#property attorney near me

[lawfirm-elixir]

Elixir Regulatory Practice Law Firm is well-equipped with attorneys having extensive knowledge of local regulations, and multi-jurisdictional capabilities, to provide appropriate counsel across jurisdictions, and deal with regulatory and compliance issues. Our frequent interface with different regulatory authorities helps us in counseling clients with a current and fully informed perspective.

[falatiseo]

The Secret Guide to Find the Best Intellectual Property Lawyer

In today's rapidly evolving world, intellectual property (IP) has become a valuable and fiercely protected asset. Whether you're a creative artist, a tech startup, or an established corporation, your ideas, inventions, and innovations deserve safeguarding. This is where intellectual property lawyers come into play. In this article, we'll explore the critical role of intellectual property lawyers and why their expertise is indispensable in an era of creativity and innovation.

Understanding Intellectual Property

Before we delve into the role of an intellectual property lawyer, it's essential to grasp what intellectual property encompasses. Intellectual property refers to the legal rights granted to individuals or entities over their creations or inventions. These creations can include:

Copyrightable Works: Such as literature, music, films, and software. Trademarks: Identifiers of goods or services that distinguish them from others. Patents: Exclusive rights to inventions, processes, and innovations. Trade Secrets: Proprietary information, like manufacturing processes, formulas, or customer lists.

The Vital Role of Intellectual Property Lawyers

Strategic Counsel: Intellectual property lawyers provide strategic guidance on how to protect your IP assets. They assess your unique needs and develop a customized plan to safeguard your creations.

IP Portfolio Management: For businesses, managing a portfolio of IP assets can be complex. Lawyers assist in organizing, maintaining, and enforcing these assets, ensuring they remain valuable assets.

Registration and Filing: Intellectual property lawyers are experts in filing and registering IP with the appropriate government authorities. This includes copyright registrations, trademark applications, and patent filings.

IP Enforcement: When someone infringes upon your intellectual property rights, an IP lawyer is your advocate. They can send cease-and-desist letters, negotiate settlements, or take legal action on your behalf.

Defensive Strategies: Intellectual property lawyers can help clients defend against allegations of IP infringement. They evaluate the claims, gather evidence, and develop a strong defense strategy.

Licensing and Contracts: Many IP owners license their rights to others. Lawyers negotiate and draft licensing agreements, ensuring that the terms protect the IP owner's interests.

Due Diligence: In mergers, acquisitions, or investments, intellectual property lawyers conduct due diligence to assess the value and risks associated with IP assets.

Challenges in the Digital Age

In today's digital age, the protection of intellectual property faces unique challenges. The ease of copying and distributing digital content, the rise of online infringement, and the global nature of the internet have added complexity to IP issues. Intellectual property lawyers must adapt to these challenges by staying current on legal developments, cybersecurity threats, and international IP treaties.

The Importance of Early Action

One crucial aspect of intellectual property protection is early action. Waiting until an issue arises can be costly and limit your legal options. Intellectual property lawyers stress the importance of proactive protection. Whether you're an individual artist or a business entity, consulting with an IP lawyer early in the creative or innovative process can help you establish a strong foundation for protection.

Navigating International IP Law:

In our interconnected world, intellectual property often crosses international borders. Intellectual property lawyers are well-versed in international IP treaties and agreements. They can assist clients in protecting their IP rights globally, ensuring that innovations, trademarks, and copyrights are safeguarded in multiple jurisdictions.

IP Litigation and Enforcement:

When disputes over intellectual property arise, IP lawyers are prepared to advocate for their clients in legal proceedings. IP litigation can be complex, involving issues such as patent infringement, copyright disputes, or trademark challenges. Lawyers specializing in IP have the expertise to build strong cases and represent their clients effectively in court.

Emerging Technologies and IP:

As technology continues to advance, intellectual property lawyers are at the forefront of addressing novel challenges. This includes issues related to artificial intelligence, blockchain, virtual reality, and biotechnology. Lawyers work to ensure that innovators in these fields have adequate protection for their creations while also navigating the ethical and legal complexities that arise.

Digital Rights Management (DRM):

In the digital age, the protection of digital content is paramount. IP lawyers play a role in advising content creators and distributors on implementing DRM strategies to prevent unauthorized copying or distribution of digital assets.

Open Source and IP Licensing:

Open-source software and collaborative projects have become essential parts of the tech industry. Intellectual property lawyers help clients understand the intricacies of open-source licensing and ensure compliance with license terms when using open-source software in their projects.

Protection Against Counterfeiting and Piracy:

Counterfeiting and piracy remain significant threats to intellectual property rights. IP lawyers work with clients to develop strategies to combat counterfeit products and piracy in various industries, from fashion to pharmaceuticals.

Education and Awareness:

Intellectual property lawyers often play an educational role, helping clients understand the importance of IP protection. They can offer guidance on best practices for IP management within organizations, including employee training on IP issues.

Environmental Considerations:

In some cases, intellectual property intersects with environmental concerns. IP lawyers work with clients to protect environmentally sustainable innovations, such as clean energy technologies, and navigate IP issues related to environmental regulations and patents.

Ethical Considerations:

The ethical responsibilities of IP lawyers are multifaceted. They must uphold the highest ethical standards in their practice, ensuring confidentiality, avoiding conflicts of interest, and providing clients with honest and transparent advice. Ethical considerations are particularly important when dealing with sensitive matters such as trade secrets.

Conclusion: Guardians of Innovation and Creativity

In a rapidly evolving world driven by innovation and creativity, intellectual property lawyers serve as essential guardians of the rights and interests of individuals, businesses, and organizations. They navigate complex legal landscapes, address emerging challenges in technology and digital media, and provide strategic guidance that allows innovators to thrive while protecting their valuable creations.

The role of an intellectual property lawyer extends beyond legal expertise; it encompasses a commitment to fostering innovation, creativity, and the responsible management of intellectual assets. By collaborating with these legal professionals, individuals and entities can navigate the intricate terrain of intellectual property rights, secure their innovations, and contribute to the vibrant tapestry of human progress. In an age where ideas and innovations are catalysts for change, intellectual property lawyers are instrumental in safeguarding the intellectual legacy of today and the innovations of tomorrow.

[advocate-paresh-m-modi]

Best Land Revenue Advocate in Ahmedabad | Advocate Paresh M Modi https://www.advocatepmmodi.in/tag/land-revenue-advocates-in-ahmedabad/

[lawofficeofryansshipp]

Martin County Eviction Attorneys | 561.699.0399

Martin County Eviction Lawyers If you’re a property owner in Martin County, Florida, grappling with tenant problems, consider Law Office of Ryan S. Shipp, PLLC for reliable legal support. Our seasoned team specializes in both residential and commercial evictions, adept at handling the nuances of landlord-tenant law and delivering prompt, effective solutions. Why Opt For Shipp Law For Eviction…

[rainkalawllc]

Navigating the Legal Maze: How a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Jacksonville, FL Can Help

Navigating the Legal Maze: How a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Jacksonville, FL Can Help

In the realm of criminal law, navigating the legal maze can be daunting, especially when you find yourself facing charges. However, in Jacksonville, Florida, individuals have a crucial ally in their corner: the criminal defense lawyer. This comprehensive guide aims to shed light on the invaluable role that these legal professionals play in helping individuals maneuver through the complexities of the legal system in Jacksonville.

Understanding the Legal Landscape in Jacksonville, FL

Jacksonville, with its vibrant culture and bustling population, also grapples with its share of legal issues. From misdemeanors to felonies, individuals may find themselves entangled in the web of criminal law. Understanding the legal landscape is the first step towards effectively navigating through it.

The Role of a Criminal Defense Lawyer

A criminal defense lawyer serves as a beacon of hope for those facing criminal charges. Their primary role is to provide legal representation and counsel to individuals accused of committing crimes. In Jacksonville, these lawyers are adept at understanding local laws, and court procedures, and building robust defense strategies tailored to each case.

Why You Need a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Jacksonville, FL

The need for a criminal defense lawyer cannot be overstated, especially in a city like Jacksonville, where the legal system can be unforgiving. These professionals bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table, ensuring that your rights are protected and that you receive fair treatment under the law.

The Benefits of Hiring a Criminal Defense Lawyer

Legal Expertise: Criminal defense lawyers are well-versed in criminal law, procedural rules, and courtroom etiquette. Their expertise can make a significant difference in the outcome of your case.

Strategic Defense Planning: Crafting a solid defense strategy requires careful planning and analysis of the facts surrounding the case. Criminal defense lawyers leverage their experience to develop effective defense strategies tailored to the unique circumstances of each case.

Navigating Legal Procedures: The legal process can be complex and overwhelming for individuals without legal training. A criminal defense lawyer guides you through each step of the process, ensuring that you understand your rights and obligations.

Protecting Your Rights: Everyone has rights guaranteed by the Constitution, including the right to a fair trial and the right to legal representation. A criminal defense lawyer acts as a staunch advocate for your rights, ensuring that they are upheld throughout the legal proceedings.

Negotiating with Prosecutors: In many cases, criminal charges can be negotiated or reduced through plea bargaining. A skilled criminal defense lawyer knows how to negotiate with prosecutors to achieve the best possible outcome for their clients.

How Criminal Defense Lawyers in Jacksonville Build Strong Cases

Building a strong defense requires meticulous attention to detail and a deep understanding of the law. Criminal defense lawyers in Jacksonville employ various strategies to build compelling cases for their clients.

Investigation and Evidence Gathering

One of the first steps in building a defense is conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged crime. This may involve interviewing witnesses, reviewing police reports, and gathering any available evidence that supports the client's innocence.

Legal Research and Case Analysis

Criminal defense lawyers in Jacksonville conduct extensive legal research to identify relevant statutes, case law, and legal precedents that may impact the outcome of the case. They analyze the facts of the case in light of applicable laws to identify potential defenses and weaknesses in the prosecution's case.

Expert Witness Testimony

In some cases, expert witness testimony may be necessary to bolster the defense's argument. Criminal defense lawyers work closely with qualified experts, such as forensic scientists or medical professionals, to provide expert opinions that support the client's innocence or raise doubts about the prosecution's case.

Preparation for Trial

If the case proceeds to trial, criminal defense lawyers in Jacksonville meticulously prepare for courtroom proceedings. This may involve conducting mock trials, preparing witnesses for testimony, and developing persuasive courtroom presentations to effectively advocate for their client's innocence.

