November 2002
Fred felt extremely small and vulnerable as she seated herself on the badly
upholstered seat. She smiled weakly at Kate and Cordelia as they
sat down in the two seats next to hers, and Fred coughed quietly at the
minor cloud of dust that was stirred up. Cordelia reached behind
Kate to squeeze Fred’s shoulder reassuringly.
The ceiling of the courtroom was quite high, causing every sound to be
amplified several times. Angel’s chair made an obnoxious squealing
noise as he shifted to look behind him at the three women sitting the observers’
section. He looked briefly at Cordelia and turned back.
Cordelia took a small note pad and a pen out of her purse and wrote two
words on the pad. She handed the note very discreetly to Kate.
He’s nervous.
Kate took the pen and wrote two more words on the same sheet of paper.
I know.
Cordelia read the note and felt her body tense slightly. She had
long since stopped pretending that Angel and Kate’s unique relationship
didn’t bother her.
"ALL RISE!"
Cordelia started at the bailiff’s booming voice. She stood up, scanning
the courtroom. Lindsey, Wesley, and Angel sat at the defense table.
She noticed that Lindsey was eyeing Lilah at the plaintiff’s table with
particular malice. She smirked back at him, as did her co-counsel,
the young black man who had served the original lawsuit papers. Cordelia
felt a cold lump form in her stomach. Kate pulled her back to reality
with a gentle tug on her sleeve. The judge had entered the courtroom
and was seated comfortably at the bench. The few observers were finding
their places again.
The trial progressed rather quickly. Wolfram & Hart brought in
several office assistants to testify to seeing Angel destroy the firm’s
property. A few repairmen and contractors gave testimony about damage
figures. Angel found it darkly amusing that none of the testimonies
or evidence was fabricated.
After each direct examination, Lilah shot a triumphant glance in Angel’s
direction.
It came to be Angel Investigation’s turn to defend itself. Lindsey
nodded confidently at Wesley and Angel before he buttoned his jacket and
stood to face the judge.
"Your Honor," he said in a voice that seemed all too loud for the courtroom.
"We would like to request a short recess."
The judge, a middle-aged man with a silver comb-over, cleared his throat
and worked his mouth absently.
"Very well. Court will be in recess for twenty minutes," he boomed,
pounding the gavel. He sounded relieved to have a break from the
proceedings.
In the hall outside the courtroom, Wesley took Lindsey aside.
"Explain to me how this is part of our strategy," he whispered urgently.
"Look, calm down. I’m just trying to break their rhythm. Don’t
get uptight on me now," he muttered, eyebrows knitted together.
Angel was about to join the conversation when he felt himself being pulled
into a side door. He found himself in a darkened, empty conference
room.
"What do you want, Lilah?" he said without expression. "Another deal?
A settlement? Another one of my friends dead?"
He felt her grab his coat lapels and shove him up against the wall.
"What do I want?" she murmured in a low voice. He felt her breath
on his face as she leaned closer to him. "Just you."
Angel laughed in her face.
"And what makes you think you can have me?" he said dangerously, the laughter
suddenly gone. "You’re right. You do want me. Dead."
"You’d think so, wouldn’t you?" she said, sultry and perilous at the same
time. Lilah seemed undeterred by Angel’s malice. Her hands
strayed inside his coat, fingers playing with the top button of his shirt.
"I can make this whole thing go away. I can make sure no one ever
hears of this. I can even make sure Wolfram & Hart leaves your
friends out of any future business we might have with you."
"Really?" Angel said, his voice flat and dead. "And what would I
have to do to compensate you for your generosity?"
Lilah leaned closed to him so that her lips were brushing his ear.
"Just me."
Angel smiled. He gently took hold of Lilah’s shoulders, putting her
at arms’ length.
"Sorry, Lilah," he said softly, touching her cheek lightly with his thumb.
"You couldn’t pay me enough."
He turned and walked out, leaving her seething in the dark room.
"I realize this is unusual, but we would like to request an audience with
your Honor," Lindsey said confidently. Glancing purposefully in Lilah’s
direction, he continued. "In the presence of opposing counsels, of
course."
The judge worked his mouth again, considering.
"Sure, what the hell? This chair was getting lumpy, anyway," he said
gruffly. "Come on, we’ll all go to my chambers. Come on now,
we haven’t got all day to shilly-shally around!"
Lindsey, Angel, Lilah, and the other Wolfram & Hart lawyer walked quickly
in the direction of the judge’s chambers. Wesley remained seated,
looking a little green around the gills.
The chambers were spacious and homey. The judge sat in his chair
and put his feet up on his expensive-looking desk.
"So, Mr. Lawyer, what’s the matter with you?" he asked, staring pointedly
at Lindsey.
Before Lindsey could open his mouth, Lilah’s young co-counsel opened his.
"Your Honor, this is completely unnecessary! I suggest we continue
on with the trial as scheduled!" he exclaimed, his deep voice booming.
"Do you, Mr. Watson? That’s very interesting, but might I make a
suggestion?" Watson remained silent. "I suggest you let me decide
what is and isn’t necessary in my court. Now sit down and shut up.
That goes for you, too, Legs."
Watson and Lilah sat down.
"Your Honor, it will only take a minute to explain my reason for requesting
this audience." Lindsey was cool, calm, and collected. Angel suddenly
became wary.
"By all means, get to explaining, then."
Lindsey set his briefcase down on the floor. He undid the clasps
and pulled out something shiny.
"If you will simply observe, Your Honor, I believe you will understand,"
he said. The next second, he was on top of Lilah, the object pressed
to her throat. He whispered something quickly to her before the scent
of fresh, warm blood reached Angel’s flared nostrils. Angel grabbed
Lindsey by the jacket and threw him against the wall. He lifted Lilah’s
head, wildly trying to think of some way to save her. She was no
innocent, but this was never the way he wanted Lilah’s downfall to go.
Cold-blooded murder was unacceptable from anyone Angel had come to consider
part of his team.
Watson was sitting petrified on the chair next to Lilah’s. Angel
was about to tell him to run when he was lifted up and pinned against the
wall by a very strong arm. The judge had gotten up out of his seat
and was now standing in the middle of the room, pinning Angel with one
hand and rubbing his chin with the other. His eyes had changed into
pale blue orbs that seemed to float in his head. He was looking thoughtfully
at Lindsey.
"Terribly irritating, these Wolfram & Hart people. What would
you say, Mr. Lawyer, if I promised to dismiss this case in exchange for
you killing him?" he said, pointing a finger on his free hand at Watson.
Lindsey brushed himself off and wiped his ceremonial dagger clean.
"I’d say I would do it for free," he replied, a cold light dancing in his
eyes.
"Wonderful. This is a business arrangement, really. They weren’t
paying me enough for my bias. What should I do with him?" he said,
jerking his head in Angel’s direction. The vampire was struggling
madly, trying to stop Lindsey from advancing on Watson, who was now jabbering
in terror.
"Just hold him back until I’m gone," Lindsey said, laughter in his tone.
"Then you can let him go."
"Fine with me. Oh, and one more thing. What did you say to
Legs there before you cut her throat?" he said, indicating Lilah’s limp
and lifeless body.
Lindsey smiled.
"I asked her if she’d missed me." Lindsey scratched his chin slowly and
looked admiringly at the bloody dagger. "I know I did."
Angel watched until Lindsey was standing over Watson, dagger glinting red
in the lamplight. Then, he shut his eyes and listened to Watson’s
screams until they were no more.
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