Chapter 1

 

Attorney Jessica Hart drove her expensive foreign sports car through the winding streets of San Francisco. She brushed back her long blonde hair, while thinking about the case she lost in federal court the previous day. At the conclusion of the long trial, the jury convicted her client Ralph Freelander, of racketeering, prostitution, money laundering, and illegal gambling.

She realized federal prosecutors built a good case against her client with surveillance and wiretap information, which she could not dispute. However, the thirty year old attorney also realized she made several crucial mistakes and blunders during the trial. Mistakes that she believed, led to the conviction of her client after the jury deliberated for only thirty minutes. Now Ralph Freelander faced a possible prison sentence of eighty years.

Although her client was free on bail, Jessica spent the previous night preparing the appeal paperwork. The paperwork was complicated, but she realized it was an important part of the process to correct the mistakes she made during the trial and during her closing arguments to the jury. She needed to get Ralph Freelander's signature on the documents, before she delivered them to the judge at the courthouse for processing.

Jessica parked her silver Porsche convertible outside the gates of the Freelander estate. She told the two security guards, "I have an appointment to see Mr. Freelander this morning. It's very important, so please let me in now." She enjoyed the attention, as the two young men stared at her long slender legs, exposed by her short black skirt.

After the guards opened the gates, Jessica drove to the large mansion set far back from the road. She parked her car and stepped out, before lifting a thick envelope from behind the driver's seat. While walking to the front door house, she considered different approaches for explaining the appeal process to Ralph.

Jessica adjusted her tight fitting white blouse, and short black skirt while determining how to apologize to her client. She looked down at her black high heel shoes while thinking, as she walked toward the front door of the house. She ran the doorbell and waited nervously for someone to open it.

Cindy Freelander, her client's daughter, opened the door. "Hi, Jessica. How are you?"

"I'm good, considering how poorly things went in the courtroom yesterday." She stepped into the house. "How are you?"

Cindy slammed the door closed. The tall young woman with short black hair stared at Jessica ominously. "I'm very disappointed by what happened in court yesterday. I don't want my father to go to prison."

"I'm going to fix everything so your dad doesn't need to go to prison." Jessica hugged the woman compassionately. "It's going to be fine, I promise. I have the paperwork in my hand to request a new trial for your dad. We'll get a new jury and I'll present his defense differently to ensure he gets acquitted."

"Thank you so much." Cindy smiled, while studying Jessica's large breasts and attractive face. "You're beginning to look more like a Barbie doll every day."

"Thank you." Jessica blushed after what she perceived to be a compliment from the young woman.

"Did you have more surgery?"

"Yes, it was something small to straighten my nose."

"The surgery was very successful. You look quite beautiful."

"You're so good for my ego. I just want to look good for my clients."

"This way please." Cindy led Jessica into the towering ornate foyer of the mansion. "My dad is on a conference call with several of his real estate business partners."

"Is he okay this morning? I'm sure the courtroom ordeal was a devastating shock to him yesterday."

"He's determined to overturn his conviction, and needs your help to do it." Cindy smiled while nodding. "He's talking to his partners about how they can develop more properties in Florida, and build high rise condominium buildings. I'm guessing he's convinced himself he's not going to prison."

"I'm glad he's keeping busy, and has not given up." Jessica smiled. She briefly studied herself in a huge mirror in the foyer. She was pleased with both her beauty, and her body. She thought her full bleached blonde hair was striking. She realized her face was beautiful. Her implants made her breasts full and sensual. Hours of strenuous workouts and cardio in the gym gave her long slender legs, and a hard body. She remembered enjoying men's attention, when strangers stopped to stare at her while she walked on the city sidewalks, and while she ate in restaurants

Cindy led Jessica past the brown marble winding staircase that led to the upper floors of the mansion. "My father asked that you wait for him in the library." She opened the solid wooden doors to the room.

"I'll be here whenever he is ready to meet with me." Cindy stepped into the library. She saw the walls of the room were lined with books on shelves that extended from the floor to the high ceiling. A large dark Mahogany desk filled a portion of the library. A single large window allowed the sunlight to stream into the room. She placed the folder of appeal paperwork on the desk, before she began studying some of the titles of the books on the shelves.

Jessica noticed herself in an antique wooden mirror. She smiled after admiring her own beauty. Her hand brushed back her long blonde hair while watching herself in the mirror. She realized every wealthy attorney and judge in the city would soon be asking her for a date. She thought, 'one of those wealthy men will have the honor of seeing my naked body, after he proposes to me, and gives me a huge diamond ring for my finger.'

As Jessica studied the old books, she imagined becoming a very successful attorney, and owning a house of her own with an office similar to Ralph's. Her thoughts of a sprawling house were interrupted, after she heard a strange sound. She frowned after hearing the sound again. It sounded like a woman whimpering in the next room.

Jessica was unsure of what to do. She stepped to the door and listened to what sounded like a woman's moans. She became concerned someone might be injured in the next room. As she slowly opened the door, her eyes widened from shock after she saw federal judge Linda Osborne sitting on a sofa. She was the middle-aged judge who presided over Ralph's trial, and documented his conviction.

"What is going on in here? How did you get here? Who did this to you?" Jessica rushed into the room and became frantic while studying the wide black tape wrapped tightly around Linda's ankles and upper legs. The terrified woman's futile struggling on the sofa caused her skirt to slide up her legs, and pulled apart her white blouse to expose her lace bra. Wide pieces of the black tape secured Linda's wrists and elbows together tightly behind her back. A black cloth gag muffled her cries.

"What are you doing here?" Jessica knelt and began removing the tape around Linda's ankles. Moments later, she felt something pressing tightly against her back. When she turned, she saw Ralph Freelander standing behind her.

"I'm glad you found the time to join us counselor." Ralph pushed a button and laughed as a strong electrical shock from the Taser pressed against her back, caused Jessica's body to shudder violently before she collapsed onto the floor. Freelander smiled while admiring the unconscious woman's attractive face and legs.