Devilish Details (13 page)

“That was Mr. Nelson,” Shamekia blurted
out.

“The guy who’s supposed to be my new lawyer
just had a meltdown and blew outta here? Damn,” Jazz said.

“Oh, well... I guess we need to get you
another appointment. I mean...” The young woman stammered as she
rushed to her desk.

“I came here to get out of drama, not step
into more,” Jazz retorted. She swung her leather purse over one
shoulder. “Nah, sweetie, I’m on my way.”

Two men emerged from the office that had
been a storm center only minutes before. The man who had tried to
comfort Shamekia nodded at Jazz and disappeared back down a
hallway. The taller man, the color of honey, strode over to Jazz
with a hand extended. Without thinking she shook it.

“I’m so sorry you had to suffer through that
unsettling scene, Ms.--” The good-looking man glanced at
Shamekia.

“Ms. Jazzmonetta Vaughn, Mr. Higgins. She
had a two o’clock appointment with Mr. Nelson, but he...” Shamekia
glanced at the front door.

“I’ll see you right away, Ms. Vaughn.
Shamekia, get Ms. Vaughn a soft drink. Or maybe get one of those
small bottles of organic honey infused iced herbal tea. You have
one as well. Right this way Ms. Vaughn.” Mr. Higgins deftly guided
Jazz into his office with a firm hand under her elbow while he gave
instructions to Shamekia and offered more apologies.

Before she knew how or when it happened,
Jazz had been settled into a comfortable deep green leather chair.
A thick napkin had been placed in her hand and she held a crystal
goblet, as promised. In ten minutes she told him about her club and
the notice from the city of Baton Rouge. She gave him a copy of it
to examine as well. And damned if she didn’t like the honey infused
herbal tea crap Shamekia had practically begged her to try.

Godfrey Higgins, Esq. leaned back in his
leather executive chair. He had let her talk without interruption.
After ten seconds of silence he tapped on the keyboard of his
all-in-one desktop computer. As he worked, Jazz took time to size
him up. Higgins looked to be maybe in his early forties. He took
care of himself. Jazz surmised he was more than a bit vain about
his looks. From time to time he’d brush the sleeve of his shirt or
straighten his Kelly green tie. A padded hanger held his wool and
silk blend black suit jacket on a rack in one corner. His office
was neat. Jazz didn’t doubt that the guy had a mirror in a drawer
of his desk.

“I pulled up a copy of the ordinances they
cited. The pertinent one, by that I mean--”

“I know what pertinent means. Big words were
in the English section of my GED test,” Jazz quipped.

Higgins glanced at her. A slow smile pulled
up his full lips at both ends. “I won’t underestimate you again,
Ms. Vaughn. Anyway, the nuisance city ordinance referenced states
police files are used. Citizen complaints are included by the city
as well. Have you requested copies of the files used as a basis for
this action?”

“No. I can do that?”

“Definitely, it’s your right as part of due
process. Your request must be in writing. I suggest you do that
ASAP. Many small business owners represent themselves at these
hearings. I can give you some guidance for a fixed fee of $300
dollars,” Higgins said.

“Okay,” Jazz replied. A lawyer trying to
save her money? She waited for the catch.

“But word your request to make sure you
cover all possible documents. They could use sanitation inspections
and any information on record related to your occupational license.
They could use information on your building permits, liquor
license, and any number of things.” Higgins tapped his keys again
as he spoke.

“Sounds tricky to me,” Jazz said. She raised
an eyebrow. “I knew you lawyers would have a way to make more than
pocket change off us.”

Higgins appeared not the least bit offended.
“The law is complicated, Ms. Vaughn. That’s why we’re still around.
People find out they need us the hard way. I can give you a
detailed schedule of fees to represent you in this particular
matter.”

“You’ve represented a nightclub before with
a notice?” Jazz asked.

“An upscale gentlemen’s club in Gonzales
hired me in 2011 to fight city hall. We won, and it was within five
miles of a middle-school. You can imagine emotions ran high.”
Higgins smoothed down his tie.

“And?”

“The Louisiana state Attorney General’s
office issued an opinion that their hastily passed ordinance was
illegal. The city backed down. The club’s previous attorney had
taken a different approach. I don’t hold back.” Higgins gazed at
her with determination in his dark eyes. His predatory smile
indicated he enjoyed taking on a legal fight.

