Chapter 6

David said, “Wow. An admission of guilt. Did it have anything to do with the yellow door in an Avocado garage ... the door in the wall with the thirty caliber machine-gun holes?”

Wendy blushed deeper.

“It did, it did. I did taw a puddy tat!”

“You goof! No. I mean I know ... but I didn’t have anything to do with it. It was Karen.”

“She told you?”

“Yes,” Wendy said.

“I’m hurt ... she didn’t tell me,” David said. “Why would she tell you?”

“I’m an attorney ... and she didn’t tell me ... exactly ... she said it was a hypothetical situation. She mentioned slaves, drugs and the possibility of two witnesses. After she finished, I told her to keep her hypothetical mouth shut and hope the hypothetical witnesses kept theirs shut too.”

“I see,” David said. “A new complexion on a complex situation.”’

“You keep your mouth shut too,” Wendy said. “The law looks unkindly on innocent civilians who don’t give criminals a chance at their day in court.”

“Seems like a shitty way to run a country,” David said.

“That’s why my dad and I are defense attorneys. I understand why the civil attorneys didn’t want you down here.”

“Why was I here?”

“To testify to the facts.”

“What facts?”

“That I was actually in the car.”

“But, that was stupid,” David said, “Everybody knew you were in the car.”

“Everybody wasn’t on the witness stand. The law doesn’t work like that.” She explained, “Any shadow of doubt.”

“Those were high priced lawyers.”

“They’ve gotten him off three previous driving under the influence accidents. There’s a lot of profit in beer.”

“What do you suppose will happen?”

“We;re going to win and the price of beer will go up twenty five cents a can.” Wendy said. “The business will keep making beer ... the customers will get used to paying the quarter ... Daddy and I will get our millions and it’ll take a couple of weeks extra profit to pay us off. The family won’t lose a dime.” She looked disgusted, “If anything their wealth will increase.”

“Why is that?”

“Because the price of beer won’t go down. They’ll be making an extra quarter a can for ever.

“You know the sad part?” she said.

“What?”

“He’ll do it again.”

“What?!?”

“He’s done it four times. All it costs is money.”

The courtroom doors opened and the bailiff stuck his head out, “Judge Thatcher is ready.”

We all when in and found a seat. Due to the high profile of the suit the courtroom was packed with reporters. That relegated me to the standing room at the back.

“All rise.” “Be seated.”

“In the matter of Austin versus Bush, the court finds for the plaintiff to the sum of one hundred and twenty million...”

The courtroom exploded.

The gavel fell repeatedly. “Order ... Order, I say. Bailiff ... the next person to speak is out.”

Two of three reporters were ejected ... the smart ones shut up.

“I’m not done here,” said the Judge.

He rustled his robes and said, “The defendant is ordered to surrender his drivers license ... further ... he is never to drive in the State of Colorado ... for the rest of his life. Not a car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, tricycle or horse or buggy. The Court can’t do anything about private property ... but, by God ... he’s off the roads. Forever.”

Wendy was shocked.

Daddy said, “Precedent ... that’s never happened before. They’ll pay ... but the no driving? That’ll go to the Supremes.”

And, sure enough, Daddy Bush, the Patriarch of the clan, retained Austin and Austin to argue the case. “No hard feelings.”

“As far as it goes,” he said. “When you care enough you send the very best ... No offense, Charley.”

“None taken, Ben.” Daddy said. “Saturday ... regular tee time?”

“Your club or mine?”

“My turn.”