Betrayed (Rosato & DiNunzio, #2)(55)

Chapter Twenty-five

“Guys, you’re not going to believe what happened in our deposition!” Allegra raced off to meet Bennie and Mary, who turned to her.

“What?” Mary asked with an interested smile.

“Judy scared that lawyer away, and the witness too! They were lying, and she called them out on it, and they bounced!” Allegra’s words poured out in a rush, and as Judy came up from behind her, she could see Mary’s smile freeze in place.

Bennie stiffened. “Carrier, they ended the deposition?” she asked, checking her watch. “It’s ten o’clock. You weren’t even in there an hour. How could—”

“Bennie, it was amazing!” Allegra interrupted. “It was Dark Judy! I so want to be a lawyer! I can’t even wait!”

Mary said, “Dark Judy?”

Bennie frowned. “Carrier, what happened?”

“Nothing, really,” Judy answered, not wanting to justify herself to Bennie. She could see that Mary was already worried for her. “Aren’t you going to court?”

“Fill me in. We’re starting late today, and I have time.” Bennie set down her trial bag. “This was in Adler, wasn’t it? Whom did you depose today, Morrell or Govinda?”

“Govinda.”

Allegra chirped up, “Every question Judy asked the witness, he didn’t want to answer, so she told him she was going to get him at trial—”

Bennie’s eyes flared an incredulous blue. “Carrier, you told him what?”

Allegra answered, “And she told him—”

“Allegra,” Bennie snapped. “Let Judy tell the story.”

“But she’s too modest,” Allegra insisted. “She doesn’t want to brag about herself. You know how she is—”

Judy put a hand on Allegra’s shoulder, moving her out of the crossfire. “Bennie, if you remember the details of the case, the statement was made that ‘there’s no room—’”

“I remember the statement. So what happened? You asked him if Morrell made the statement and he denied it?”

“Of course.” Judy felt a renewed flicker of anger. “So I pressed him, as I should.”

“You had to do more than press him for them to get up and walk out.”

“I pressed him hard.” Judy bristled. “I challenged him.”

“How much did you challenge him?” Bennie recoiled. “You can’t challenge him so much they walk out. You crossed the line.”

“No I didn’t.” Judy knew she had crossed the line, but she shouldn’t be called on the carpet for it, on her own case. She couldn’t bear to look at Mary. It was just like what had happened last night, only worse.

“You had to have crossed the line, and it’s a dumb thing to do with Rick Kelin. I’ve known him for twenty years, and he’s one of the biggest jerks around. What did you do?”

“My job.”

“How do you figure that?”

“It’s strategy.” Judy thought on her feet. “Govinda is the weak link, and I want him to worry, tell Morrell that he won’t lie for him or at least that they won’t get away with it, and that will provoke a settlement.”

“That’s quite a gamble.” Bennie pursed her lips. “You need to know what Govinda will say at trial and you won’t get a second bite at the apple. That was your shot.”

“I know what he’ll say at trial. I intend to beat him before we get there. He’s wound too tight, and the anticipation of being embarrassed and humiliated will eat away at him, I can tell.”

“So you intimidated him.”

“I destabilized him.”

Bennie blinked. “Dark Judy, indeed.”

Judy held her tongue. “Even if we don’t settle, he’ll be a wreck on the stand. I won’t have to break him down at trial, he’ll break himself down before then.”

“Still there’s other things you could’ve explored.”

“I didn’t need anything else from him. The case is the statement. I got what I needed for the case. Bennie, whatever the strategy is, it’s my strategy.”

“But it’s my case. Linda Adler is my client.”

“And you assigned the case to me as soon as the complaint came in.”

“I’m the billing partner.”

“But I interviewed her on intake, sent out interrogatories and document requests, and defended her deposition. I’m working the case.”

“If you’re working the case, I don’t expect a call from the client. She called me because you didn’t return her call.”

Judy felt herself redden. “I told you, the call fell through the cracks this weekend, but I’m working the case like I always do.”

“You’re not working it like you always do.” Bennie picked up the trial bag. “All of a sudden, you’re not getting along with anyone. Fighting in depositions, giving me pushback on Bendaflex. And now, this? It’s not like you. What’s gotten into you?”

Everything, Judy wanted to say. But what she answered was: “I’m fine.”

“And what’s up with the fifty grand? Please tell me you’re getting it out of my safe.”