Chapter 2 Justice Drive By
1552 Words
Chapter 2
Justice Drive By
In an affluent Santa Monica neighborhood, well-manicured lawns and a contrived floral ecosystem maintain the illusion of an oasis from the crowded streets.
Maria strides through afternoon shadows towards a postmodern house with sharp right angles and an overabundance of transparent glass exteriors. In the driveway sits a yellow Lamborghini with rear spoilers. James notices Maria and rushes to get inside the car.
“Talk to me,” Maria implores, as she moves into position a few feet behind the Lamborghini.
James revs the engine. The car lurches back a foot.
Maria jumps back, startled. She continues to block the car exit. Would he run her over? She’s less certain. Maria grits her teeth and doubles down. She eases up to the rear of the car. “Come on bro. We’ve been best friends since before you liked girls. That’s got to mean something.”
The engine shuts down. James exits the Lamborghini without a word. He glares at Maria.
She stares back with pleading eyes. “The last thing you said to me was ‘You’re going to pay for your betrayal.’ I didn’t betray you. It was a ruse to get Renquist alone. After what he did, revenge was my only thought.”
James stares with angry eyes.
Maria says, “Don’t shut me out. It was my company too. Are you just going to pout?”
James turns towards the house.
“OK. OK. I’m sorry,” Maria says with outstretched arms.
He swings back towards her. “How could you let me think you betrayed me, even for a second? Do you know how much I went through, just thinking that?”
“I’m sorry. Are we cool?” Maria inches her hand out.
He stares at her hand, motionless. It’s a battle of wills. Maria feels more awkward every second he doesn’t shake.
“Bros?” Maria overextends her arm in an awkward pose.
“Bros?” She extends her arm to the very limit. If Maria moves her hand any closer to James, she will fall over.
Maria can’t hold the position much longer. Her patience and self-respect are almost depleted. Her muscles twitch.
James nods. “Bros.” He steps towards her to take her hand.
They shake and transition to a one-armed hug.
Maria finally relaxes, spent.
“I still need to drive to clear my head.” James gets back in the car. The engine hums.
Maria is dejected. Abandoned. All that to be left behind?
James pokes his head from the vehicle. “Are you coming?”
Maria is ecstatic. She dashes to the Lamborghini and gets inside.
James backs the sports car onto the street and peels out. Small talk, banter, then finally the two are old friends again. He accelerates around a Prius and a BMW as if it were a race. James banks around a corner towards Wilshire Boulevard. Ahead lies a solid wall of cars. He hard brakes. The car fishtails just short of the thoroughfare.
“Rush hour. Welcome to L.A., the entertainment capital of the world and traffic nightmare. That’s as much clearing as my head is going to get.” James pounds the steering wheel and repositions to merge into traffic.
Maria says, “Then let’s work, James. What’s your plan to take back the company?”
“A better lawyer might find a contract loophole.” James drives aggressively. He forces his way onto Wilshire.
“Yeah, a lawyer off a park bench would be an improvement,” she teases.
James eyes her suspiciously.
Maria tenses up. Did he notice her park bench comment? He doesn’t need to know about her cameras, not yet. How can Maria distract him? An apology. “Sorry for insulting your brother like that.”
He shrugs. “He did blow it. I’m waiting to hear back from half a dozen law firms. The lawyers aren’t calling me back. I feel helpless like I can’t move forward.”
“The phone works both ways. Call them,” Maria says.
James dials a number on his phone. A dial tone drones on the car stereo system.
A receptionist picks up. “McClintock and Associates, how may I help you?”
“This is James Wong. I need to follow up with Jim Forrester.”
“Just one moment please.” After a long pause, the receptionist returns. “Our law firm is not interested in your case. Please do not call again.” She hangs up.
Maria gasps. “You’d think we were telemarketers, from her reaction.”
James does not take the news well. Gridlock seems to add to his tension. He watches a pedestrian outpace his extravagant sports car. He loses it. James pounds on the steering wheel.
“I’m going to try side streets,” James growls. He fights his way off the boulevard, returning to reasonable traffic.
James dials again. It rings once, then goes straight to voicemail.
“Let me try with my phone,” Maria says.
“Stevenson Horowitz Partners, how may I direct your call?”
“I’ve got a ten-figure contract dispute, and I’d like to discuss the possibility of your firm representing me,” Maria says.
