Page 14 of Maddy's Justice

“That’s all very nice, if somewhat minimal, but what do you want?” Troy asked.

Marc again stopped the recording and said to Connie, “There’s a real problem with what he just said.”

“Yeah, that somewhat minimal remark. This chick has credentials up the wazoo and he’s brushing them off as if she was a first-year associate.”

“Exactly. I didn’t like this annoying little prick right away and he’s not scoring any makeup points with me,” Marc said.

“There is a way to find out what he’s really like,” Connie said.

“I’m not sending Maddy after him,” Marc said. “We don’t need to know him that well.”

“Just thinking out loud,” Connie replied.

The recording continued with Stephanie saying, “I want a spot on your mass torts team. I can be an asset and I think you know it.”

“A lot of people in the firm would like to get a spot on my team,” Troy said. “It has to be earned.”

“I’ve earned it. I’m up for partner next year and I’ll get it. You know I’ve earned it.”

“Hmmm, I’m not so sure. Mass torts is a different ball game,” Troy said.

Marc and Connie heard a heavy sigh from Stephanie before she said, “Well, I don’t know what else I can do.”

There was a few second pause on the recording before Troy said without any inflection, “How about a blow job every day, for say, a month?”

The recording went completely silent for eleven, long seconds. As they listened, both Marc and Connie had an impression of Stephanie staring at Troy in horror while Troy sat with a lascivious leer on his face.

Finally, Stephanie said, “Um, sorry, I, ah, guess I should just go…”

“Hey! I’m obviously kidding. Where’s your sense of humor?” Troy replied.

“I, ah, still think I should…”

“Relax. It was a joke. I was just looking for your reaction.”

“Well, I, ah…”

“Let me think about it. I’ll ask around, you know, check with your boss, and get back to you.”

“Oh, good, good, that’s fine. Let me know,” Stephanie said.

Less than two seconds later, they heard the door opening and closing again. In the hallway, eight seconds after the door closed, enough time for Stephanie to walk away, she spoke again into the hidden microphone.

“That was a job interview conversation between me, Stephanie Chapple and Troy McGovern.” She added the date, time and place then said, “Troy McGovern is the head of the mass torts department of Stafford, Hughes law firm. Mr. McGovern clearly made sexual favors a prerequisite of becoming a member of that department. He subsequently claimed he was joking but his demeanor and facial expression were clearly not to be interpreted as anything but serious. He was obviously not making a joke when he said a month’s worth of daily oral sex to be performed was necessary to get the job.”

“And our lecherous client admits he did not hear the tape or know of its existence when, two weeks later, he sent an email to Ms. Chapple, informing her, she would not be moving to the mass torts team,” Marc said when he stopped the recording.

“I need a break,” Connie said.

“Me, too,” Marc replied. “Don’t bring your cigarettes in here.”

“Too late,” Connie said as she picked up her chair to set it by the window.

She opened the window, lit up as Marc said, “We need the name of every woman on the mass torts team and those who were while Troy was running things. I’m gonna ask them some very personal questions…”

“Let’s have Maddy do it,” Connie said. “She can handle it.”

“And they’re more likely to be less embarrassed and more open with her,” Marc agreed.

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