Chapter 3 – Liar for Hire
Now Wu remained silent for a while.
"OK, Nick, you want your revenge. But I would need some info about their system to prepare necessary programs for it."
"Trubel said, HW studied that firm, as being owned by wesens."
"That's better. I'll ask her for schemes and so on. I have almost genial idea about our alibi for tomorrow – I believe, you remember deputy sheriff Farris?"
"Janelle Farris?" asked Nick.
"Yup," agreed Wu. "She asked me for help solving one murder and as I'm almost genius, I solved it myself. She agreed to help in case we would need to help with something, creating unofficial investigation of mysterious case included."
"So you made a real impression for sure," answered Nick. "Sounds like a great idea. We would be officially out of phone signal…"
"Yea, I'll speak with her tomorrow morning too. But first of all, calling Trubel."
XXXXXXX
"So, how we do it?" asked Adalind in morning.
"You and kids will come to precinct to pick me up. Wu created good plan – we'll officially go into middle of nowhere, out of phone signal. So nobody would ask strange question not finding our phones on. Wu will take care for security footage – no footage and no witness of our being in your law office – nobody should ask unwanted questions."
"You became almost too good in grey zone of justice," shook Adalind her head.
"I had to," nodded Nick. "I'd prefer just normally live, but once it's not possible, I want you with me and both children. Berman has to pay, but on other hand, we need him to stay as your official boss. So we'll offer him your services as Hexenbiest, only much more expensive way."
"To prevent suspicion of him being blackmailed," nodded Adalind. "Clever. Maybe I should offer him a small 'extramural' office here for very special clients of firm. That would explain fortification of this place and extra costs…"
Nick hugged her:
"I'm so happy you cheat now for us, not against me."
Adalind hugged him back and laughed.
XXXXXXX
"Hank, may I ask you for favor?" Nick was careful.
"What's up?" detective Griffin was suspicious a bit.
"Officially we'll be on Native American's territory," said Wu. "I just spoke with captain. He caught, it's a sham, but he's good with it, as long as it would not burst open. In such a case we cannot expect for his help or mercy. Here are numbers of our burner phones," he gave Hank a paper with two numbers. "If something happen, call one of those numbers. Better do not give these numbers to anybody, if Monroe, Rosalee or Bud would need something, explain them, it will take a while…"
"So paperwork is on me," said Hank with grimace. "Later I'll need to hear a really good story."
In that time into precinct rusted Adalind with both kids.
"Nick, nice, no murder right now?!" asked. "I'll have a word or two with Sean."
She left Kelly on Nick's desk and rushed with Diana into Renard's office.
"Hi Sean," said with a bit false smile on entry.
"Hi dad!" Diana's smile looked true. "Mum and Nick promised me the nice playdate."
"And uncle Wu will look for you not to be on footage," comprehended captain. "Adalind, don't risk security of our daughter."
"Don't worry dad!" Diana's smile became wider, if not having ears, it would be around her whole head. "I just try some fun like with Grossante."
"Grossante?" Adalind made question mark almost visible.
"Later," promised Sean.
"He's daddy's friend," explained Diana. "He wanted something and he carried me off daddy once. But it was funny to toss with him."
Adalind's eyes promised painful dead.
"Look you!" she quickly became angry. "Now I go to negotiate with one bastard, but maybe I should right the wrongs first with you."
"I'll do my best to cover anything," offered captain with despondent grimace.
"That's better," nodded Adalind. "We'll do our best not to need it."
XXXXXXX
Seeing Renard's grimace, Nick shook his head when leaving:
"He doesn't look happy."
"He has good reason," nodded Adalind with frowning.
Out of precinct they met with Trubel and Eve/Juliette.
Wu had tablet in his hands and showed them map of Berman, Rautbort Law office surroundings:
"We must stop here. It's four block from office, but there's the only place, where are no cameras around and from there we should walk. We'll go with Eve and Trubel as first, as I must be inside of their IT-workroom in time you enter Berman's office to cover everything and to make the security footage look credible as uninfluenced. I worked on proper program during whole night."
"HW could pay you for that program," said Eve/Juliette. "Security footage is often a problem…"
"Great," smirked Wu. "Finally I'll get paid for hacking better, than in police."
"Let's go," decided Nick. "We'll go by your car, Adalind, it's expected to be on parking place of firm."
"So you have time to prepare spells," nodded Eve/Juliette. "I'll use erasing of memory and SEP spell."
"SEP?" asked Adalind.