The Importance of Communication and Client Support

Effective communication is paramount in the attorney-client relationship, especially in high-stakes criminal cases. Criminal defense lawyers in Jacksonville prioritize open and transparent communication with their clients, keeping them informed about the progress of their case and addressing any concerns or questions they may have.

Final Thoughts

In the end, navigating the legal maze of criminal law in Jacksonville, FL, requires the expertise and guidance of a skilled criminal defense lawyer. These legal professionals play a pivotal role in defending the rights and interests of individuals accused of committing crimes, ensuring that they receive fair treatment under the law. By understanding the legal landscape, recognizing the benefits of hiring a criminal defense lawyer, and appreciating the strategies they employ to build strong cases, individuals can navigate through the complexities of the legal system with confidence and peace of mind.

[dimartinolaw]

Maximizing Property Investment: Real Estate Management and Operations Tips

Owning an investment property can be a lucrative path to financial freedom, but it’s not just about purchasing the right brick-and-mortar asset. Real estate management and operations hold the key to unlocking the full potential of your investment, transforming passive income into a thriving enterprise. So, grab your metaphorical toolbox and delve into these practical tips to elevate your real estate game:

[aagarwalla]

Property Dispute Attorney | A Agarwalla & Co.

A. Agarwalla & Co. specializes in resolving property disputes with its team of seasoned attorneys. With a deep understanding of property laws, our firm offers expert guidance and representation to protect your property rights and find amicable solutions to property related conflicts.

[calparolelawyer]

Prop. 57 Parole Lawyer: Your Pathway to Parole Success

When it comes to navigating the intricate landscape of California's criminal justice system, individuals seeking parole under Proposition 57 often find themselves overwhelmed and uncertain. That's where the invaluable expertise of a Prop. 57 Parole Lawyer comes into play, providing guidance and support on the road to parole success. If you're in search of top-tier legal representation, look no further than the accomplished Parole Lawyers in California, specifically available at calparolelawyer.com.

Proposition 57, renowned as the Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2016, has introduced sweeping changes to the parole process. It offers a chance at parole for non-violent and youthful offenders, provided they demonstrate rehabilitation and personal growth. Negotiating the intricate details of this proposition necessitates a legal professional with an intimate grasp of the system. This is precisely what a Prop. 57 Parole Attorney brings to the table.

At calparolelawyer.com, a team of seasoned Parole Lawyers specializes in handling Proposition 57 cases. These legal experts possess an in-depth understanding of the criteria for eligibility and the art of constructing a compelling parole case. Every case is treated with the unique attention it deserves, recognizing the distinctive aspects of each situation.

For youthful offenders navigating the Proposition 57 parole process, a Youthful Offender Parole Attorney offers tailored guidance. These legal professionals empathize with the challenges faced by young individuals within the criminal justice system. Their mission revolves around securing fair opportunities for rehabilitation and reintegration.

In summation, enlisting the support of a skilled Prop. 57 Lawyer is paramount to achieving parole success under Proposition 57. The team at calparolelawyer.com is dedicated to walking hand-in-hand with you on your journey towards a brighter future. With their legal acumen, you can overcome the complexities of the system and take substantial steps towards parole success.

[mclaurinlaw]

McLaurin Law, PLLC

McLaurin Law, PLLC 4544 Post Oak Place Dr Ste 350 Houston TX 77027 713-461-6500 https://mdlawtex.com/

Welcome to McLaurin Law, PLLC, a premier legal firm serving clients in Houston, TX, and beyond. Our team of dedicated lawyers provides services in insurance law, personal injury law, and construction law. With a track record of success and a commitment to client satisfaction, we have built a strong reputation in the legal community.

At McLaurin Law, PLLC, we understand the complexities of insurance lawyer claims and strive to help individuals and businesses navigate the intricacies of insurance policies. Whether you are dealing with an insurance dispute, need a property damage claim attorney, or have professional liability issues, our skilled attorneys are here to provide effective legal solutions tailored to your needs.

[zvaigzdelasas]

“Very aggressive” homeless encampment sweeps, as recently touted by Mayor London Breed, began Tuesday morning in San Francisco following a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

The Standard witnessed aggressive enforcement action under the Central Freeway, carried out by police, the Department of Public Works, Department of Emergency Management, Homeless Outreach Team and San Francisco Fire Department.

Homeless people were not notified of the sweeps ahead of time, as has previously been the norm, according to a schedule of encampment clearings and a city official who was on the scene.[...]

“One of the DPW workers started hollering past me, ‘I’m taking everything today,’ ” Tannahill said. “They were adamant that there wasn’t going to be enough time to pack up the tent.”

By 10:30 a.m., all city workers who were clearing the encampment had moved down the block, to the corner of 13th and Harrison streets.

Brandon Cunningham, the fire department’s incident commander at the scene of an encampment sweep near 13th and South Van Ness streets, told The Standard he was unsure whether people living at the site were notified beforehand. Tuesday’s schedule of encampment clearances, obtained by The Standard, does not list the location.[...]

City staff have previously given notice to encampment occupants days before conducting a clearing.

In a video captured by The Standard, a police officer can be heard explaining to a person whose belongings have just been thrown onto a truck bed that encampments are “no more.”

“London Breed, the mayor, Gov. Gavin Newsom says no more on the streets, no more encampments. No more. This is what it’s come down to. This is our laws,” the officer said.

Max Gunn and Kara Sullivan, who have been homeless in San Francisco for roughly two years, told The Standard the city threw away some of their clothes. Gunn said members of the Homeless Outreach Team told him there were no shelter beds available.

“They got my clothes,” Sullivan said. “They laughed at me and did a mocking New York accent and acted like they were tough.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Emergency Management disputed the individual’s account, saying everyone was offered shelter during Tuesday’s action.[...]

Nisha Kashyap, an attorney representing the Coalition on Homelessness in the suit against the city, called the sweeps “alarming” and “unacceptable.”

“The city’s conduct blatantly violates the existing injunction against property destruction and disregards its own laws and policies that mandate advance notice and the provision of shelter and services,” Kashyap said in a statement Tuesday. “By ignoring the injunction, the city is not only acting unlawfully but also stripping people of their basic survival necessities, making it harder for them to exit homelessness.”

A statement from the mayor’s office said the city’s “street response will consist of offers of services and support on a daily basis, targeted encampment resolutions, and coordinated efforts to prevent re-encampments and new areas from being encamped.”

In a memo shared Tuesday by the mayor’s office, officials said they seek to prevent encampments from cropping up again once they have been cleared.[...]

The memo also outlines the consequences homeless individuals may face if they continue to camp on the city’s streets and refuse shelter. These penalties include citations and possible arrest.

“The goal is not punishment, it is compliance,” the memo reads.

30 Jul 24

[lawfirm-elixir]

Intellectual property (IP) law is a body of law that protects the creative and intellectual works of individuals and businesses. It includes patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets.

[donald-trump-official]

Ok so I know it’s really easy to think, “oh yeah the trump org conviction is just a million dollar fine, they didn’t even charge trump, it’s nothing but a slap on the wrist”. I understand why it seems that way. Not just because of the pitiful sentence they’re about to receive, but because it still seems as if Trump and his cronies will escape Justice.

But hear me out.

This is just the beginning.

This is absolutely just the beginning of the end of the trump organization.

The trump org has a lot of debt. Like. A shit ton. Donald trump has called himself “the king of debt”, because he built his empire off nothing but loans and over-inflated property as collateral for those loans. Most of the trump org’s wealth is is tied into those properties. Most of the property is tied into the loans. And most of Donald Trump’s wealth is tied into the trump org and it’s properties.

With their still hot and fresh convictions, the trump org’s biggest issue is it’s bank problem. Using fraudulent business records on a bank loan will invalidate the loan. A jury just found that the trump org filed fraudulent business records. It’s a safe bet that right now, banks are auditing their loans with them, to find out if the documents submitted on their applications were fraudulent.

Banks don’t take too kindly to their borrowers lying to them or using fraudulent records to secure a loan. If the banks find out the trump org lied on their loan applications, they’re gonna start calling in these loans. Loans the Trump Org doesn’t have the cash on hand to cover, because their wealth is tied into their assets.

Of course, he could always go out and ask for another loan from a different bank. But since the trump org was just found guilty of falsifying their business records, no bank is ever going to go near them again. Let alone loan them ANOTHER 1 billion dollars. Their credibility as a company who can be trusted with big money loans is dead and gone. They’ve been blacklisted.

Which leaves the trump org and it’s owners in a very precarious situation. They need cash to pay off these loans, but they don’t have it. So they can steal top secret documents and sell them, or they will have to liquidate their assets to garner the cash to pay the loans.

Small problem, though. The Trump Org used their property as collateral, meaning they can’t sell their properties without notifying the banks, getting their approval, and giving the banks their fair share of the final sale. And if they were to try to sell their properties, they wouldn’t be allowed to. Because the trump org overinflated the value of it’s assets to secure the loans in the first place. So the real value of its assets is *much* lower than what the banks were told it was worth, and what they were given in loans. The bank is never going to let them sell their assets for pennies on the dollar. Instead, they’re going to invalidate the loan and make them pay it in full. And if they can’t pay, they will keep the collateral.

Knowing they have shit tons of debt that is likely to be called in, AND that they can’t liquidate their assets to pay it, this leaves the trump org with only one viable option: declaring bankruptcy. A last ditch effort.

Bankruptcy could be an out for them. We’v seen it before. A company declares bankruptcy, moves their assets around, and then reforms under the guise of a different company that has, effectively, a clean slate.

Enter: the state of New York. Also the trump orgs biggest problem.

New York District Attorney Letita James has been investigating the trump org’s finances for years now, uncovering a litany of fraud and tax evasion in the process. She worked in conjunction with the Manhattan DA to bring the charges the trump org was just convicted of. She has filed a civil lawsuit against the trump org, accusing them of a years-long practice of, you guessed it: tax fraud and filing fraudulent business records.

Her lawsuit is now a complete slam dunk. She is arguing that the trump org committed tax fraud and defrauded the state by falsifying it’s business records. Not only does she have all of the trump orgs financial records and bank statements, which in itself is enough to win the lawsuit, but the trump org was just criminally charged with 17 counts of tax fraud and falsifying business records. Pretty strong and convincing evidence the company committed the crime, if you were a person sitting on that jury.

