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Chapter 7
Note to readers: (1) I am not sure, without my edits, of some details, so I am sorry if I distort something; (2) I
deliberately let out Jack Lee because I don't really know what it was about; (3) as to Pearl, I am not sure either
when it all got revealed, so I had it this way for my convenience.
Julia Wainwright was not Mary; this was for sure.
Ms Julia Wainwright was a contradictory figure. CC could not label her easily. On the one hand, she was Cruz
and Eden's friend; on the other hand, wasn't she Augusta Lockridge's sister? Mason called her his 'intimate
friend,' but CC remembered how many times Mason and Julia had been opponents in court, and how often that
'friendly' Julia had beaten Mason - who was a very good attorney, CC could admit it, if only to himself. And
wasn't she there in the hospital the very moment Mary was gone?
CC ordered his men to prepare a dossier on Ms Wainwright; in a few days this was done.
"Julia Wainwright... Her parents..."
CC was listening with his eyes closed. When his agent got to Julia's career in Phoenix, CC opened his eyes.
"In Phoenix, Ms Wainwright got involved in a ... shall I say, scandal."
"What kind of scandal?"
"She let a dangerous criminal go."
"Got bribed?"
"No. Threatened. The mobsters threatened to kill her parents if she did not do what they wanted. After the
incident, Ms Wainwright left the law for a while. Eventually she came to Santa Barbara. If I may add, Mr
Capwell, - two years ago or so Mr MASON Capwell looked into the details of this case."
CC raised his brows. "Go on."
"In Santa Barbara, Ms Wainwright got back to practising law, including criminal law. The general opinion was
that she was very good at it, and her professional reputation remained spotless, for a while."
"Till--"
"Till the case Laurent vs Capwell. Probably you remember that she was David Laurent's attorney--"
"And she won the case against Mason. I thought it told well on her professional reputation?"
"Ah, yes. What probably you do not know is that Mr Laurent and Ms Wainwright, at the moment, were lovers."
"Oh." CC considered it, then grinned broadly. "It's enough to get her disbarred, isn't it? Mason would have
smashed them - if he had only known."
"He knew," CC's interlocutor said laconically.
"What? You can't be sure--"
"I am. Mr Mason Capwell knew. He did not use it against Ms Wainwright."
"Go on."
"For some time after Laurent's trial Ms Wainwright did not take new cases. Then there was another case
concerning your family, Mr Capwell."
"McCormick vs McCormick," CC said grimly.
"Yes. Another case when Mr Mason Capwell worked against Ms Wainwright. This case was won by your son."
"Anything wrong with this case?"
"Yes, Mr Capwell. Ms Wainwright was defending Mr Mark McCormick who was --"
"I know," CC interrupted impatiently. "I say what was WRONG with Ms Wainwright's behavior?"
"It was uncharacteristically ill-thought and - silly, and - unprofessional. Most lawyers I consulted are sure Ms
Wainwright deliberately dumped her client."
CC thought this over. "To achieve this, Mason could have blackmailed her," he supposed. "He could have
threatened her with what he knew of Phoenix and the more recent affair with David."
"He could have. Evidently he did not."
"What makes you think so?" CC frowned.
"The professional analysis of Mr Mason Capwell's strategy during the trial. He was not prepared for this kind of
trial; it's the experts' opinion."
"So why would she do it?"
The agent shrugged his shoulders. "What I know is that her behavior was considered unprofessional, and so
Ms Wainwright got rather unpopular as a lawyer. She got busy with her personal life instead."
"Another lover?"
"No." A pause. "Artificial insemination."
The muscle in CC's jaw tightened. "Go on."
"The attempts proved unsuccessful. The latest attempt took place in the fall."
"The sperm donor's name?"
"The information is strictly confidential, Mr Capwell--"
"I said the sperm donor's name."
"Michael Baldwin Bradford the 3rd."
"Of the Boston Bradfords?!"
"Yes, Mr Capwell. In your city he's better known as, um, Pearl."
"Pearl?!"
CC leant back in his chair. Now, this was something Mason wouldn't know - perhaps. Or was Mason just
another sperm donor?
How came CC knew so little of what his son's life was?
"Are you positive those attempts were unsuccessful?" he asked.
"Yes, quite. After that there was a surgery - a minor one - to prove this."
"And since then?"
"And since then there has been no man in Ms Wainwright's life but your son."
"Anything else?" CC asked after a pause.
"No, Mr Capwell. Just - now Ms Wainwright works for Smith and McKenna, and it was Mr Mason Capwell who
insisted on hiring her. Since that, they have spent much time together, at work, at his or her place, also going
out together once or twice."
"Thank you. Leave the papers here."
CC closed his eyes. He needed to think it all over.
He was very angry at Mason for what he was doing, together with Pamela. She claimed her right to some of
CC's property, and Mason was only too glad to betray his father, the man who had raised him.
But still - Mason was his son. And CC felt concerned. It might have looked ill-mannered and even aggressive -
CC just did not know how to show this concern he felt. But one thing he knew: if there were calculating suitors
who pursued his daughters, or women who, only too conveniently got pregnant by his sons, he would not stay
an impartial observer.
Well, anyone would say that if the men to get pregnant by for this Wainwright woman - a Bradford and a
Capwell - had anything in common that would be a loud name and a big fortune. So CC had to keep on the
alert, and to make Mason see the real situation.
