Chapter 4
The next morning, Ava walked intoher office, sat down behind the desk, opened a Diet Coke and pulled up here-mail inbox.
Just a friendly reminder about Boss’Day. – Harriet
Lose belly fat fast!!! –skinnyminny465768
Ava, my group gave me the OK. See youat Mexico Lindo 2 tomorrow night. – Rachel
Ava leaned back in her chair. Couldthis really go somewhere? Would she actually be able to tell a real story?
“Oh, Ava!”
Ava looked around her small officeand realized, for the umpteenth time, that she still didn’t have a properescape route. There were so many reasons to have an office with a window thathad nothing to do with status or daylight.
“Oh, Ava, there you are,” Harrietsaid. “I’ve been looking for you.” Harriet was dressed in a black pant suit.There was no silk scarf today, but there was a beret. When Harriet cocked herhead after addressing Ava, the beret looked like it could slide off at anymoment.
“Well, you found me,” Ava said. “Inmy office.”
“Now you’re in your office,” Harrietsaid. “I don’t think you were here 10 minutes ago.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t find a thing towear this morning,” Ava said, attempting to excuse her seven minutes oftardiness.
Harriet looked Ava up and down fromthe waist up as Ava stayed seated behind her desk. “I can see how that would bea problem for you,” she said. “But it’s been a long morning without my numbertwo you know.”
She probably forgot where the powerbutton was to her computer again, Ava thought. “I can’t apologize enough,” Avasaid. “What did you need?”
“I wanted to move our meeting up.The temple called and there’s no one to manage the office during today’s yogaretreat.” Harriet was an occasional Buddhist. “I’ve got to get out there, butsince you weren’t around, I’ll guess we’ll have to move our meeting back. Howdoes 5:30 work for you?”
“Nothing like an end of the work daymeeting,” Ava said. “I’ll see you then.”
“Wonderful, I figured you didn’thave plans.”
Ava forced a smile.
“And plan on staying a little late,I’ve had some thoughts on cleaning solutions since we spoke last.’
The forced smile became a grimace.
“Toodles!”
Without the go-ahead for any of herupcoming projects or stories and no idea what Harriet’s new ideas were, Avasoon realized her day would be emptier than most. She picked up the phone.
“This is Libby.”
“The cat’s away. How about aridiculously long lunch followed by makeovers at the MAC counter?”
“No can do,” Libby said. “Sorry tolet you down kiddo, but I’ll be spending my lunch break and most of theafternoon in Dr. Dickson’s chair getting a new crown.”
“No fair,” Ava said.
“That’s me being selfish again. Iplanned my day around novacaine and drilling just to frustrate you.”
“There’ll be gas involved. Don’t actlike it’s all pain and suffering.”
“Fair enough.”
“OK, I’ll go back to being borednow.”
“Sorry, Ava.”
“I’ll make do.” She put down thephone and went back to her computer screen. Nine hours left until the meetingwith Harriet, and Ava had no solitaire, no Libby and no Facebook access.
Then she re-read the e-mail fromRachel. If these women really were losing their kids because of corruption inthe judicial system, they deserved someone to tell their story. And theydeserved someone to tell their story well. Ava was about as far removed fromher days at journalism school as she thought she could be, but she still knewshe owed this lead far more than a Google search. There had to be another wayto find out more about Jack Shaw.
The city courthouse was only a fewblocks away. Ava grabbed her purse and locked her computer screen. It was timefor a field trip.
The courthouse was an attractiveenough building. The façade was crafted of limestone that could use a goodpressure wash, but the six-story structure seemed formidable. Once Ava wasinside, surrounded by marble and the echo of footsteps down the long tiledhallways, she felt like someone was watching her and that every move was beingscrutinized. This was not a building she’d ever try to escape.
Ava was also intimidated by themetal detectors. While she knew that she had every right to be in this publicbuilding, she still expected someone to pull her out of line: “You’re the womanwho wants to write bad, bad things about us,” she imagined the guard screaming.“Straight to lock-up!”
Instead, Ava passed through thescreening without even making eye contact with anyone and went on her way. Shestudied the directory and she learned that family court was on the 4thfloor. She boarded the elevator.
Stepping out on the fourth floor,Ava felt another wave of intimidation. What was she doing here after all? Shewasn’t a real reporter. She didn’t cover beats. And she was no good withconfrontation or tough questions. She couldn’t even ask her ex-boyfriends wherethey saw the relationship going.
Ava could pretend all she wantedthat it was just circumstance that had landed her at Gloss magazine, but it wasa case of fear, too. She went to the water fountain hoping that something coolto drink would calm her nerves and give her time to think.
“You know what he’s up to, don’tyou?” Ava heard a woman behind her raising his voice. “Can’t you see what he’sdoing? He’ll say whatever it takes to hurt me.”
“Ryan, you have to calm down.” Itwas a man’s voice this time. “If you lose your temper, you’re not going to helpyourself or your kids. Let’s step back for a second.”