The lawsuit seeks to revoke the business license of the owners of the trump org in the state of New York, forcing them to relocate the business and apply for a business license in a different state. This would require submitting the company’s business records and getting approval for a business license. And since the trump orgs business records have been proven to be fraudulent, there’s a next to 0 chance they get approval for a license outside of NY. Leaving the trump org stuck in NY and at the mercy of the NYAG.

On top of that, the lawsuit also seeks $250 million in damages, which the trump org doesn’t have the cash to cover. Because their wealth is tied into assets they have used as collateral for loans. If they lose the lawsuit, which is a guarantee, and they don’t have the cash to cover the fine, they are subject to having their assets seized by the state of New York.

So unable to pay off the loans, unable to sell their assets, unable to pay the fine from the lawsuit, and unable to relocate their business to a different state, that brings us back to bankruptcy. The trump orgs last and only option to avoid all of this.

Letita James knows bankruptcy is in the future of the trump org. She knows they would attempt to avoid accountability by declaring bankruptcy and starting a new company to transfer their assets (fun fact, trump started a second company in NY called “Trump Org 2”. It was *that* obvious). So just within the past couple of months, she asked the court to appoint a monitor to oversee the trump org’s finances. And that request was granted.

The trump org now has a court ordered monitor overseeing their finances, effectively freezing them and preventing them from wiggling away. They cannot move around their assets and restructure them under the guise of a different company without the knowledge, and approval, of the court. They also cannot sell any of their assets without the knowledge and approval of both the court, and the banks. And every financial statement or transaction from here on out must be approved by the court, meaning they can no longer file false business records to secure massive loans.

(TL;DR) The trump org has been effectively backed into a corner from all sides. If the banks don’t invalidate their loans, they will default on them because the trump org doesn’t have the cash to pay them. If they do invalidate their loans, they trump org will not be able to pay them, and their assets will be seized by the banks. They cannot sell their assets, because their overinflated value was used as collateral. And they risk having their assets seized by the state of NY, which has also appointed a court ordered monitor that prevents them from declaring bankruptcy to avoid accountability.

Oh, and did I mention that Allen Weisselburg, the trump orgs chief financial officer who was given a plea deal after agreeing to testify against the trump org, testified at trial that Donald trump was personally involved in the crimes he, and the trump org, committed. So the owners of the trump org, trump, ivanka, jr, risk potential criminal prosecution and could face the same felonies as their CFO. Because they were directly implicated in the crimes the trump org was convicted of.

So yeah. On its face, the trump org convictions seem inconsequential. But if you were Donald trump, or any of the owners of the trump org, you would be pissing yourself in fear, backed into a corner from all sides awaiting the first of many death blows to land.

[waywardxwords]

The Fix - Part 8

Summary: Everyone has a past, but yours seemed to haunt you. You've tried to move forward with a normal life, but the day comes when that's not possible anymore. When Sheriff Beau Arlen enters your life, you're certain he is going to judge you just like everyone else in town does. But something about Beau is different.

Warnings: Slight language, discussion about drugs/drug dealing, slight angst, fluff-ish

Word Count: ~2.7k

Beau’s foot pressed down on the accelerator of his truck until it had touched the floorboard. He tried to get a handle on his emotions, but he wasn’t used to feeling this way and he hated it. He had always been able to use his adrenaline as fuel in his line of work, but this felt different. All he could think about was Matt Donahue’s words—“We’re going to offer him a plea.” 

In all honesty, he should’ve seen it from a mile away. As a Sheriff and someone who worked with prosecutors on a daily basis, a plea deal made sense. The FBI weren’t interested in some small town drug dealer. They wanted the big guys. But he was too close to this case, and it felt dangerous. 

The tires of his truck squealed as he pulled into the parking lot in front of the office. His feet carried him to the front of the building as he tried to slow his breathing. 

The glass door swung open with more force than he had anticipated as he barged into the lobby. Justin Markham, the district attorney, stood there as if he were awaiting Beau’s arrival. Next to him was Matt Donahue, the agent Beau was getting increasingly annoyed with seeing in his town. 

“Beau,” Justin started carefully as he read the frustration and anger across his face. “I need you to just hear us out.”

“Hear you out?” Beau bit back as he planted his feet just in front of them. “You call me, tellin’ me you’re offerin’ Jackson Lyle a plea deal. Jackson Lyle, the man who has been dealin’ heroin, cocaine and meth in this town for the last four years. The man who kidnapped his child, shot one of my deputies and then held me and the child’s mother at gunpoint?!” He couldn’t control the volume or tone of his voice any longer. 

“I know you’re disappointed,” Justin spoke while Matt remained silent. “There’s a reason–”

“There’s absolutely no reason for us to explain this to you,” Matt sneered as he cut Justin off. “This one’s above your pay grade, Sheriff.”

“It’d be in your best interest not to speak, agent,” Beau snapped back. He turned back to Justin. “How do you expect me to keep the people of this town safe when you’re just gonna let this piece of shit back out on the street? What’s the deal, anyway? Is he even gonna see the inside of a cell?”

The DA took a breath and glanced at the agent. Matt seemed to give up and waved, as if saying he didn’t care and to just fill Beau in at this point. 

“Let’s go to your office, alright?” Justin placed a hand on Beau’s shoulder as the three men walked in and closed the door behind them. “The judge is ready to sign a restraining order for the victims today. There’s no question on that, it’ll be very clearly stated to Jackson that he’s not allowed anywhere near them or their property. He’s already agreed to it verbally.”

“Oh, yeah, that sounds great. Let’s trust the abusive drug dealer who doesn’t give a shit about anyone but himself,” he said sarcastically. “Fan-fuckin’-tastic work, guys.” 

“Sheriff,” Matt said firmly. “We have an opportunity to get to the root of the opioid crisis in Big Sky. We can take out the source, and that starts with information we get from Jackson Lyle.” 

“I’m not an idiot, I hear you,” Beau snapped back. “I’m tryin’ to figure out how I’m gonna tell the mother that just got her daughter back and has been afraid of this man for all these years that he’s gonna walk.” 

“It’ll take some time,” Justin tried to assure him. “The restraining order will be firmly in place, and the FBI still has a lot of information they need to get out of him. He will remain in custody until everything checks out. We’re talking a month, minimum. It could be six months, for all we know.” 

Beau sighed and rubbed a hand down his mouth as he processed. “Alright,” he finally conceded, more so because he knew there was absolutely nothing he could do to change the outcome. He shuffled in his pocket as he felt the device vibrate against his thigh. 

“The FBI has promised they will keep you in the loop along the way,” Justin looked at Matt pointedly—as if he was reminding him of the expectations. 

“I sure as hell hope so,” Beau’s voice trailed a bit as he saw Cassie’s ID on his phone—he had received a text message. He scrolled to open it. 

Cassie Dewell Hey, can you send me their home address? 

Beau quickly wrote back. 

I don’t have it on hand. It’s off of Arbor Road just off of Main. Why?

“I, uh, I gotta get going. I’ll say thank you for keeping me up to speed, but I’m still not happy,” Beau grumbled as he nodded at both the agent and DA. 

“I’ll call you later,” Justin shook his hand before Beau headed back for the front door. He stepped into his truck and pulled his cowboy hat from his head, placing it in the passenger seat before he put the key in the ignition. His phone vibrated once more. 

Cassie Dewell They left a note that they headed there to grab a few things and to meet them there. 

Beau felt like he could scream. He knew there wasn’t any immediate danger after talking to Justin and Matt, but he also knew he had asked one thing of you—to stay put and just wait for Cassie to get there. 

“Dammit,” he couldn’t help but curse as he squeezed the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.

The tires crunched upon the gravel. He barely waited for his truck to stop before he shifted into park and threw open the door. 

“Hey,” you said, a bit confused as you approached from the front door. You had heard the familiar sound of his truck pull up and decided to greet him from there. “You okay? I thought Cassie was coming. What did they say?”

Beau slammed his door shut. “Was there any confusion about what I asked you to do before I left? Was I clear, or do you just not care that I’m trying my absolute damnedest to keep you safe?” His words nipped, much like the cool Montana air. 

“I just wanted to come back to get some fresh clothes and bring Bailey back to the comfort of our home for a few minutes,” you tried to explain with your eyes widened. He was mad; pissed, even. But you didn’t feel like it was fair. “Jackson’s locked up, right? Even with a potential deal, there’s no way they’d let him out right now.”

Beau knew you were right, but the fear just wouldn’t dissipate. “But if there are people lookin’ for him, where do you think they’re gonna go when they find out he’s locked up, huh? Where would they go when they realize that he’s probably gonna strike a deal for ratting them out? Who would they go after to get to him?” His eyes hadn’t faltered from yours as he took focused steps towards the stairs leading up to your porch. He stopped just before the first one.

You, too, knew there was truth behind Beau’s words. “So you’re going to stand out here and yell at me?!” You couldn’t help the rise to your voice. After what you went through with Jackson, you had sworn you’d never let a man control you like that again. Even though Beau was being rational, you couldn’t allow yourself to accept it. “You’re going to argue with me because I just wanted some normalcy again?”

“I’m arguin’ with you because I’m trying to fix this,” he sounded exasperated, though unphased by your tone. “I’m tryin’ to keep you safe.”

“Oh, don’t you worry, Sheriff,” your tone was snarky. “I don’t need you to fix a damn thing. There isn’t anything broken that needs fixing.” You muttered, frustration burned your eyes in the form of angry tears. It was a lie. You felt completely broken most of the time, but your frustration had gotten the best of you and you didn’t feel like admitting it. Beau knew anyway. 

“You know what,” Beau grumbled as he shook his head. He sucked on his teeth for a second before he returned his gaze to you. “You’re right, darlin’. You don’t need fixing. But this situation you're in? It makes me crazy. You don’t deserve it—an ounce of it,” his words were purposeful as he stood planted just in front of the first step of your porch. “And over the last few days, I’ve gotten to a point where I care…I care a lot. So I’d be damned if I put you in a situation where you’re not safe. Because when you’re not safe, I can’t even think straight.”

The air between you was tense, and you weren’t sure what to say for a moment. Beau’s chest rose and fell with each heavy breath he took. The air he blew out created small clouds, a clear indication of how hard he was breathing and how cold the air was. 

“I’m sorry that you were scared,” you tried to dissect his words. “I’m sorry that I didn’t listen. I’m not used to this…” you paused as you tried to think about how you wanted to explain the situation. “I’m not used to having someone look out for me. I look out for myself.”

