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Diversion
Civilizing Influence
Tuesday
Rita arrives at L&B early and pulls out her shiny new key to
let herself in. She goes up to what had been the spare room
upstairs and flips on the lights. The desk was nothing grand. The
filing cabinents are boring but the computer is top of the line
and hooked up to everything. She takes off her jacket and hangs
it on a halltree inside the door. Pulling up her chair to the
desk she hefts the satchel on to the top and pulls out a yellow
legal tablet. "Next time I go over to Ward House I'm taking
my laptop." Rita mutters. Each page is a different woman
with a different set of issues. Starting on the first page, Rita
starts building the individual files with all the relevent
information and finishes with what each woman needs to have done.
The lights come on downstairs and there is the smell of coffee
brewing as she is getting to the eighth and final file.
Alexis come in bearing coffee. "What have you got?"
"I stopped by Ward House yesterday to see Cookie and ended
up with some legal work to do. Those women's lives are a mess. If
I didn't have Daddy and Johnny as examples of how to do things
right I'd be really fried on men. And I'm just starting out!"
"Well add Edward to the list. Keep track of the hours you
spend on this."
"Hunh?"
"Edward is sponsoring a grant for legal work for the
residents of Ward House. He called me to set it up and administer
it. Rita, you've got your first paying client." Alexis sits
down across from Rita and pulls over one of the files studying
the contents. "How did you get them to open up to you?"
"Cooked them dinner." Rita admits sheepishly. It hadn't
been covered in Law school. "It kinda broke the ice."
Alexis laughs. "That would never work for me. I prefer to
have my clients breathing and not getting their stomach pumped.
Good work, Rita." Alexis takes her coffee to the door.
"When you get as far as you can with what you've got... hook
up with V. She'll take you down to the police station and show
you who to sweet talk to get police reports. I've always found
the fatter the file the quicker and fatter the settlement."
Rita nods in agreement. "I'll do that." She take the
first file and then calling up the menu on the screen gets the
needed document and starts filling in the blanks. Hopefully by
the next time she goes to Ward House it would be a matter of hand
holding and getting signatures.
"Oh and Rita." Alexis pauses in the doorway. "The
thing about family law is people change their minds. Keep their
files just in case. They might be back or the police might need
it if the sumbitches actually kill them. And the other part of it
is. We become the gate for whatever client we take. You'll be
dealing with pissed off people. Start take precautions now. As
soon as you file on an individual case start making other
arrangements for contacting your clients. You wouldn't want to
lead trouble to their door."
"Yes, ma'am." Rita replies. Her game face comes on.
Alexis allows herself to be impressed. She's beginning to believe
all the stories Em shared about Rita and the way she'd acted when
they'd been kidnapped together all those years ago. Rita might be
102 soaking wet but she is all pitbull.
Ricky takes out his putter on the third green. Lining up his shot
he puts the little dimpled ball into the hole. "Nice shot."
Edward compliments.
"It's a dumbass game; I don't know how you drag me out here."
"I didn't." Edward lines up his own shot. "My wife
called you and told you to get me out of the house." There
is a moment of silence as he makes his putt. "Besides this
is the game of business everywhere. If you don't play then you
don't make the deals."
Ricky snorts. "Yeah, and what about the country clubs that
won't let me in?"
"Buy them, Fire everyone in power and put in 18 holes by
noon. It will only happen once." Edward puts his ball on the
tee and eyes the green in the distance. He lines up his stance
and smoothly launches the ball in the air.
"Damn, old man. I do like the way you think. Now if you
could do something about that slice."
Edward steps back and looks at Ricky. "I'm serious. Someone
pulls that crud on you. You call me. We'll make it a foursome.
You, me, Alan if he can ever take a day off from that damn clinic
and either Justus or your father. High score buys a round of
drinks." Edward waits while Ricky sends his own ball flying
toward the green. Then he gets behind the wheel of the cart.
Ricky groans. After seeing Edward drive it was no surprise the
guy had always tried to get him to drive when they were on the
road. The guy's license is probably suspended... hell revoked.
"So this trip to LA, what did you get for Emily this time?"
"A production company-- movies, television, some interactive
internet."
"You aren't going to make car chase movies are you?"
"The French Connection is a classic." Ricky retorts.
"Nah, I'm out of it. I just steal them, Em keeps them; it's
Em's baby now. She's already got a lead on another toy she wants."
"What's that?"
"I'm not telling until it's in the bag." Ricky says
quickly. He wouldn't put it past the old goat to buy it before Em
could get her hands on it. "But you should come to the
dinner at the mansion on Thursday. So what schemes have you put
in place?"
"Nothing much." Edward says gleefully. "Just
sponsored a grant for legal service at Ward House."
"Where is the profit in that?"
"It's helping those poor women get back on their feet."
Edward says righteously.
"Pull the other one."
"Rita Porter is going to be doing the legal work."
"That explains it."
"She came over on Saturday to see Lila. Brought her some
music from New Orleans. Little Rita is a pistol. I should have
snagged her right out of school but Alexis and Dara got to her
first."
