Feeling the need to roll his tongue back in his mouth Dusty watched a gorgeous blond in a sexy red dress walk into the restaurant. Every man in the place had their eyes on her. He felt he was underdressed to be in her presence. If he had on a tux, he would have felt the same. He stood as she scanned the room for him. He raised his hand to get her attention as he stood. She smiled and came towards him. Receiving several Who the hell do you think you are looking to be with a woman like that as she approaches him? He had no idea either. With a slight nod of his head, he reached out to shake her hand.
"Mrs. Blankenship," he asked, she was the only woman in a red dress in the place.
"Yes, it's Renee, and I'm sorry I was so late. There was an accident and we all had to take the service road for a while out in the Sealy area. It is so nice to meet you and good to see you're as cute as your voice," Renee said and continued to smile as she took her seat. She felt it never hurt to flirt, men loved to be desired.
"Thank you and you are making every man in the place envious of me," Dusty said, embarrassed at his own words. He should not be flirting with a client. Helping her to her seat he sat across from her and let out a soft sigh. This should be interesting.
"So, Mister Malone you're quite young how many divorces have you been involved in."
"Myself, none, I have never been married. He wanted to set that straight, "but I have represented thirty-seven people so far and I might add that all came out better than they thought they would. Twenty-six were women and eleven were men. I am the child of divorce, and my mother was screwed over by my father. I learned quite young how a good lawyer is your best advocate. I worked hard graduated college at twenty went to law school graduated three years ago and have been taking on two or three clients a month. I feel I wouldn't be able to give my clients my undivided attention if I was juggling five or six at a time. So," he said, pulling out a yellow legal pad, "tell me about your marriage and your husband's betrayal."
"Right here?" Renee asked, looking around at all the people around her.
"Sure, no one can hear you; it's too noisy in here," Dusty assured her, writing her name on the top of the page as eighties music played in the background and people talked all around them.
"Well, he cheated on me is number one and after I saw him, he claims it was a dream. You see I was supposed to be on a religious retreat with my sister over the weekend, but I came back a day early. It wasn't my cup of tea and there he was sitting in our living room with some girl between his legs giving him a blow job. They had music playing loudly so he didn't hear me come in. I now know I should have taken a baseball bat to them, but I just left. I think I was in shock. I figured he might as well enjoy it because this was going to cost him a bunch."
"Well, I'm sure you were angry and I'm glad you didn't hit them, or you would be in jail," Dusty told her with a sweet smile.
"I may have been, but I would have at least felt much better; he is such a slimeball," Renee informed him.
"How was this situation supposed to be a dream according to your husband?" Dusty asked, wanting to know the extent of their interaction since their separation.
"He called me on my cell the next morning acting all concerned about when I would be home. Probably because he had that girl there all night and had to get rid of her. I told him I came home last night and saw him with that girl. He was like 'Saw what? I was not home until after eleven using some excuse he was at work. I told him I saw him with the girl, and he said, 'I must have dreamt it because I wasn't home until later.' Now I know my husband's head, his hands, and his moans it was him. I just told him to grab his ass because I will see him in court and hung up."
Dusty wrote as much down as he could and asked, "Was that the last time you spoke to him?"
"Yes, I went by the dealership on Tuesday to talk to him, he wasn't there, but I did see the girl that was doing the blow job and she was just a young teen girl. She answers the phones for the repair shop. She was someone I had never seen there before. At my house, I only saw the side of her head because she was so busy blowing him, but her hair was a dead giveaway. It is quite blonde and spiky. She saw me and ducked down behind her desk as I walked out. He was probably out buying off all the attorneys in town when I was there. My husband likes his women young and I'm not young enough anymore.
"How old is your husband?"
"Fifty-six," Renee said, sounding ashamed she was with such an old man.
"And you have been married how long?"
"Nine years last month. I have some money saved up, but shouldn't he be supporting me?" Renee asked sure she had some money, but it won't last long. She had another year to save for the trip.
"Have you tried to use your credit cards or bank card?" Dusty asked, sounding concerned that he may be the vindictive type, and cut her off.
"No, not our account I have used mine. I had been saving to take a trip next year on our tenth anniversary as a surprise. Now I will use it to divorce his ass," she told him how he has been having a lot more overnight trips lately.
"So, dealership? He sells cars?" Dusty asked, unsure.
"We own the dealership and have for the last six years. He and I worked very hard to start up the dealership. I'm his trophy wife, shill, whatever. I'm the person who is on TV doing the commercials to bring in buyers. Everyone in Austin knows Mrs. Blankenship the Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, dealership in south Austin," she said as if she was on a commercial with the come and get me smile.
"So, you are involved in the business?"
"Not so much anymore. A commercial here and there, but I'm not down there selling cars if that is what you mean. Right now, they are airing a commercial I shot three months ago for the end-of-the-year deals. It is cheaper to do a bunch at one time and just space them out during the year."
"But you are involved in the business?"
"Very much and I want half of the profit which I know is a lot. We had a party to celebrate when we paid off the loan on the property a year ago, so everything is all profit now," Renee told him and asked, "So how much do you need as a retainer, and will you be able to come to Austin to work on my case?"
