The Cartel Lawyer by Dave Daren (ebook reader below 3000 TXT) 📕

“Yeah,” I said with a small shrug. “I thought I saw an ex.”

“Ooh,” the journalist said with an understanding nod. “That’s always so terrifying. Especially when you’re with someone better looking.”

She grinned and rolled her eyes at herself like she’d exaggerated, but I was fairly sure that the bombshell across the table from me was more beautiful than any of my exes, and I’d dated some gorgeous women.

“Definitely,” I responded after a few heartbeats. “Though this is a business meeting and not a date.”

“Why can’t it be both?” Eloa teased and then chuckled when my eyebrows shot up my forehead.

“That is true,” I said as I regained my composure, though I was sure that I still had a blush on my face. “But my priority is still my client.”

“Oh, right,” she said as she shut her laptop and leaned forward. “What was your client charged with?”

“A minor crime,” I answered before I took another sip.

“And he was sent to Everson?” she asked with a shake of her head. “That’s awful. I hope he won’t be there long. I’ve talked to several of the families as well as some of the kids that served time there, and they all say that it’s the worst.”

“I plan to have him out soon,” I responded.

I glanced over to the dark-haired woman as I spoke. If she could hear us, I hoped she reported back to Osvaldo that I was trying to get Camilo released.

“Good,” the woman across from me said with a solemn nod of her head before she took a sip of her coffee. “Is that why you’re trying to get more information?”

“Yes,” I said. “Anything I can learn about the facility will help to strengthen my appeal.”

“This is going to be a wonderful partnership,” Eloa declared as she clapped her hands together. “We’ll get your client out and then take that awful place down for good.”

“You seem really eager to shut the center down,” I observed. “Do you have a connection with it?”

If she did, then she might be on a personal vendetta, and I would need to take all of her information with a grain of salt. Especially if she wanted revenge for something that might have happened to a loved one.

“Well,” she hedged. “I mean, like I’m totally interested in taking down any place that’s hurting people. But, if I can break a huge story like a popular juvenile center terrorizing the kids that are sent there, then I might be able to move from the weather report to a desk.”

“Ah,” I said with a nod.

Ambition with a mixture of justice was a deadly combination, and one that would help me as long as she didn’t force the information we found to fit the story she wanted to tell.

“I know it’s not the noblest of reasons,” Eloa muttered with a blush before she took a sip of her coffee. “And I do care about the kids.”

“Just because you have goals doesn’t mean that you don’t want to see justice done,” I said.

“Exactly!” the young journalist exclaimed. “So we’re going to work together on this?”

“I would like that,” I replied.

“Good,” she declared. “So what do you know so far?”

“Nothing definite,” I replied. “Everyone’s been very careful not to leave too obvious a trail.”

“Yes, I ran into that as well,” she agreed. “It’s hard to find any real evidence beyond the stories from the survivors. But for every horror story I can find, the company counters with some other kid who insists the place is perfectly safe. I’d say there was some sort of brainwashing going on, though I think it’s more likely that the company is paying them.”

“Charming,” I muttered.

“I did some deep background searches on the company officials,” she said. “You know, to look for links.”

“And what did you find?” I asked casually.

But not casually enough, apparently. Eloa watched me for a moment, and then another smile flickered across her face.

“Now, what kind of reporter would I be if I just gave you everything I had without getting anything in return?” she asked.

“I’ve already told you that I haven’t found much,” I replied.

“You also said you filed an appeal, so you found enough,” she pointed out.

She was definitely sharp, and I wondered how she could still be working the weather desk.

“Why don’t we set another meeting?” I said. “We can share what we’ve found.”

“I’ll need time to pull my files together,” she replied. “And confirm some of my information.”

“Sure,” I nodded. “Do you think you can have something for me by tomorrow?”

“That’s pretty soon,” she said as she slipped her laptop back into her bag. “But I might have something by dinner time.”

“Do you like burgers?” I asked with a glance down at her curvy, muscular body.

“Of course,” she responded. “I know a great place. I’ll text you the address.”

“Great,” I said. “I have a good idea for a story. And if I’m right, it’ll be big enough for you to land that news anchor desk and get my client out of Everson’s.”

“Perfect,” Eloa nodded as she stood. “I’m so glad you contacted me. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She gave me another thousand gigawatt smile before she spun around and almost skipped out of the coffee shop. Her skirt bounced on her well-formed butt, and I had to shake my head to bring myself out of my sudden daydreams.

I needed to do some more research on the judge, his financials, and the political connections that he’d made. If he really was corrupt, then there would be a paper trail of some kind to show the payouts that he received. He had probably received several of them over the years, and while I could’ve asked Eloa to look into his financials as