"Someone Else Problem," smiled second Hexenbiest. "Being influenced by this spell you could recognize things, but you would take no care and you will remember nothing, as your brain things, it's simply not your business…"
Diana heard it with focus.
"You could use 'Dornröschen' spell," said girl.
"What?" asked Eve/Juliette.
"Sleeping Beauty," explained Adalind. "Diana, darling, you could hardly scuttle around office to poke everybody with a poisoned needle or rose on thorny stem."
"Mum, that's version for dinosaur times," rolled Diana her eyes. "You just need to make this kind of magic tissue," showed by moves of her fingers.
"Sorry darling," said Eve/Juliette. "That's out of my abilities."
"Out of mine too," Adalind shook her head.
Wu redressed before leaving precinct into overall with pictogram of integrated circuit and inscription CompITCF, looking like worker of IT hardware supply firm.
Few minutes after leaving precinct, both Nick and Wu switched off their phones and defused even batteries to avoid them being switched on remote way…
XXXXXXX
"Give us five minutes," asked Eve/Juliette. "After then simply go to Berman's office."
Wu looking like IT worker smiled.
Reception clerk looked on trio.
"I was not informed about any IT problem," she said.
Eve/Juliette woged for a moment and made few gesticulations:
"It's not your problem. You never saw us and we are not here."
Reception clerk stayed motionlessly and her eyes looked empty, into her computer working station Wu installed one of his programs. Program did nothing until second program launched from IT workroom send there modified footage.
IT-consultant was spellbound and Wu sat on his chair.
Nick took baby crib with Kelly. Adalind directed Diana into office. Diana made waving gesticulation and lawyers or other working staff members there stayed sitting on chairs with empty face expressions.
The office looked really like from fairy tale 'Sleeping Beauty'…
Nick knocked on Berman's door.
"Yes? Come in!"
Once door opened, Harrison Berman looked on them:
"Adalind, nice to see you. What's up?"
"Mr. Berman, let me introduce Nick Burkhardt, father of my son Kelly."
Nick nodded his head.
Older lawyer observed Nick with suspicion and focus.
"Mr. Berman," said Nick. "I think, we need to talk."
"Yes?"
"You introduced Conrad Bonaparte as important client of firm," said Adalind. "That bastard came to me and told me, that my baby could be taken from me and killed."
"I guess," added Nick. "You knew, who Conrad Bonaparte was and what was his plan. I also believe, you know a lot of information concerning organization known as Black Claw. So you intentionally putted my son and his mother into danger."
Berman woged into Lausenschlange and observed Nick's dark black eyes.
"Grimm?!" lawyer was horror-stricken. "I heard rumors, but I did not believe…"
"Mum," said Diana with annoyed tone of voice. "I'm bored. Is he bad man?"
Young witch did not wait for answer and moved her hand.
Berman levitated and his eyes were opened wide.
"Diana," said Nick. "Remember, he should not left here tracks. So close his stomach to avoid him to vomit and do not touch walls or roof not to left his body imprints."
Girl smiled and made complicated gesticulation. Berman himself looked surprised.
"Diana, he would probably appreciate some shaking and twisting," said Adalind.
After series of complicated movements Berman's body turned upside down and rotated.
Kelly looked on Berman's body, like if it was big rattler…
Trubel and Eve/Juliette entered Berman's private office.
"So have you started with fun without us?" asked Eve/Juliette. "Return him on his chair, I'll show you another fun you could use."
When Berman was placed on his chair, Eve/Juliette connected his hands together by spell-formed new dermal tissue and came to eldering lawyer:
"You chose for wrong allies. Black Claw was eliminated, but there could still be some uncaught members of this group," Eve/Juliette frowned. "What would you tell us voluntarily?"
"That's unforgivable violence! You'll pay for it!"
"Eve, do you know, how you can recognize, that lawyer lies?" asked Trubel.
"Eve?!" said shocked Berman. "That Eve?!"
Eve/Juliette turned to him with a strange smile and nodded. Then turned to Trubel.
"No, how?"
"His lips are moving," answered Grimm girl.
"True," said Eve/Juliette.
"And do you know, what is ten thousands of dead lawyers on sea bottom?"
"Quite a good beginning," growled Berman. "That joke is both old and stupid."
"You don't want to tell us, what we need to know and you dared to interrupt our conversation," said Eve/Juliette emotionless tone. "I didn't let you speak. Not yet. As you probably do not wish to tell me, what I need to know, you will not need your mouth," said and did her best party trick, closing his mouth.
Diana observed spell with great interest. Berman on other hand did purposeless movements of his lower jaw.
"You probably do not want to see me," said Eve/Juliette, closing his eyes.