“Then you’re hired. What’s next? I mean
after I write you a check,” Jazz added with a knowing grin.

“We take debit and credit cards,” Higgins
replied without missing a beat, his handsome smile still in place.
“I’ll immediately file for a continuance of the hearing date to
give us more time, and an expedited request for all discoverable
files associated with the notice. Then I’ll find the weak points in
their case.”

Jazz didn’t make a move to pull out her
wallet. “I’ve done a bit of research on your law firm. You handle
mostly large liability cases. Some personal injury, but only
against pretty big companies. Every once in a while you take on a
criminal case, mostly white collar. Why would you want my itty
bitty case? You won’t rack up hefty legal fees repping me.”

Higgins sat back in his chair again. “I have
a confession.”

“Look out, a lawyer fessing up to something.
This should be good,” Jazz wisecracked.

“I saw the articles about your night club in
the newspaper. I also knew Jack Crown. I followed that case as
well. You played a role as I appreciate it, right? You were
arrested, but later cleared. Sounds like a David versus Goliath
kind of fight. I don’t like seeing city hall pushing citizens
around,” Higgins said.

“In other words, you could get some sweet
publicity mileage out of defending me. That way you’ll possibly
attract clients with deep pockets who’ve gotten themselves in deep
shit.” Jazz waved a hand to cut off his reply. “Everybody has their
reasons. My friend says you’re a shark, and I like sharp
teeth.”

Higgins smiled. “I really like you, Ms.
Vaughn.”

“I’m ready to pay, so you’ll officially be
my
shark,” Jazz replied with her most winning smile.

Chapter 8

Two days later, Jazz suffered through
another meeting with her big sister. Okay, that wasn’t fair. Willa
had good intentions, but the road to hell is what Jazz thought when
Willa started being “helpful.” Listening to Willa preach could be
as torturous as roasting on hot coals.

Willa sat across from Jazz in her office,
arms crossed and a frown on her face. Cedric fidgeted as though he
would find an excuse to bolt any minute. Her office manager, Kay,
kept thinking of reasons she needed to pop into the conference
room. MiMi sat at the other end of the conference table arguing
into her cell phone with her mother, who was awful at babysitting
little Sage. The snooty socialite hadn’t been much into her own
children. Jazz wondered why MiMi kept thinking Mrs. Ora Bertrand
Landry would magically become a doting, cookie baking
grandmother.

“So this lawyer is willing to represent you,
but he’s not going after some big time settlement. Something ain’t
right.” Willa looked at Cedric.

“Higgins has a reputation for being what
folks used to call an ambulance chaser is what Willa means. He
bought an RV to use as a mobile law office. When there was a plant
accident, he’d park in the closest neighborhood and sign up
clients.” Cedric laughed.

“Sounds like an enterprising businessman if
you ask me,” Jazz replied with a shrug.

“You would see shady moves as thinking out
of the box,” Willa retorted.

“Drop the snob act. You’ve been hanging
around those sorority sisters of yours too damn long.” Jazz crossed
her legs and folded her arms like Willa.

“You could learn from my sorors at Delta,
like proper manners,” Willa mumbled.

“You mean like your esteemed buddy Loren
Grady. She got three years supervised probation last year. She was
dumb enough to get caught gambling with her company’s money,” Jazz
snapped.

“Hey, Loren isn’t my buddy,” Willa
protested.

“Humph, such golden role models. You’re
right. I’ve got a lot to learn from your crew.”

Cedric raised a palm when both sisters faced
each other to take their spat to the next level. “We’re here to
talk about the city’s notice of closure and Higgins. Remember?”

MiMi dropped her smart phone in the sky blue
leather purse and joined in. “I missed some good stuff. Hit the
replay button so I can know what’s going on.”

“Willa and Jazz don’t agree...” Cedric
started.

“Tell me something I don’t already know,”
MiMi wisecracked and started laughing. She sobered up when the two
women glared at her. “Ahem, so what is the issue at hand?”

“Willa thinks Godfrey Higgins is shady,”
Jazz said in a clipped tone.

“Well let’s see.” MiMi whipped out her seven
inch tablet computer. “I made some notes. He’s been reprimanded
twice by the Attorney Disciplinary Board in the past eight years.
Both times letters of censure only.”

