thanks for breakfast.”

  And with that she was gone, leaving me to resume my day.

  Chapter 19

  The week so far had gone by without major incident. I had only seen Ali in class, but we did text and talk on the phone at some point each day.

  The text messages from Tommy continued and alternated between angry, profanity-filled ranting and professions of his everlasting love for Ali. She, too, seemed to waffle between anger and being upset, based on the contents of the message. I had hacked into Tommy’s phone to keep better tabs on him and was receiving copies of everything he was sending her. I wondered how long Tommy had before he melted down. I knew it would take some time, but since he already seemed unstable, it might be a lot quicker than I anticipated.

  Weeknights at the bar were usually a slower trickle of locals looking for a few hours of quiet. Adam, thank goodness, had finally recognized that the bar didn’t need to resemble a naked gay circus every night and conceded that a few evenings of quiet drunkenness were perfectly acceptable, if less profitable. Tonight was no different, or so I thought. Out of the corner of my eye, at the far end of the bar, I thought I saw Tommy. Maybe I was the one losing my mind. I looked full on, and sure enough, there he was. I debated what to do. I didn’t want to create any problems at the bar and certainly didn’t want Tommy to think he was somehow getting the upper hand. I made eye contact with him, looked at his drink, which was half full, probably by design, and asked if he wanted another. He declined, looking disappointed at my reaction, so I went over to where Adam was restocking the well and humming along with a Bee Gees ballad.

  “Any plans for the weekend?” I asked as I pretended to wipe down the bar behind Adam while I watched Tommy out of the corner of my eye.

  “Well, there’s no point in trying to compete with First Friday, so I was trying to come up with something for the boys,” he said. “Any ideas?”

  First Friday parties were held each month at Traxx, a warehouse dance club a few miles away, and typically attracted close to a thousand lesbians looking for a night of drunken happiness. The parties had become so popular the city had hired extra security and a food truck to work out front, to appease the hordes of women waiting to get into the club. Adam was correct. Not one chick would set foot in our bar Friday night, so we needed to concentrate on the men.

  “What are the other bars doing?” I asked, pointing to a copy of the local gay paper, Out Front, lying on the bar.

  Adam sighed, “Leather night at Charlie’s, the Detour is having a pool tournament, and J.R.’s is doing something called Naughty Deal or No Deal, whatever the hell that is,” naming off our biggest competition. “Help me think of something. We need debauchery and mayhem, if possible.”

  Oliver wandered in from the back, carrying a case of beer. He flashed a perfect set of teeth and winked at me. “Did I hear the word debauchery? I’m in. Sign me up. What are we doing?�
�� He was wiggling in anticipation, and I laughed.

  “Help us think of something,” I said.

  “Mud wrestling?”

  “Too cliché.”

  “Lube wrestling?”

  “We just did that, you monkey,” said Adam.

  “Yeah, but I got really lucky that night.” Oliver cast an evil smirk in my direction.

  “Focus, you two,” I said. “Pin the Tail on the Gay Boy?”

  Adam and Oliver ignored me.

  “Drag show?” Oliver offered.

  “Bleh,” said Adam. “That’s too much drama.”

  “Cocks and Condoms Cornucopia? CCC? Oliver could give out condoms and cock rings in goodie bags to the guys with the biggest package,” I said.

  Adam’s eyes lit up, “Brilliant! Sex combined with social responsibility. Perfect! Nice one, Riley.”

  “Sex combined with social responsibility, blah, blah,” Oliver scrunched his face at me and stuck his tongue out. “Teacher’s pet.”

  I could only laugh, he was so adorable. “Oh, my poor little Oliver, no lube show for you this week. Maybe you can convince Adam to let you model a few cock rings for the crowd. Don’t worry, I’m sure you can somehow convince one of the customers to engage in safe and responsible sex with you against the wall in the back alley.”

  He feigned horror. “Shah! Bite your tongue. I only fuck them in the men’s room on my break! The back alley is so common.”

  Adam grimaced. “Funny, Oliver. Don’t let the cops hear you say that, please. We all need this job.”

  Adam dispatched Oliver to post flyers for the CCC event in the bar and around the neighborhood, while I tended to the few customers scattered throughout the bar. Tommy hadn’t moved and his drink was still half full.