Daron's Guitar Chronicles Volume 12

1027 2 Legit 2 Quit

2 Legit 2 Quit

After we'd had our fill of Chinese take-out and said our good nights, Ziggy and I went back downstairs to his apartment and I recounted the lawyer meeting to him in greater detail.

"And you really told them all you want is for the money you're owed to come your way and for Digger to disappear?"

"Yeah. Why, should I have asked for something else?" We were still in our clothes lounging on the bed with books, but neither of us was reading.

"No no, I'm just curious is all," he said. "Some people would want damages."

"Or to inflict punishment, like Sarah's mom." I told him what the lawyers had told us. "They said if all she wanted was the money back, she wouldn't be going to criminal court. They also told me it was kind of a miracle that she found a prosecutor willing to go after him. They must really think he's a crook."

"Perhaps he crossed the wrong people in LA," Ziggy said with a bit of relish. "The FOBD Club grows."

"Speaking of which, they wondered if you knew how to get in touch with ."

Ziggy chuckled evilly, which I took to mean yes. "Cheer up, dear one. I thought the legal troubles were a quagmire but it sounds like if the main obstacle can be beaten, it'll be smooth sailing. The main obstacle being your diseased testicle of a father."

I snorted. "Is that what we're calling him now?"

"Call him whatever you like. I'm still not over how he gaslighted me, lied, lied by omission, and preyed on my insecurities." He snuggled up next to me. "He had a way of figuring out what I wanted to hear and then saying it, making it sound like he could make it happen."

"Is Barrett different?" I asked. I mean, I knew he was, but I wanted to understand how.

"With Barrett, well, maybe sometimes he says what I want to hear, but he can actually make the things happen. Sure, he 'manages' me sometimes by assuaging my ego or keeping my insecurities in check, but... it's different."

"It helps that he seems trustworthy."

"It helps that he's not a slime, you mean." Ziggy laughed evilly again. "Oh, I'm looking forward to seeing Digger get his comeuppance. His day in court."

"Well, to hear the lawyers tell it, they'd like to stay out of court and settle everything beforehand. But I guess they can't do that with a criminal case?"

"I know something you don't, though," he said. "Something I heard from Sarah this morning."

"You saw Sarah this morning?"

"Me on my way into Priss's and her on her way out." He rubbed his hand over my suddenly tight chest. "Her mother's lawyer is filing in civil court, too. They might offer to drop the criminal case if he settles out of court."

"Okay, but there are two problems with that," I said. "One is how is he going to settle if he doesn't have the money to pay her back? Two, the criminal case isn't hers to drop anymore, right? It's the state going after him. How's that going to work?"

"Dunno. You did say the government prefers embezzlement to be settled rather than having to prosecute it. So maybe they'd let it drop if the victims lose interest in pursuing it."

"Ugh." The whole thing reeked of the kind of backdoor dealing that Digger himself loved.

"Stop stressing over it," he said again, kissing me on the temple and stroking my hair, trying to get me to relax. "He's made his bed and now he's going to have to lie in it."