Courting Justice

by Brenda Jackson

  “You may all be seated,” the bailiff said.

  There was something in the look she’d given him that gave him pause, and for a quick second he thought that maybe he was wrong and it would be that kind of party.

  * * *

  “I’d like to remind everyone before we get started,” the judge said. “This is not a court trial. This is a hearing where I will give both sides the opportunity to present their arguments. After which, I will decide whether or not I feel enough information has been presented to warrant that more tests be done by Gallant Chemicals…”

  Peyton sat there listening to the judge, and at the same time unable to believe that Angelo was the attorney for the company that didn’t give a damn about the people of Pembrook Pines. She knew that everyone was entitled to representation, but still. Gallant? Did Angelo actually believe the company had nothing to do with people getting sick? Those tests were done over a year ago and plenty of things could have changed since then. Workers could have gotten careless or developed an I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude at the expense of the good people of Pembrook Pines.

  “Ms. Mahoney, are you ready to present your argument?”

  Peyton stood. “Yes, Your Honor, I am.”

  Peyton then approached the bench. She could feel Angelo’s eyes on her with every step she took. “Your Honor, I want to present documentation in the form of medical records that will verify treatment was provided to ten residents of Pembrook Pines over a six-month period after consuming drinking water. This is where one of the main water lines crosses with those from Gallant Chemicals.” She handed the papers to the bailiff to present to the judge.

  “I am representing the residents, who are not accusing Gallant of intentional wrongdoing. But what they are accusing them of is negligence and of adopting a careless attitude and blameless approach by assuming there is no way Gallant can be held responsible for the failing health of Pembrook Pines’s residents. All we’re asking is for Gallant Chemicals to conduct another series of tests. And if they are found negligent, whether intentionally or not, to compensate the good people living in Pembrook Pines accordingly.”

  Peyton had delivered her summation as cleanly and clearly as possible, only because Ms. Lora wanted it that way. Peyton much preferred going for the jugular. However, Ms. Lora had taken into consideration that over the years, Gallant had done some good deeds for the people of Pembrook Pines, and a huge playground was one of them. However, it was Peyton’s opinion that one good deed didn’t excuse the outright negligence of not making sure chemicals used in their plant didn’t leak into the nearby water supply. It was a responsibility they should not have taken lightly.

  The judge studied the papers she’d been given, and then she glanced over to where Angelo sat. Peyton was tempted to turn and look at him as well, but decided it would be best for her if she continued to face the bench.

  “Mr. Di Meglio,” the judge said. “You’ve heard Ms. Mahoney and the people of Pembrook Pines’s request. Will Gallant agree to have those tests performed?”

  “No, my client will not, Your Honor.”

  “Well then, do you have anything to say?” the judge asked.

  It was then that Peyton turned around to stare at the table where Angelo was sitting. Angelo stood to address the bench. “Yes, Your Honor. I have a lot to say—the first being that my client and I don’t agree with Ms. Mahoney’s assessment of things.”

  * * *

  Angelo approached the bench. The last thing he wanted was a courtroom soap opera, but he had a client to defend and he disagreed with the picture Peyton had just painted. He’d been surprised she hadn’t used the legal strategy of a community being taken advantage of by Corporate America. By not going for the jugular and accusing Gallant of ignoring the health concerns of the residents of Pembrook Pines, she was painting the home-owners as a group of sympathetic victims who only wanted the company to do the right thing, and nothing more. Fat chance! He could smell a pending lawsuit totaling millions a mile away.

  He could also smell Peyton, and her scent was the last thing he remembered from that morning when they’d parted at the airport. They had made love more times than he could count…although he doubted he would ever forget.

  “Mr. Di Meglio?”

  He glanced over at the judge. “Yes?”

  “We’re waiting.”

  It was then that he realized for a moment his mind had drifted in the courtroom and in front of the judge. That wasn’t good. Peyton’s presence was messing with his mind, and he couldn’t let that happen. “Yes, Your Honor. Sorry.”

  He paused. “First of all, those medical records do not include a clear diagnosis indicating that contaminated drinking water is the cause of the residents’ illnesses. Although the symptoms might be similar, in the absence of a concrete diagnosis verifying such, the cause of their health problems is pure speculation on anyone’s part.”

  He didn’t have to look over at Peyton to know she was fuming. He could feel her heat, but then he was used to feeling her heat. In the past it worked for him, but this time he had a feeling it was working against him. “And then,” he continued, “although they aren’t required to do so but every two years, my client routinely checks its water supply every quarter and the last few analyses performed indicated the water supply was not polluted. I have sufficient documentation that will show the last test was done just weeks before the illnesses began and it showed Gallant’s water supply was free of contaminants.”

  He then handed his documentation to the bailiff to present to the judge. The judge studied the papers for a moment, and then glanced first at Peyton and then at Angelo, after which she held them both in her intense stare. “I read the documentation presented, and if Gallant had not been diligent in taking the initiative itself to conduct routine water analysis, I would have no problem requesting that they do more testing. I’m not naive enough not to consider the possibility that chemicals could have leaked into the water supply outside of the required testing time. However, since these tests were done and the results are legit, I see no reason to have Gallant bear the expense of doing more tests.”

