Page 57 of Jason's Justice
“I don’t know if I understand.” She told him what had happened after the accident that took her parents’ lives and her hand, and how Paul Miller, Sr. had taken advantage of her and Ducky, and how she caught them, and their trial and conviction.
“Wow, okay, what are the other two boxes?”
“The dealings I had with Royal Pain in my Ass, contracts he signed to use my stud services and things he tried to pull over the years. The last file is my dealings with the SPCA and Miller, Jr.”
“Okay, I’ll go through these, I only have a couple of questions before I begin.”
“What’s that?”
“Do you still deal with the SPCA?”
“I do. I am the person they contact when they are called in and they have a horse in need of sheltering and fostering. I bring them here, put them in quarantine until they receive a clean bill of health, and I fatten them up and work with them. Nine times out of ten, I’m able to make a monetary donation to their agency, and I’m able to keep the horse. That’s how I got all the horses on Broken, with the exception of a couple from the slaughter house. Oh, and I only make the monetary donation in order to keep the horse if the owner is found guilty of neglect or cruelty toward the animal.”
“Okay, that’s good to know. What is the meeting about on Wednesday?”
“My lawyer is saying it’s time to go to trial. The case has finally come on the docket and he wants to discuss what we will do going forward.”
“Ah, and you want me up to speed.”
“Yes.”
“I can do this. Trust me, Erin, I won’t let you down,” Jason said with confidence and when she nodded, he made a pot of coffee and settled down with the first box at his feet, a clean pad of paper, and several pens.
Jason got to work, and it took him two days to go through all the information, grateful about how thorough it was. When he went with Erin to the meeting, he saw relief on her lawyer, Liam Nester’s face, and when he admitted that he was only an estate lawyer, and didn’t deal with criminals, Jason reassured him he had everything under control. Thankfully, he had taken the foresight to apply for his license to practice in Colorado way back when he was prepping for the Grayson trial. He was able to produce the license for Erin and her lawyer to see. He and Ilsa had done it at the same time. He hoped Ilsa was able to get her license so they could take on this case together.
Liam gave him everything he had, and even the name of the DA trying the case. When they left his office, Erin looked at him with raised brows. “Do you want to go to the DA’s office?”
“Is that why you had us drive separately? I handle your case, and you go back to the ranch?”
“Yes, I hope you don’t mind?”
“Not at all, I actually think that’s for the best. I’ll swing by there and see if I can’t have a word with him, then I’ll stop by your office at the main house to let you know what I learned.”
“Thanks, Jason,” Erin said with relief in her expression, and turned on her heel to walk down the sidewalk to her truck.
At the DA’s office, Jason was led into the office after a five-minute wait, and he didn’t waste either of their time.
“I’m Jason Black, and I’m taking over the case for Erin Riceman against Jason Royal, Paul Miller, Jr., Philip and Ernie Firth.”
“Wow, this is new, can you tell me what experience you have?”
Jason was prepared, and handed him over his license from DC, Maryland, Virginia, California, and Colorado, along with his resumé. He liked that the DA’s face was blank. When he finallylooked up, he shook his head and whistled. “Want to come work for me?”
“Not really, I just worked for the United States taking out an evil Director in the FBI out in California. When Ms. Riceman told me about her case, I told her I would take it.”
“No offense, and you can tell me it’s none of my business, but how would you know Ms. Riceman if the case was in California?”
Jason explained what he could, and when he finished, he saw respect on the other man’s face. “Damn, welcome to the team. I don’t have to tell you that this is going to be a nightmare?”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Jason told him about the information he had about Jason Royal purchasing illegal arms in California from an undercover agent, and how that agent’s handler had sent him with Royal back to Colorado with said arms. How Royal was arrested on Erin’s property with the guns literally in his hands.
“I have the undercover agent, retired now, here in Colorado. He’s Erin’s head of security. His handler in the FBI is in jail for other crimes, but he is willing to testify against Royal if need be. I also have the sale of those guns marked as evidence in this handler’s case.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to come work for me? Hell, with what you just said, you can have my job, based on that resumé I just read, you’re more qualified than I am.”
