Attorney-Client Privilege (36 page)

Eight Weeks Later

“T
hese seats are tight,” Jefferson said, leaning over to kiss me on the cheek. “I’ve never sat in the first row on the fifty-yard line at a pro game before. Not to mention a playoff game between the Legends and the 49ers.”

This spur-of-the-moment trip to San Francisco had turned out to be a much-needed break from all the drama I’d been through with the Big Buy case.

“Vernetta’s got it like that now,” Special said, nudging Benjamin, who was sitting next to her. “After
we
—emphasis on
we
—got Lamarr’s name cleared, that boy promised us season tickets for life.”

“Y’all need more clients like Lamarr,” Jefferson said, reaching over me to bump fists with Benjamin.

Special had suggested that we invite Benjamin along to round out our foursome. She was now on a self-imposed, six-month dating hiatus. I thought taking some solo time to heal from her breakup with Clayton was an excellent idea.

A lot had transpired over the past few weeks. Special’s affidavit recapping her conversation with Tonisha made national news. We even posted it on the Internet and, at last count, it had gotten over a million hits. Every place Tonisha went, reporters hounded her for a reaction to Special’s affidavit. She finally broke down and admitted everything. Special and I never disclosed the existence of the recording.

After that, Lamarr and I hit the talk show circuit with a vengeance. It took some doing, but I convinced Lamarr to refrain from attacking Tonisha. Instead, he painted her as a victim. In reality, she was a naïve, misguided young woman who used the wrong tactics to achieve the riches she so desperately desired. Lamarr even agreed to donate ten thousand dollars toward her attorneys’ fees for the perjury charges she was now facing. That, too, had been my idea.

The media, impressed with the empathy Lamarr showed toward his accuser, piled on the praise. The Legends quickly rescinded its decision to cut him from the team. All of his prior endorsement deals were renewed and he picked up four more on top of those. He was now the national spokesperson for California Kids on the Mend, a group that worked to improve the lives of foster kids.

Lamarr’s handsome face graced the cover of countless newspapers and magazines. Needless to say, the publicity has kept my phone ringing off the hook with new clients.

During her conversation with Special, Tonisha admitted that she had intentionally set up Lamarr, figuring she’d get lots of public sympathy and some big cash. The night before she was scheduled to testify, the guilt got to her and she told Girlie about the scam. The attorney-client privilege prevented Girlie from divulging Tonisha’s misconduct to the court, but it mandated that she withdraw from the case rather than allow her client to give false testimony.

But Girlie had too much invested in the case and wanted to win. The decision to allow Tonisha to perjure herself, however, ultimately cost Girlie her career. She quietly resigned from her law firm and was being brought before the State Bar. Because of all of her connections, the District Attorney’s Office declined to charge her with suborning perjury. She was still facing a lengthy suspension of her bar license. Just before she resigned from her law firm, Girlie filed papers with the court in support of my request for dismissal of the verdict against Lamarr.

Mankowski had been restricted to administrative duty while internal affairs completed its investigation into his affair with Girlie. It looked like he might keep his job, but a demotion was likely.

The Big Buy situation was still unfolding. The company’s CEO, CFO, general counsel and a host of other company executives were all facing criminal charges. Rita Richards-Kimble had become the newest poster child for corporate greed. One story I saw even compared her to the likes of Bernie Madoff.

Special nudged me with her elbow. “What are you thinking about? You look like you’re in a totally different place.”

I slowly exhaled. “I was just thinking about Girlie Cortez.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re feeling sorry for that heffa. She’s about to get everything she deserves.”

“I know. But can you imagine having a father—a wealthy father, at that—who never claimed you? That had to be rough.”

“No, I can’t imagine it,” Special said, taking a sip of her soda. “That’s why I don’t have a problem with some of the things she did. I completely understand why she hated her stepmother and wanted to bring down Big Buy. But what she did to Lamarr was inexcusable.”

I wholeheartedly agreed. Still, I did feel a little sorry for her. “What she went through as a kid,” I said, “says a lot about who she is today.”

“True.” Special spread her hands, palms up. “But like my grandmama always said, you reap what you sow.”

A resounding roar filled the Legends’ side of the arena. Special and I shot to our feet. Benjamin and Jefferson were already up.

I placed a hand on Jefferson’s shoulder and looked toward the Legends’ end zone. “What happened?”

“Your boy just scored another touchdown.”

Lamarr jumped to his feet, pumped a fist high in the air, then did an Incredible Hulk muscle move. The Legends were now up by 14 points with eight minutes left on the clock.

We watched the replay on the Jumbo Tron as the words
Lamarr “The
Hero” Harris Scores Again!
flashed across the screen. As we returned to our seats, I picked up the game booklet and stared at the cover. It showed Lamarr surrounded by a bunch of beaming kids from a local Boys & Girls Club. The headline brought a gigantic smile to my face.

Lamarr Harris: A Real-Life Hero After All.

