Page 14 of Client Privilege

I turned back to my desk and began making calls—not to my team about Halston, but to contacts who could help ensure Alex Lajeunesse’s safety. The Halston files sat untouched, my priorities shifting in ways I wasn’t yet ready to examine too closely.

CHAPTER FOUR

Damian

I ARRIVEDat the office at 4:45 a.m., hours before my usual early start. The security guard did a double-take as I crossed the lobby.

“Morning, Mr. Richards. Everything alright?”

“Fine, Charles. Just getting an early start.”

The forty-second floor was dark and silent, exactly how I preferred it. I unlocked my office, set my briefcase on the desk, and removed Alex Lajeunesse’s newly created file. The manila folder looked deceptively thin—a stark contrast to the Halston acquisition’s towering stacks of documentation.

I opened my laptop and pulled up the digital case notes I’d created after yesterday’s meeting. Alex’s intake form was complete with additional information and details he had provided to Natalie prior to and after their initial meeting. The form stared back at me, the clinical language failing to capture the quiet dignity with which he’d recounted his destruction. I found myself scrolling back to re-read sections I’d already memorized:

Client reports gradual isolation from friends and family over three-year relationship. Alleged abuser (M. Delaney) initially restricted contact through emotional manipulation (“they don’t understand our relationship,the age difference is too much for them”), later escalated to direct control (monitoring phone, requiring permission for outings).

My jaw tightened as I reviewed the medical records Alex had authorized the hospital to release—fractured ribs, concussion, internal bleeding consistent with repeated blunt force trauma. The attending physician had noted “suspected domestic abuse” but Alex had fled before social services could intervene.

I pulled up Canlii and began searching precedents for similar cases. Domestic violence between same-sex partners presented unique challenges in court—juries sometimes struggled with identifying the power dynamics, judges occasionally betrayed their biases in rulings. I needed every advantage.

Three hours disappeared as I built a foundation of case law. I’d filled twelve pages with notes on successful protective orders, damages awarded in similar cases, and potential criminal charges. The legal framework was taking shape, but something felt like it was missing.

I found myself typing “trauma responses domestic abuse” into the search bar. Not strictly necessary for the legal argument, but understanding Alex’s psychological state would help prepare him for testimony. Purely professional reasoning, nothing else, I subconsciously reasoned to myself.

Yet I lingered over articles describing hyper-vigilance, emotional shutdown, and flinching from physical contact—all behaviours I’d observed in Alex. One paper detailed how victims often minimize their abuse, how they apologize excessively, how they struggle to make eye contact.

Just for the case, I told myself, downloading several academic papers.

By 8:30, the office had come alive around me. I heard Sandra arrive, the familiar sound of her setting up for the day—computer powering on, coffee machine gurgling, calendar being reviewed.

At precisely 9:00, she knocked on my door.

“Morning, Mr. Richards. You’re in early.”

“I need to adjust some priorities,” I said, gesturing to the Halston files. “The Lajeunesse case takes precedence.”

Sandra’s eyebrows rose fractionally—the closest she ever came to expressing surprise. “I’ll make the necessary arrangements. The Halston team is expecting your review of the acquisition documents by end of day.”

“They’ll need to wait. I’m filing an emergency protective order today. I need court time as soon as possible.”

Sandra’s pen paused mid-note. “Today? We typically prepare those over three to five business days.”

“Not this time.” I handed her the draft I’d been working on. “I need this processed immediately. Call Judge Sommers’ clerk—she owes me a favour after the Braddock case. If she can’t accommodate, try Charest.”

“This is… unusually urgent,” Sandra observed, scanning the document.

“The client is in active danger,” I replied, keeping my tone even. “His ex-partner left threatening messages on his vehicle. He’s currently homeless, sleeping in his car to avoid detection.”

I didn’t mention the cat collar or the nightmares I’d had the night before about a young man bleeding alone in a hospital corridor.

“I’ll make it happen,” Sandra said, her professional mask firmly in place. “What about the Halston team?”

“Tell them I’m handling an emergency matter. I’ll review their documents tomorrow.”

“Very well.” She paused at the door. “This Delaney… he’s Marcus Delaney of Delaney Holdings?”

“Yes.”

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