"Why don"t we have lunch then we can discuss the next possible action and your professional fee." Carl suggested as they walked out of the station.Deep down, he felt this was only the beginning, things could get worse. Granted that Charles Stan was running for seat and taking into account the kind of power the Stans hold, who was courageous enough to tip off the police? Were they not scared of retaliation? If they weren"t, it could only mean that person was of equal power with the Stans or perhaps stronger.
Therefore, he couldn"t just relax. It wasn"t over yet. If the Stans actually laundered money and couldn"t cover it up, then someone would have to go to jail. Carl was certain that Charles would not let his son go to jail and neither will he, consequently, they would have to choose a scapegoat.
Taking into consideration his relationship with his father and not to forget that the Blackwood family was on a decline, obviously they couldn"t stand against the Stans, even if they could, would his father be willing to help him?
He really did not want to go to jail in place of anybody.
And what on earth did his father and Chamberlain discuss when they met? Unconsciously, he drew Kim closer to him. To which she rubbed against him.
"You didn"t drive, did you? We can use my car." Mr. Anderson replied, leading them to his car.
Once they got to the restaurant, Mr. Anderson broke the silence, he had a.s.serted as much as Carl from the situation.
"I suggest you start gathering evidence just in case… something feels off. Besides, I might not be able to be of help if things get serious and most people would choose to stand on the side of power. So your options are not much."
Carl ran his fingers through his hair, "I gathered as much. Only a few people would be willing to fight against such power, it"s too dangerous."
Mr. Anderson sighed as he picked up the menu, "Well, no one in H. Gregory Law Firm will be of a.s.sistance to you. The Stans and our boss have a close relationship. It"s likely an order would be given soon not to take up your case if things don"t go well."
Mr. Anderson signaled to the waiter as he continued, "Or perhaps we are overthinking," he smiled warmly at the waiter.
Pointing at the menu, he said, "I"d like this, this and this. How about you two?"
Carl let Kim decide their dishes. His mind drifted off to everything Mr. Anderson said. There were two salient points, he needed to gather evidence as soon as possible and he needed to get an exceptional lawyer who isn"t afraid of power.
He really didn"t bargain for all these. If it wasn"t for that darn Chamberlain, he wouldn"t be in this mess.
After the waiter left, Carl raised a question, "Do you know any lawyer who would be willing to take up the case?" He wasn"t in the industry so he had no idea. If no one from the biggest Law Firm in the country was willing to take up the case, who would? He had never needed the services of a lawyer so he never paid attention to them. He didn"t think he would need one so soon either.
Mr. Anderson chuckled, "Young man, there"s yet to be a case."
"I know, I"m only preparing for the worst while hoping for the best," he confessed.
Kim, knowingly did not join in the conversation but she paid attention to their exchange so she knew it was quite serious. She reached for Carl"s hand. He did not look at her but only clasped her hand. Using his free hand, he rubbed her hand.
"I know of a lawyer who is quite… eccentric, perhaps he would be willing to take up your case but only if you have a difficult case."
Carl frowned, "Eccentric?"
The old lawyer rubbed his chin slowly, "Well, he doesn"t do it for the money and he particularly likes case which the odds of winning are highly unlikely. To him, it"s a challenge. If your case poses enough challenge, perhaps he would be willing to help you. But it hasn"t gotten to that."
"Then… can I get his contact?"
"Oh.. that"s the thing… he contacts you, not the other way round."
"Are you saying he"s the only one who would be willing to help?"
"There are fresh lawyers who lack experience and would certainly rush to take up the case only to regret after being pressured. You wouldn"t want those. Asides this, you know the situation of the country, there are only a few who would be willing to risk their lives for justice.
What I"m trying to say is that every man has something he cares for, whether family or status or money… because of these things, they are unlikely to go against a man like Charles Stan who can take everything away in a blink of an eye." Mr. Anderson finished just in time as the waiter appeared.
His hands squeezed into fists, "Are you saying I"m hopeless?"
"It hasn"t gotten to that yet."
"But why do I feel it has… in a not so distant future," he lowered his head.
The old lawyer stared at Carl not knowing how to a.s.sure the young man. He was not one to mince words but he relented. "Look, all I"m saying is that you need a really good lawyer. This narrows down your options. And then, you need a really good lawyer who isn"t afraid to stand against power, this further narrows down your options. However, as your legal counsel, I"ll try my best to see who can help you."
Carl tapped on his leg a few times before asking, "The lawyer you talked about earlier, what"s his name?"
"The eccentric? Gerald Morales."
"Thank you. Now about your fee…" The conversation continued over lunch.
Finally, Mr. Anderson left with a promise to get back to the couple with a list of lawyers they could try.
The couple hailed a taxi before heading home. As soon as they got inside and shut the door, Carl spun Kim around, pushed her against the door and captured her lips once more. He had been holding himself back ever since she called him hubby, now they were alone, he wanted to show her how he truly felt.
G.o.d, he loved this woman! She was brave, courageous, beautiful… he could go on and on.