“Let me check if any of the partners are available,” the receptionist says.
The phone picks up quickly. “Horowitz speaking. Just to confirm, that’s a billion-dollar contract?”
“Yes. Do you take cases on a contingency basis?” Maria asks.
“We rarely do contingency on business litigation, but the potential payout is high enough, so we’ll consider the case. Our fee is 40% of any settlement.”
“Almost half?” James chokes on the words.
“Who is opposing counsel?”
“Briggs, Hultz, and Cantaker,” Maria says.
The lawyer says, “Never mind. No lawyer would take a contingency case against them. I’d get better odds with the lottery. If you pony up two, or three million, and wait a few years, I’ll see what I can do. Don’t expect much.”
“Two…or three…million?” James looks at Maria, almost hyperventilating. The Lamborghini drifts in the direction of his eyes. The sports car smashes into a parked Lexus. The airbag deploys. The right front wheel crunches to the sounds of shearing metal. The impact sends the Lexus hurling like a lumbering domino into a Civic, which hits a Camry, which taps the bumper of a Mercedes.
The lawyer ignores the noise. “Will you be putting us on retainer?”
“That was the sound of my life crashing. All my money is tied up in a company, which I have no access to. I can’t afford justice! I’m not going to give you millions of dollars when I’m not sure how I’ll even make rent.”
“You could sue them for five grand in small claims.” The lawyer laughs.
James hangs up the phone. “I always find a solution. I can’t accept this is out of my hands. My brother is my only shot now. After the verbal assault I unleashed on him this morning, I’m not sure he’ll talk to me, much less take the case. Maybe we can’t get the company back.”
Maria cringes. “At least the speakers still work.”
“Can you just let me stay angry for ten minutes before you try cheering me up?” James asks.
“Call roadside assistance, and I’ll give you some space. I’ll be outside when you’re ready to talk.” Maria pushes the airbag out of the way. The door won’t budge. She crawls out the window. Maria grabs a pen and paper from the glove compartment.
Vintage heavy metal blares from the car. James bangs his head into the airbag repeatedly in time with the music.
Maria steps over a bumper and car shrapnel. She leaves notes on each damaged car.
Five minutes later, a tow truck drives up behind the Lamborghini. A Persian tow truck driver yanks chains from the back.
James turns off the music and greets the driver. “That was quick. I’m glad I upgraded to the executive package. Here’s my card.”
The driver lowers the winch. “I’m not here for that.”
Maria looks at the street sign and approaches. “Why are you here then? Street sweeping is Thursday on this side. Today is Friday.”
“Don’t worry,” the driver says. “You’re not getting a parking ticket. I’m just taking your car.”
The driver puts chains around the right rear tire. He notices the damaged right side. The driver grumbles. “You got in a crash? They’d better not charge me for this.” He takes photos of the accident scene on his phone.
James says, “You can’t take my car! Banged up or not, it’s mine. What? Are you a repo man, or something?”
“Your employer informed us you’re no longer working for them.”
“I don’t have an employer.”
The driver puts away his GPS locator. “So, it’s confirmed then.”
“No, I mean it’s my company.”
The driver shakes his head. “I hear this every time with these fancy cars. It’s my company. We’re not bankrupt. It was in the divorce settlement.”
The driver positions wheel lifts under the tires. He gets more agitated as he talks. “I’ve got to take the car. I’ve got two ex-wives. Look, I’m a bit behind myself. Can you imagine my shame if I have to repo my own car? Not that I’d turn down the job, work is work. What would I do on my weekend? My tow truck doesn’t fit a car seat.”
“Please, there has to be something you can do to help us,” James says.
“Look, here’s what I can do. Can you cover your next payment today?”
James gives Maria puppy dog eyes.
“Don’t look at me,” she says.
“Well…no.” James shrugs.
The driver says, “I don’t care if it was mommy, daddy, or the board of directors that cut you off. It’s not your car anymore.”
The wheels lift off the pavement. James watches the Lamborghini disappear. The sky looks artificial. Red hues announce the arrival of night.
James sulks. “You can cheer me up now.”
“We’ll get something to eat, change clothes, and head over to Beer Beakers, my treat.” Maria gets him to smile.
The two comrades stroll off into the sunset.
- Writer
