Chapter 35
Chapter
Thirty-Five
Levi
It’s interesting to watch Skyler’s facial expressions as he listens to the caller. He’s wary, then happy, and finally pissed off in less than a minute.
“Okay. Well at least some of that is good news. Thank you,” he says. “Now what am I supposed to do?”
They have a conversation back and forth for a while, and I finally have to get out of bed because it’s morning, and I need to pee. So I don’t hear all of it. Brooke also follows right behind me into the bathroom and takes her turn. She looks sleep-mussed and beautiful. I love this woman so ferociously. When she finishes, I set down my toothbrush and rinse out my mouth before capturing her in a full-body embrace, kissing the daylights out of her. I want her to know how much I appreciate and adore her.
We’re in the middle of a great make-out session when Skyler barges in. “I thought that guy would never shut up! What is it with lawyers loving to hear themselves talk?” he crabs as he shuts the door to the toilet area.
Brooke snickers, and I can’t help laughing too as we head down the hall.
Finally, Skyler shows up in the kitchen and makes straight for the coffee. He has a funny expression on his face, so I ask, “Well? What did he say?”
Skyler plunks himself down at the table. “Good news and not-so-good news.” He swallows some coffee as we stare at him curiously. “The good part is that the criminal charges were dropped when my lawyer presented the photos he took of my hands to the prosecutor. He also finally has Mrs. Henshaw’s medical report. My hands aren’t bruised or cut up in any way that would indicate I’d slugged anyone. Any evidence they had against me was as insubstantial as smoke.”
“That’s great news!” I say as Brooke flings her arms around him smiling her head off.
“Furthermore, her medical report included a twisted ankle and skinned knees as well as deep bruising that would indicate the possibility of falling down some stairs as well as being hit—she claims I slugged her, but she never mentioned falling. I guess I’m lucky she didn’t accuse me of shoving her down the stairs.” He still doesn’t look happy enough for this news, and I wonder why. “The prosecutor agreed to drop the case when he heard all of this. I guess he figured it was a waste of his time to pursue something so ridiculous.”
“Wonderful!” Brooke exclaims and kisses the top of his head.
“But…” Skyler takes a deep breath. “According to my loquacious lawyer, Mrs. Henshaw is still insisting that I forced my way into her house and beat her up no matter what anyone says, and she is still going to pursue the civil lawsuit against me for a million dollars. He thinks she hopes her hungry shark of a lawyer can persuade a jury that this big, mean bully—me—took terrible, cruel advantage of her and ruined her life. She claims she can’t work anymore, and I owe her for that.”
“Because her pain and suffering and lost potential wages are worth that much? Is she still hospitalized?” I have to ask.
“No! She never was. She showed up at the ER and they stuck some bandages on her and sent her home with the instructions to take some Advil if she needed it.”
“How did your lawyer get that information?” Brooke asks. “Isn’t it private because of HIPAA?”
Skyler snorts. “Nothing is private in Honeybee Hollow, as you may have noticed. My lawyer’s wife is a nurse at the hospital. But he subpoenaed the records anyway and finally got the official report. There is no doubt that something happened to her, but it sure as hell had nothing to do with me. This makes me curious as to why she’s not looking for another possible attacker.”
Brooke looks like a light just went on when she asks, “Do you think the old fraud might actually have thrown herself down her own stairs to make it look like she was attacked?”
“No clue.” Skyler looks at me. “What do you think?”
“She could have killed herself doing that, so I’m not sure she would have done it on purpose, but maybe she tripped and then decided it was a lucky accident.”
“Ugh,” Skyler moans. “That sounds like something she’d do.”
“Are you going to countersue for slander?” I ask.
“No. I only want my legal expenses covered, so I’m countersuing for that. I don’t need to try to make money from her craziness. The less I have to think about her, the better. Also, I should mention that as soon as the prosecutor dropped the charges, my lawyer immediately filed a motion with the judge asking that the civil case be dropped for lack of evidence. The judge isn’t as reasonable as the prosecutor, obviously. He denied the motion, so the civil trial will go on as planned.”
“Sorry, man.” I tell him. “That sucks.”
“I’m beginning to wonder whether Sheriff Hansen and the judge are poker buddies or something.” Skyler jokes, but he sounds defeated. “Maybe they’re looking for some entertainment.”
This begins a series of depositions and discussions with Mr. Talkative, Esq. Skyler is right. Hamilton loves the sound of his own voice, but I get the feeling he’s competent. Mrs. Henshaw’s lawyer, on the other hand, is a poorly dressed slob who comes across like a guy who bought his law degree from someone in a dark alley. Not that it means anything, but he has a protruding belly that usually has bits of food stuck to it, and his beard is just as unkempt. He’s pretty off-putting. I wonder if he’s the only shyster around who would agree to take her case.