Chapter 15: You Have Been Served

That Saturday morning session at the store did more to restore my equilibrium around Marianna than anything else. The tension I’d felt earlier when we first talked had dissipated. We weren’t back to where we were at college, but I could feel we were approaching that stage. The question in my mind was whether or not to make the first move. My senses told me that she was much more inclined to try and reestablish a relationship than I was at that point. I’d been burned once and that was enough. I could still feel the pain of her inexplicable exit from my life.

There are times when events overshadow any indecision ... particularly on my part. Such an event took place about a month after Marianna had returned. It was mid-morning and I was having a coffee with Solomon. We weren’t overrun with customers ... typical of a mid-week morning. The phone rang and I picked it up.

“Nico, can you come to the house, please?” I heard Mama Alvarez ask me in a very solemn tone.

That was enough for me to answer “Yes, right away.” Mama Alvarez did not play act or over-dramatize. With apologies to Solomon, I was in her home less than a half hour later.

“What is it, Mama? How can I help you?”

“It is not me, Nico ... it is Marianna,” she said just as two little girls came running into the living room and greeted me with enthusiasm.

“Hi, girls. How are you today?” I asked with a big smile. Those two could make me smile just by being there.

“Are you going to play music, Mister Nick?” Anna Marie asked.

“I don’t know. Gramma asked me to come. Where is your Mom?”

“Right here, Nick,” Marianna said as she appeared from the hallway.

“What’s up?” I asked, looking at both Marianna and Mama Alvarez.

“This,” Marianna said as she handed me a sheaf of papers.

One look told me they were legal papers and I glanced at the cover page. Marianna was being sued for breach of contract by ... Roberto Botelli, her husband. The suit was dated a week earlier and was filed in San Francisco by a city law firm. I scanned the paper and the amount of the suit was five million Euros or an equivalent amount in American dollars to be determined by the current exchange rate at the time of settlement.

“Holy ... cow,” I breathed, barely catching myself from saying something little girls didn’t need to hear. “Is this true? Are you still under contract to him?”

Marianna shook her head. “No. The contract expired three years after I signed it and it was never renewed. By then, we were engaged to be married, so I suppose he thought a new contract was unnecessary.”

“So ... how can he sue for a contract that expired or doesn’t exist?” I asked aloud.

“As far as I can make out from the suit,” Marianna began, “It says that since we continued on under the same agreement, it implied that I was continuing the contract. But, I’m not a lawyer, so I don’t know if I’m interpreting it correctly. In any event, I will not pay him one red cent for anything. He has stolen millions of dollars from me and now he seems to think I will give him even more. I will go to jail first!” she snapped, stamping her foot in anger.

The girls were looking at their mother with wide eyes. “Mama, are they going to put you in jail,” Anna Marie said, on the verge of tears.

“No,” I jumped in. “That’s not going to happen. They are just trying to frighten your mother. Don’t you worry, Anna Marie and Nicole ... I won’t let anything bad happen to your mother”

I don’t know where the hell that came from, but I meant every word. At least my assurances calmed the two little ones down.

“I don’t know what to do, Nick,” Marianna said, her arm wrapped around a very worried Mama Alvarez.

“Well, I know where we can start,” I said. “My lawyer is a business and contract lawyer and I’m sure he can steer us in the right direction. Let me make a phone call and we’ll set up an appointment. Okay?”

She nodded her agreement as I took my cell phone out and selected the familiar number on my list. A glance at Mama Alvarez showed a hesitant smile and nod in my direction. This is what she had hoped for, I guess.

“May I speak to Mr. Clement, please? It’s Nicholas Minter calling.”

The receptionist put me right through. “Nick, what’s up?” he asked immediately.

“Clary, a mutual friend of ours is in trouble and needs your expert assistance. Can we get an appointment soon?”

“How does this afternoon at three sound ... and who is this mutual acquaintance?”

“This afternoon at three is great and the person is question is the esteemed performer, Marianna Alvarez,” I answered with a grin directed toward Marianna.

“Wow. You’re bringing me fame and fortune all at once,” he laughed.

“Well, I don’t know about fortune, but let’s talk about it this afternoon. See you then?”

“Hell yeah, I’m looking forward to it. Shall I dig out the sax?” he kidded.

“Maybe not this time, but who knows about the future. See you at three, Clary and thanks,” I said, signing off.

“Is that Clary from college?” Marianna asked in surprise.

“One and the same,” I said. “He’s my business lawyer and this is right up his alley. He’ll tell us quick enough if he can handle it.”

I could see the sigh of relief from both Mama and Marianna. Something was happening and they weren’t going to have to wait a long time to find out what the situation was.

“Stay for lunch, please, Nico,” Mama asked.

“Sure, but let me call Solomon and let him know I won’t be back today.”

Lunch was a little less boisterous than it might have been with my being bombarded with questions by the two youngsters. Actually, the distraction was probably a good thing for both Marianna and Mama, since they wouldn’t be dwelling on the unknown threat of the lawsuit.

Clary leaned back in his big leather chair. “Finally I get a case I can really sink my teeth into,” he smiled. “I’m not sure I can guarantee a positive outcome, but I’ve got some investigating to do. Two different jurisdictions are involved here. One is the court here in San Francisco, while the other is in Florence, Italy. I don’t recognize the name of the San Francisco law firm, so I’ll need to see who they are before I make contact.”