“How’d you do that so fast?” Willa craned
her neck to stare at the tablet’s screen.

“Public record, girl. All actions taken by
the Louisiana Supreme Court are searchable on their website. I
learned watching Cedric.” MiMi beamed proudly at them all.

“She’s right. Even those instances were
minor charges. He got busy when his practice took off. The board
said he failed to communicate with two clients in a timely way on
their cases; it’s behavior covered under their professional code of
conduct,” Cedric added.

“Yes, what he said,” MiMi replied.

“Okay, so he hasn’t gotten caught yet,”
Willa said, stubbornly suspicious.

“Some may not like his tactics, but he
hasn’t broken any laws or violated professional standards. He’s a
top earning attorney in southeastern Louisiana. He may dance on the
line a bit, but then so have
we
, Willa.” Cedric raised both
his dark eyebrows at his boss/business partner. More than once he’d
played the role of policing the three women when they wanted to
cross that line.

Willa gave a hiss of annoyance at his
inconvenient truth. “You’ve still got to be wondering why he’s
taking this case though.”

“He gets to fight for the underdog and
silence his critics that he just goes after the big money?” MiMi
said and looked at the other three.

“Nah, I doubt Higgins gives a shit about his
critics. Willa has a point. I thought of the same thing, but he
loves being before the cameras. I’ve been high profile once or
twice.” Jazz grinned at the memory of her exploits.

“He gets media attention. Free advertising
is one thing all business people love.” Willa nodded. “But he loves
money even more. I’m thinking he’s looking down the road. He wins
this hearing and sues the city.”

“Damn, I hadn’t thought about suing the
city. I must be slipping,” Jazz joked. Cedric and MiMi laughed with
her.

“Lord have mercy. Cedric, I can’t believe
you’re encouraging these two.” Willa gave him a side glance and
turned to Jazz. “You get to sue the city
if
you win.”

“Worth a try. I sure as hell can’t sit back
and let them take what’s mine,” Jazz replied.

“I agree with you there. You’d think the
city would have better things to do than go after one hood
nightclub. There are at least twenty around the city, more even,”
Willa said.

“Hey, Candy Girls isn’t a ghetto hang out.
We have working people who get lunch at my place, even families.
Don’t be comparing my place to major dens of iniquity,” Jazz
protested with heat.

“Hmm, den of iniquity. You were listening to
Reverend Fisher’s sermons I see.” Willa grinned when Jazz scowled
at her.

“You two stop with the sibling rivalry for
one minute.” MiMi scolded. She sighed. “Now Jazz, do you need help
with your legal fund?”

“I’m good for now.” Jazz looked down at her
peep-toe red pepper sandals.

Willa stood and strode to her desk. She
pulled out her checkbook. “You need my help.”

“No I don’t,” Jazz shot back and stood.
“I’ve got it covered, okay.”

“This is a loan.” Willa wrote the check
while ignoring Jazz’s angry huffing and puffing. She extended it to
her. “I’ll go to Higgins and make one out to him if you don’t take
it.”

“Legal cases have a way of stretching on for
months and draining bank accounts, Jazz,” Cedric said.

“You can take care of yourself, we get it.
But don’t be stupid. Take the money,” MiMi urged.

Jazz stared at Willa for fifteen seconds.
They both knew her savings were running low. Candy Girls had pretty
much drained what Jazz called her war fund. Jazz also knew Willa
would never ask to be repaid. Still she didn’t reach for the money.
“You’ve got two kids. Can you afford this ‘loan’?”

Cedric answered. “We signed two huge
contracts in the last few days. One of our current accounts paid
invoices of quite a hefty amount. That overdue bill had me sweating
for a minute. Crown Protection is doing fine.”

“Okay.”

Jazz pushed down the urge to hug her sister.
Though she’d find it hard to admit, Jazz worried about Willa and
the kids. Sentimentality didn’t come easy for her. Instead Jazz
shrugged, took the check, and put it in her matching red pepper
leather hobo bag. “But I’m going to pay you back.”

“You sure as hell better,” Willa
clipped.

Jazz frowned as Cedric and MiMi exchanged a
look. “What?”

“You two,” was all MiMi said with a sigh.
“Okay, so since we all need money...”