He resumed shoving files into his briefcase and spoke between gritted teeth. “Fine. But I’m not dropping the charges right away. He’s going into a pre-trial diversion program. He goes to a psychologist weekly for a year, enrolls in an anger-management program, and does fifty hours of community service.” He held up a finger in warning. “If and when he completes everything, and provided he gets into no further trouble, then I’ll drop the charges.”
I inwardly fist pumped. “Deal.”
Elliott looked me straight in the eye. “And we’re even after this. I’m not fucking around, Decker. Don’t pull this shit on me again.”
I nodded. “Understood.”
He motioned to the door behind me. “Now get the hell out of my office.”
***
“Why are you so late?” Juliette wiped her mouth, crumpled up her napkin, and tossed it into her empty food container on the table.
I reached for the bag and pulled out my lunch. They’d phoned in our usual Wednesday order while I was on my way back from the DA’s office.
“I was downtown on a case.”
“Oh yeah? What undeserving billionaire did you save today?”
I sat down and opened my Szechuan shrimp and broccoli. “Today I used my superpowers for the good of a child, if you must know.”
Trent and Juliette looked at each other. “Have you figured out a game plan for how you’re going to handle things?” she asked.
I picked up a shrimp with my chopsticks and popped it into my mouth. “No game plan needed. Worked out a deal.”
Juliette shook her head. “I wasn’t referring to the kid. I meant his social worker.”
My forehead wrinkled, and I shrugged. “I haven’t told her yet. But I’m sure she’ll be happy about it.”
“I meant how are you going to handle things once you’re sleeping with her again? Or has that already happened? We haven’t seen you in a few days...”
“I’m not sleeping with Autumn, Mom and Dad. But if I was, why would I need a game plan? It’s pretty simple…sort of like doing the vertical hokey pokey. You put your penis in, you pull your penis out, you put your penis in, and you shake it all about. I can write down directions, if you want. I know it’s been a while for both of you.”
Juliette had been nibbling on the end of her chopstick, but she now used it to jab into my arm. “Seriously, dumbass. What are you going to do about Dickson?”
“Well, I’m not going to do the vertical hokey pokey with him.”
“Stop being a jerk, and be serious for a minute,” she said. “You need Dickson’s vote. Do you really think that when he finds out you’re banging the woman he’s been seeing, he’s going to vote for you?”
“First of all, I’m not sleeping with Autumn, and second of all, if I was, it wouldn’t be any of his business.”
Juliette frowned. “So that’s your plan? You don’t have one.”
I looked at Trent as the voice of reason. “What am I missing here? What plans should I have?”
Trent sucked on the straw in his soda until it made an empty slurping sound. “Your plan should be to retreat, at least until after the partner vote.”
“How can I retreat from a case?”
Juliette rolled her eyes. “You just said yourself that you settled the case she’s involved with. You call her and give her the good news, and then you don’t speak with her again for a month or so.”
I’d been thinking more along the lines of telling her in person and suggesting we have a drink to celebrate. But I didn’t mention that. “You’re worrying about nothing.”
We ate our lunch in a conference room with glass walls, basically a fish bowl. Just as I lifted another piece of shrimp to my mouth, none other than Dickson himself walked by. He glanced inside, saw me, and opened the door.
“Decker, what’s going on with the Stone case?”
What an idiot. I knew what he meant, but why let him off easy? “Stone? Did it just come in? I’m not familiar with it.”
His lips pursed. “You don’t even remember the damn kid’s name? The pro bono I assigned you…”
“Oh! Storm. My client’s name is Storm.”
“Whatever. Where are you on that?”
No way was I letting him call Autumn with my good news. “I’m in talks with the DA. It’s looking promising.”
He nodded. “Good. Make it happen. This case is important to me. Keep me updated.”
I gritted my teeth and plastered on a politician’s smile. “Sure thing.”
Just as he turned to go, he said, “I don’t think I have to remind you that you have a lot riding on how things go the next month. Make sure you give every case your all—even the ones we don’t get paid for. Don’t just skim the surface because there’s no billable hours involved.”
As if he actually gave a flying shit about pro bono cases. Last year when my freebie case was for a nursing-home resident, he’d told me the time I put in should be in proportion to how long the woman was going to last.