Previously on Amor...
1] Dom's ailment started to progress
2] Dom forces Dora into an uneasy alliance
3] His act of Redemption...penance..finally starts...as his actions get into effect
4] agent Marsh and Dom... have a meeting off radar..
Chapter 3
Kid and The gathering
202, Lake View
Mountain Creek Lake
Dallas, Texas
14th july 2013
22:10 P.M
It had been a week since he met Mr. Marsh, and the week went by in a rush... he had never experienced this excitement or this amount of anxiety ever... he was sleeping less...brainstorming more... so much so that he would sleep on couch in the lounge itself of his workplace... as much as he loathed to accept..the case he was looking into , was impossibly tangled although it looked like a straight forward one on the surface...
On the outset it looked like a simple double murder case where the accused confessed to his crimes...the victim was pursuing a research fellowship in a reputable institute... who was also 7 months pregnant with her second child... had a daughter 6 years old... who is since missing...fair enough it was an easy case... as the sympathies of the jury as well as public would be obviously placed with the victim... just pin the whole case on the accused... finish the trial successful...the accused was easily staring at 20 years to a life term.. legally too there was no tangles interesting enough...nor was any scandal attached to it but one...to attract the attention of the lawyer of such stature as Mr. Parker... he was famous/ notorious (depends on the way one looks at it) to achieve success notwithstanding the steps taken...means were achieved smoothly..making him likable by many and despised by those who actually knew him and his ways... still it did not warrant his involvement...in a done to death case...which would do more harm than good to his stellar career..
Dom threw his coat on the passenger seat opened a can of beer (which he hardly did before) took a sip...placed it in the holder...revved up his engine...and sat idling lost in thought...only when a traffic built up behind him..did he slowly drove away...it was pretty late for him to be driving (acc to his own standards) ... but he had a reason to look out for to reach home..It was one of those rare days in the recent time when Dom could make it to home...(the mansion since been forsaken by him...who thought it would deem fit and proper to start over a new leaf of life...in a modest and honest way..so he bought a small flat for himself from the earnings of his recent case...) besides the coming week was important for him on the personal front... he will get to spend a week with his little daughter Emily Parker...one of the two reasons which compelled a man like Dom to change his ways...(i suppose when it all boils down to life and Death only then the value and importance of anything or anyone is rightly perceived...anyhow whatever the misgivings he had with his life Dom had to thank his condition for Emily's return in his life..) he chuckled at the Irony of it all...(indeed all of it was kinda sick joke, isn't it? a joke played on him by nature...by the unseen powers , presence of which he never gave enough credit before... religiously He was always an atheist up until his diagnosis..even the little faith he got now was not because he understood it's importance but because he could not get a convincing explanation about HOW could HE get such an ailment...after all he was THE PARKER...(it was always like this for Dom...it all boiled down to I,Me and Myself for him...coming from a middle class family everything was a fight for him...it changed him for the worse..he yearned for money,name,fame,status above all POWER...what with acute sense of planning and intelligence..soon he was one of the rag to riches story any tabloid or magazine could boast of..)..it took just 45 mins for him to reach his new home... as soon as he reached the vicinity of the building...he gave a cursory glance at the road side facing window of his apartment... at this hour Emily would be asleep...just the thought of his daughter's innocent sleeping face pulled up a smile in him...a small sunshine in his otherwise cloudy and overcast life... it was a minute or so before he realized what he was looking at absentmindedly... light spilled out of her window...something that never happened before... Dom, assuming the worst... opened the glove compartment of his car took out his pistol ...held it tightly...and without making much noise parked the car on the street itself crossed the road and as stealthily as possible he entered his home...it was all dark...which almost confirmed his fears...he heard giggles and laughter from Emily's room...only one place to have lights on..he tightened his hold on the pistol ... slowly very cautiously...he swung into the bedroom...and froze...
"Hey!! you are late...I see" said Anita not even glancing at him but putting Emily to bed and drew up her blanket and tucked it under her chin..
.
"oh...umm..." Dom floundered half in embarrassment and half in irritation...not knowing where to put the pistol he was holding...looked around and kept it on the dressing table..
.
"Careful..you wouldn't want that to be lying around in a 6 year old's bedroom..." still she wasn't looking at him...but now she started cleaning the toys strewn floor...
"wh..what are you doing here..? thought you were on some medical conference in London? ...Anita opened her mouth in reply...but Dom continued..
"- for your information i have legally brought Emily over here..."
She tried to answer once again..But Dom kept going..
"-it shouldn't be a bother to you...as am her father..if you have forgotten...-"
he was cut short by her glare..." can you ever stop making it all about yourself?? can you just for once listen to me??"
Dom smirked at her jibe and sat on the bean bag all tired and closed his eyes..."am listening"
Anita was definitely irritated yet she filled him in.."I got a call from Emily saying she heard strange noises...like someone was talking in whispers...and also heavy footsteps...she was scared Dom...and as usual you weren't there when she needed you...someone should be around who is responsible enough to be with her..so i came over... will be spending the night..and one more lapse from you...she goes with me..you won't get to see her...forever"
it was all lost on him..as he was thinking about the changes he saw in Anita..the only one whom he ever trusted..she was never this caustic...wondering what brought out all the bitterness inside her..what caused such a change in her personality...
