Chapter 3
Beau Lee adjusted his necktie in his bathroom mirror and yawned.
He was in desperate need of coffee. Gigi was sleeping peacefully in bed when he returned to the bedroom and he kissed her soft lips.
“Sorry, babe. I hate to wake you, but I’ve got to head out,” he said quietly.
“Nellie and Capes are waiting in the limo outside.”
Gigi stirred and opened her eyes, turning to him. “No need to be sorry, dear. I always like to see you off.”
“Kiss Bianca for me, and tell her Daddy loves her,” he said, thinking of their eight-year-old daughter still curled up in her blanket, probably clutching that worn-out bunny she refused to let go of and dreaming about going to Disneyland, especially for the Aladdin ride.
She watched that movie a hundred times and still sang along with every song for the length of the movie, the entire two hours and twelve minutes.
When she could not get her parents, her grandmother, or Capes to watch the movie with her, she would create an imaginary world with her stuffed animals and have movie watching tea parties with all of her imaginary friends.
She was their only child, and Beau Lee relished the way she was navigating the joy and chaos of life in the Cooper family.
“The weatherman said it would be fifteen degrees in Chicago today. You got your heavy trench coat and extra scarves?”
“Sure do, but I almost forgot my Thurgood fedora,” said Beau Lee as he removed the hat from a rack atop their dresser. It was wool, handmade in New Zealand, and had become his trademark look.
“Let me walk you to the door.”
“Oh, don’t trouble yourself.”
Gigi got up anyway. “No, I insist,” she said, sliding her feet into a pair of fuzzy slippers.
They walked out of the bedroom and downstairs to the front door. “I definitely got to have my Thurgood fedora and scarf on today as everybody is still going to be in amazement over Obama winning the presidency,” Beau Lee said with pride.
“I can’t wait to go to school today and talk to the children about what this means for America,” Gigi responded excitedly.
“The next four years are definitely going to be some interesting times. On the plane yesterday, I sat next to a man who seemed to have conservative beliefs, and he told me that I need to start looking for a new job.”
“What did he mean by that?”
“He said Obama’s election proves that racism is over in America, so there won’t be no need for civil rights lawyers like me,” Beau Lee explained.
“Certainly is wishful thinking,” Gigi acknowledged. “But for right now I think you should keep your day job.”
Beau Lee laughed and said, “I think you’re right. What’s your day like, sweetheart?”
“After I get Bianca dressed, I’ll meet with the State Curriculum Committee officials to preview the requirements for our student testing next month.”
“I wish you luck. I know how rigorous the State is in evaluating the scores of our students at the South Side schools.”
Beau Lee’s luggage was already parked downstairs. He extended the handle of his roller bag and unlocked the front door.
“Eleven years,” Gigi said. “That’s how long I’ve been a principal at that school, and every year they switch up the rules on us. So, nothing that they’ll do today will shock me.”
Beau Lee gave her a firm squeeze and kissed her again.
Gigi graced her husband’s cheek, feeling his freshly shaven skin. “Be safe, you hear?” she said before he walked out the door to the black SUV idling in the driveway.
Nellie, a Black man with a caramel complexion who was about the same age as Beau Lee, rolled the window down. “Good morning, Gigi!” he shouted as she stood in the doorway in her flannel robe.
“Good morning, Nelson,” she yelled, waving her hand. “You all have a safe trip, you hear?”
“Yes, ma’am. We’ll make sure to get Beau Lee back home in one piece.”
“By the way, how long will you be gone?”
“If all goes well, we’ll be home tomorrow morning,” Beau Lee shouted as he got in. He gave one last wave and blew his wife a kiss before settling beside Nellie, with Capes seated in the third row.
“Good morning, Frat! Did you get enough rest last night?” asked Nellie, oddly chipper.
Nellie and Beau Lee had met as undergraduate students at Texas Southern University and were also fraternity brothers. They called each other “Frat” as a show of mutual love and respect. That deep kinship inspired them to become business partners; they’d formed their law firm ten years ago.
“I’m a little sleep-deprived, but what else is new?
” Beau Lee said. “I’ll get some shut-eye on the plane.
” He turned and faced Capes. His head was resting against the window, and his eyes were closed.
He was wearing his Harley-Davidson leather jacket, and his scarf and gloves were sitting on his lap. “Capes, are you with us today?”
“I’m always with you, boss,” Capes said without opening his eyes.
“You did pack a suit for this trip, right?”
“In my luggage. You know I can’t travel comfortably in monkey suits. I’ll put the thing on when we land in Chicago.”
Beau Lee looked at Nellie and asked, “Mr. Managing Partner, are you okay with this? Time is of the essence when we land.”
Nellie, who was typing on his laptop, glanced over at Capes and said, “I’ve already told Capes that if he delays us at all, there will be hell to pay.”
“By the time I’m finished putting on my suit, you all will still be waiting on your fancy luggage from baggage claim,” Capes said, refusing to open his eyes.
Before Capes was an employee, he was one of Beau Lee’s most loyal clients when he was still doing criminal defense work.
Capes often argued that if it wasn’t for clients like him, Beau Lee would not have had the opportunity to display his skills in the courtroom and become the great trial lawyer people know him to be today.
Three times Capes had been charged with conspiracy to distribute, and three times Beau Lee walked him out of the courtroom with a not-guilty verdict from the jury.
It wasn’t until Beau Lee transitioned from criminal to civil cases that Capes’s luck ran out.
He was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison.
That time inside the joint gave him the opportunity to reflect on the conversations he’d had with Beau Lee about how intelligent he was and that there was another path for him.
After he was released and unable to find suitable employment, he and Beau Lee made a pact that if he walked the straight and narrow and gave up the street life, he could still use his street smarts to be the best legal investigator in the city.
“I’m not worried about Capes doing what he’s supposed to do today,” Nellie said, looking squarely at Beau Lee. “I’m more worried about you, partner.”
They were heading into their pretrial settlement conference and Nellie was feeling pre-action jitters. He’s usually the one who had his screwed on tightest to keep the ship running between Capes’s laid-back attitude and Beau Lee’s lofty ambitions.
“Why’s that?” Beau Lee asked.
“ ’Cause it’s a quick settlement opportunity.
If we try to be reasonable for our clients and not turn this into a class action lawsuit like you keep hinting at, things should go smoothly.
You know the firm could use the money, especially with our expansion plans.
A class action suit takes time and it could be months or years before we’d see a dime. ”
“It’s a chess game,” reasoned Beau Lee. “You have to trust whatever moves I make, partner.”
“Four years of litigation is asking a lot.”
“I respect where you’re coming from, Frat, and I’m going to sleep on it…preferably on the plane.”
Nellie grumbled, somewhat unsatisfied, and returned to his laptop.