Thicker Than Water - 51. Chapter 51

“Mr. Parker, your witness,” Judge Arthur said, once Court was back in session.

“Thank you, Your Honor.” Billy stood and looked at Calvin who seemed to have a renewed confidence. Billy was certain that Clarke had a “heart-to-heart” with his client about how to behave. “Mr. Johnson, what do you do for a living?”

Calvin's confidence was chipped. “I'm looking for a job.”

“Does that mean you're unemployed?”

“Yes.”

“And how long have you been unemployed?”

“Since Sunday.”

“Why are you no longer employed?”

“I was fired.”

“Yes, but why?”

“They wanted me to work after I told them I was getting married.”

“Isn't it true that you didn't call your boss, missed your shift and didn't mention getting married until after he called you, asking where you were?”

“No. I tried calling but nobody picked up.”

“Will that reflect in your call history?”

Calvin didn't answer but looked at his lawyer instead.

“Mr. Johnson, you need to look at me and not to your lawyer for your answers, so please answer the question.”

“No, I won't show that I called.”

“It's because you didn't call did you?”

“No.”

“That's correct. Your Honor, I'd like to submit Respondent's Exhibit R-2, phone records from Mr. Johnson's former employer on the day in question.”

“Objection, Your Honor. Relevance.”

“It's very relevant, Your Honor. Mr. Johnson just committed perjury.”

“Your Honor, it shouldn't matter how my client is no longer employed.”

“Mr. Parker, why is this line of questioning relevant?” Judge Arthur asked.

“We're establishing a history of lying and deceit on the part of Mr. Johnson, which will show beyond a doubt that he's an unfit father.”

“Your Honor, this is character assassination,” Mr. Clarke blurted out.

“A door you opened, Mr. Clarke, when you attacked my client, and one that His Honor let be opened. I'm well within my rights to question your client's character since my client's character was called into question; in fact, I objected many times to this, yet you argued that it should be allowed and Judge Arthur permitted it at every step.”

Judge Arthur looked like he had swallowed something sour and said, “Objection overruled. Respondent's Exhibit is so entered.”

“Thank you, Your Honor,” Billy said, handing out the documents to the appropriate parties. “Now, Mr. Johnson, do you know the names of the Minors in this case?”

“Of course, I know their names,” Calvin said indignantly.

“So what are they?”

“Bryan and Caleb.”

“Are you aware that's the first time on record that you've said their names?”

“Objection, Your Honor!”

“Your Honor, this still goes to Mr. Johnson's character.”

“Overruled. The witness will answer the question.”

“I've said their names before,” Calvin said.

“Not in this courtroom, you haven't. Earlier when you testified, you used pronouns when discussing 'the boys.' In fact, I counted, and you never once mentioned Bryan nor Caleb by name, while your lawyer, Mr. Clarke mentioned them by name a total of six times. Don't you find it at all odd that you claim to love Bryan and Caleb, yet you wouldn't even say their names?”

“It's not a big deal if I didn't.”

“Not a big deal? Don't you think a loving father should refer to his children by their proper names?”

Calvin paused. Diego saw that Calvin was trying to find a way out the corner he was in. Defeated, he said, “Yes, but I love my boys and don't need to say their names to prove it.”

“Is abandoning your children evidence of love under your definition?”

“Objection, Your Honor. He's badgering the witness.”

“I'm not badgering the witness, Your Honor. I asked a question based on Mr. Johnson's previous response and am trying to gage his standard of fatherhood, and it has already been established by this court that Mr. Johnson abandoned Bryan and Caleb, and I would like to remind the Court that I was warned many times to honor the rulings of this Court.”

“Overruled,” Judge Arthur said, slamming his gavel, though not issuing a warning. “The witness will answer the question.”

“I didn't abandon my ki—Bryan and Caleb. I told Diego I was coming back.”

“But you didn't, did you?”

“No.”

“You were still in Pennsylvania, weren't you?”

“Yes.”

“Did you have a job?”

“No.”

“No, you didn't, but that's not what you told your mother was it?”

“No.”

“Why did you lie?”

“I wanted my kids.”

“Is that the only reason you lied?”