“You’re gonna have to let that go, darlin’,” Beau was still frustrated, but his tone had softened. His feet moved slowly as he climbed the first stair. “I am standin’ here, telling you I want this.” His voice was low as he took another step. “I want the hard times, the good times; I’ll take on all the crazy…” with one more step, he was level with you now. He stood there unwavering, and you found it hard to hold his eye contact under the weight of his words. “And if that’s what you want, too? Even better. But I need you to meet me halfway, sweetheart.” His voice was just above a whisper now. 

Frustrated tears had pooled in your eyes again, but this time it was something deeper. Your life was complicated—it had been complicated—for a very long time. You hadn’t thought of sharing your life with anyone but Bailey for as long as you could remember. But here Beau stood, telling you he wanted all of it. 

“How am I supposed to meet you halfway when you won’t open up to me? I barely know anything about you, Beau. You can’t take your walls down, so how am I supposed to meet you in the middle?” You folded your arms across your chest and stood your ground. 

Beau broke eye contact and a hot breath escaped his lips. “You’re right, darlin’,” he said softly. His tongue darted out over his lips. “You wanna know my story? I left Houston because I screwed up.” He lifted his head to find your eyes again. “There was a case I was investigatin’ and it went south. I was followin’ the wrong trail, and a deputy got killed because of it. I panicked, and I wasn’t gonna take this job because of it. But I had to be close to my daughter and I didn’t know anything other than law enforcement. Nine times outta ten, I feel like an imposter in this job. But I promised myself I’d never make another mistake again. I’ve spent the last three years trying to fix it—all of it. Trying to fix myself, and tryin’ my damnedest not to screw anything up.”

He paused, and your heart sank in your chest a little. You felt overwhelming sympathy for him and what he had been through. “You can’t blame yourself, Beau.”

He chuckled almost sarcastically. “Oh, I can and I do, sweetheart,” he sighed. “But that’s besides the point. We all have stuff. And you’re right, I need to open up more if I’m askin’ you to meet me in the middle. I’m willin’ to do that…I’m willing to try.” 

“I want to try, too, Beau,” you breathed out, Beau’s smile hidden for only a moment as your breath fogged in front of you. “I can’t promise we won’t have more moments of me not listening or pushing back on you…”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way, darlin’,” he drawled, just before he captured your lips with his. 

Cassie had arrived shortly after and agreed to hang out with you and Bailey. Beau had said he had one more stop to make, and while you didn’t know where he was headed, you didn’t push back or ask any questions. 

Beau had called in a favor, one he wasn’t sure would be granted. But for the first time since this whole ordeal started, the FBI had come through. 

He pulled open the heavy metal door and prepared himself to go through the metal detector. 

“I’m meeting Matt Donahue with the FBI,” Beau said to guard just past the security entrance after he showed his Sheriff’s badge. The man led Beau through a code-locked door that closed shut with a loud bang. 

Matt stood there in his suit with his hands in his pockets. “I’m breaking a lot of rules letting you do this,” Matt grumbled as he glanced at the watch on his wrist. 

“Yeah, well,” Beau cleared his throat. “I helped catch him, didn’t I? He’s been creating mayhem in my town, I think you can give me five minutes.” Matt rolled his eyes but started down the long hallway. Beau followed. 

There was another guarded door with a code lock. Matt nodded at the guard there, who unlocked the door and opened it for them to walk through. 

Beau glanced around at the barred cells. Chatter and yells from the prisoners echoed off of the walls. Matt stopped in front of a cell. 

“Ah, if it isn’t the pretty boy sheriff,” Jackson Lyle sneered from where he sat on his cot. He had bandages around his shoulder and upper torso. Seeing that brought Beau a little bit of joy. 

“At least one of us looks good,” Beau snided back. He glanced at Matt with a pointed look. 

“Five minutes,” Matt repeated before he retreated back down the hallway, as promised. Beau turned his attention back to the cell. 

“Ooh, what’s the pretty sheriff got to tell me, hmm? You hear I’m getting a deal? I’ll be out of here in no time,” he seemed so proud of himself. 

“Yeah, about that,” Beau glanced down but then locked eyes with the man on the other side of the bars. “As we both know, you’ll have two restraining orders against you the second you step foot outside this prison. But I also want you to know, I’ll be watchin’. Every step you take, you’ll have eyes on you as long as you stay in Big Sky.”

“You say that now, but just you wait and see. My ex-wife can be a real bitch. You’ll get tired of her shit the same way I did,” he sneered. “She’s a broken woman. She won’t let anybody try to fix her.”

“Here’s the difference,” Beau was firm in his words and made sure he held his composure. “I’m gonna go in there and pick up the pieces that you broke. And she and I, together–we’ll fix it ourselves. While you’re only interested in getting your fix, I’m prepared to put in the work and be what she and Bailey need. You’ll never see them again, Jackson. And if you do, you’ll end up with a bullet between your eyes. I’ll put it there myself.”

A/N: And there we have it, folks! Part 8! Did we love it? Hate it? Surprised by our least favorite FBI agent's slight change of heart (or that he has a heart at all?).

It pains me to say, but this will be the last full chapter for The Fix! I'll post the Epilogue on Wednesday that will bring things full circle. I've struggled with if I wanted to carry this further (and while I think there are opportunities for additional development, I also sort of feel like I'd be drawing it all out if I kept going). All of that to say: I do think there may be a one shot or two (or more, I mean--who knows?) in the future. I really loved branching out and pushing myself to write Beau Arlen, and I truly enjoyed writing the reader & Bailey in this series, as well.

While it's not quite the end just yet, I can't forget to say THANK YOU! I have gotten so much love on this series, and I truly appreciate it.

See you on Wednesday :)

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[440mxs-wife]

The Country Doctor, Chapter 1: A Fresh Start

Pairing: Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy x F!Reader (eventual). Other Characters are the usual suspects: Jim Kirk, Nyota Uhura. Spock, Montgomery Scott, Hikaru Sulu, Pavel Chekov (to be introduced in later chapters.) OMC's Travis Myers and Miles Cooper.

Word Count: 4530

Warnings: Divorce, break-up, ruthless businessmen, mentions of infidelity, but mostly fluffy (for now)

Summary: Fresh off of his divorce, Dr. McCoy receives word that he has inherited a 5,000-acre farm and home in Logan, Montana. Finally, he has an opportunity for a clean slate and to start his own clinic out west and leave his ex-wife behind. Along the way, he'll meet a cast of unique characters, each with a place in his new small-town life. But there could be trouble ahead in the form of a powerful CEO hell-bent on acquiring Leonard's property by any means necessary.

A/N: This idea was posted by @hailbop1701, with a specific list of plot points/dialog to be included. I won't put the list here, because it'll give away too much. Not sure how many parts there'll be, but I hope you like where I take the story.

A/N 2: If you’ve been tagged here, it’s because you’ve interacted one or more times on a McCoy story of mine, or we’re moots. Whether you like or reblog, I am eternally grateful for your support. If anyone else would like to be tagged on any future Karl Urban character postings, or would rather leave the Crazy Train, please let me know. Thank you, and enjoy the show!

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"Court is adjourned."

That was the declaration eight weeks ago, when Dr. Leonard H. McCoy sat at a table with his attorney in the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia. The Honorable Judge Michael Simmons had just pounded his gavel on the bench to signify an end to the McCoy v. McCoy divorce proceedings. Unfortunately, his now-ex-wife, Jocelyn, had the better attorney, which resulted in a somewhat less-than-equitable division of their assets.

At least Leonard was able to keep his vintage pickup truck and the 4-bedroom, 2 bath, ranch-style home he had lived in with Jocelyn. She basically got everything else in the settlement, though, including most of the furniture. She didn't technically need the furniture, since she was moving in with her new boyfriend. However, he had a rental property that needed furnishings, so that's where they went.

Two weeks after the divorce was finalized, Leonard received correspondence from a law firm in Montana, with a request for his presence. The letter did not specify the reason for the request, and when he called the law office, no one was authorized to divulge any information. He didn't want to find himself on the wrong side of the law and besides, he was more than a little curious. Luckily, the law firm had a satellite office in Atlanta, so that's where he attended the meeting.

An hour or so after the meeting ended, a slightly dazed Leonard walked out of the attorney's office with a file folder and a property deed in his hand. The meeting was for the reading of the will for his distant uncle, Walter McCoy. Around 5,000 acres of land in Montana along with an old craftsman-style farmhouse were bequeathed to him to do with as he pleased. There were also various outbuildings on the property, such as a machine shed, a barn with a hay loft, and horse stables.

He had options. There was an Eastern conglomerate, NorthStar Corp, that was willing to pay a more than fair price to buy it from him, lock, stock, and barrel. With what they were offering, Leonard wouldn't have to worry about money for the foreseeable future, if ever. Or, he could make the break from Georgia and his ex-wife with her boy-toy to make a go of it in Logan, Montana. Although Leonard wanted to stay near his mother, Eleanora, he had to consider that this was his chance to start over somewhere else.

When he told his best friend, James T. Kirk, about his inheritance, Jim could hardly contain his excitement. He considered it to be the start to a great adventure and was more than willing to accompany Leonard.

Jim had no family ties to speak of, preferring to live a sort of nomadic existence. He even offered to take turns driving the moving truck the 1,900 or so miles to Montana. "Good music, good snacks, and good company are all we need to get us to our destination, Bones," Kirk told him with a wide grin.

The more Leonard thought about it, the more he warmed up to the idea of starting somewhere new. A place where he wouldn't have to worry about running into someone who knew about the divorce and wouldn't hesitate to share an opinion about it. So, with Jim's help, he cleared his house out of any remaining items, put them in storage, then contacted a realtor to list it for sale.

After only a few showings, a deal was quickly closed, with a $30,000.00 profit in his bank account to show for it. Leonard and Jim loaded up his remaining possessions into the moving van, hooked up a car trailer with Leonard's pickup truck on it, and headed west to Montana. The pair made a few stops along the way, renting a hotel room to rest for the night before hitting the road again the next morning.

The more miles Leonard put behind him, the more comfortable and free he felt with his decision. He wasn't too keen on leaving his mother behind, but she assured him that she would be fine, even encouraged him to take this leap. He made a note to send her a plane ticket so she could visit once he got settled.

