Masquerade Ménage (Ménage Series Book 4 of 6)

Chapter 5: The Injustice - Joe

Joe

After 5 long years, Mr. Carlton Allen Ryan has come up with nothing to get our daughter back. I have a feeling he isn't this amazing attorney everyone told us about. My poor girl is frustrated and I am as well. Deciding to see him one last time before she fires his ass, Dee requested a meeting to go over what he has and to get copies of anything that may help our custody case. Wishing I could be there with her today, she went alone and I've been cleaning the car. I don't dare go anywhere near Amy or her case, for fear of being recognized and ruining what little progress we've made.

When she returned, I listened to Dee explain what went on and it was just as we suspected. He has been wasting our time.

Dee says, "Carlton has a very pretty secretary that he enjoys watching. Being that I've been in this situation, I knew what this woman was going through. Then, today at our meeting, I noticed he had a picture of himself and a few other friends on a side table in his office. That picture was taken on a yacht named Wanderlust. Needless to say, I fired him on the spot."

Telling me this Dee cries and I feel terrible. That was Mark's boat. I've been on it a few times and told her about our trip to the bar.

Not knowing who else has been bought and paid for by Mark or his group, I talked to one of our professors at the Dickinson Law School. This man is honorable and would never be in Mark's pocket.

Walking into the office, I see he is cleaning off his desk.

"Well hello Professor Forbes, how can I help you today?" My colleague, Professor Michael Miller, says to me.

As he puts some books away on his self, Mike turns and smiles. He and I have known each other for a while. We have talked several times, and I considered him a friend here at the college. We are about the same age, and both work out at the facilities here on campus. We like the same cherry pie they make here in the cafeteria as well, I noticed. Paul says that he lives just off 1st street, he is not married and Mike is the brother of a woman who Mark destroyed years ago.

Taking a seat on his couch, I try to think of how to begin.

"Hey Mike, I need a favor and this needs to stay between us," I state, which gets his attention.

Mike stops what he is doing, takes a seat, and puts his glasses on. He then leans back in his old brown leather chair.

My colleague asks, "What's wrong, Jack? Of course, it will stay between us. Is everything alright?"

With a nod, I pull out the file we have on Amy.

"Yes, I was hoping you could help with my friend's case. She lost custody of her daughter and has been trying to get her back for several years now. It's a long story, but she has made a few powerful enemies. They are working against her and keeping this woman from regaining custody of her child. I know this sounds paranoid, but I believe her. From what I've seen, they are giving her the run-around and you should see how the previous lawyer handled her case." I say while he takes the folder.

Mike reads through it and as he does, I try to decide if I trust him enough to tell him the truth. He's a good man, that's why I brought him in, but I worry he will think I'm crazy or delusional.

As Mike continues to read through the case file, he looks up at me, over his glasses, from time to time. This worries me, but I keep telling myself he is a good man and I trust him.

"Jack, this Amelia Murray, is she still in foster care in New York State?" He asks, and I nod.

Mike then adds, "It happened in New York, correct?" I nod again.