The Royal Contract

Except for the buzzing street below, nothing was interesting to see outside. It was just tall buildings after another, trying to tower over the other. There seemed to be no sign of life that could be seen in his view.

But it was better to look at the glass pane and the tall columns than the cases occupying his table. He still had a few that needed to be reviewed more thoroughly and some he wished to end as soon as possible.

“I am not too sure.” Mike finally answered him with doubt in his voice. “He seemed to be loose in the head.” He added before he went silent on the other line.

Based on Nick’s reaction, he did not know if they could still trust him with his silence. Although Nick had no idea who the big boss was, he still had knowledge of their organization and operations.

He believed, at this point, Nick was a dangerous man to be an ally but worse as an enemy. He was an unstable man who might be losing his sensibility.

“What do you recommend we do with him?” He asked his friend, valuing his opinion on the matter. He switched the phone on his hand to the other side as he repositioned himself on his seat.

.....

He also believed that Nick had always been erratic with his behavior. It was the reason he did not trust him before. And had doubts about relying on his commitment now.

He could never trust a man whose loyalty only lay on himself, and his interest was more valuable than the rest. A man like that, just like Nick, would sell his soul to the devil and double-crossed him in an instant if it would suit him.

“Give me a few days to assess him. What he might know, and what he had said to the authorities?” Mike said to him on the other line. “Gerald, it is important that we do this right.”

He was still working on the case. Being new to the team was not easy for him. He had to play catch up with the information already evaluated by the others.

Then, he suspected that their team leader was still withholding information from him. He still needed to prove to them that he could be trusted with valuable information.

“I can only give you a limited time to do what you have to do. But after that, my hands are tied.” Gerald answered him, thinking that the clock was ticking. “Then, what are you going to do?”

The longer Nick was locked up in jail, the more the situation worsened. If only they could depend on him to keep his silence and agree to take the fall in exchange for just compensation. Then things would be less complicated.

In his opinion, it seemed that Nick would not cooperate with their plans. It was more likely that he would have to resort to another means of cleaning up the mess.

“That is all I need,” Mike answered confidently, believing that it was enough to conduct his plans. “Let me handle this for you. My gift to you for bringing me back to the fold.”

He did not mind getting his hands dirty, especially if he was doing it for his friend. It was the only way he could repay him for the many things he had done for him.

“Ok. I trust that you know what you are doing.” He was not skeptical. He knew what his friend was capable of doing. He had seen them firsthand during the time that they were still together.

“But, at any time, you will need help. Don’t forget to call,” Gerald added, always believing having a backup plan was better than working blindly on a situation.

It was just like when he went to battle with his cases. He would always prepare for his day in court, but first, he would try to make a settlement. If he failed to make an amicable deal, he would just have to resolve it before a jury.

Although, he did not believe in winning all his cases in court. Not everything was required to be conquered on the battlefield. Some were better dealt with on the table and won by avoiding conflict but through a favorable resolution.

“Then, I better get back to work,” Mike said as he finally said his farewell.

He still had much investigating to accomplish, and it was not an easy task. But it was a challenge that he was willing to take. He had an exact idea how he would play this.

On the other hand, Gerald dropped the phone in his hand back into his pocket before letting his feet down on the floor. But he did not turn around quickly as he continued to stare at a blank space.

“Excuse me, Gerald.” A knock on his door, followed by a familiar voice, startled him. He was not expecting company, especially her.

He immediately turned around, twirling his seat to its original position, facing his unforeseen visitor. He quickly stood up from his chair to greet her.

“Dani, how long have you been standing there?” He questioned her, concerned that she might have overheard his conversation on the phone.

He did not notice her until she knocked and spoke up. She might have been standing by the door even before he had ended the call. If that was the case, he wondered what she might have learned.

“Just now.” She answered reluctantly, seeing that her boss seemed to be busy. “Your secretary was not at her station, so I proceeded to knock on your door.” She explained, hoping she was not disturbing him from his work.

“I hope you don’t mind. But if you are busy, I can always come back later.” She suddenly regretted knocking on his door unannounced.

She believed she should have waited for his secretary to check on his schedule before barging into his office like that was only natural.

But she had something important that she wanted to ask of him. She had thought about it since she had seen him the other day. She even consulted Alex about it, and he finally agreed.

“Of course, I do not mind. Come in.” He gestured for her to enter the room and take the empty seat. “Do you need something? Do you need any help on a case?”

He went back to his seat and gave his full attention, wondering what had brought her to his office. He could only think of one thing. She might need help on a case. More likely a pro bono case.

He noticed that it was one of the things she loved to discuss with him. He liked indulging her whim. Although he never truly enjoyed doing pro bono, at the very least, he loved spending time with her.

He welcomed her presence, but he did not like that she almost caught him. He had to be more careful, especially when dealing with his secret life.