Nearly four days and more than 1,900 miles later, Leonard turned into the gravel driveway that led to his new home. It was a charcoal gray with white trim craftsman-style farmhouse with a tall, red brick chimney on one side. The wooden wrap-around porch was accented with white, tapered columns, set on top of the slotted railing framing the area. He appreciated the large windows, which would bring in a good amount of natural light, as well as soft breezes on lazy summer days.

"Well? Is it everything you expected?" Jim asked.

"I didn't exactly know what to expect, Jim. I don't even remember either of my parents ever mentioning an 'Uncle Walter McCoy'. He isn't someone I knew well enough for him to leave me something like this, but I'll do my best to make the most of it. From what I've seen so far, though, at least the outside looks fine," Leonard replied.

"That's the spirit, Bones! Let's go have a look at the grounds, then inside the house. After that, we can start unloading your stuff," Jim grinned as he scrambled out of the truck.

Leonard stepped down from the driver's seat and closed the door. "Sure, Jim. Why not," he muttered to himself. He fished the house keys out of his pocket on his way up the porch steps. The front door was made of solid oak with a dark finish and leaded glass panels arranged in a geometric design. He inserted the key into the lock and tilted his head back. "Here goes nothin', I guess," he murmured, pushing the door open.

***

At just after 2:00pm, you stopped by the post office to retrieve your mail that had piled up over the last couple of days. Before you left, you strolled up to the counter to chat with your best friend, Nyota Uhura. Her shift was almost over, so she suggested the two of you meet for coffee and a snack at the Java Station Café on Main Street.

While you waited for her at the café, you thought about how you met her and what brought you back to Logan, Montana. Your now-ex-boyfriend, Travis Myers, had convinced you to move with him from Logan to Bozeman. He'd landed a lucrative position as in-house counsel for a large and powerful corporation. You found work at a tech company doing data entry work for a medical office. Not too terribly taxing nor was it what you wanted for a career, but it paid well.

Around the six-month mark of living together in the big city, Travis started coming home later and later in the evening. Missed date nights and other outings were becoming more frequent, with him coming to bed late and leaving before you woke up. Whenever you tried to talk to him about it, he always chalked it up to working late on a big case or project, so you let it go.

The last straw was when the two of you were supposed to meet a few of your friends for dinner. Since he was late picking you up from home, you asked one of them to drive you to the restaurant. From the lobby, you called Travis and told him to meet you there.

Just before you said your goodbyes, you heard, "Come back to bed, baby, I'm cold" in a woman's voice. You were furious, demanding to know who the woman was and how long he had been seeing her. After first denying everything, he ultimately confessed it was his assistant and it had been going on for about six weeks. You felt your world collapsing around you at his admission. Dinner was forgotten while your friends drove you back to the apartment to pack up your belongings.

You couch-surfed for about a month before finding an apartment back in Logan, where you had previously lived with your parents. Because Travis paid for most of the expenses such as rent and utilities, you were able to save up quite a nest egg to cover your new living situation. However, you weren't sure how much longer your savings would hold out, so you decided to look for a job to make ends meet.

The bell above the door tinkled, and Nyota rushed over to your table. After a brief hug, you both sat down and waited for your server to appear and take your order. Uhura was practically vibrating with energy, which meant she had something exciting to share. A few minutes later, with your order submitted, she spilled her secret.

"You'll never guess what happened today!" she exclaimed. "Two men came in today to file a change of address card."

You snorted. "That sounds like something that happens every day around here, Nyota, not that interesting. You're nearly jumping out of your skin about this. What is so compelling about them that has you barely able to sit still long enough to tell me?"

Uhura made a face at you to show her displeasure. "If you can keep from insulting me, I'll tell you," she pouted. You held up your hands in surrender as her cue to continue. "They moved here from Georgia, and one of them has the most tantalizing Southern accent. They were both tall, one blond hair with striking blue eyes, and the other dark hair and hazel eyes. He seemed a little grumpy at first, but Blue Eyes was the more charming of the two," she explained.

"Did you get a look at their new address, the one here?" you asked.

"The one with dark hair listed his name as Dr. Leonard H. McCoy, and his address matched the one for Walter McCoy's place," she replied.

Now she had your attention. Every so often, you drove by the farm, wishing you lived there instead of your small, one-bedroom apartment. You had thoughts about what it would be like to buy the place one day so you could fix it up and return it to some of its old glory. You'd heard through the grapevine that the owner passed away a few months back. It was also mentioned that ownership would pass to his only other living relative.

"I've always thought about that place, what it looks like inside, how I would spruce it up. Wait a minute, did you say Doctor McCoy?" you squeaked.

"And her brain has finally caught up with her mouth," Uhura joked. "I was wondering when you'd catch on to that tidbit of information. That house has a separate office space, ideal for treating patients. Word travels fast in this town, and once folks get to know there's a doctor in town again, Dr. McCoy is bound to need help. You know, with paperwork or coordinating treatment of his patients. Know anyone with those kind of skills?" she grinned.

In addition to your data entry job, you had acquired some basic medical training. The town had a couple of paramedics within the Volunteer Fire Department for the more serious cases. For now, it was enough, but it would be nice for the vacancy to be filled, especially by a handsome doctor. "Hmm. Maybe I should head out that way, introduce myself, see if he needs any help." Beg him for a job, you silently added.

"That's the spirit! If you're done with your coffee, we should drive out there and check things out. You in?" she held out her hand for you to shake.

After draining the last of your cappuccino, you nodded and shook her hand. "I'm all in," you declared.

***

Leonard and Jim wandered the property, taking in the condition and contents of the outbuildings. Many of the machines and tools were left behind. They noted which items were and were not still functional, to determine what could be easily returned to service or sold for parts. The good news was, the buildings themselves were structurally sound, although at least in need of a new outer coat of paint.

As for the house itself, Leonard was pleased to find a side entrance that led to an office, set apart from the main house. It was perfect for starting his clinic, with a small area that could function as a waiting room, and enough space for a reception desk. He made a note to check in town for a secondhand store to pick up a desk, some chairs and other furnishings.

Jim joked and told him that all he needed now was a pretty receptionist who could also perform nursing duties. Leonard glared at him in response, reminding him that after the way divorce went, he wasn't at all interested in dating. "Just doctorin'," he affirmed. "Maybe fishin', if the winds are just right," he added with a smirk.

A tour of the home's interior revealed hardwood flooring in the bedrooms and living room, while ceramic tiles covered the floor in the eat-in kitchen. There was a separate dining room space between the kitchen and living room. The centerpiece of the living room was a fireplace made with gray bricks and had a dark wooden mantle above it.

Before his arrival, Leonard contacted the utilities and asked for them to be turned on and transferred into his name. That gave Leonard and Jim a chance to determine what worked and what needed repaired. For the most part, the electrical system was in good working order, except for a few outlets that may need replaced or updated.

The water situation was another story. At first, when Jim turned on the high-arching faucet in the kitchen, the white farmhouse sink reflected a light brownish tint to the water. The pedestal sink and clawfoot tub in the main bathroom, plus the sinks in the half-baths were the same shade of brown. However, the more they let the water run, the clearer it became, which helped ease their minds a bit.

Leonard walked back out to the porch to make a mental list of what he'd need to bring the old house back to life and working order. The hardwood floors were in good condition, though they could use a bit of polish applied to them. There were a few non-working electrical outlets that would need an electrician's expertise to chase down the problem. In the bedrooms, there were spots where the wallpaper was peeling away from the wall. Not exactly a fan of wallpaper, Leonard decided it would be better to tear it all down and paint instead.

Overall, the pluses outweighed the minuses, such as the updated appliances in the kitchen and quartz countertops. Leonard could definitely see himself cooking up a Sunday dinner of his mother's chicken and dumplings with a peach cobbler. As an avid reader, he also loved the built-in bookshelves to showcase his personal library of classics. And the side-door entrance to the office space provided a break between his professional life and his personal life.

Jim joined him out on the porch and gazed out over the mature trees that dotted the property. "So now that you've taken the grand tour, what do you think, Bones?"

Leonard thought for a moment before answering. "Think I'm gonna like it here. Let's start unloading the truck," he directed. "Good thing we hit those consignment shops on the way here, or you wouldn't have a bed to sleep in," he jested.

Jim was about to unlatch the door on the moving truck when he noticed a car turning into the driveway. "Welcoming Committee?" he wondered. Leonard shook his head and rolled his eyes while he walked over to stand next to Jim. They both watched as the car rolled to a stop near the front of the truck.

***

The drive to the McCoy place only took about twenty minutes, which you spent silently reviewing your qualifications. Uhura could tell you were worried about making a good impression, which she was sure you would. She told you not to worry about it, that you were the best candidate for the job, if Dr. McCoy was hiring. "What if he's not hiring, though?" you asked.

"Then we'll have to convince him that he'll need your help, being the only doc in town. There really is no way around it, he will require an assistant," she reasoned. Her response sounded logical, so you accepted it and kept driving out to meet your prospective employer.

Soon your car was pulling into the driveway, where a large moving truck was parked. Upon seeing the two men standing to one side, you had to admit that Uhura was right. They were both strikingly handsome men. The dark-aired man carried a stern look on his face and his arms were crossed over his chest. The blond seemed a little more easygoing, self-assured, bordering on cocky, as if he knew what a good-looking man he was.

As you exited your vehicle, the men had started walking in your direction. "You ladies lost or somethin'?" the dark-haired man drawled. Ohhhh, that accent was enough to make you weak in the knees, you thought. You held on to your open door for balance.

"Yeah, can we help you?" the blond man wondered with a smirk.

When your brain finally rebooted, you responded, "Actually, we were hoping to be of assistance to you, since you're new in town." At this, you introduced the two of you and learned that the blond was James T. Kirk, or "Jim" he offered with a waggle of his eyebrows. His grumpy companion with the dark hair was the Dr. Leonard H. McCoy who now owned the property.

"I think we can manage fine with just the two of us. Good day, la--" Leonard was interrupted by Jim, who pulled him aside.

"Wait a minute, Bones, let's not be too hasty. I mean, these are a couple of gorgeous women who showed up out of nowhere to see us," Jim pointed out. "It wouldn't hurt to hear what they had to say, now would it?"

Leonard pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed in exasperation. He was here to be a physician, to take care of people who need help, not dip a toe in the dating pool. When he looked up, he noticed that Jim had left his side and was talking to Uhura, while you had stepped up in his place.