"I'll be honest; it is going to cost more because I will have to stay in a hotel when I have to come to Austin. Let me ask you this. Were you ever paid for the work you did on the commercials and so on for the dealership?"
"No. I just spent freely from our accounts, and he kept it covered," Renee told him as their salad was placed on the table, "he is not paid a salary either we own the place."
"Give me his full name, his birth date, and social if you know it and I'll do some checking on his accounts. See if he has been charging hotel rooms or buying gifts. Has he given you any gifts lately?" He asked if he wanted to see if he was generous with gifts to her.
"Not expensive things just a robe was the last thing. We just went out to dinner for our anniversary. So, you can do that? Check him out in that much detail," she asked, taking the legal pad, and writing the information he needed. She knew everything about him all his numbers, even his driver's license number.
"Yes, I pay a lot of money a year for that ability. As far as my cost I charge one fifty an hour plus the cost. The cost would be hotel room and food while I'm in Austin and my computer specialist cost the same as I do. You would be amazed how much we can get done from here. The computer is full of interesting things about people." His brother takes all the responsibility of snooping sometimes where he shouldn't be. But Dusty does a good job of covering his ass when he finds things to win the case.
"Sounds good so how much do you need now."
"Let's say a thousand and if I find what I think I will find that may be all I will need. What I need you to do is go back home and confront him about having all the other attorneys in town taken. Don't tell him you have one yet, I want him to think you don't know what to do. I want him being served to be a surprise."
"Could I just call him from here? I was going to go shopping while I was here," Renee said as she dug around in her purse pulled out a thousand dollars in hundreds, and handed it to him as she looked around to see if people were watching. Slipping it across the table nonchalantly Dusty took it and slipped it into his inside coat pocket. He produces a typed-out piece of paper from the same pocket. "If you would sign this it will make it all legal and proper. Could you also write your phone number down so I can contact you with what I find out," he said pointing at the yellow pad of paper. "Try using one of his credit cards and let's see if he has cut you off already."
"Sounds good I'll pay for lunch and let him pay for it," Renee suggested and pulled out a credit card looking for their waiter. As they finished their meal the restaurant was emptying. Renee asked as she dug for her phone, "Should I call him now that way you can hear what I say to him?"
"Sure, just don't let him sweet talk you into coming back until I research his credit card charges. I have a feeling he has been stepping out on you for a long time."
"Why I'm not a bitch or frigid," she stated sounding hurt by his statement.
"Because he likes them young," he said as he leaned on the table to get closer to her. "I have seen it often; we even had a class on this type of man in law school. He likes to find them young and mold them to his will and you aren't bending to his will anymore," Dusty said making her think.
Renee sat back and looked at Dusty thinking about her life lately. He was right; she was not asking permission for much of anything, fighting back as he questioned her spending. She felt she deserved the money it was her face on the TV not his. "That could be, but it doesn't give him the right to cheat on me. I would never do that to him," she said as her finger slid over her phone, and she put it to her ear.
"Martin what have you done every attorney in this damn town says he is your attorney," she demanded.
"Then why did you have that girl in our house?
Why," she demanded in a whine, and smiled at Dusty to display her good acting ability.
"I left for two days, are you that much of the sex fiend that you can't go for more than one day without sex," she listened and said. "I know that is bull shit we have gone weeks and no sex. What did you go out and get more Viagra," she snapped at him.
"If you want me to come home that is not the way to accomplish it," she told him sounding very pissed.
"Don't worry about me just make sure I have money in my account?"
"Oh, I do believe my name is on the paperwork for the house and the dealership."
"Remember Martin I'm smart, I remember everything that is what you liked about me. 'Quick as a whip,' remember."
"Martin, keep money in my account and maybe I will come home, let me get over my mad. Bye Martin," she said as she closed out the call.
"Did you get the gist? It is my fault he was horny, and I was not there, even though he has to use Viagra to have sex."
"How long has this been going on?"
"About five years ago, he had a heart problem. Not a big one but they put him on some medicine, and he started having problems. Now we had sex for about an hour, the day before I left so that is bull shit."
All Dusty could think about him was having sex with her for an hour. Hell, just five minutes would be fine with him. What the hell is wrong with that man? He knew middle-aged men were crazy and stupid because he was going to lose a lot over a blow job if that was all it was. Dusty knew better he had all the classic signs of a cheater.
"Ok, well let me start my investigation if I find something quick, I'll call you and you can meet me at my office. How does that sound?"
"Perfect I should be in town for three or four days as long as I have money in our account."
"Sounds like fun, but whatever you spend now will come out of what you get later. I will submit your separation paper today by mail so keep that in mind as you shop," Dusty warned.
"So, you're telling me I need to be window shopping, not start buying."
"Now or later; but later would be better. This may take a while and you may need your money in case this gets drawn out for a long time."
"Ok Daddy, I hear you, maybe I will just check into a spa and wait for your call that should be cheaper," Renee said as she stood.