“Yes.”

“Did you have a job at the time you left for Pennsylvania?”

“No.”

“So, how did you afford the ticket to Pennsylvania?”

“My girlfriend bought it for me.

“Does this girlfriend have a name? And please include a last name.”

“Her name was Debra, but I don't remember her last name.”

Billy walked over to his table, gabbed a piece of paper and asked, “Would it be Jackson?”

“Yes,” Calvin, replied, sounding a touch defeated.

“Just so we're clear, it was Debra Jackson who bought your plane ticket from Washington to Pennsylvania, correct?”

“Yes.”

“How far in advance did she purchase the ticket prior to you leaving?”

“Something like a two weeks.”

“And was it a one-way ticket or round trip?”

Calvin looked like he didn't want to answer but replied, “One-way.”

“So, you knew two weeks prior to leaving that you'd be on a one-way flight across the country, without Bryan and Caleb, and did you tell my client you were planning this trip prior to the note you left him?”

“No.”

“Did you tell your mother?”

“No.”

“Did you tell anyone except for Ms. Jackson?”

“No.”

“Why didn't you tell anyone, especially Mr. Padilla?”

“It wasn't anyone's business but mine.”

“Did you leave him any money to help pay for food, clothing, diapers and other needs your children might have while you were gone?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Diego made more money than I did.”

“What does that have to do with anything, Mr. Johnson? Why should my client have been financially responsible to two children who weren't his?”

“I don't know.”

“And you felt comfortable lying to him until the day you left?”

“I didn't lie to him.”

“Are you familiar with the term Lying by Omission?

“Objection, Your Honor,” Mr. Clarke blurted out.

“Overruled,” Judge Arthur said, who seemed very engrossed in the line of questioning. “Mr. Johnson, you will answer that question.”

“No, I'm not familiar.”

Billy handed over the piece of paper in hand and said, “Please read this for the Court.”

Calvin looked at the sheet of paper and said, “Lying by omission is a type of deception where an important detail is left out of a statement. It's also known as quote mining or continuing misrepresentation. Lying by omission is different from lying by commission, which is when false statements are actively used.”

“That's right, so why have you said you didn't lie to your mother or Diego, despite the definition, which is easily accessible on Google?”

“I don't care what this says. I didn't lie to anyone.”

“You did lie Ms. Jackson, though, didn't you?”

Diego felt like he couldn't breathe through all the tension in the room. Calvin's face turned red, and Diego knew that Calvin knew he was being caught in his web of lies.

“What do you mean?” Calvin said.

“Just what I said. You lied to Debra Jackson about why you wanted to leave Washington, didn't you?”

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Maybe these will refresh your memory.” Billy once again went to his table. He thumbed through his files and removed a small stack of documents. “Do you recognize messages?”

Calvin took the texts from Billy and skimmed them. “Yes.”

“They're between you and Ms. Jackson, isn't that correct?”

“Yes.”

“In these first couple of pages, and please read carefully, didn't you tell Ms. Jackson that you needed to leave Washington because my client was controlling your life, making you do all the house work, while he did nothing?”

“Yes.”

“Did you mention Bryan or Caleb in any of these messages?”

Calvin read the messages and then said, “No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I didn't think about it.”

“You didn't think about mentioning that you had two small children?”

“It didn't cross my mind at the time.”

“And what about what you said about my client? Isn't it true that you were the one who didn't help out while living off of Diego?”

“Yes.”

“So, you lied about my client and left out the fact that you had two small children, so you could, what, get a free plane ticket?”

“Yes.”

“When did you mention you left two preschoolers behind to Ms. Jackson?”

“A couple of days after I got there.”

“Three months, Mr. Johnson. You told her three months after you arrived, isn't that correct?”

“Objection, Your Honor,” Mr. Clarke said. “This calls for speculation and is obvious hearsay.”

“Hardly, Your Honor,” Billy said. He looked to the back of the courtroom and waved. An older, Hispanic man stood and opened the courtroom door then waved into the hall. Within a minute about 20 women walked into the courtroom.

“What's the meaning of this Mr. Parker?” Judge Arthur demanded.