"Excuse me, Dr. McCoy? I understand that my friend and I just turned up unannounced on your doorstep, and you don't know anything about us. But this is a pretty small town, and I should tell you, it won't take long for people to learn that we have a new physician to replace old Doc Thomas. Therefore, I'm offering you my services. I have some basic medical training, and I used to do data entry for a medical company back in Bozeman," you explained.

"Bozeman? Why on earth would you ever leave there to live here? Not to say that what I've seen so far of Logan isn't simply charming," Leonard added with more than a hint of sarcasm.

"I'll be glad to share that little tidbit of information once we've gotten used to working together," you shot back. "By hiring me, you'll have a well-organized appointment calendar, along with accurate patient files. You'll also have someone who knows how to take and record vitals, which leaves you free to do the doctorin'. So, do we have a deal?" you asked, your hand outstretched.

Leonard took a moment to consider your offer, bold though it was. He had to concede that in a town of this size, word would get around about a new physician and spread like wildfire. He'd probably end up with a huge influx of patients. Even if it was only at first, he might become easily overwhelmed. Patient care was of the utmost importance to him, and if you could make things easier for him, who was he to reject such a proposition?

His lack of response translated to you as a decline of your offer of assistance. As you started to withdraw your hand, he quickly grabbed it and clasped it between his own. "Whoa, hold on there just a minute. All right, you have a deal, but we'll do this as a trial run. A three-month probationary period, take it or leave it," he bartered, fighting the urge to smile.

"Thank you, Dr. McCoy! Three months? That'll be more than enough time for you to decide you can't live without me! In-in the office, I mean," you clarified.

Leonard couldn't help but smile at your blunder. "All right, now that we have that settled, I hope you'll excuse me and Casanova over there with your friend. We have a lot to unload, and I'd like to sleep in my own bed tonight rather than the couch," he stated.

"We can help, if that's okay with you? With four sets of hands, we can be done in no time. Besides, I've always been kind of curious about what the inside of your house looks like," you admitted.

You are one interesting woman, Leonard thought to himself. "Okay, let's get started then. Once we get everything out of the truck, I'll take you on the nickel tour," he winked. He whistled to get Jim's and Uhura's attention, then opened up the back of the truck.

***

"There, I think that's the last of it," Leonard declared after he removed the final box from the moving truck and placed it on the lawn. He jumped up to grab the leather strap, then pulled down the rolling door until it was flush with the deck. He latched and locked the door, picked up the box, and brought it into his new home.

 Jim and Uhura had taken your car into town to pick up something for dinner, which left you alone with Leonard. During the unloading, you didn't get much of a chance to stop and look around. But now that most of the heavy lifting was done, you seized the opportunity to take in your surroundings.

You were so caught up in admiring the home's features that you didn't hear Dr. McCoy slide up next to you. "If you have your nickel, I'm ready to start the tour," he grinned. You dug in your pocket, which luckily contained the right coin for the price of your ticket. "Ready when you are, Dr. McCoy," you replied, handing over the 5 cents.

***

Video Conference Call -- Bozeman, Montana

Travis checked his watch to see that he had another ten minutes before his conference call was scheduled to start. He opened the blue file folder in front of him, which was sent from his employer regarding a property they wanted to acquire in Logan, Montana. He sat back in his chair as he thought about how you'd moved there after breaking up with him. Before he could stroll any further down Memory Lane, his alarm beeped to let him know it was time to start the call.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen," Travis greeted. He could see the CEO, Miles Cooper, at the head of the table, surrounded by other members of NorthStar Corp's Board of Executives.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Myers. I see you have the file in front of you, so let's begin. We understand that the principal owner of the McCoy property has passed away. As such, we want to move forward and make the new owner an offer to purchase the parcel of land and whatever's on it. The house, barn, stables--everything, down to the last shingle," Mr. Cooper explained.

"My source tells me that the new owner drove all the way from Atlanta, Georgia to check out the property. He is also a doctor, and the town has been without one since the last one died. In my opinion, this could present a problem. He may decide to stay and 'hang out his shingle', as it were," Travis pointed out.

Mr. Cooper leaned back in his chair and rested his steepled index fingers on his chin as he contemplated his next move. As he considered this new development, conversation buzzed around him among the other executives. According to one of the scientific reports he received, there were plenty of reasons for encouraging the good doctor to sell.

The report mentioned the discovery of several veins of copper and silver running beneath the surface. The financial gains from mining those resources would more than cover the initial investment paid to acquire the property. Whether the new owner was aware of these precious metals was unknown, but Cooper needed to act fast before the doctor learned of their existence.

With a wave of his hand, silence returned to the board room as Mr. Cooper had made a decision. "Mr. Myers, I suggest you do your best to convince Dr. McCoy to sell the property to us. I will have a new purchase offer drawn up that's more than fair, and you should strongly encourage him to accept it."

Travis carefully considered Mr. Cooper's words that carried the barest hint of a threat behind them. "Sir, I will present your offer; however, we should be prepared for him to turn it down and decide to become the town's doctor."

"You worry about getting a signature on that purchase agreement, Myers, and I will worry about whether or not a contingency plan will be needed. Before the previous owner's death, this was a working farm, right? Lots of tools, machinery? Farming is considered to be one of the most dangerous professions, you know. Accidents can and do happen. It would be unfortunate if an accident should befall the good Dr. McCoy," Mr. Cooper replied darkly.

There was no mistake in Mr. Cooper's intent this time. "Absolutely, sir. I will find a way to present your offer that will make it difficult if not impossible to decline it."

Mr. Cooper's eyes brightened and a smile graced his face. "Excellent, Myers, I knew I could count on you. I'll send that new offer over to you as soon as I have it and we'll go from there," he stated. "I appreciate your cooperation, Myers, I certainly won't forget it."

"And thank you, Sir. I welcome this opportunity, and I will not let you down," Travis concluded.

"Let us hope not, Myers. I'd hate for you to experience any....negative fallout, should you be unable to close this deal," Mr. Cooper remarked ominously before disconnecting the call.

Travis relaxed in his chair and began to formulate a plan in his mind. A sly grin crept across his face as he thought of the perfect way to get an inside look into the doctor's life.

Of course, it involved a trip to Logan and should he happen to run into you, so much the better. For him, anyway. Though there was a near 100% chance that you would want nothing to do with him. If that was the case, his plan may be a bust before it even gets started.

Especially after the way things ended between you discovering his infidelity. For that reason alone, it was likely your walls of protection against him and his crap were nearly guaranteed to be sky-high. But it was a chance he was willing to take, because he did not want to disappoint his client. Something told him that with a failure of this magnitude, Mr. Cooper was capable of making his life a living hell.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tags: @marvelouslytrekking @spacedancer1701 @anna-phora @hailbop1701 @writercole @lassie-bird @never--doubt @phoenixisred @wayward-dreamer @erindiggory @strangesgirls @dumpsterhippie @genevablog26 @lokis-deares @medicatemedrmccoy @rooweighton @mamamercurymist @d-doki-doki @malmeansbad @imamotherfuckingstar-lord @ghosttrekkie @noforkingclue @bellestalesoffiction

[coochiequeens]

An 11 year old girl is dead because her family allowed a man with a history of crimes involving minors on their property.

CNN — 

The man suspected in the death of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham is a family friend who was entrusted with taking her to the school bus on the morning she vanished – and later participated in the massive search for the girl before her body was found in an east Texas river, authorities said.

Audrii’s family thought the suspect, Don Steven McDougal, was just taking the girl down the street when the pair left her home Thursday morning, Polk County officials said. But she never made it onto the school bus or into her classroom, and a bag resembling her bright red Hello Kitty backpack was later found near a local dam.

Prosecutors are preparing an arrest warrant for McDougal, 42, and believe the evidence supports a capital murder charge, Polk County District Attorney Shelly Sitton said Tuesday.

Audrii’s body was found Tuesday in the Trinity River, downstream from the reservoir near where the backpack was found. It was one of several locations McDougal told investigators he had gone around the time of her disappearance, Sheriff Byron Lyons said.

Investigators located Audrii’s remains using cell phone records, video analysis and information from McDougal, Lyons said.

The condition of Audrii’s remains is not being released, the sheriff said, and the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine her cause of death.

To help uncover the body, Lyons said, water management authorities slowed the flow of water from the Lake Livingston reservoir – one of the largest reservoirs in the state, with 83,000 surface acres – allowing the river level to recede enough to reveal the remains.

“I express my deepest sympathies and condolences to everyone who knew, who cared for and loved Audrii,” the sheriff said. “We will continue to process the evidence that has been gathered to ensure justice for Audrii.”

The suspect is already in custody after being arrested Friday night on an unrelated aggravated assault charge, the sheriff’s office said.

CNN has been unable to determine if McDougal has obtained legal representation and has reached out to his family for comment on the accusations against him.

McDougal, a friend of Audrii’s father, lived in a trailer on the family’s property and sometimes took the girl to catch her school bus in the neighborhood, the sheriff said. He has been the main person of interest in her disappearance as authorities frantically scoured the rural east Texas town of Livingston – about 70 miles northeast of Houston, he said.

McDougal joined the search efforts and was seen knocking on neighborhood doors and asking if anyone had seen Audrii, the sheriff told CNN. But Lyons doesn’t believe his efforts were genuine.

“To me, it simply tells me is that he’s trying to give the appearances that he has no play or he’s not at fault in her disappearance and that (he’s) part of the concerned parties who were trying to locate her,” Lyons said Tuesday.

In the days after Audrii vanished, McDougal claimed in several social media comments that he was not guilty in her disappearance and has “done nothing wrong,” according to activity on a Facebook account appearing to belong to the suspect.

“I’m not guilty,” reads a comment from the account under a post on the Facebook page “True Crime Society” the day after Audrii was reported missing.

“I was there and was questioned. I am not running or hiding,” McDougal wrote before commenting again and saying, “I have done everything I can to help find her. I have done nothing wrong.”

CNN has sought comment from investigators about the Facebook comments.

Suspect has decadeslong criminal history

McDougal has a lengthy criminal history dating back to at least 2003, with convictions for violent crimes and one for enticing a child, according to court records in several Texas counties.

In 2007, he was convicted of enticing a child in Brazoria County, Texas. Court records show he pleaded no contest and was sentenced to two years in prison but was given credit for 527 days.

