The Almighty God of Law

Testify

The morning sun filtered through the dusty windows of Ezekiel's new office. The room was small. Bare. A desk. A chair. A filing cabinet. But it was his. And it was perfect.

He sat at the desk. Documents were spread before him. The Maria Santos case. He had studied it all night. Every complaint. Every violation. Every piece of evidence.

The door opened. Bryan walked in. His tablet was in hand.

"She's here. Maria Santos. Her friend Marcus is with her."

Ezekiel nodded. "Send them in."

The door opened wider. A man walked in first. Tall. Broad shoulders. Kind eyes. Behind him was a short woman. Round. Warm. Her eyes were red and puffy. She looked exhausted.

Marcus stepped forward. He extended his hand.

"Mr. Lawson? I'm Marcus. I'm a friend of Maria's. I heard you were a good lawyer. I told her she needed to come see you."

Ezekiel shook his hand. "Please. Call me Ezekiel."

Maria stepped forward. Her voice was shaky.

"Thank you for agreeing to see us. I didn't know where else to turn."

Ezekiel gestured to the chairs. "Please. Sit. Tell me everything."

Maria sat down. She clasped her hands together. Her fingers were trembling.

"I've owned my bakery for fifteen years. My parents owned it before me. It's all I have. It's everything."

Ezekiel nodded. He pulled out a notepad. "Go on."

"The real estate company. Hudson Heights Development. They want my property. They've been harassing me. They filed false complaints with the city. Health violations. Noise complaints. Zoning issues. They want to force me out."

Ezekiel wrote notes as she spoke.

"They've given me sixty days to vacate. They say I don't have the proper permits. They say my bakery is a health hazard. None of it is true. It's all lies."

She started crying. Marcus placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Ezekiel set down his pen. He looked at her with calm eyes.

"Let me ask you something, Maria. Have you kept any records? Letters. Phone calls. The complaints. Anything?"

She nodded frantically. "Yes. I kept everything. I knew they were trying to destroy me. I kept it all."

"Good. That's good. I need to see everything. Every document. Every piece of evidence."

Maria reached into her bag. She pulled out a thick folder. She handed it to Ezekiel.

He opened it. His eyes scanned the pages. Complaints. Letters. Official documents. All of it.

"Perfect," he said. "This is exactly what I need."

Marcus leaned forward. His face was eager.

"So you can help her? You can win this case?"

Ezekiel looked up. A confident smile played on his lips.

"Yes. I can win this case. I can file a motion to dismiss their complaints. They filed in the wrong jurisdiction. It's a procedural error."

Maria's eyes widened. "A procedural error?"

Ezekiel nodded. "They should have filed with the city zoning board. Instead, they filed with the state. That makes their complaints invalid."

Marcus's face lit up. "That's great! That's amazing!"

But Ezekiel held up his hand. "I'm not done. I want to do more than just dismiss their complaints. I want to counter-sue."

Maria blinked. "Counter-sue?"

"Yes. Hudson Heights Development has been engaging in illegal tactics. Harassment. Intimidation. Fraud. I want to show the court that they've been bullying you. I want to make them pay for what they've done."

Maria stared at him. Her mouth hung open.

"But... but they have lawyers. Big lawyers. Expensive lawyers. How can we beat them?"

Ezekiel leaned forward. His eyes were fierce.

"Because I'm a better lawyer. And I'm on your side."

He stood up. He walked to the window. His back was to them.

"Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to file a motion to dismiss. Then I'm going to file a counter-suit. I'll subpoena their records. I'll depose their executives. I'll expose every illegal tactic they've used."

He turned around. His face was hard.

"By the time I'm done, Hudson Heights Development will wish they had never touched your bakery."

Maria started crying again. But this time, they were tears of joy.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you so much."

Ezekiel walked back to his desk. He handed her a tissue.

"Go home, Maria. Rest. I'll call you when we're ready to go to court."

Maria stood up. She hugged Ezekiel. Then she walked toward the door.

Marcus lingered. He looked at Ezekiel. His face was filled with gratitude.

"Thank you, Mr. Lawson. She's been through so much. She needed someone like you."

Ezekiel nodded. "I'll take care of it."

Marcus walked out. The door closed.

Bryan stepped forward. His tablet was still in hand.

"Impressive work. You handled that well."

Ezekiel sat down. He opened Maria's folder again. His eyes scanned the documents.

"This is just the beginning. I have a meeting tonight with Victoria Reed. Richard Williams's mistress. She's going to be my key to bringing down the entire Williams empire."

Bryan nodded.

"Everything is arranged. The private lounge. The cover story. She thinks she's meeting someone about a job opportunity."

"Good."

Ezekiel closed the folder. He looked out the window.

"Tonight, I start the real work."

*** ***

The private lounge was dimly lit. Velvet couches. Soft music. The smell of expensive perfume and whiskey. Ezekiel sat alone at a corner table. His glass was untouched.

The door opened. Victoria Reed walked in. She was stunning. Tall. Blonde. Dressed in a designer gown. She looked like she belonged on a magazine cover.

She walked toward the table. Her heels clicked on the marble floor. She stopped. She looked at Ezekiel. Her eyes were cautious.

"Mr. Lawson?"

Ezekiel stood up. He extended his hand. "Please. Call me Ezekiel."

She shook his hand. Her grip was firm. Her eyes were sharp.

"Your assistant said you had a job opportunity for me. I'm listening."

Ezekiel gestured for her to sit. She sat down. She crossed her legs. She waited.

Ezekiel didn't speak. He simply looked at her. His eyes were calm. Steady.

Victoria grew uncomfortable. She shifted in her seat.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Ezekiel smiled. A cold smile.

"Because I know who you are, Victoria. I know about Richard Williams. I know about the apartment. The cars. The trips. The money."

Victoria's face went pale. Her hands gripped the armrests.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. And I know you're tired of being his secret. I know you're tired of being hidden. I know you want more."

She didn't speak. Her face was a mask.

Ezekiel leaned forward. His voice was low.

"I'm offering you a way out. A way to get everything you deserve. Money. Freedom. A fresh start."

Victoria stared at him. Her eyes were searching.

"What's the catch?"

"Richard Williams destroyed my life. He took everything from me. My freedom. My family. My reputation. I want to take everything from him."

"You want revenge."

"I want justice." Ezekiel's voice was cold. "And I need your help to get it."

Victoria was silent. She looked at the table. Her mind was racing.

"What do you need me to do?"

Ezekiel smiled. A dangerous smile.

"Testify against him. Expose his affairs. Expose his illegal deals. Expose everything he's done to hide his crimes."

She laughed. A bitter laugh.

"You don't know what you're asking. He'll destroy me. He has power. He has money. He has connections."

"So do I." Ezekiel's voice was ice. "And I'm offering you protection. A new identity. A new life. Everything you want. Just say yes."

Victoria looked into his eyes. She saw something there. Something she hadn't seen in a long time. Hope.

"Okay," she whispered. "I'll do it."

Ezekiel raised his glass. He took a sip.

"Good. We have work to do."