"You think Cookie would let that happen? I don't think so."
V greets officer after officer by name as she works her way into
the bowels of the police station. "This stuff is all a
matter of public record. But if you get snippy about it all of a
sudden you'll have to have all your requests in triplicate and
they'll mail them to you in a month of two. So don't tick anyone
off. Just keep your head down. Make your copies and get out. The
way the courthouse is your turf... this is mine. A lot of the
guys look at Alexis as the enemy because she catches them
whenever they do something stupid. Dara gets a little more
cooperation. As long as you are nailing guys to the wall that
maybe the system didn't smack hard enough the officers will love
you. Hell they'll probably start handing out your Name and number
along with the number of the shelter."
"Got it." Rita keeps her eyes moving checking
everything out. She knew some of the officers from the Sheriff's
department from them working in the courthouse. But her contact
with the PCPD was pretty much limited to Taggart. Everything that
had ever happened to her involving the police had ended up with
Taggart being in the middle of it. "What is Taggart doing
now?"
"He made police chief. It's the highest non-elected position
an officer can get." V informs her. "The Commissioner
position is appointed by the mayor and the city counsel so it's a
more political position."
"Marcus Taggart has never played politics well."
"Marcus doesn't play period. It's a miracle he ever made
chief."
"I like Marcus."
"And he likes you. But that doesn't mean he doesn't remember
you popping up in a middle of a drug bust."
"It was a search!" Rita protests. "And an illegal
search at that! I was twelve."
"And then there was you hanging out with Pete Robideau down
in New Orleans."
Rita groans. "You know if my dad can deal with that one...
the cops around here can too. I'm not going to apologize for
cooking Poppi dinner on Sundays for a few years. He has a great
kitchen that hardly ever gets a work out. Do I get any points for
working with Dara?"
"Yep. At least with Marcus." V stops in front of the
archive of police reports. She sits down at the computer terminal.
"Okay start giving me victim names and I'll see what I can
pull up." Rita gives her the first name. V replies with a
case number. Rita goes to the file cabinent and searches for the
file. Working together they start pulling files, once V calls out
the last number she takes the accumulated files to the copier and
starts copying the pages. As each report is copied it is re-filed.
The copies are sorted to be read later.
"I really appreciate this, V." Rita says as she is
stuffing the reports in her satchel.
"No problem, Rita. It's good to have you on board."
As they reach the front doors of the police department Rita stops.
"I have to go over to the courthouse. Some of the women have
already filed some actions. I want to have copies of those so I
know expiration dates etc. There are also some support orders
that aren't being enforced."
"I'll meet you back at the office."
"V." V turns around. "What's the deal that Dara
was working on... that you got on tape?"
"Just a slum lord. Dara keeps her ears to the ground for
those. She thinks everyone deserves a decent place to live."
"She's right."
"Yeah, but you can bet our definition of decent isn't the
same as some of these landlords. You wouldn't believe some of the
stuff I've seen. This latest one was a referral from Dr Alan for
a building down on Courtland St."
"Dr Alan referred it? How would he know?"
"Lead poisoning. As soon as he got the first case down at
the clinic he made a housecall on the building and did blood work
on all of the kids in the building. The family with the kid who
went to the clinic got evicted. Which is a definite mixed
blessing. And the asshole tried to have Dr Alan arrested for
trespass when he was collecting paint samples."
"Whoa. But maybe the landlord didn't know."
"Nah, this guy has a file this thick with Dara." V
holds her hands apart. "He knew. If past performance is any
indication... he knew. And running off Dr Alan was a big freaking
mistake. Proved he had something to hide. I'll see you back at
the office."
"Thanks." Rita calls after her. Walking around the
criminal justice complex, she goes back down into the bowels of
the building. This time for the court records and support
judgements.
Carly strolls into the L&B building like she owns it. So what
if it was enemy turf. Maxie Jones' eyes go wide as she sees Carly.
"Mrs Quartermaine..."
"I want to see Rita Porter."
"Rita isn't here right now."
"Good-- then I want to see her office."
"I can't let you do that." Maxie protests.
Carly quirks a brow. "Oh? Call Alexis then. She'll let me."
"Sure." Maxie makes a quick phone call anything to get
Carly out of there ASAP.
Alexis comes down the stairs with a heavy sigh. "Carly."
"Alexis." Carly says through a smile made up of gritted
teeth.
"What are you doing here?"
"I want to see Rita's office."
"Why?"
"Cause knowing you, you've stuck her in some cubby hole with
no light and no windows."
"Why don't we just skip the part where you are a bitch and
get right down to it. You want to get Rita a new job present and
need to see her office to see what she needs."
"You always did spoil all my fun." Carly rests a hand
on her hip.
"Come on. Don't touch the computer or the file cabinents."
Alexis leads the way up to Rita's office. Just to be on the safe
side she shuts down the computer herself and locks the cabinents.
"My God! It's worse than I thought." Carly says for
effect. She starts looking at the legs of the desk.
"What are you looking for?" Alexis bites even though
she knows she ought not.