  She paused and looked over at Peyton. “However, Ms. Mahoney, your group is free to request another hearing if additional information can be presented. Otherwise, what you’ve presented isn’t conclusive enough to find Gallant responsible for any wrongdoing, so I’m denying the residents of Pembrook Pines’s petition that Gallant do additional tests.”

  The judge banged her gavel. “The hearing is over.”

  Chapter 25

  Peyton paced Angelo’s hotel room, furious. How dare he? He had the judge and every other woman in the courtroom eating right out of his hand. Whether it was his handsome good looks or his smooth talk, she hadn’t stood a chance, especially when Ms. Lora had set those parameters regarding not going after Gallant Chemicals the way she’d wanted to do.

  She rolled her eyes when she recalled what the judge had said about Gallant not having to bear the expense of additional tests. It wasn’t as if the company couldn’t afford them. They had plenty of money. They were a Fortune 100 company, after all.

  She glanced at her watch, wondering where Angelo was anyway. They hadn’t much to say to each other after the hearing. In fact she made sure she avoided him as she spoke with some of the residents she knew. She had apologized for not being able to get them what they’d wanted.

  She felt even worse when they had told her an apology was not needed and that they felt she’d done a good job. It was just a matter of the big guy prevailing over the little guy once again. It happens all the time. Don’t lose sleep over it. Their solution would be to boil their drinking water before drinking it.

  That made her even madder, that they would meekly accept what the judge had handed down. They shouldn’t have to boil their drinking water. They should be able to feel safe about drin
king tap water like any other community.

  She heard a key card being inserted in the door and glanced across the room at the exact moment Angelo walked in carrying a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine in his hand. Her temperature went to boiling when he smiled over at her. What the hell was he smiling for?

  “Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said, closing the door behind him. “But I wanted to make a pit stop and get you these,” he said, crossing the room and handing her the vase of flowers. “And a bottle of wine.”

  “Why? To compensate for what you did in that courtroom?” she snapped.

  He placed the bottle of wine on a nearby table. “Not that I want to discuss what happened this afternoon, but evidently it has you slightly agitated, so let’s talk about it and get it over with.”

  Peyton just stared at him for a moment, not believing what he’d said. Did he honestly think they could talk about it, kiss and move on? That it was back to business as usual between them? Did the man simply not get it?

  She shook her head and glanced over at him. “Contrary to what you evidently believe, Angelo, there won’t be any getting over it. There was a group of people who were counting on me righting a wrong for them today. They are people you wouldn’t really know about. People who know how hard it is to earn a dollar and go to work whether they’re healthy or not. These are the same people that company you’re representing evidently does not care about.”

  “That’s not true, Peyton. I checked out everything, especially Gallant’s reputation. It’s stellar, and they are involved in a number of worthwhile charities in the area.”

  She placed her hands on her hips. “And that makes them above the law?”

  “No, but they should be given a fair shake like anyone else. You failed to prove they did anything wrong. If you had, the judge would not have hesitated to rule in your favor. As it stands—”

  “As it stands, Angelo, what we had is another case of the little guy getting taken advantage of by a greedy corporation that puts profits ahead of someone’s health—another case of the haves and those who have not.”

  Angelo’s jaw clenched and he felt anger consume him. Would she ever be able to see beyond that? That was the way of the world. He was tired of being made to feel guilty because his family was blessed. Hell, his great-grandparents and grandparents had worked hard to pass a legacy down to their heirs.

  “Do you know what your problem is, Peyton?”

  “No, because I don’t have one. But evidently you think I do.”

  “Yes, I know you do. And it goes back to that damn chip on your shoulder.”

  She glared at him. “There’s no chip on my shoulder.”

  He glared right back. “You think not? Then take another look. Even before I took the case, I did my research, Peyton. And I’ve spent the last three days going over everything, even as much as taking a tour of the plant myself.”

  He took a moment to draw in air, getting angrier by the minute. She wasn’t just attacking his wealth, whether she realized it or not, she was also questioning his character. “I was not just giving lip service in that courtroom today, Peyton. I honestly don’t believe Gallant is responsible for whatever is making those people sick.”

  “Well, have you given much thought to the possibility that you might be wrong, Angelo?”

  He held her gaze. “Have you?” he asked slowly.

  And then knowing at that moment he needed distance from her before he said things he might later regret. “I need to take a walk,” he said. “I’ll be back later.” He then turned and left.

  * * *

  Angelo really wasn’t surprised when he returned from his walk twenty minutes later to find Peyton was gone. In less than an hour, their relationship had taken a drastic turn, and a part of him wasn’t sure it would ever get back on track, especially not when Peyton could believe the worst about him, if she thought he would defend a person or corporation that truly didn’t care about others, that didn’t give a damn about the environment. Hell, he’d read those medical reports. More than just adults had gotten sick. Did she think he was callous enough not to care about the welfare of a child for the sake of greed?

