Nick studied the map. "Jerry said you're going to the Sobrato office tower on South Almaden. Can you check and make sure we're in the right place?" He handed his passenger the map, hoping that having something constructive to do would distract the guy from the fact that they were getting closer to the ground.
And to his credit, that was apparently what happened. Cody appeared to be in control as he stared at the map, then the streets, then the map, and then the streets again. He pointed, "I bet that's it."
Nick leaned over to glance at the map again and compared it to the view. "Think you're right." He headed for the roof of the high rise. He glanced at Cody again, "You don't have to worry; I got this."
Cody looked only a little uptight as he nodded, "I'm sure you do. I'm good."
Nick managed another quick look and determined that Cody did seem to be holding it together. "Okay. Won't be long." He decreased their air speed and altitude as he approached the helipad and then gently set his bird on the roof. He looked back at Cody and lifted his hands in a gesture of, 'See?'
Cody grinned slightly, "Yeah, yeah. You're Neil Armstrong."
"Well, that might be stretching it a little…"
Cody opened the door and slid out with a deep sigh. He turned back around to grab his suit jacket and briefcase as the rotors slowed down. He straightened his tie, fiddled with his cuffs, pulled on his coat, and shrugged his shoulders a bit. "Okay. How do I look?"
Nick tilted his head, trying to imagine how he'd see the man if he didn't know he was terrified of helicopters. If he just passed him on the street. "Good. Professional."
"Okay. Okay." Cody stretched his neck slightly, like he was getting ready to step into the ring with Ali. He nodded to himself and grabbed the briefcase before shutting the door. Nick watched him walk toward the roof door, wondering how long the meeting would take, how long he'd be sitting there with nothing to do. Cody got about halfway across the roof and turned around. Coming back to Nick's door, he pulled it open. "Is that the only jacket you've got?"
Nick just stared at him, "The only one I've got with me; why?"
"What about a tie?"
"Didn't realize this was a formal flight."
Cody smiled briefly, "What kind of shirt are you wearing?"
Nick had no idea where he was going with this, but whatever. He unzipped his jacket to reveal a white button up. Fortunately, it was of the no-wrinkle variety.
Cody glanced at it and nodded slightly. "I've got an extra tie in my briefcase. Would you put it on and come in with me?"
"What are you talking about, man?"
Cody glanced back at the roof door. "When I get in there, there's gonna be about four lawyers and their client. Them on one side of the table, and me on the other. Would you come in and be my, uh, backup?"
"Isn't that against the law? Practicing without a license? Like impersonating a cop?"
"Not if you don't say anything. I'll do all the talking. You'll just help balance the table. That way, it won't feel like I'm going up against the Steelers all by myself."
Nick opened his mouth to say, No way, absolutely not. California will fall in the ocean before I pretend to be a scum-sucking lawyer… But Cody looked nervous again. A little worried. And Nick hated uneven fights. He'd always been a sucker for the underdog. "I don't have to say anything?"
Cody grinned slightly, "Not a word. Just sit there and look stubborn. Maybe lean over and whisper something to me every now and then. I'll take care of everything else."
Nick shut his eyes. He was a chump. Give him one little sob story, and he fell for it every time. He sighed slightly, "Gimme the tie."
Cody had a lot of teeth when he chose to smile. He pulled a blue tie out of his brief case as Nick slid out of the chopper and pulled off his flight jacket. He put on the tie, working the knot smoothly with practiced hands.
Cody handed him the briefcase. "You carry this since you don't have a suit jacket. It'll make you look more like an attorney. Anybody asks, you spilled your coffee on it during take-off." He gave Nick a final once over and nodded "You look great. And thanks. I really appreciate this."
Nick rubbed his neck, already regretting his decision. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get this over with, huh?"
Cody presented himself at the reception desk. "Cody Allen and associate to see Edgar Hayes."
The pretty brunette nodded, "One moment, Mr. Allen." She spoke into her phone briefly then stood, "If you'll just follow me to our conference room."
Cody glanced at Nick before trailing the receptionist. The pilot was wearing a hardened game face. If he was at all nervous, Cody didn't see it. When he'd first made the suggestion, Nick looked like he'd rather eat barbed wire, but he'd agreed. Cody'd figured there was a better than even chance he would; Cody had always been pretty good at persuading people to his side. But to see that Nick was playing the role to the hilt was a very good sign. Cody's raging nerves began to settle, just as they had when he flew in the helicopter with a singing tour-guide pilot.
