Page 18 of A Little Discovery

“Couldn’t they just use google to find your address?” Avery asks, looking genuinely confused. Before I understood the process in the courtroom, I would have said the same thing.

“Not usually,” I answer. “Anyone can build a website these daysand make it look legitimate. There is nothing stopping a person from creating a website showing John Smith with an office at twenty two Main Street, but that doesn’t mean John Smith actuallyhasan office there. The reason the courts need to use official channels is to prevent unrelated persons from being harassed by the courts.

“My fraternity brothers aren’t going to be in the house for another week, so the notices are probably still there. I haven’t gone to check. I don’t like to go in without one of the active residents present. Common courtesy and all.”

Avery pauses and I wonder if she is re-thinking this whole thing. She tucks her hair behind her ear and I realize she is getting instructions on how to proceed.

I take a sip of water to cover the pause and she continues to ask another question.

“So what you are saying is either the court official purposely went to the wrong address or the agency that is paid by the government to keep accurate records for the court has inaccurate information?”

I give her the look that question deserves before answering it.

“What I am saying, is that whether or not I received the summons, it shouldn’t have mattered. The evidence I provided Ms. Carlisle proved that her husband wasnothaving an affair.

“Mr. Holloway was indeed travelling to a motel twice a month. He would pay for a room and disappear inside for on average three hours each time, but he wasn’t meeting anyone or having any type of sexual interaction with anyone.”

I didn’t share the details of this part of the story withAvery beforehand. Here’s the payback for springing unexpected questions on me earlier. The smile on my face must be smug when she inevitably asks, “WhatwasMr. Holloway doing that he had to go through all of this secrecy?”

I take great pleasure in throwing her a smirk before I reply, “He was eating pepperoni pizza and rocky road ice cream while watching cartoons in comfortable pajamas.”

There is a bit of perverse joy at the sight of Avery’s left eye starting to twitch. It is so much more than just having the wrong parts that kept me and her from falling into bed together. We are basically siblings with the way we go at each other. I don’t even try to mask my chuckle before I continue.

“Ms. Carlisle kept a registered dietician and professional chef in the house with orders to throw out anything not approved by her. Mr. Holloway had to sneak off to a roadside motel to enjoy the television and food he enjoyed, instead of being able to relax in his own home.

“The photographs showing this were provided to Ms. Carlisle, but I notice they were missing from her exclusive interview and the court records, along with my report of findings that Mr. Holloway wasnothaving an affair.

“I brought them with me today, along with a copy of the notarized receipt that both Ms. Carlisle and her attorney signed upon receipt of my report and the photographs.”

Avery’s smile is wicked as she looks at the camera and says, “Let’s take a look.” This damn woman looks like those nineties talk show hosts revealing baby mama drama. If it wasn’t for Lucky and my need to fix the mistake I made by taking the damn case, I would never subject myself to this.

We go through each photograph and share a few chuckles when the one photo shows complete devastation on Lucky’s face when he dropped his pizza trying to take everything into the room in a single trip. Even the crew laughs at the next photo that showed Lucky scraping the cheese and pepperoni off the pizza box lid. It is a great way to show that he is just a regular guy and not the devious asshole Sabrina tried to paint him as.

After going through all of the photographs I provide, Avery signals for another group to be put up on the screen. “And what about these ones?” she asks when the added photos come up on the monitor.

“These photographs werenottaken by me, nor are they even the same day as any of the other photographs that show Mr. Holloway at the motel,” I tell her. “In fact, if you look at the reflections in the background, you can see the differences.”

We are finally back to where we rehearsed. I then go into explaining the technical differences in a way that the average person can understand. That is the reason Avery had me practice this part.

“So basically, Ms. Carlisle took your work, twisted it to fit her narrative, lied to the courts, defamed an upstanding citizen whose only fault was marrying her, and then wasted resources to get her fifteen minutes of fame?”

I know she expects me to just agree and leave it at that, but Sabrina pissed me off. Knowing now, what I wish I knew earlier, I am about to blow the bitch’s whole world apart.

“Not only that, Avery,” I say and enjoy the way her look of surprise shifts to one of pure joy. “Ms. Carlisle claimed to be impregnated by Mr. Holloway on a night that I know for a fact he was unconscious. If she did have intercourse withhim, it was rape on her part. If she lied about the pregnancy, according to the prenuptial agreement that she signed, that is grounds for immediate dissolution of the marriage in addition to the repayment of every cent that Mr. Holloway invested of his personal money into her, their joint property, or any joint business ventures. That includes Carlisle Construction…

“So, is she a rapist or a liar? That is the question that needs to be asked.”

Avery is practically bouncing in her seat when she says we need to go to commercial, but we will be right back with more shocking revelations.

“Clear!”

Avery jumps across the set to crush me in a hug. “Spencer! You are singlehandedly launching my career! Please tell me you have something even better than that for after the break?”

I’m smiling as I pull out my phone to check for messages, and the one from Eli wipes the smile from my face.

Eli:

Heading out to search the woods for Lucky. He hasn’t come back for his stuff. I don’t want him wandering in the dark.

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