  Angelo rubbed the top of his head, realizing that apparently she did. Feeling frustrated, he moved into the room and saw she’d left the flowers with a note scribbled beneath it that said, “Today was your victory, not mine. And since it seems we don’t see eye-to-eye on important things, this is where we should end whatever we started while we can still be friends.”

  Friends? Is that all their relationship was now? Back to friendship and nothing more? Was she so full of anger that she didn’t see that the flowers had nothing to do with the judge’s decision in the courtroom today, but everything to do with him being so glad to see her?

  He walked over to the window and looked out at the view of Lake Michigan below. If he didn’t love her as much as he did he would throw in the towel and say the hell with it, and give her what she wanted. Her belief in the gap between the haves and have-nots was so indelibly etched in her mind that he doubted she would ever see things differently. He realized that in order for them to forge any kind of relationship, she would have to trust and have faith in him above all else. He couldn’t share a life with a woman who didn’t believe in his sincerity and integrity.

  He chuckled, thinking he needed to face the truth. The bottom line was that she didn’t want to share a life with him anyway. She didn’t love him and had said so more than once. Why was he so determined to make her love him, make her see that they belonged together—for better or worse, richer or poorer?

  He moved away from the window and rubbed a frustrated hand down his face. Peyton Mahoney had to be the most stubborn woman alive. And the look on her face when he’d suggested that she was wrong about Gallant had made her madder. And yes, he had considered the fact that he, himself, might be wrong, too. What if Gallant had falsified the documentation they’d given him? What if they were responsible for everything Peyton had accused them of? There was no certainty about anything anymore. And she should’ve known that in their profession, he had to depend on the facts in evidence unless he had proof otherwise.

  He drew in a deep breath and knew he didn’t need to prove whether he was right or she was wrong. The bottom line was that something was causing those people to become sick, and if it wasn’t chemicals from the Gallant plant, then what was it?

  He pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket and punched in a number he’d gotten to know by heart. It was the private number to investigator Alex Maxwell. When he heard Alex’s voice, he said, “Alex, this is Angelo Di Meglio. First, I want to congratulate you on the birth of your son. And secondly, I need your help.”

  * * *

  Peyton snuggled under the sheets, feeling cold and alone. She was glad Ms. Lora hadn’t asked her why she’d returned tonight when she’d told her earlier that morning she would be spending the night with a friend. She had a feeling the older woman had put two and two together and figured out that that “friend” had been Angelo. It probably wasn’t hard to tell that she had gotten upset with him in the courtroom.

  She shifted and rose up in the bed when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. “Come in.”

  Ms. Lora opened the door and came into the room with two cups in her hands. “I couldn’t sleep either and heard you moving about. I remembered those times when you and Serena would be nervous the night before a big test at school and I would bring you both hot chocolate to help you sleep.”

  Peyton remembered those nights and the hot chocolate had worked. It was times like this, being here with Ms. Lora and sleeping in what once had been Serena’s room, that would make her miss her childhood friend even more.

  She glanced over at Ms. Lora, who’d come to sit on the edge of the bed. “I miss her.”

  Ms. Lora nodded, smiled and pushed ba
ck a wayward lock of hair from Peyton’s face. “I know you do. And so do I. No matter how many years go by there’s not a single day that I don’t think about her, miss her. The two of you were so close, just as close as me and your mama.”

  That was something Peyton often wondered about. How Ms. Lora and her mother could have been such good friends when the two women weren’t anything alike. Peyton had heard enough about her mother’s wild and reckless ways from her grandmother as well as the people who lived in the neighborhood. To this day, Ms. Lora had never said an unkind word about Tangie Mahoney.

  “I hope you aren’t mad or anything with your young man, Peyton,” Ms. Lora said softly. “He had a job to do and did it.”

  Peyton lifted a defiant chin. “It doesn’t matter, he doesn’t understand.”

  Ms. Lora chuckled. “Yes, I think he does. While he was talking, at no time did he look down his nose at us like that other attorney who worked for Gallant did. And afterward, when the hearing was over, he spoke to a few of us, even then he talked to us and not down to us.”

  Ms. Lora paused. “And I don’t want you to think that you failed us, because you didn’t. We’re all appreciative that you would go into that hearing and speak up on our behalf. You didn’t have much time to prepare and all, but then I heard what the judge said and she’s right. We have no proof that whatever is in the drinking water was put there by Gallant.”

  Peyton shook her head. Angelo had been effective in casting doubt in a lot of people’s mind. But she didn’t want Ms. Lora to be taken in by his smooth talk as well, no matter how convincing it sounded.

  “Ms. Lora, don’t fall for anything Angelo said. I plan on filing a motion for another hearing and by then I’ll have done my research and—”

  “No, you’ll do no such thing, Peyton. You’re here on vacation. I feel bad for getting you involved in the first place. Besides, Mr. Gallant came over and assured us that he would get to the bottom of this as well.”