Online records do not detail the specific allegations in the child enticement case. But the offense is defined by the state as “the intent to interfere with the lawful custody of a child younger than 18 years” when a person “entices, persuades, or takes the child from the custody of the parent or guardian.”

McDougal was also convicted in 2010 and 2019 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The victim in the first aggravated assault case said McDougal, his former coworker, attacked him after being thrown out of his house.

“He showed up with some other friends that I had,” Elic Bryan told CNN on Tuesday.

[ciaotoska]

Coming in hot (three days later than I’d hoped) with the conclusion to Bret’s investigative efforts:

(part 1) (AO3)

Bret got a call from Shawn early the next morning asking to meet him at the morgue.

Shawn was right: He did see Hunter next week. Only it wasn’t at home with an apology and an expensive gift; it was on a metal slab in a government building.

Bret had made to leave the room and give Shawn time alone — as much as he did want to gauge Shawn’s reaction — but stayed when he felt his fingers digging into his wrist.

The sheet was barely up before he’d thrown his arms around Bret’s neck and broken into a sob.

He rushed out of the room as soon as he could and Bret turned to follow, but he was out of sight before Bret made it down the hallway. He went back to the morgue hoping to swipe a copy of the report but found the door ajar.

“Real shame, huh?” A voice he’d been hearing a lot of in the last few days: Jannetty.

“Sure. Always is when someone dies so young.”

Bret could just barely see them through the crack in the door, but he could still make out Jannetty eyeing the report while the coroner slid Helmsley back into the freezer.

“I guess we were partying a little too hard. Had too much to drink and went overboard.”

“You were there?”

“Oh, yeah. We’re good friends.” Bret watched Jannetty put his head in his hands. “Were good friends, I should say.”

Bret rolled his eyes.

“I never took Helmsley for a big drinker. Surprising that he had enough to go overboard.”

Bret had twigged this, too — and the fact that Jannetty was apparently the lead investigator for something he’d witnessed.

“Kind of a lightweight, yeah. Upset about Shawn.” Marty flipped through the files with a finger. “They’d been having some money troubles — reckless spending, that kind of stuff. And then there was the cheating.”

“Hmm.” The coroner sounded barely interested —Bret figured the people in his office didn’t normally talk as much as Jannetty did — but Bret had heard more than enough to make him want a second look.

If Bret felt any shock yesterday about finding Shawn — the one this one was pretending to be — it had worn off a little after this Shawn cried into his shoulder. Faking an identity didn’t make you a murder suspect, but it did make you suspicious.

Especially if one died in the same way as your husband.

Bret didn’t talk to him again until the next day, but his hand had hovered near the phone several times.

Shawn made the first move.

“Did you forget I was paying you, detective?” Shawn didn’t sound teary, but he could hear a sniffle on the line.

Bret wasn’t sure what to say, so he said the only thing he could think. “I’m not a detective.”

“You used to be. Detective emeritus, then.”

Bret had at least a hundred questions he wanted to ask him — about his real identity, about the “reckless spending,” why Jannetty had answered the phone the other day to talk about Helmsley — but he couldn’t do that over the phone. “What now?”

“Well, my husband is dead and I’d like to know why.”

They agreed to meet at the county records office later that day. It had been Bret’s suggestion, wanting to follow the money and look over property trust information. Shawn hadn’t been so sure and wanted to tell Bret exactly that while they stood outside the records room.

“Well, can’t you just tell them you’re my attorney? It’ll look suspicious for me to come in here looking for will information when the body hasn’t even left the morgue yet.”

“I could, if I didn’t come in here regularly in my official capacity as a PI,” Bret said.

“Official.” Shawn smiled. “Right.”

The clerk led them into the records room, and, as it turned out, barely gave them — or Bret’s PI license, which he’d also been sure so show Shawn — a second glance while they filled in the sign in.

Bret had been here before, so he wasn’t surprised by the rows of books and white-gloved amateur researchers lined around them.

“Like a library in here.” Shawn scowled at an old man who shushed them, dropping to a whisper. “Same kind of assholes.”

“I take it you weren’t the valedictorian.” Bret waved Shawn to the front end of the room. “That’s where they keep everything, but there’s no way they’ll let us in.”

“I would’ve thought paying you double would’ve given you a little more inspiration.” Shawn reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a key ring. “Maybe I did pay you to be my friend.”

The records room — the useful one — was a maze of metal shelves under dingy lighting stacked with records boxes that would’ve taken a year to browse, let alone look through.

“This was monetary, I’m assuming.” Bret looked at Shawn, trying to read his face. “If you think this is suspicious.”

Shawn blinked. “Well, I’m sure he didn’t just fall off the boat —” No. And Bret was sure the other Shawn — the real oil heir — hadn’t just fallen off a boat either.

“Right. So we should be looking for money moving. Obviously, the will hasn’t been filed yet, but we can look at the trusts.” Bret watched Shawn again for any hesitation. None.

He’d paused, but it seemed to Bret more like he was thinking than anything else. “Well, there was, uh, the Greenwich Trust.”

The Greenwich Trust. The same one that had paid Bret for his tail job on Shawn. But Bret and Shawn both knew Helmsley wasn’t the one who’s organized that, so who?

After being redirected through five different boxes, they finally found the collection of files with the Greenwich Trust — including a freshly-labeled overflow box that Bret volunteered to look through.

It was mostly newly-reallocated smaller trusts, all moved within the past few months.

They’d now been in here for maybe half an hour and without anyone catching them, to Bret’s surprise. But he couldn’t help but be tense; the clock was ticking.

He nodded his chin in the direction of the clerk’s office. “I’m surprised he’s not trying to supervise us in that other room.”

“You think we need a chaperone?” Shawn gave him that catlike smile. “I told him I was terribly upset, especially since my attorney made me come look at the records myself. I think he’s going to leave us alone.”

Bret watched Shawn leaf through his own box. “So you knew about the trust? You weren’t worried about getting in the way of things?”

Shawn glanced at him. “What things?”

Bret waved a hand. “Something like this. Something unfortunate.”

“The trust has always been there. I’ve never known much about it. His family liked me, but —” Shawn hesitated.

“They suspected something?”

Shawn raised his eyebrows, but Bret didn’t get the question he was expecting. Suspected what?

“Nothing like that. They think it’s unseemly to work for your money.” Shawn waved his hand. “Mayflower types.”

Bret hadn’t spent much time around the incredibly wealthy — his choice — but he was surprised to hear that living in a mansion near an oil field was considered work. At least, that’s what they thought this Shawn was up to.

Bret turned back to his own box and noticed a small card stuffed at the front — a newly updated trustee contact. The trustee name was still vague, but the phone number was different — and familiar.

He showed it to Shawn. “This your lawyer’s number?”

Shawn peered over his shoulder and went silent. “Marty.”

“Jannetty?”

Bret had known the Helmsley and Jannetty had a close enough relationship, considering the bribery — and the boat cruise, according to Jannetty — but not close enough to add him to a trust.

Bret was about to question him on this when they heard the man himself — and not alone, by the sound of it — in the clerk’s office.

“Let’s go.”

They ducked around the shelves, watching Jannetty and another detective Bret didn’t recognize enter. He was headed straight for their shelf — he knew exactly where he was going.

Bret pulled Shawn’s arm next to him and they edged around the shelves on the opposite side. Every scuff and squeak of their shoes felt impossibly loud and when they made it near the front of the room, they ran.

Bret needed time to think about what they ought to do next, but he knew the place to do it wasn’t at Shawn’s house — not with Jannetty making a move on the trust and already intending to pin Helmsley’s death on Shawn, from what Bret heard in the coroner’s office. And not with the police now on their tail.

But Shawn had other ideas. Shawn pushed the door of Bret’s apartment closed over his shoulder.

“What —”

Shawn ran his hand up Bret’s arm, then leaned in to kiss him. “Thank you.”

Shawn lingered down by his wrist, glancing up at him once from beneath his eyelashes, then pulled him back, guiding him into the bedroom. Unlike with most things in this case, Bret wasn’t surprised by it, but he knew expecting it would make him look like an asshole.

Bret had only known Shawn for a few days, but he’d now seen him in as many bathrobes as regular outfits. Shawn pulled the shoulder of Bret’s robe up where it had slipped down, now deciding for some modesty.

They’d both been quiet for a long time and the only sound in the room was the tinkling of Shawn’s spoon against his mug.

Bret broke the silence.

“I, uh, have some stuff to show you. Back at my office. I thought we could look at it later, but —”

Bret pulled out the newspaper photo he’d taken from the archives and slid it in front of Shawn. He hadn’t meant to set this up like a police interrogation — him standing behind the table, Shawn sitting in front of it — but old habits died hard.

“Do you know who this is?”

If Bret was looking for a big reaction, he didn’t get it.

Instead, Shawn ran his pinky over the caption. “Sure. Could probably name all of ‘em if you want.”

“Well, Shawn Michaels — a different one — died in a boating accident. Like your husband.”

Shawn laughed. A bitter, hollow one. “You’re really unbelievable.”

“I am?”

“Yes. You are. You get me into bed and then turn around and accuse me of killing some guy!” Shawn pointed his spoon at him. “Can’t help but notice you got fully dressed, by the way.”

Bret leaned on the table. “Hang on. Some guy?”

“Yeah. ‘Oh, Bob Smith died. Let’s round up all the Bob Smiths and see which one did it.’”

Shawn left the table, and Bret followed him to where he was picking up his clothes from Bret’s floor.

“Yeah, maybe if one Bob Smith came out of the woodwork and decided to start pretending to be an oil heir, it would be cause for investigation.”

“You couldn’t think of anything better than a one-to-one example?”

“Shawn —”

Shawn was already halfway into his jeans.

“Listen: I’ll see you later, okay?”

And before the door slammed: “Prick.”

At a certain point, Bret had known he was hired just for show — mostly after Shawn had told him as much at that Mexican joint. What he didn’t know was why.

But one thing had bugged him out of all of it: why the hell Jannetty had even been on the boat in the first place.

If Shawn hadn’t been so shocked by the death, as real and genuine a reaction as Bret had ever seen, he would’ve written it off in the obvious way: Shawn and Jannetty killing Helmsley and taking the funds.

But with the way Shawn never seemed concerned about Helmsley’s disappearance, and the way Jannetty was desperate to tell anyone who would listen that Shawn was at the root of it — maybe they were all in on it. Especially with all of the funds siphoned into the Greenwich Trust months before Helmsley’s untimely demise.