Ava kept her head down but turned itslightly to get a better look at the two people in conversation. Both werestanding just a few feet away by the window.
“You heard what they said in there.”The woman was practically screaming now. Even with her face twisted in anger,she was very pretty. Her blonde hair was cut in a bob, her skin seemedflawless, and her tailored suit couldn’t have been anything over a size four.
“It’s a custody trial, Ryan,” theman said. “I tried to warn you that a lot of nasty things were going to besaid. But, we haven’t called a single witness yet. You have to trust my trialstrategy.” The man, who Ava took to be an attorney, was quite nice looking aswell. At just over six feet tall, he had a rounder face, broad shoulders anddark brown hair. Both wore the dark suits one expected to find inside acourthouse – or at a funeral.
“This is about your kids, Ryan,” theman went on. “Take a couple of deep breaths, and we’ll get back in there. Thereare only two minutes left to this recess, and Judge Shaw watches the clock likea hawk.”
“OK, Eric. I’m paying you the bigbucks for a reason, I guess.”
“Or, the not so big bucks, as thecase may be.” The woman finally cracked a smile.
Ava couldn’t believe her luck. ThankGod for her anxiety attack – it had landed her in just the right spot forobserving Jack Shaw. When she stood up completely, Ava saw a slightly oldergentleman standing down the hall. He was graying and tall, but would still beable to turn plenty of heads. Next to him, was a label-clad blonde woman –Gucci bag, Chanel suit, Christian laboutin heels. Ava recognized the clothesfrom a fashion story she’d researched in the fall. At least a half dozen men insuits and well-dressed women stood nearby. She guessed that the soon to beex-husband of agitated Ryan was somewhere in the crowd. Unlike Ryan and herattorney, the group down the hall smiled often and even let out the occasionalgiggle.
“Court will resume.” A bailiff hadentered the hall, and the first two people Ava had eavesdropped on walked intothe courtroom. Ava waited until the husband’s entourage made it down the hall,and then did her best to appear as if she was with the gaggle of friends and relatives.Sure, there was a clear difference in dress and socio-economic level, but maybeshe could pass for their charity case of the week. She wandered in just behindthe last label-clad woman and took a seat in the last row on the plaintiff’sside.
“All rise. Court is now in session.”
An attractive man in his mid-fortiesentered the room. “Judge Jack Shaw presiding.” Even 20 years after his collegehey day, Ava could see why her sister had has such a crush on Mr. Shaw. He was blond, blue-eyed and had the lean lookof your typical Golden Boy. Ava flashed on Robert Redford’s character in The Way We Were almost immediately.
“Now, where were we?” the judgesaid.
“Your honor, for the sake of myclient’s time and that of the court, I see no reason to go on with theseproceedings,” the husband’s attorney said. “My client is an excellent parent,and the defendant, well, isn’t.”
“Objection,” the wife’s attorneyrose. “I hardly think it’s fair to assume anyone is an unfit parent at thispoint in the hearing.”
“I think it’s unfair to allow thesepoor children to spend one more minute wondering if they’ll have to live with …with that.” The attorney pointed towards the mother.
“So, it’s better to send them homewith a drunk?”
“Now, now Mr. Stevens, you are anofficer of this court, and I expect you to behave as such,” Judge Shaw said.
“Yes, your honor,” the defendant’s attorneysaid. “It’s just so hard to sit here and listen to the plaintiff’s nearcanonization of this man.”
“Your honor,” the plaintiff’s attorneysaid.
“I just can’t help but think that Mr.Newson didn’t attract all of those girlfriends by being a great father who washome every night with the kids.”
“Objection!”
“We could always ask the doc whoprescribes all of his painkillers what he thinks.”
Judge Shaw raised his gavel.
“What a prick.”
A hush fell over the court, and alleyes turned to the back of the room.
“Is there something you’d like toadd, young lady?”
Ava turned around as well.
“Young lady?” Judge Shaw stareddirectly at Ava.
“Was that out loud?” Ava tried tosmile.
“It was indeed,” he said. “Would youcare to say something? I’m more than happy to give you the floor.”
“I’m fine,” Ava said. “Really.”
“Are you an attorney, Miss?”
“No, sir.”
“So, your business here would be?”
“Observation.”
“I see,” the judge said. “Well, thenif you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you could observe without commentary.’
“Yes, sir.”
“And I’d also like to get back topresiding over my court now, if that’s OK with you, of course.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, everyone, it looks like wecan get back to the actual business at hand now. Maybe we could all focus onthe law and the welfare of a family, here?”
Everyone in the courtroom nodded.
Ava gathered her things and moved asinconspicuously as possible towards the door. So much for her stealthy fieldwork. Just before Ava slunk out of the room, she turned around and saw thatEric Stevens was staring at her.
She guessed that calling someone aprick wasn’t exactly the best way to make friends. Oh well, at least there wasone more piece of advice for her next relationship column.