“My witnesses, Your Honor. Every single one of these women were former partners of Mr. Johnson, including Ms. Debra Jackson. They're prepared to testify against Mr. Johnson and the lies he told every single one of them regarding the details of this case.”

“Your Honor, this is absurd,” Mr. Clarke said, looking flustered. “We could be here for months at this rate. My client deserves speed and justice.”

Billy chuckled and said, “I gave you several chances to drop this case, David. You should've taken my up on it when you had the chance.” To the judge he said, “Your Honor, Mr. Clarke and yourself opened these doors despite my frequent protests. I objected time and time and time again, yet, I was denied at every turn. Furthermore, if Mr. Johnson truly wanted to 'speed and justice,' he should've gone through the proper appellate procedures nine years ago but chose not to. He doesn't have a right to a speedy trial in a civil case.

“Mr. Johnson is not a fit person to be raising any child, let alone the two in this case. These women will attest to this, and this is honestly just the beginning. I have messages from every single one of these women with Mr. Johnson that mirror, with only slight variations, the ones I'm now submitting as Respondent's Exhibits R-3 through R-23.”

Billy handed over the messages between Calvin and Debra Jackson. Judge Arthur gave them a passing glance and said, “So entered. Mr. Clarke, your objection is overruled. Mr. Johnson you will answer the question.”

Calvin's face turn from red to white at the sight of some of his ex-girlfriends. Diego looked over and saw the look of hate on Ashley's face, who seemed to be greatly upset at the revelations in Calvin's testimony. Seeing how upset she was made him feel bad that she was yet another victim of Calvin's...but then he remembered that she lied for Calvin on the stand to make Bryan seem like a bad kid, who was willing to harm him is little brother, and thought, fuck that bitch!

Calvin finally answered, “Yeah, I told her months later. Don't remember how long it took.”

“And when you finally did tell her, wasn't it when you were contacted about your mother seeking custody of Bryan and Caleb?”

“Yes.”

“Did you have a job at the time?”

“No.”

“Did you have a job at any point from the time you arrived in Pennsylvania and the time you told Ms. Jackson about the existence of your sons?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I just didn't.”

“Doesn't it seem contradictory that you claimed to want your kids, but wouldn't get a job to pay for their plane tickets?”

“I guess.”

“So, just to clarify: You planned for at least two weeks to move to Pennsylvania and leave Bryan and Caleb behind with Mr. Padilla, without notifying Mr. Padilla, your mother or the woman you were moving in with. You left only a note for Diego saying that you'd come back for the boys after maybe three months. You had signed over temporary custody to my client, leaving him their birth certificates and insurance documents, but you couldn't be bothered to leave him any financial assistance. At this same time, you told your mother that you were moving to Pennsylvania for a job that you didn't actually have, nor did you ever get one by the time she sued for custody. And it was only at that time, three months later, that your then girlfriend, Ms. Debra Jackson, was even informed that you had children. Despite all of that, you still maintain you're not a liar and you wanted to have your children, though there is no evidence that proves it; in fact, there's only a mountain of evidence that shows you didn't. So, please, tell me, tell the Court, how you're the victim here and how Bryan and Caleb need to be with you?”

Defiantly, Calvin said, “They're mine. I'm their dad, not him. They belong to me.”

A very audible gasp echoed in the courtroom, and Judge Arthur called for order.

Billy said scathingly, “Bryan and Caleb are people, Mr. Johnson, and since December 6, 1865, people are not property.”

“Objection,” Mr. Clarke said.

“Withdrawn,” Billy said. “I do have a couple more questions, Mr. Johnson. Last Saturday when Caleb was having an asthma attack, Bryan was the one who ran back inside for his little brother's inhaler, correct?”

“Yes.”

“And Bryan did without having to be ordered to, correct?”

“No.”

“So you were the one who ordered Bryan Padilla to get Caleb's inhaler?”

Calvin, looked at Ashley, then said, “Yes.”

“Are you sure, Mr. Johnson? This may be the last time you can change your statement.”

“Yes, I'm sure. He was being a dick and wouldn't help his brother, so I told him to get the inhaler.”

“Are you familiar with penalty for lying to the Court, Mr. Johnson?”