"hey...hey had your Dinner? hey--you with me??" Anita asked him repeatedly..
"yeah...no...no..time..i mean..." Dom..stuttered abruptly coming to reality..
she just shook her head and said.."Go..Get freshen up, will put together some dinner for you..."
just when Dom started smiling one of his old goofy smile which he used to give whenever he was around Anita..she cut short his joy " Don't let your imagination run amock with any insane ideas..i am doing this all for courtesy..and the 10 years i spent with you...above all for her.."
she jerked her head towards the direction of Emily's sleeping form..
after about 15 minutes Dom sat at his dinner table ..and turned on the TV...he caught the last part of late night News...and immediately it caught his attention..the News reader was an elderly man who announced ....' Coming to the News which caught a few eyeballs..the double murder case...after a week of court ruling...it's been rumored that Mr.Blackwell is gonna be represented after all...sources said that there would be an appeal to review of the previous sentencing... it can be noted that this is the very case where prosecution had a field day...and involves Mr.James Blackwell ( a mug shot of his appeared as well as a ticker tape was running below..with 'Breaking news- Mr. Dominic Parker of ICJ to Represent Mr.James ' boldly written) son of one among the most powerful men of North America.. this case had its fair share of eyebrow raising facets...like Mr.James being represented badly...and the confession ...which was the basis for the ruling...what strange though is that Mr.James had explicitly expressed no desire for an appeal...does that mean Blackwell Sr. is finally taking an interest in his son's case? or was it a foolish folly on James part ...which he realized after all?? why now?? why not before?? -"
Dom snorted " huh That's Interesting!!...wow i never knew am taking this case!!..." took a fork-full of pasta.. " that clears up the calls i got back in the office.." and swallowed it...only half interested now...
Anita raised an eyebrow at him " thought you were on this case!... trust you to be deceitful ... looks like you are the same ever..." and shrugged "you know something?? you can never change...like ever..." and stomped off in utter disgust...
the news was running in the background..."- Still the case is not over..and has it's own moments of drama...( a pic of Priya Rajput and the snapshot of the slap was displayed ) this woman was seen hitting Mr.James...-"
Dom was genuinely surprised but he hid his surprise very well...not knowing something is different but accepting it was against his ego...so he just uttered "hmmm...who is she?? "he knitted his eyebrows together ..dished out his cell phone and called "Smith...get me all the info you can about a Miss Priya Rajput...and ask Marcy to convene a meeting...in -" he looked at his watch"- an hour...i need OUR team in it's entirety there...
"
smith tried in vain to point out " sir it's almost midnight...so late?? i have no idea where all are or how occupied they are..-"
Dom went on..." i need a meeting in an hour...i think am clear..and ask Marcy to keep ready the case files of Rajput V/s Blacwell ...am i clear? ...Sweet.." and he cut the call...
"- what singular about this act was that she was seen attending every single hearing and legal action pertaining to the convict...it's been speculated that those two might have been romantically involved...or could she be an accomplice?? more questions pops up than getting resolved...Stay tuned with us for further details...Moving on to the weather report..."
Dom said..."Priya...hmmm" got up... placed the dishes in the sink...went to Emily's room sat at her bedside...caressed her jet black hair...and placed a soft kiss at her forehead...and said to himself...more like promised to himself... " i will make it alright hon...with you..with your mom...with myself..." he exhaled heavily..after a long moment of watching his daughter sleep peacefully ..
he got up turned and saw Anita standing at the door all suspicious... he cleared the distance in two steps and without a warning Kissed Anita like he did never before... he put all his pent up emotions into it and passionately Kissed her...on her part she tried to resist ..but pissed she might be... still deep down she loved him a lot so she gave in... after what was like an eternity...or few seconds...he stepped back...and said.." I'll be back by morning..hopefully before Em get's up.." and he left her all confused...collecting the car keys from door side shelf...
x-x-x-x
Conference Hall
Parker Towers Main Building
Dallas, Texas
15th July , 2013
around 1:30 in the night...
it was an odd group...which consisted of a lawyer (of course Dom); David Ross (a cop ); Thomas Kirk ( ex-Drug peddler and Chief CI to the feds); Mark Smith ,a journalist (the one who can irritate the hell out of any celeb ...paparazzi stuff); Victor Hapsburg an Ex- Medical Examiner( Aged,wise and well disapproving of breaking law Brother of a mental Asylum Dean/head); Damon Nate, FBI Agent..( very mysterious...more like an american spy..who worked for CIA/FBI/DoD etc,,); Andrew Fitzgerald, a crime Scene Investigator (besides being a relative of a powerful senator)..
.it would look like a casual meeting...only difference being ...the odd hour and Ms.Marcy hovering around the room nervously glancing at the door..as if she is breaking some law...
Dom looked up from a dossier " So...where are we...?? and looked at Smith...