"Speak no evil, see no evil, hear no evil," said Trubel.
"He's Lausenschlange, snake wesen," said Diana. "Means, he can feel voice as vibration by a full surface of his skin."
"Good remark," agreed Eve/Juliette, still with some knowledge as veterinarian. "If he tries to woge, you could shake him in air to block his focus…"
Diana smiled wide and both Adalind and Nick shook themselves by strange cold…
Eve/Juliette closed Berman's ears and Diana moved him to fly again…
XXXXXXX
With enhanced torture methods Eve/Juliette decided to cut Diana's game after some 20 min. Girl did not protest, it looked like Berman became paralyzed or cataleptic.
Eve/Juliette opened his ears:
"Will you talk to us?"
Once older lawyer nodded, Eve/Juliette opened his eyes and mouth.
"Consider it as penalty for threat of my son and Adalind," told him Nick. "Now speak!"
Berman's information was interesting, but he gave in fact only two important names – judge Stancroft and District Attorney Hurtz.
"What are they?" asked Nick.
"Stancroft is Hundjäger and Hurtz is Höllentier," answered Berman.
"Well, that's interesting," agreed Trubel. "Wesen judge and District Attorney, both cooperating with Black Claw…"
Judge Stancroft and DA Hurtz will probably experience interesting times…
XXXXXXX
"Now there is a question of future," said Adalind.
Berman closed his eyes and ducked.
"You said, firm can use Hexenbiest," laughed witch. "With Grimm in tandem we could do some very special contracts for firm and as we just now rebuilt our place, there could be placed extramural office for special clients, not to be observed here…"
Eldering lawyer opened his eyes wide:
"You just came here to torture me and now you are offering cooperation and special favors? Are you mad or what?"
"Mum, he wants to fly again," said Diana's ringing voice. "Maybe fly out of window?"
"No! No! No!" Berman almost screamed. "We for sure can make a deal."
"I also do think so," nodded Nick. "I haven't beheaded any wesen for too long time. Your head could be satisfying."
"But you are policeman, homicide detective!" protested Berman. "You cannot do such things."
"Observe me."
Trubel smiled and passed Nick her machete.
Lawyer closed his eyes. A few seconds later he felt blade titillating under his jawline.
"Here you have wrong shaven place," Nick showed him short hair shaved by machete. "Look, we'll either make some deal, or we'll finish you."
"There will be a lot of evidence against you!" cried Berman.
"None in fact," shook his head Nick. "Nobody in your office will remember us and your footage will be empty, without slightest trace after us. So easy way or hard way?"
"Easy way means, I could use Grimm in some cases?" lawyer recovered quickly.
"Means, Grimm would evaluate case and could be helpful," Nick half-closed his eyes.
"So the end justifies means," nodded Berman. "Something is better, than nothing."
He quieted down for a moment.
"So I should consider it as penalty for wrong choice," he turned to Adalind.
"Harrison, lawyers are named as liars for hire by people," Adalind shook her head. "But never ever any more dare yourself to jeopardize my children, my future husband or any of my friends. Next time you would meet with sharks in ocean, miles away from coastline."
"Who is your future husband?" asked Berman. "Maybe we could do your wedding as firm PR action."
"It's me," said Nick. "Having Grimm on party of wesen owned lawyer firm is hardly good idea."
"True," nodded Berman. "I promise, I would ask for Grimm straightforward solution only in case of really evil bastards. How much will you need from firm as compensation, Adalind?"
"One million dollars plus my normal salary, two hundred thousand cash, the rest will be reckoned as bonus for extra works for special clients."
"Only two hundred thousand cash?" asked lawyer surprised.
"Today, when almost every dime is trackable, higher amounts of money would look suspicious for authorities," shook his head Nick. "Cash money we'll use for payment of special works."
"Sure," nodded Berman. "Works out of records. Firm will pay reasonable part of your rebuilding expenses, but we'll need a contract including, among others, exclusiveness for our firm to use your services for ten years."
"Five years," said Nick.
"Eight," haggled lawyer.
"Six," contra-haggled Nick.
"Seven," finished bargaining Adalind.
Berman observed his 'visitors' with focus.
"I believe, finally I could offer to each of you enough to work for me. Your interrogation method is undoubtedly effective."
"If you would need some help in wesen cases," said Trubel.
"Contact Adalind," added Eve/Juliette. "She will always have way to contact us…"
"Once you decide to left firm, Adalind," nodded Berman. "I'll resign for my position. I'll never more go against you…"
TO BE CONTINUED…
ONE DAY…