He sat rocking in his chair. He stared at her in silence. She was getting impatient. To speed things up she added. "I can pay you for your time and services."
He detected a hint of desperation in her words and demeanor. He said. "You’d be the first client I’ve had in a decade."
There was another long silence. Betty waited.
He was skeptical, and proceeded with his line of questioning. "Why come to me?"
She didn’t care for the condescending tone he was using with her. “You’re uniquely qualified for the job."
He asked, "Why do you hide your face? Why the…disguise."
"So you can’t hurt me."
Her answer stuck him like an arrow. He said. "I would never."
She said. "People always say things like that at the beginning of relationships."
He sat in silence waiting for her to expound on that thought.
"I’d like your help but if you aren't willing to get involved, I will find another way."
There was more silence.
Unlike most men, she couldn't read him. If he was interested in her proposal she couldn't tell. She started feeling exposed and vulnerable. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. She must have misinterpreted this man’s history and projected her own need for vengeance onto him. Couldn’t he see the gift she was offering him? She was willing to deliver Carson's head on a plate. But he didn’t seem to care. She shook her head and said. "I'm sorry I wasted your time."
She turned to exit.
Leo wasn’t sure what to do. He didn’t want her to go, but he couldn’t tell if that was the right or wrong decision. His mind raced. She offered the second chance he’d been hoping for, and now she was leaving with it. Could it be real? It could be a chance to rewrite history, or it could be the final straw that sent him into oblivion. Could justice still prevail? Could he take that risk again?
He couldn’t let the vengeance wraith disappear into the night. "Wait. How do I get in touch with you?"
She responded with her back turned. "You can't. This is a one-time opportunity. You have to make a decision now."
"How do I know if I can trust you?" he asked.
She said. "You don’t have to trust me, I’m taking all the risk. I just want you to teach me. You must hate him as much as I do and I don’t think either of us can get him by ourselves.”
He waved her back in. He imagined what he could do if he had a map to all the skeletons entombed in the bank. He imagined all the discoveries that could be made if left unsupervised in Carson’s lair.
Betty asked. "So will you take the case?"
Leo confessed. “I’m not so sure I can face… that person in court again. I don’t think it would do either of us much good.”
"Then I'm sorry I wasted your time." She turned to walk out.
He stopped her again. "Wait. Please let me finish. I won't be your lawyer but I will be your teacher. Please come in and sit with me.”
She complied.
He continued. "Let me start by saying, I don’t think I can teach you everything you would need to know in order to pull this off, but I can give you enough to start hunting for solid clues. I also think it may be more expeditious if you bring what you find to me so I can take a detailed look at them. Then we can build an evidentiary map, and you can look for specific missing parts. If we work this way we can both learn as we go. How does that sound to you?"
It was a test.
"Ok." She said.
She passed.
He rolled out his chalkboard and began to outline a basic framework for data collection. He provided lists of key words, ideas and forms to be on the lookout for. He also divulged specific names of suspected dirty clients that might be in the mix. The two held an impromptu private tutor session and Betty was an eager student. She flipped open her little note book and followed along writing lists. She was a bright student and asked all the right questions. She listened to what he said and took him seriously. He felt that it was only fair to reciprocate.
After three hours Professor, Leo Langley called it a night. He knew it might take a while to hone their system, but it felt like a good start. She already knew where to look. Now she knew what to look for.
He concluded. "Like I was saying before, I’m not sure I can face… that person again in court, but if you can really get everything you say you can, if you get the evidence we need, I’ll make sure it all gets to trial somehow."
She got up and smiled for the first time since she entered his office. She folded up her notepad and said. "Thank you, you’ve been very helpful."
He reiterated. "You do your part and I will do the rest."
Betty said. "I’ll return when I have something."
He was glad she was happy but he didn't want to get his hopes up. The truth had a way of unfolding over time. He just had to be patient until he could figure out what it was. He was testing the mysterious Witness X. To him this was a discovery phase. He wanted proof of her claims. But there was an excitement brewing in him. He and his cohort were united in a revenge plot. It felt important. It felt good.