They walked into the conference room to meet the opposing lawyers who introduced themselves as Johnson, Hayes, Hamlin, and Dumbrowski. A court reporter sat close by. And then there was their client, Josiah Tyler. The man Cody had come all this way to depose.
"Cody Allen from Thayer, Sargent, and Winslow. This is my associate, Ned Newton." Cody pulled the name out of the old Tom Swift series he'd read as a boy.
Nods were produced around the table.
"Shall we get to it?"
Nick opened Cody's briefcase and pulled out the files. Cody sorted through them and settled down to business, gathering his thoughts. The case was a wrongful termination suit brought by Miss Jennifer Samuels who was a client of Cody's supervising partner. Her former boss, Josiah Tyler, had come on to her. She'd refused him, and he fired her. While they went through all the preliminaries that were required in a deposition, Nick perused the file. Which was a violation of Attorney Client Privilege, but Cody decided to not notice that right now. Nick was doing him a huge favor by sitting in. Which was another violation of the ethics code, but Cody figured beggars couldn't be so choosy.
When they got to the questioning, Josiah Tyler proved to be an arrogant old codger. Cody took an instant dislike to him even above the fact that his alleged behavior with Miss Samuels had been repulsive. Tyler even had the temerity to suggest that Miss Samuels had made the first move. Cody had met the woman when she came for a recent appointment with his supervising partner, and he just didn't see that as likely.
Beside him, Nick looked tough and implacable. He sat there silently, whispered a bunch of nothing in Cody's ear a couple of times, and did pretty much everything Cody'd wanted him to do. Just as an office secretary brought in coffee, Nick slid over a note. It read, 'Use the girl.'
Cody didn't know what he meant and glanced back at Nick. He followed the pilot's gaze to the woman who was setting out the coffee and realized immediately what the pilot was thinking.
"Mr. Tyler, this nice lady just gave you a cup of coffee; what do you think of her outfit?"
One of the attorneys objected, "Mr. Allen, that question is completely irrelevant."
"I disagree. Your client stated that Miss Samuels incited their relationship. I'm merely trying to ascertain how she did that. Perhaps it was how Miss Samuels was dressed. I'm trying to elicit what type of clothing that Mr. Tyler finds eye-catching." He turned back to Tyler. "Sir, what do you think of this woman's outfit?"
"Unprofessional."
Cody was intrigued by the term, especially since he thought the woman looked fine. "How so? Can you elaborate?"
Another attorney tried to object, but his egotistical client warmed to the topic and very much intended to answer. "Up at the top? Her blouse is not buttoned all the way to the neck. And there's a little lace up there, too. The blouse is white. I can see the outline of her bra or camisole or whatever she's wearing underneath."
"Mr. Tyler, I advise you not to answer this line of questioning!"
Tyler looked at his lawyer with asperity. "Don't you care how your staff present themselves? Look at her. That skirt is entirely too tight, and it stops above her knee. Those heels make her look like a prostitute."
This was dynamite. Cody glanced at the court reporter who was getting every word. The lady who brought the coffee looked around, red-faced and embarrassed. Her hand settled delicately at her neck, trying to cover the embroidered collar.
"Mr. Tyler! Not another word. Mr. Allen, I want that stricken from the record."
"You advised your client not to answer, but he proceeded to do so against advice of Counsel. I can't imagine any judge in the state would sustain that objection." Cody looked at the court reporter and proceeded to dictate exactly what the poor secretary was wearing that Tyler found so provocative. Then his opponents abruptly concluded the proceeding.
At that point, Cody stood and gathered his files. Beside him, Nick looked relaxed yet ruthless. He was perfect. Cody shut the briefcase and smiled at his hosts. "Contact us when you're ready to discuss terms." With that parting shot, he turned and led Nick out of the room.
They remained silent until they were back in the chopper, headphones on, rotors roaring above them. He glanced over at the pilot who was fighting a smile even as he flipped various switches. Cody bit his lips to keep from grinning.
Finally, Nick stole a glance. "You get to destroy jerks like that and you hate your job? That was great."
Cody's grin erupted; it was uncontrollable. "It's not always that cut and dried."
"The guy was an ass. I feel sorry for those other lawyers that have to defend him."
"Right now, I bet they do too. You were perfect."
Nick waved it off and unexpectedly took them into the air. Cody didn't even have time to worry about it before they were off the ground. Nick talked to whatever ground control he had to check in with and did all the necessary early flight activities and then looked back at Cody. "I just pretended to be my grandmother when I was trying to get away with something. She never bought a word I said."
Cody couldn't help but laugh. What a day this had turned into.