“Objection, Your Honor,” Mr. Clarke said.

“I raise the same argument as I did before, Judge. I have witnesses that can refute the claims of both Mr. and Mrs. Johnson.”

“Overruled Mr. Clarke. Answer the question, Mr. Johnson.”

“Yes. I'm aware, and I'm not lying,” Calvin said, almost snarled.

“I guess we'll see, won't we,” Billy said, then added, “withdrawn,” just as Mr. Clarke opened his mouth. “I'm done with this witness for now, Your Honor, but reserve the right to recall him at a later date.”

“Very well, Mr. Parker. Mr. Clarke, would you like to redirect?”

“Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Johnson, did feel that you had good cause when explaining your situation with Ms. Jackson?”

“Objection, Your Honor,” Billy said. “It doesn't matter whether or not he had 'good cause' for deceiving Ms. Jackson. He still lied to her about my client and the existence of Bryan and Caleb.”

“Overruled,” Judge Arthur said. “Answer the question, Mr. Johnson.”

“Yes, I did,” Calvin said.

“And what was your reason for not telling Ms. Jackson the whole story?”

“I had only met her online and wasn't sure if I could trust her yet with my boys.”

“And that was important to you?”

“Yes.”

“Nothing further, Your Honor.”

“The witness is dismissed,” Judge Arthur said. Calvin stood and sneered at Diego as he walked by. “Do you have any other witnesses, Mr. Clarke?”

“No, Your Honor. The Petitioner rests.”

“Very well, Mr. Parker, you may call your first witness first thing tomorrow morning at 10am. Court is adjourned.”

“Billy, got a moment?” Mr. Clarke asked, once the judge left the courtroom.

“Sure. Dropping the case, I take it?”

“No, but my client is prepared to settle this matter and has agreed to negotiate terms.”

Diego opened his mouth, but Billy held up a hand, silencing him. “We're listening,” Billy said.

“My client is willing to drop the case so long as Mr. Padilla agrees to joint custody.”

“Fuck you,” Diego said before Billy could stop him. “I'm not sharing my kids with that piece of shit.”

Mr. Clarke ignored Diego and said, “Mr. Padilla and Mr. Johnson would split custody, with the boys staying with Mr. Johnson on weekends, two weeks out of each summer, and every other major holiday. In return, Mr. Johnson has agreed to pay $200 in child support for Caleb and $100 for Bryan, since he's almost old enough to start working.”

Billy chuckled and said, “I think you heard my client, David, but just in case you didn't, he said, 'Fuck you.' Frankly, I can't blame him; that's an insult.”

“Come on, Diego,” Calvin said. “They're not even yours.”

“They were my kids the second you abandoned them, and they will be my kids until the day I die, which I'd rather do than see you with them.”

“Well, David,” Billy said, cheerfully, “looks like you got your answer. Oh, yeah, you might want to let your clients know the full penalty for committing perjury, since we intend to let the District Attorney know everything. Come on, Diego. We've got better things to do than waste our time here.”

Once they were in the halls, far out of hearing distance of Mr. Clarke and Calvin, Diego said, “I'm sorry for ever doubting you, Billy. I really am.”

“Don't sweat it,” Billy said, looking around nervously. “Make sure you have the boys here day after tomorrow, wearing those suits I told you to get. I need them to testify about what happened Saturday.”

“Okay,” Diego said. “I could have them come tomorrow if that'll help?”

“It won't. I'm questioning all of Calvin's exes tomorrow, which will take up most of the day.”

“Is everything, alright?” Diego said, also looking around trying to figure out why Billy was acting odd.

“Yeah. I'm just waiting on another client I need to attend soon. Ah, there they are.”

Diego turned toward the direction, Billy was looking. It was Terra with her mother. They were looking at something on a wall. Terra looked nervous.

“Remember to be here tomorrow at 10am,” Billy said, as he moved passed Diego toward Terra.

Diego watched as Billy approached. The older man squatted down to eye level with Terra. They were too far away for Diego to hear anything being said, but based on their body language, something serious either had happened or was about to happen. It wasn't long after that Billy escorted his clients to an elevator and disappeared.