The Return of the Mafia Boss

Chapter 6

~Alone~

The days blurred by quickly.

Andrès was having a hard time. His wife had strangely disappeared at the office that day and he had not seen her since then. He had spent a few days in the cell without bail or anyone who believed in him. As a matter of fact, he spent days with neither news nor help. 

No one came for him and no one would tell him why he was really there.

He had not killed the boss. No matter what they said he had done, he was not the one that killed the boss. He had absolutely nothing to gain from it.

Andrès was lying on the bed in the cell one day when they informed him that he had a visitor. His face visibly brightened as he heard the news and he jumped out of bed determined to meet whoever it was that had finally come to see him.

An officer accompanied him to the visitation area.

There, a small strange woman whom he had never seen in his life greeted him. Andrès craned his neck, trying to look around to see if his wife or somebody familiar had come along. There had to be some sort of mistake. Maybe the officer had mistaken someone else’s visitor…

“I’m the only one here.” The woman at the table said. She had on a power suit and one of those leggings that make women appear to have really smooth legs. Her shoes were black and her glasses and coiffed her made her look like an intimidating school teacher.

Andrès frowned at her because she was not at all who he was expecting. “I thought you were my wife. I’m expecting her. Not you.”

“I understand, but given the situation, I might as well be your wife right now. Please sit down.”

“Who the hell are you?”

“Forgive me, Mr. Manuel,” the woman said in a stern voice. “My name is Joyce Meyers; I’m going to be your attorney.”

Andrès recoiled from the woman once she said this. He looked to the officer that had walked him here, but the officer only gave him a flat look and undid his handcuffs and walked away. He had been cuffed before they could bring him to the visitation area. As if he were any threat to anyone at all.

But this woman—

“Why are you here?” he demanded, once the officer had gone. He was finding it difficult reining his anger in. More than a few days ago, he had been charged with the murder of a man who he had no reason at all to kill.

All of the events that led right up to this moment were strange, to say the least. 

But most especially strange, and painful, was the fact that Andres was still yet to see his wife after everything that had happened so far.

“It is just as I said, Mr. Manuel. I am the lawyer that has been assigned to your case. Please take a seat.”

Andrès glared suspiciously at the woman, but he slowly lowered himself into the single seat that was there and linked his arms together.

“Thank you for choosing to see me today. As your lawyer—“

“—You say you’re my lawyer,” Andrès interrupted. She nodded calmly back at him. “But I don’t remember anything about a lawyer. I know the state is supposed to provide one for me, but you honestly don’t look like a lawyer that the state provided. Who’s your client and why are they interested in me?”

The woman smiled and took off her glasses. “Please allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Joyce Meyers, and I have bene contracted to stand in as your attorney for this case. However, I am afraid that I cannot disclose the identity of my client.”

“And why is that?” Andrès narrowed his eyes at her.

“Let us just say that you have people in very high places—very powerful people who wish to ensure that you pay for a crime. Personally, it is not my business to meddle in such affairs. I only do what I’m paid for. But I should tell you that this case is not going to be an easy one. So I’ve come to you with a solution.”

Andrès didn’t trust her one bit, but he decided that it could not hurt to hear what it was that she had to say.

“Alright. I’m listening” he said as he leaned back in his chair.

“Thank you.” She said and put on her glasses. She leaned forward and stared at me with an intense gaze in her eyes. “Here’s the plan. When we go to court, I need you to plead guilty.”

Andrès snapped at her. “Didn’t you say you’re a lawyer who’s trying to help me? Why would I willfully confess to a crime I didn’t commit?”

“There is no way at all for you to prove that you are not the one who killed your boss. From all indications, you are the one who poisoned his tea. Or do you have another way to prove that this is false?”

“No, but—”

“Nothing! You’ve got nothing. This is the only way that the judge can be lenient with your sentence. There’s no time. Your court hearing has been moved up to tomorrow.”

This time, Andrès was genuinely shocked. What sort of people had the power to pull his court date so close and so soon, without any prior notice?

“Mr. Manuel,” the lawyer placed a hand on his own hand. He recoiled and brushed it off. “I’m only trying to help you.”

Andrès pushed out of his chair and stormed away. He was tired of hearing all this nonsense. “If you say tomorrow is the court hearing, then so be it! But I’m not confessing to a crime I didn’t commit!”

He sprung up from his chair after saying that and walked out of the visitation area, away from his supposed lawyer.

Joyce Mayers on the other hand watched him walk away, her mouth agape from his reaction.