“Dad, this is from the confidential financial information on my earnings maintained by Rigby, Thompson and Associates. There shouldn’t even be a hard copy of this generated—it was all on the firm’s computers—and I sure don’t have a copy of it.”
Cal started to come around the conference table.
“Let me have that back,” Cal said and held out his hand.
Ms. Dixon stood up and came around so she stood in his way with her arm raised. It was hard to believe such a diminutive woman could be so intimidating.
“Stop right now, or I’ll call the police into this little conference. From what David’s just said, this isn’t yours at all, it’s David’s,” she said and then turned to Don Rigby. “The question is, how did Mr. Bell and his attorney come to have it?”
Don, Roy, and Mr. Fox all seemed to shrink a bit under her glare.
“David, can I have that, please?” Ms. Dixon asked me, holding her hand out without even glancing away from Don. I handed the page to her.
Ms. Dixon turned to my dad.
“Would you please find the copier in this office and make three copies of this? And Kendall, would you please go with him to witness that’s exactly what he did and that this is the document being copied?”
She didn’t even look at Kendall as she handed the page to Dad, who gathered up Kendall with his eyes as he made for the door.
“Now, just a minute!” Cal yelled.
He started to come around the table again. Ms. Dixon whirled to face him.
“You’ll stop right there unless you want my second call after the one to the police to be to the State Bar Association to start disbarment proceedings against you!”
Cal reluctantly shuffled back to his seat and sat down heavily while attempting a glare at Ms. Dixon. It seemed to bounce off her like she was bulletproof. She sat there serenely until Dad and Kendall came back with the copies. Ms. Dixon asked Dad which was the original and had both Dad and Kendall initial it in red ink and the copies in blue ink, and then pulled an empty manila folder out and placed the original in it. Then she turned and handed it back to Don Rigby, and not to Cal.
“Mr. Rigby, I am returning to you a confidential financial document belonging to my client and maintained by your firm, Rigby, Thompson and Associates, in my client’s confidential records, which has been produced by the attorney for an individual with your firm who should not have had any access to it whatsoever. Moreover, it was produced in connection with a legal proceeding against your own client. I trust you’ll keep this document separate, maintain it, and not lose it or alter it in any way.
“I also formally demand a full investigation into how our opponent’s lawyer had it in his possession. I demand that all notes and documents generated in the course of that investigation be maintained unaltered and that the results of that investigation be presented to my client in written form as soon as possible, and in no event later than one week from today. I will present you with a written demand to that effect by five o’clock today.
“I am also informing you I intend to file a Grievance with the State Bar Association against both Calvin Bell and Rigby, Thompson and Associates, requesting disciplinary action, up to and including disbarment, against that firm and every member of the firm even remotely involved in this case or in David’s activities. I plan to drive to the state capitol this afternoon to personally deliver that Grievance and to discuss these events with colleagues who work for the Association. Don’t worry about what will be in it; I will enclose a courtesy copy with my formal demand for an investigation. They’ll be couriered to you this afternoon after I’ve left for the state capitol.
“Oh, and finally, just so we understand each other: these actions will be the first steps I take in light of these events, but I assure you they won’t be the last,” Ms. Dixon said with a flourish.
Tom and Kendal’s heads turned to Don and Roy, and they both blanched. Cal’s face turned bright red. We had them! Cal was a fighter, though, and came out swinging.
“I’ll tell you right now that little pissant will regret defiling my daughter,” Cal roared as he pointed at me. “I warned you to stay away from her, but you had to go and get her pregnant. I plan to destroy you, and it’ll be a cold day in hell before you ever get to see your baby. If I have to, I’ll put it up for adoption where you’ll never find it.”
“You shut the hell up!” Mom shouted.
Cal stood up to leave.
“Sit down,” I hissed, which caught everyone by surprise.
Cal glared at me, but he reluctantly did so.
“I’ve heard just about enough bullshit for one day, and I want some answers before we move forward. You,” I said, pointing at the Rigby, Thompson and Associates end of the table. “You’ve played enough games. If I remember correctly, Ms. Dixon already asked for an internal investigation as to whether Cal had accessed my records or not. I agree completely with her. I expect a full accounting and explanation as to how Mr. Fox had my financials.”
Don and Roy began to both talk at once.
“Quiet!” Ms. Dixon said. “This has just gotten very ugly for you, and you all know it.”
Wow, she was scary when she went into full attack mode. I smiled when I realized mine was the scariest lawyer in the room. She stared down Cal, and he looked away first.
“I will give you until one tomorrow to come up with something along the lines we’ve been discussing. In the meantime, I will also be in contact with Children and Family Services, and they will interview Pam without either of you present to see who has abused her. It’s apparent that she’s afraid,” Ms. Dixon said.
Cal’s body language suddenly changed. He was no longer the raging bully. Something had finally broken through his thick attack-mode skull, and he actually looked worried. Ms. Dixon continued.
“I think we all know this needs to end in a situation that is best for the child. That means that David and his family will be part of his or her life. So you can forget about there being no visitation rights,” she said, and then paused to look at Cal and Mr. Fox so there was no misunderstanding. “I will see everyone at Rigby, Thompson and Associates at one o’clock tomorrow.”
“Hang on,” I said. “I have two conditions. I’ve had enough of you threatening to not give me access to my child. To be honest, I no longer trust you, so I want to have the main custody when the baby’s born,” I said.
“There’s no way in hell a judge would ever grant you custody,” Thomas Fox said.
Ms. Dixon smiled at that and turned to him.
“Given that we have stated this conference will not be confidential, and given that Mr. Bell has just threatened that the child will be put up for adoption where neither parent can find him or her, without the consent of either the natural father or mother, I think our getting awarded custody has just turned into a slam dunk!
“Now, you heard my client, and you’ve heard me. If this is what he wants, this is what he’ll get,” Ms. Dixon said.
“Hang on, I think something can be worked out,” Don Rigby said.
“You’d better hope so. I will delay filing the Grievance until Monday, but no later,” Ms. Dixon said as she smiled.
“Don’t you want to know if the child is yours or not?” Tom asked.
“Pam, is the baby mine?” I asked.
She just nodded.
“There’s your answer. I trust Pam to tell the truth,” I said.
“What’s the second condition?” Mr. Fox asked.
“That any agreement we sign not be confidential. I’m sick of the games and secrets. I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding about what we agreed to, or any possible spin after it’s done,” I said.