Chapter 12
Capes waited outside the door while Beau Lee and Nellie talked to Alvarez in the executive suite.
The only thing that separated her from them was a long customized desk made of black marble.
The designer piece of furniture and her chic office proclaimed that she was young, hip, and had achieved notable success.
“So, Beau Lee Cooper…are you here to conduct a mea culpa?” she asked, palms pressed flat on her desk.
“And what would I be apologizing for?”
“I don’t want to say you poached my client, but yeah, you poached my client.”
“I wouldn’t say poached.”
“What would you call it?”
“Divine intervention.”
“You think a great deal of yourself, don’t you?”
“I’m nothing more than a man led by conviction,” Beau Lee said. “And I intend to get justice for Hollis Montrose—and I believe you want that as well, correct?”
“Of course.”
“Then I don’t see any need for hostility between us. We both understand what’s at stake. There’s only room for one war, and that’s the one we’re going to have to fight against the CPD and the City of Chicago.”
A framed diploma from Stanford University Law School touted Alvarez’s pedigree, along with numerous commendations from legal boards and the National Bar Association. She was the real deal, as bona fide as the silver-framed photo of her and then-Senator Barack Obama.
“Our firm only wants to serve Mr. Montrose and his family,” Nellie said. “There’s no place for ego in that.”
“Ego? You think I’m the one with the ego problem?”
“This isn’t productive,” Beau Lee said. “We’re wasting precious time. Which is something Hollis Montrose may have little of.”
Beau Lee’s words resonated, and Alvarez bit back whatever she was going to say.
“You’re right,” she said. “I have a great deal of respect for the Montrose family, and they mean everything to me. If Rocky believes that having you on this case gives us an advantage, then I’m all in.”
“Good.”
“I’m glad we’ve gotten all that out of the way,” Nellie said. “But you should know where we’re coming from, Attorney Alvarez. You should know our world—our reality—and we’ve held the hands of so many in Mrs. Montrose’s situation.”
“What does that mean, exactly?”
“In our practice, we’ve had to sit with more grieving wives, mothers, grandmothers, and aunts, and that wailing, that deep bellow of pain and sadness, is something I’ll never get used to hearing.
I can tell you that we didn’t come here to lose, but you should know that the Chicago Police Department will leverage the best prosecutors the state has to offer to ensure those officers never spend a day behind bars. ”
“I understand that,” she said. “So, you intend to file a pro hac vice?”
“Illinois maintains reciprocity with Texas,” Beau Lee said, “which means we shouldn’t have too many hurdles to jump for me to act as co-counsel for Mr. Montrose.”
“I’m well aware of how reciprocity works, Mr. Cooper.”
Alvarez crossed her arms and took a beat, glaring at Beau Lee and Nellie. “How long will it take you to file this astronomical lawsuit you promised Rocky?”
“Not sure, but I’ll get started on it immediately. In the meantime, I’ll need you to fill me in on the details regarding Hollis’s discrimination suit against the CPD.”
Alvarez took a deep breath. “We can get started today,” she said. “Are you both assisting as co-counsel?”
“Actually, my colleague Nelson here will be returning to Texas. He’ll offer support remotely. And my investigator, Capes, will remain active here in the city. He’ll be digging up whatever he can on what happened the night Hollis was shot.”
Alvarez looked puzzled. “Capes? You mean the mouthy guy?”
Nellie laughed. “That’d be him.”
The quip at Capes’s expense lightened the mood, and Alvarez flashed a partial smile.
“I take it you have a coffeepot?” Beau Lee asked.
“Drip. Espresso. Cappuccino. It’ll make them all.”
“Good, because it’s going to be a long day.”
“Beau Lee,” Nellie said. “A word outside?”
“Excuse us,” Beau Lee said.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Alvarez said.
They stepped outside her office into the small lobby where Capes was waiting, texting on his cellphone.
“Looks like you’ve got things squared away with Alvarez,” Nellie said. “I can probably head over to the airport now.”
“All right, Frat.” The old friends embraced for a moment. It wasn’t unusual for Beau Lee to express his love for everyone in his life, often with a hug or hearty handshake.
“My flight leaves in four hours. Plenty of time for me to get some work done while I wait. I’ll let you know when I’m back in Texas. As for you two,” Nellie said, slipping from Beau Lee’s hug and looking at Capes, “both of y’all be careful out there.”
“You know I will,” Capes said. “But do you really think we can trust Doyle?”
“There’s only one way to be sure. Don’t let your guard down. Things in this city aren’t always what they seem. Mrs. Montrose might’ve put her trust in Doyle, but we need to be cautious.”
“I think you should go meet him without me,” Beau Lee said. “It’s more productive if we divide and conquer. You and Doyle can investigate, and I’ll get going on the lawsuit. Alvarez can fill me in on the status of Hollis’s current case against CPD.”
Capes’s eyes bucked at the idea: “You want me to roll around this city with five-o?”
“You can handle it,” Nellie said.
“I know I can handle it, but come on. Maybe I can dig into things on my own?”
“Time is of the essence here. Working with Doyle will speed things up. He can open doors you can’t.”
Capes looked resigned. “I’ll do the best I can, boss.”
“I know you will. Now, let’s get to work.”