Smith took a sip of the water kept before him...Dom had a particular influence on him...and after a few seconds silence " Well for starters... the defendant here was a architectural photographer ... who belonged to the illustrious Blackwell Family..."
Dom disinterestedly " what's new?? the whole world knows this.."
Smith continued confidently with a feverish light in his eyes ( he loved washing dirty laundry of celebs publicly ) now... " the Best part is about to come..." after a theatrical silence he continued " Mr.James is a love child -" few murmer and eyebrows rose at this revelation.." of Sir Richard, loathed and despised by his wife Lady Irina...word has it that ... Mr.James used to live in Child care center after his mother's death...at the age of 12..he was bought into the Blackwell palace... but Our Defendant had tough time adjusting to the new environs..the constant rejection by the immediate society and his own yearning for parental love pushed him towards drug addiction...and was literally living in the streets 10 years back. under his nick-name Danny ..after 3 years of him hitting the streets... Danny disappeared surprisingly as if he no longer existed...and the world started taking note of the genuineness of Mr.James Blackwell's sublime captures of rare and ancient edifices..he rose to fame soon but still fighting his father's (who he was his idol) apathy towards him...-"
Dom cut short Smith " that's enough ... for now... what do we have about the Victim?.."
Smith looked sour but before he could continue...David replied " she is spot clean ... was a bright student...won many scholarships..often described as full of life , gregarious..bubbly...and ever smiling...spreading joy everywhere ,girl next door...pursued a research project in Bacteriology in Louis Pasteur Institute, France..-"
Victor took a sharp breath while Andrew whistled slowly in awe
"- but had her own Research facility which she set up with grants from the government of US and France.. personally she was an adopted Child of Mr.Jason Sullivan the well known barrister and has a whole lot of lawmen in his family...every small detail can be accounted and timeline can be drawn of her life from the adoption time up until her 21st birthday after which she vanished for 6 years...only to comeback with a kid and the husband in the wind... nobody knows where she was all those years..and no body knows from where she came into the picture..or how the defendant and victim are related...apart from the illustrious families they belong to respectively..who know each other in the celebrity circuit ..there is no link between them...the case looks like a random act of violence at the outset..but being the rational beings here we should dig deeper.."
Dom stood up and leaned on to the table supporting his weight with his two hands still looking at the files before him... " boyfriends?? hookups?? girlfriends?? any social club she belonged to?? any other info??"
David shook his head in negative... exhaled...and said " she doesn't even has a parking ticket to her name...she paid taxes regularly...she never had a car..even after being stinking rich..as she preferred public transport...she often said " going in a bus/tram makes me feel alive"
Dom looked at his watch... and continued " that's it gentlemen for today...one last info i need..what does Mrs. Rajput's autopsy report says..".
Victor Coughed a bit cleared his throat and said " Not yet got hold of it "
Dom said " oh really?? and why is it so? " in a sarcastic tone
Victor looked at Damon and then back at Dom.." ask the Feds...besides i do have many other engagements than running your errand boy" and shot a disapproving look at him... Smith internally smiled adding to victor's sentence mentally 'yeah...you go man'...
Dom stood straight walked slowly wiping his stubble...with his left hand..and bent next to Mr.Victor and softly hissed to him..."you don't go rebelling on me Victor...you very well know this case is very important to me...there is something wronged here which we have to straighten out..." stood straight again..but still looking at him " i can't imagine the reaction Valerie will have when she comes to know about-" Victor although unflinching yet wiped the little droplets of sweat which had appeared listening to Dom's words...spluttered on the glass of water he unconscious had gulped " ok...ok...no need to put your finger in there...i get it...the severity of situation...importance of the case..and act responsibly ..."
Dom smiled a satisfied smile...and said " why do you guys make me do things i don't like...i am a gentle soft person..let me be that...for your own good..." and he sat back in his Swiveling chair turning right and left with fingertips joined together...
Victor still rallied on the new found point..." Yet... i need Co-operation from them- " he looked at Damon and David..and continued bitterly "- ..which is not here..all we have is just intimidation and bullying by you..."
Dom mimed being hurt..."Ouch !! That hurts man...bullying and me?? " feigned a fake shock for the benefit of Ms.Marcy..who smiled ..seeing where the idiotic M.E was taking himself to...went back to arranging the details of that case...
"I would be careful If i were you Victor besides the whole world knows how generous i am..you could just mention what you needed..." and raised his voice a bit more forcefully , lethally " Instead of whining...like an octogenarian..."
Dom got a call ... he took out the phone from his right pocket , checked the number and turned towards the group..."so gentlemen...today's discussion shall rest here...can i expect the autopsy report on my table soon? " and looked at Victor politely... after Smith poked him Victor said "yes...you shall" he added resenting what he had to say..
Dom continued " Sweet...ah! Damon please try to get hold of any info about her husband and those few missing years of info...and Andrew i would like to see the evidence box ...try to get it from the evidence vault...Goodnight gentlemen" and he took his coat from the backrest..threw it on to his left hand... without turning to look what all others were doing or saying ... he went out of room with Ms.Marcy almost running behind him...
Edited by lakshmi_3004 - 12 years ago
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