Note to readers: (1) I am not sure, without my edits, of some details, so I am sorry if I distort something; (2) I
deliberately let out Jack Lee because I don't really know what it was about; (3) as to Pearl, I am not sure either
when it all got revealed, so I had it this way for my convenience.
Julia Wainwright was not Mary; this was for sure.
Ms Julia Wainwright was a contradictory figure. CC could not label her easily. On the one hand, she was Cruz
and Eden's friend; on the other hand, wasn't she Augusta Lockridge's sister? Mason called her his 'intimate
friend,' but CC remembered how many times Mason and Julia had been opponents in court, and how often that
'friendly' Julia had beaten Mason - who was a very good attorney, CC could admit it, if only to himself. And
wasn't she there in the hospital the very moment Mary was gone?
CC ordered his men to prepare a dossier on Ms Wainwright; in a few days this was done.
"Julia Wainwright... Her parents..."
CC was listening with his eyes closed. When his agent got to Julia's career in Phoenix, CC opened his eyes.
"In Phoenix, Ms Wainwright got involved in a ... shall I say, scandal."
"What kind of scandal?"
"She let a dangerous criminal go."
"Got bribed?"
"No. Threatened. The mobsters threatened to kill her parents if she did not do what they wanted. After the
incident, Ms Wainwright left the law for a while. Eventually she came to Santa Barbara. If I may add, Mr
Capwell, - two years ago or so Mr MASON Capwell looked into the details of this case."
CC raised his brows. "Go on."
"In Santa Barbara, Ms Wainwright got back to practising law, including criminal law. The general opinion was
that she was very good at it, and her professional reputation remained spotless, for a while."
"Till--"
"Till the case Laurent vs Capwell. Probably you remember that she was David Laurent's attorney--"
"And she won the case against Mason. I thought it told well on her professional reputation?"
"Ah, yes. What probably you do not know is that Mr Laurent and Ms Wainwright, at the moment, were lovers."
"Oh." CC considered it, then grinned broadly. "It's enough to get her disbarred, isn't it? Mason would have
smashed them - if he had only known."
"He knew," CC's interlocutor said laconically.
"What? You can't be sure--"
"I am. Mr Mason Capwell knew. He did not use it against Ms Wainwright."
"Go on."
"For some time after Laurent's trial Ms Wainwright did not take new cases. Then there was another case
concerning your family, Mr Capwell."
"McCormick vs McCormick," CC said grimly.
"Yes. Another case when Mr Mason Capwell worked against Ms Wainwright. This case was won by your son."
"Anything wrong with this case?"
"Yes, Mr Capwell. Ms Wainwright was defending Mr Mark McCormick who was --"
"I know," CC interrupted impatiently. "I say what was WRONG with Ms Wainwright's behavior?"
"It was uncharacteristically ill-thought and - silly, and - unprofessional. Most lawyers I consulted are sure Ms
Wainwright deliberately dumped her client."
CC thought this over. "To achieve this, Mason could have blackmailed her," he supposed. "He could have
threatened her with what he knew of Phoenix and the more recent affair with David."
"He could have. Evidently he did not."
"What makes you think so?" CC frowned.
"The professional analysis of Mr Mason Capwell's strategy during the trial. He was not prepared for this kind of
trial; it's the experts' opinion."
"So why would she do it?"
The agent shrugged his shoulders. "What I know is that her behavior was considered unprofessional, and so
Ms Wainwright got rather unpopular as a lawyer. She got busy with her personal life instead."
"Another lover?"
"No." A pause. "Artificial insemination."
The muscle in CC's jaw tightened. "Go on."
"The attempts proved unsuccessful. The latest attempt took place in the fall."
"The sperm donor's name?"
"The information is strictly confidential, Mr Capwell--"
"I said the sperm donor's name."
"Michael Baldwin Bradford the 3rd."
"Of the Boston Bradfords?!"
"Yes, Mr Capwell. In your city he's better known as, um, Pearl."
"Pearl?!"
CC leant back in his chair. Now, this was something Mason wouldn't know - perhaps. Or was Mason just
another sperm donor?
How came CC knew so little of what his son's life was?
"Are you positive those attempts were unsuccessful?" he asked.
"Yes, quite. After that there was a surgery - a minor one - to prove this."
"And since then?"
"And since then there has been no man in Ms Wainwright's life but your son."
"Anything else?" CC asked after a pause.
"No, Mr Capwell. Just - now Ms Wainwright works for Smith and McKenna, and it was Mr Mason Capwell who
insisted on hiring her. Since that, they have spent much time together, at work, at his or her place, also going
out together once or twice."
"Thank you. Leave the papers here."
CC closed his eyes. He needed to think it all over.
He was very angry at Mason for what he was doing, together with Pamela. She claimed her right to some of
CC's property, and Mason was only too glad to betray his father, the man who had raised him.
But still - Mason was his son. And CC felt concerned. It might have looked ill-mannered and even aggressive -
CC just did not know how to show this concern he felt. But one thing he knew: if there were calculating suitors
who pursued his daughters, or women who, only too conveniently got pregnant by his sons, he would not stay
an impartial observer.
Well, anyone would say that if the men to get pregnant by for this Wainwright woman - a Bradford and a
Capwell - had anything in common that would be a loud name and a big fortune. So CC had to keep on the
alert, and to make Mason see the real situation.