Immaculate Spirit 209 :

Sitting in the conference room of the police station, Nathaniel was facing four people. The first was the captain of the precinct, a fifty years old bald men in uniform. Beside him to his left, there was the appointed lawyer in charge of representing the LA police department, a thirty years old black haired women with sharp features. Following the order, there was the two detectives that had come take Nathaniel statement after the attempt murder on him, detective Morrison and detective Ortiz, both of them also in uniforms.

Nathaniel on his side of the table was flanked by two fifty years old lawyers in expensive black suits. These two were not here by his own initiative but his grandmother was angry that people took on him and she just hired the best lawyer in the city to make sure that n.o.body would ever think about bullying him again.

Even Nathaniel had to admit that they were talented and the opposite lawyer new that a win was out of question here, her only presence here was to litigate the damages but things were not looking good at all. Locking her jaw, the women could not keep from looking at the two stupid detectives that had bring this on top of the police department who frankly did not need that at the moment. Looking at the outrageous money settlement on the piece of paper propose by the lawyers in front of her, she could not hold back a s.h.i.+ver. She also knew that they could not bring this case to court because it would turn to a PR nightmare, and also because they would still lose at the end.

"That's enough." Nathaniel finally spoke, surprising everyone around the table as he had kept quiet until now.

"Mister Lyndon, it would be best if you kept quiet while we deal with this situation." One of them said respectfully but Nathaniel could see the arrogance in his eyes.

"Both of you, leave, now. You are fired." Nathaniel said calmly.

"Mister Lyndon, you should reconsider…" The second start to say before Nathaniel stop him again.

"I don't need to reconsider, I made my decision but don't worry, you will still be paid for your time. Goodbye gentlemans." Nathaniel add with more steel in his voice.

Seeing that he was not going to change his mind, the both of them exit the room with anger. Once they were away, Nathaniel lean forward in his chair, taking the paper with the settlement money on it and start ripping it to pieces in front of the stunned people on the other side of the table, they did not expect the situation to change so quickly.

"First, I would like to apologize about this, I have a really protective grandmother and she don't hesitate to go overboard when people start picking on me." Nathaniel shook his head with a little smile.

"Captain Walkins, I'm sorry that things escalate to this magnitude. You should know that my mother is a prosecutor and even my G.o.dfather is a cop. I know that you do a difficult job where the mean to scrutinize you are on the rize and your funding get slashed each year. I have a huge respect for what you and your people do and what you sacrifice to make the street safer." Nathaniel said frankly.

"I appreciate it young man." He nodded gratefully.

"Mister Lyndon, do I understand that you don't want to press charges anymore?" The lawyer asked, not daring to believe it.

"That's correct but I would like to have a private chat with detective Ortiz first." Nathaniel asked casually.

Hearing that, the captain and the lawyer look at each other before turning to the detective Ortiz who was looking at the Lyndon kid with animosity. Her partner had a trouble expression on his face, seemingly not knowing what to do between stopping the meeting to protect the kid or protect his partner career. He knew why his partner didn't like the kid in front of them but he also knew that it wasn't his fault at all.

"Can we know why?" The lawyer asked.

"Sorry but no, this is a private matter. You should have made inquiry about me counselor, you must know that I don't need help from lawyer, if I were to go to court against you, I would win." Nathaniel said with confidence.

"I do." She answer reluctantly. To be honest, the evidence were so overwhelming that even a bad lawyer could win this case, not mentioning the person in front of her who has according to the rumor a genius legal mind. There was even an audio recording of the entire thing as they interrogate him while he was still wearing his mic! She could not help to shout internally.

"Ortiz, do you have a problem with that?" The captain asked.

"No, I'm good."

"Alright, then we are going to leave you two alone. Once it's done, I would like you to sign a couple of paper." The lawyer asked.

"Of course." Nathaniel nodded.