I am truly a lucky woman! I doubt that there’s a writer alive who has friends and family more supportive than mine. It’s now time for me to say thanks to the many, many people who helped me craft another page-turner. 

First, to the multitude of friends and relatives who critiqued the early drafts of this novel, as always, your feedback was invaluable. A big thanks to Randy Bauer, Dawn Pittman, Malcolm Ali, Faye Gipson, Diane Mackin, Kathy Fairbrother, Carline Louis-Jacques, M.D., Donny Wilson, E. Jewelle Johnson, Debbie Diffendal, James White, Ellen Farrell, Geneva O’Keith, Paul Ullom, my prayer warrior Olivia Smith and my USC homegirl Cynthia Hebron. I couldn’t buy better supporters.

To my two super fans turned friends and editors, Pamela Goree Dancy, thanks for critiquing my manuscript and pumping me up when I needed it most; and Valerie Lamar, thanks for your enthusiastic critique. One day we’ll have to stop chatting by email and actually meet.

To the three Los Angeles area book clubs who read an early draft of
Attorney-Client Privilege
and joined me at my home for an evening of food, drinks and lively discussion, I am lucky to have you in my corner: Bookalicious Book Club members Arlene L. Walker, Judi Johnson, Saba McKinley, Kamillah Clayton, Helen Jingles, Raunda Frank, and Lesleigh Kelly; Sisters with Books Book Club members Cheryl Finley, Bunny Withers, Gloria Falls, Helen Merrick, Elaine Moore, Freida Smith, Janice Criddle and Beverly Newton; and Something to Talk About Book  Club members Tonya Cobb, Vera Walker-Alfred, Aleshia Johnson, Marina Young, Yasmine Johnson, Patricia Jenkins and Tanisha Johnson. Can’t wait to visit your book clubs again. To the 160-plus book clubs who’ve invited me into their homes via speakerphone, Skype and in-person since the release of my first book, thanks for making me a part of your sister circle. To other book clubs out there, call me!

I’d also like to thank those experts who freely shared their knowledge and expertise with me: Los Angeles employment attorney Mika M. Hilaire, Oakland criminal defense attorney Colin Bowen and retired Washington, D.C. homicide detective George Blackwell. Thanks for answering my many questions and helping me fix my flaws.

To Sister Daaimah Abdulmujeeb, Sister Charlene Muhammad and my homeboy and photographer extraordinaire Brother Malcolm Ali, thank you for discussing your faith, Islam, with me. To my co-worker Jae Requiro, I really enjoyed our discussions about your Filipino heritage.

To my talented team: developmental editors Kristen Weber and Jerome Norris, copy editors Lynel Washington and Karey Keenan, publicists Dee Stewart of Dee Gospel PR and Ella Curry of EDC Creations Media Group, LLC, my lifeline to the blogging world, Tracee Gleichner of Pump Up Your Books, book cover designer Keith Saunders of Marion Designs, interior book designer Kimberly Martin of Jera Publishing, website designer Ikenna Igwe of Tranquil Black, and my wonderful virtual assistant Stacey Nikodym. I couldn’t do what I do without all of you.

To my mother Pearl and my husband Rickey, thanks for picking up the slack when I’m writing or on the road promoting my books. The two of you make my job so much easier.

To my devoted readers, I hope you enjoyed this one. I’m already hard at work on the next one!

1. Do you think most attorneys will do “whatever it takes” to win a case?
   
2. If you were in Olivia and Ida’s shoes, would you have settled out of the lawsuit like Ida did, or continued to fight the way Olivia did?
   
3. Do you think women, for the most part, have achieved equality in the workplace?
   
4. Is it important for a husband and wife to share the same religious beliefs?
   
5. Do you think it’s a good idea to study other religions, not for the purpose of converting, but to understand the beliefs of others?
   
6. Were you more sympathetic toward Girlie Cortez after learning about her upbringing?
   
7. Have you ever worked with someone who used sex for career advancement?
   
8. Do you think Detective Mankowski’s partner should have reported his unethical behavior?
   
9. Who was your favorite character in
   Attorney-Client Privilege
   ?
   
10. What did you like/dislike most about
    Attorney-Client Privilege
    ?
    

Pamela Samuels Young is a practicing attorney and bestselling author of the legal thrillers,
Every Reasonable Doubt, In Firm Pursuit,
Murder on the Down Low, Buying Time
and
Attorney-Client Privilege.

In addition to writing legal thrillers and working as an in-house employment attorney for a major corporation in Southern California, Pamela is on the board of directors of the Los Angeles chapter of Sisters in Crime, an organization dedicated to the advancement of women mystery writers. The former journalist and Compton native is a graduate of USC, Northwestern University and UC Berkeley’s School of Law. She is married and lives in the Los Angeles area.

To schedule Pamela for a speaking engagement or book club meeting via speakerphone, Skype or in person, visit her website at www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com.