Dusty followed her collecting his papers as Renee wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged him. Looking up into his eyes, she said, "You have my life in your hands whether I live as I am now, or in a trailer park is up to your ability to take him for everything I have come to me. He was a lowly car salesman, and it was my trust fund money that helped him work that deal for the dealership," Renee complained.
"Whoa you should have told me this first, this changes everything," Dusty told her extending his hand for them to sit back down. "Ok, where did the money come from?"
"My grandmother left it to me," she told him the story. "I went to college and then got married. I still had five hundred thousand plus left and we used that to put the down payment plus some Martin had saved at the bank for the dealership."
"Did he know you had money when he married you?"
"He knew I had a trust fund that would open up at twenty-one. Otherwise, I had a trust fund attorney, and I asked for money. He was easy but I never asked for much," Renee offered.
"Ok, so that money needs to come back to you first," he stood again, "we need to get going," he suggested. He had work to do to find out what this man had been up to.
*
Dusty's brother worked for the government; at least that is what he told people when asked how he found all this information out. If they had basements in Texas that is where he would be found, as it is, he was in his room at his mother's home with three computers on his wrap-around desk in front of him and a rarely used twin bed on one wall.
One of his abilities was finding out about people the other he was a gaming master. In three of Dusty's divorce cases turned out the men were on the wrong side of the law. He got rid of them easily and the women took it all.
His first task was to have his brother run a check on Martin Blankenship typing out all his information in an e-mail and having him focus on his spending habits. If he is cheating that's the fastest way for Renee to get what she wants, and the proof is usually in the charging habits of the cheater who has money. They like swiping that card and getting what they want.
Before he could even finish up on the separation agreement his e-mail chimed. Page after page of credit card statements filled his screen. A DWI in Nevada took center stage. He was wanted for a stop last August. That caught his attention, and he had a failure to appear warrant out for him.
"Euee Martin you busy boy," Dusty said as he began to see a pattern. He would check in at the Windsor Hotel around eleven have a nooner at least once a week and have the bill sent to the dealership Renee never knew. She was out of town, so he saved the money and got caught he figured. "I wonder what kind of CYA you're doing Martin." He picked up his phone and called Renee she probably hadn't even parked at the spa yet.
"Where are you?" Dusty asked Renee.
"Well, I'm trying to keep my emotions under control. The nurse here at Planned Parenthood has just informed me I have Chlamydia and possibly Gonorrhea but all the tests aren't back yet so it could be more," she said, and he could hear her voice tremble.
"Oh shit," Dusty mumbled.
"You got it. Martin is my one and only, so I got it from him. Does that help with my case?" She whined sounding as if it was taking everything she had to stay under control.
"Yes, it does; but we have already found his smoking gun. How much longer are you going to be?" He asked and could hear her talking to someone.
"She says at least an hour for all the test results. Real high-class girls he's messing with," she said with a sarcastic flare.
"True, but at least they have medicine for those types," he offered as she broke down in tears.
"Ah sweetie, don't cry there is a warrant for his arrest out of Nevada do you want me to turn him in, that should slow him down."
"A what!" She screeched as he pulled his phone back from his ear.
He smiled as he figured that would cheer her up and told her, "he has a DWI and he failed to appear in court; so, he has a warrant for his arrest. The Austin Police would have to send him to Nevada to face charges."
"The Austin Police will do that?"
"Sure, they do it all the time. We could get the whole divorce wrapped up before he gets out of jail if we are lucky. They shouldn't give him bail since he was already a no-show. We can put a hold on your funds, and he wouldn't be able to access the bond money if they do."
"Oh, Dusty do it, lock him up. Look what he has done to me, I'm a diseased woman," she whined.
"Ok I will do that next, you have my address right." He heard her moan and figured she nodded her head. "When you're finished there come to my office and I'll tell you the other stuff we have found on him."
Two hours later a frazzled Renee entered his small office. No secretary just him sitting behind a cheap desk in an older building in the old town of Katy.
"Ok, how big of a slimeball is he?" Renee asked as she dropped into the chair in front of him looking exhausted.
"Pretty big. So how are you feeling?" Dusty asked as he reached out to pat her hand, she had perched on the edge of his desk.
"Like a prostitute or deranged junkie. No wonder I haven't felt good lately. I had all these diseases circulating in me and the nurse told me the medicine she gave me would make me sick to my stomach, but I must take it for ten days. So basically, I'm screwed without the good feelings," she said displaying a pitiful smile. "So, did you call him in?"
"I did and I also told a vice cop, he may want to check out his computers at home and look for child porn."
"What No, he wouldn't do that," Renee said, shocked at his statement.
"You said he liked young girls if they find nothing fine, if they find something good for you."
"Wow, you are ruthless, aren't you?" Renee said, with a nervous laugh she was wondering what that scandal would cost the dealership and voiced that question.
"You should be fine. You will take over and he will be in jail, and everyone will feel sorry for the poor cheated-on wife."
"Oh, you think so. You don't know the Austinites. Chew them up and spit them out when they are down is their motto."
"I'm sorry to hear that, but if he is a pedophile, he needs to be stopped."
"I understand; I'm just wondering how much I will get for a down-in-the-dumps dealership if this goes on for a while?" Renee questioned.