He knew that these paper were an agreement to let the matter go and not talk about it again or face retribution. It was something expected to make legal matter go away and put everything to the past. Once everyone had left the room beside the two of them, Nathaniel start tapping with his fingers on the table.

"Detective Ortiz, I'm glad that we are finally alone."

"What do you want from me?" She asked with hostility.

"Me? Nothing. I'm here to tell you a story. You know, once upon a time there was a girl, everyone loved her, she was nice to people even to strangers and she was pretty. She had a dream, she wanted to become a popstar. After graduating from high school, she apply in one of the biggest label in the county to a six month training interns.h.i.+p and she got it. In her mind, it was the beginning of her new life as an artist. But when she start the interns.h.i.+p, she realized that they were others girls in here with her, more talented girls and even more beautiful than her. Not discourage, she work harder than everyone else in the program but at the end, it was not enough, the label pick someone else. The girl was crushed, she had lost her dream and did not know what to do anymore. But all was not lost, she had met a boy during that interns.h.i.+p and they ended up together." Nathaniel made a pause, seeing the detective attention on him.

"She fell in love with the boy, who wouldn't? He was handsome and a talented musician. But you know, that boy as a secret, he was an addict. When everything was alright, he was the most attentioned boyfriend that the girl ever had but when he could not score or did not have the money to, he needed to blow some steam and so hit on the girl. The girl was so in love that she hide it from her family, convince that with some effort she could cure him, that she could heal him from his addiction. It lasted for months, months turned to a year but things were not looking up. At contrary, the beating were coming more and more often and even her older sister was starting to get suspicious about what was happening. After having an argument with her older sister, the girl run back to her boyfriend to find him having s.e.x with another girl. Heartbroken, the girl runaway from her boyfriend apartment. She had enough, she just wanted to stop hurting, to stop suffering. After running for almost an hour, she found herself on The Vincent Thomas Bridge on top of the guardrail, looking down to the water. Finally closing her tears soaked eyes, she let the wind take her away. The girl was no more."

When Nathaniel finish the story, he look back to the detective who was tearing openly in front of him. Her cold demeanor had s.h.i.+ft and was now showing just infinite sadness. Nathaniel choose to let her cry, diverting his eyes away. It was a few minutes when the detective could speak again.

"How did you…?"

"When you ask me for my name, your demeanor changed entirely, I saw hate in your eyes but it was not directed at me, that was my last name that made you think back to what happened. After that, you let your emotions took over and treated me as an hostile witness, your partner just backed you up." Nathaniel explain.

"Why didn't you say anything to my boss?"

"I did my research, you are a good cop and a gifted detective, this is the only reason why we are here right now. I also know that you are weeks away from ruining your life."

"My life is ruined since my sister kill herself." She said bitterly.

"Don't play games with me, I know what you plan to do. Her boyfriend was always clever in his abuse, he never sent her to the hospital and he never leave mark on her. That's why he was not incriminated despite your insistence after she took her life. He even managed to get a restraining order against you. Despite this, CCTV had your car driving in front of his place more and more often. You are thinking about taking justice into your own hands and killing him yourself."

"How do you know that and how do you have access to CCTV?" She almost shout until she remember where she was.

"I have skilled people working for me. Now, I'm not even saying that he don't deserve it. Piece of s.h.i.+t like this who hit on their girlfriends should just be strung to a pole, eviscerate and then given his own d.i.c.k to eat before dying. That's my own opinion but for you, this is different. You made an oath to protect and serve, you should remember it." Nathaniel said, taking his thing back and getting to his feet.

When he pa.s.s near her to get to the exit, Nathaniel put a DVD in front of her.

"This is everything that I could fine on our database, it's your sister singing. I thought it could help you and your family seeing her happy."

"He still deserve to pay for what he did." She said, her eyes on the DVD.

"He already is. He was arrested thirty minutes ago, this is on the news." Nathaniel said turning the tv on before leaving the room.