"The ball and chain. You're the attorney; what amendment
outlawed slavery?"
"Whatever Carly." Alexis goes back to her office.
Carly shuts the door behind her and then looks around the office.
"It's not that bad really." She says to herself.
Reaching into her bag she pulls out a measuring tape and a small
notebook and starts making measurements. In the notebook she
makes a rough sketch of the office and it's layout. "Definitely
need different drapes, an oriental, a decent picture." Carly
starts making notes. Going over to the desk she switches on the
light. "Different lighting. This stuff will make you blind
if you put up with it long enough." Carly takes a seat in
Rita's chair. "Oh yuck." It works for her which means
it won't for Rita. Rita needs something a little higher or the
chairs opposite need to be a little shorter. Carly starts trying
to figure the power angles of the room. And the furniture is all
wrong. It's heavy and dark. Which might be lawyer-ly but in
combination with Rita would make her look like a kid playing
pretend. The loveseat could stay but that was about it.
Rita walks in. "Maxie told me you were here. Does that mean
they are ice skating in hell?"
"Probably." Carly agrees from behind Rita's desk,
sitting in Rita's chair. "You need a different chair. This
one sucks. I'm buying when do you want to go?"
"Not today. I'm up to my ears in a case. It's my first one
and I want to make a good impression."
"I knew it! She is being a slave driver."
"Carly, Alexis and Dara have been nothing but great to me
and you know it."
"Leave me my illusions." Carly quips. "So the
chair... when do you want to go?"
"Tomorrow night okay? I'll meet you at Office Max or
something."
Carly rises from Rita's chair and goes over to the doorway.
"Don't cancel on me or I'll pick it out on my own."
Carly gives her a quick smooch on the cheek and then goes down
the stairs.
Rita goes over to Alexis office and after a quick knock goes in.
"The coast is clear; Carly's gone."
Alexis shakes her head. "You know Carly and I have more in
common than I like to admit but she just..."
"Rubs you the wrong way. That's Carly." Rita gets back
to business. "The files will be a lot fatter now." She
pats the satchel. "I just need to read these and get them
situated."
"They're your cases, Rita." Alexis tells her. "Dara
and I are just here if you need us."
"I appreciate that." Rita shuts the door as she leaves.
Going back into her office she heaves the satchel up on her desk
and starts pulling out the sheafs of paper. Once she had them all
read she'd be ready to make a plan of attack.
Edward buys the drinks at the club and carries them over to the
table where Ricky is waiting. "Twenty years ago you'd be
buying."
"Twenty years ago I wouldn't have been legal for this beer."
Ricky raises it in a toast. "You still play a good round...
for an old man."
"And you're not bad for a guy who just bitched his way
around 18 holes." Edward raises his own glass. "So when
are you going to get married and settle down?"
"Damn!" Ricky practically spews the beer back in the
glass. "You're the second person in a week to pull that one
on me."
"Guy your age, never been married. People will start saying
you're gay. Now there is nothing wrong with that. You aren't gay,
are you?"
"I'm not gay." Ricky says between
gritted teeth.
Edward exhales lustily. "Well that's good to know. So what's
stopping you? Wait too long and all the good ones will be taken.
Nikolas snatched Maddy right from under your nose. Phillip
Kiriakis snagged that Porter gal."
"That Porter gal is a blonde bitch and you know it. Just
cause you think I should be settling down doesn't mean
I'm going to make myself miserable. I've seen enough of those."
"Yeah, she was a longshot." Edward stares into his
drink. "Ricky, I'm going to lay it out for you. Man was not
meant to live alone. Family is everything. Women... now they can
get on just fine without us. Only keep us around to get the kids
but men... I've been married for over half a century to the
sweetest woman God put on this earth. I have nightmares about
what my life would have been like without her." more
frequently now than ever before.
"When they made Miz Lila they broke the mold, damn it."
Ricky agrees.
"Amen." Edward agrees. "But that doesn't mean
there isn't someone out there for you. Look at AJ. Hell you don't
know what he was like before he married Carly. But I'll tell you...
a drunken failure. And Ned before he married Alexis... total
dilettante bouncing from one thing to another."
"He still does that."
"Maybe but he stays in Port Charles where I can keep an eye
on him. Alexis made a man of him. A man isn't a man, not really a
man, until he's taking care of business. And taking care of
business is a wife and children. They have a civilizing influence
on us."
Ricky realizes that while the topic might be him that the
conversation is really about Lila and Edward. "I see where
you're coming from but I'm not going to settle. I'm not going to
take the next thing that comes along cause I ought and miss out
on my chance of having my own Miz Lila."
"Just don't close your eyes to the possibilities."
Edward directs. "And if you find the right woman don't let
anything stand in your way. Lila was engaged to another man when
I met her but I knew she was the one. Is still the only one for
me. Sure there have been times when I forgot that, took it for
granted but thankfully Lila is a forgiving woman."
"Not so forgiving if you miss dinner 'cause you are out with
me." Ricky tries to lighten the mood. "Come on. I'll
drive you back to the mansion."