Bret had seen things like this before. When you were that rich, you always owed money to the wrong people and sometimes the easiest thing to do was disappear. At least, that’s what had happened in the last case he’d ever worked with Jannetty on the LAPD.

Bret showed up to his office to find the window broken out and Shawn leaning against the wall next to it, cigarette burned to the filter in his mouth.

Bret stopped to watch him. It didn’t even seem like he knew Bret was there.

Bret nudged some glass into a pile with his foot. “Did you hate the Hart & Associates thing that much?”

Shawn looked down at the glass like he was noticing it for the first time. “Like that when I got here.”

Bret put his hear to the door — what was left of it — and shined his penlight through the window. Whoever had done it had left, but not without doing some more damage.

Bret’s desk was flipped in his office, covered in scratches from a crowbar and the dents of more than one frustrated kick.

“Pretty impatient, whoever it was.” Bret reached into his coat and pulled out something he knew would interest Shawn: the autopsy report he’d found in the archival box.

Bret pulled the desk back up and Shawn fell into the desk chair and ran his fingers over the page, reading and re-reading what seemed like dozens of times.

Bret locked the door and leaned against it. In case Jannetty made his way back. Or Shawn tried to make his way out.

Bret gave him a minute then crossed his arms, back in interrogation mode. “This wasn’t part of the plan, then.”

Shawn barely glanced up from the page. He knew the jig was up.

“No.” He leaned back in Bret’s chair. “The plan was for him to call me when he got there. I’d play the grieving widower for a couple of months. Sell the house, act like I was going back home. Then go meet him.”

Bret didn’t bother to ask where ‘there’ was. Probably not the bottom of the bay.

Shawn spread out the pages on the desk. “Isn’t it funny? Seeing the coroner’s report made it more real than seeing his body. Didn’t even look like him.”

There was a squeak in the hall. They both looked at each other, both suspecting the same thing. Bret cracked the door to look out but found nothing out of the ordinary. Outside of the break-in that’s happened earlier tonight, the worst thing that happened on this floor was kids breaking into the dentist’s office next door to swipe Novocain.

But Bret didn’t have time to police them tonight. He still had questions for Shawn. “Who was the divorce lawyer who called me that first day?”

Shawn drew his mouth into a hard line. “Marty, I’m sure. Didn’t he say something about blackmail?”

“Yes.”

“He knew about the blackmail because he was the one doing it.”

“About your identity?” Bret asked.

Shawn cleared his throat. “We were —” He made a vague gesture. Bret nodded. He’d remembered that brief announcement in the paper.

“Were you in love?”

“We were engaged. Only kind of thing to do in that place: be a ranch hand or marry one.” Bret could tell he was glossing over a lot, but Bret didn’t need the nitty gritty right now. “He found out I married Hunter and turned up here.”

Bret hummed. “He was getting a cut to help you two out? Smooth things over with the LAPD? I’m assuming.”

“Yes. A cut. Obviously, that wasn’t enough.” Shawn scoffed, putting his head in his hand. “I told him it should’ve been Kevin.” The last part was more to himself than Bret.

Bret watched him. “Being awfully forthcoming now. Called me a prick earlier.”

Shawn’s head snapped up. “You were being a prick earlier. But you’re not a detective, remember? Not like you can arrest me.” Then his face softened. “When did you know?”

Bret had always known Shawn would be up to something; he just looked like the kind of man who was.

“I had my suspicions when you showed up. I’m sure you know honest people don’t offer to pay double.”

“Not a lot of honest people can afford to.” He smiled weakly.

“How’d you two even meet? You and, uh, Hunter.”

Shawn brightened at the mention of Hunter. At their past.

“In New York. I talked my way into some party or another. He recognized my name — as the other Shawn, obviously, and he said ‘Oh, I think our families used to do business together.’” Shawn laughed. “I didn’t know what the fuck he was talking about, but I wanted to see where it would go.”

“And the rest is history.”

“Not quite. Marty had started doing some work for that family. Total coincidence — well, I thought it was at the time.” Shawn looked at him. “But when I told him about it, he said maybe we should start using the kid’s name, if it’s that easy. Like, to get into clubs and restaurants. But then he started wanting to do bigger and bigger stuff. I didn’t even know what that Shawn looked like.” Shawn nodded at the photo. “Not like me, obviously.”

As ridiculous as it seemed — they really didn’t look alike — Bret didn’t think it would’ve been hard to pull off. How many people know what an oil baron’s kid looks like?

“Let me guess: Jannetty started hanging out with that Shawn — like he did with Hunter —”

“I didn’t kill him. As far as I know, he fell off a boat.” Shawn sounded more defeated than defiant. Like he was just tired of talking about it.

“I don’t think you committed that crime. I do wonder if you knew about it. I think you didn’t see what you didn’t want to see.”

Shawn scoffed. “What is that? A fucking riddle?” He took a breath. “Obviously I don’t see what I don’t want to see. If I think somebody killed somebody else, I’m not going to hang around and find out. I’m not stupid.”

Bret already had what he wanted — he was sure Shawn hadn’t killed anyone on a boat at this point — but he wanted what he could get while he had him.

“So?” Bret asked.

“So, I had Hunter’s number and told him I’d meet him in LA.”

“That easy?”

“He had some fiancée he was ducking. I guess I seemed a lot more appealing.” Shawn looked at him from under his eyelashes. “I did love him. I didn’t do this.”

“Well, listen —” Bret pulled a key from his coat and yanked open his drawer, now off its rails thanks to his desk being tipped on its side. “He inadvertently gave you an alibi.”

Bret pulled out the pictures. The more private ones, still present and accounted for. Shawn gave him a knowing look.

“You were doing this with a witness —”

“And a photographer.”

“— when Hunter died.” Bret pointed at the estimated time of death on the coroner’s report.

“Impulsive son of a bitch.” Shawn laughed. “He set everything up and couldn’t even wait for it to pay off.”

“What do you mean? Set what up?”

“‘Oh, Shawn was spending all this money. Couldn’t wait for his husband to die so he could get more.’”

Bret remembered Jannetty had mentioned that to the coroner, but he hadn’t known what he’d meant. Then he thought back to what Shawn had said about a new rug.

“The what — oh, the rug?” He’d never heard of a court case hanging in the balance over a rug.

“Obviously, it wasn’t just the rug. Around the time Hunter left, all this stuff started showing up at the house.” Shawn looked him in the eye. “Stuff I didn’t buy. Like, in the hundreds of thousands.”

“He wanted to make you look reckless.”

“That’s what he would turn around and prove in court when it came to split things up. Or have the trust’s lawyer prove in court. Obviously.”

And Jannetty hadn’t even waited until court to start saying it. He was already spilling everything to the coroner.

After a beat, Shawn put his feet up on the desk, like he worked there.

“Well, I think I just solved your mystery. So what’re you wondering about?”

Bret thought through his list of questions, getting shorter by the minute now that Shawn had decided to talk.

“Why you decided to play Prince and the Pauper with a rich guy.”

“I think in that story they looked alike, they didn’t have the same name —”

“Whatever.”

“I was living in Middle-of-Nowhere, Texas, engaged to a guy who has now tried to ruin my life, what? A half dozen times? Why do you think?”

That was true, Bret conceded.

“But you didn’t know about this?”

“I knew about the fleeing the country thing, I didn’t know about the boat murders.”

“I’m starting to think you should stay away from boats.”

“They concocted their little scheme together. He basically had Marty on the payroll, but he thought it was because Marty was such a fun, cool guy.”

“I am a fun, cool guy.” Jannetty leaned in the doorframe. Bret had practically invited him in when he forgot to lock the door back. “I remember you used to think so, Shawn.”

Bret rubbed his hand on one of the crowbar marks marring the desk. “I’m guessing you figured out you gave him an alibi.”

He sat on the desk, blocking Shawn from Jannetty.

“Wouldn’t have mattered if you got to the pictures anyway because he had two witnesses.”

Jannetty stepped around him. “Yeah, one he was sleeping with and one who was fired from the LAPD.”

Jannetty didn’t need to know now that the former now also applied to Bret. “I left. You know that.”

Jannetty shrugged. “What I do know is that it looks a little suspicious.”

Shawn stood up, putting his hand in Bret’s shoulder in front of him.

“Marty, what is this?”

“What’re you talking about?”

“I know now the random expenses, the tail taking pictures of me and Kevin — that was all you. Are you telling me now that hiring him was a part of it, too?”

Bret had the same suspicions, but Jannetty probably wasn’t here to lay out his grand plan.

“I’ll need to requisition everything in this office, Hart. Police evidence.” He flashed his badge. “You know you’re not a cop, right?”

Bret stepped back around his desk. “Could be police evidence with a warrant. You have a warrant?”

He slid his fingers under the edge of the desk but only found an empty space.

“Are you reaching for a gun?”

He had been reaching for his gun — discreetly, just to have — and figured Jannetty had taken it in his earlier sweep.

Jannetty made for his holster, but not before Bret leapt at him. He wasn’t going to die in this office, and certainly not because Jannetty shot him. He didn’t even have the dignity of having a secretary for the cops to interview.

He heard a gunshot — but not next to his head, where he’d been expecting it.

It was from across the office. Shawn had pulled Bret’s desk gun out of his coat and grazed Jannetty’s arm. Bret couldn’t help but smile.

Jannetty gritted his teeth and used Bret’s distraction to flip them over. Bret — normally a very proficient grappler, if his award from the Army had anything to say for it — was simply caught off guard.

He wished he hadn’t been when he felt the crunch of his shin splitting under Jannetty’s weight.

He was off of Bret and wheeling on Shawn again, but not before Bret heard glass breaking.

The searing pain made it hard to hear — or even see — but Bret blinked around it and could make out Shawn at the phone on the wall. In a haze, he watched Shawn come to kneel next to him.

“Ambulance is on its way.” Shawn looked him over. “You blacked out for a minute.”

Bret gritted his teeth and let Shawn help him lean against the desk. “Leg breaking is not an emergency.”

“Well, you’re acting like a lot more than that happened. Anyway, ambulance is probably more for Marty.”

Bret sat up as much as he could and realized the other man was gone. “Where is he?”

“He came at me and I knocked him out the window.” Shawn stopped him from trying to get up. He could’ve done it a little more nicely than with a boot to the shoulder. “He’s fine. Fell in a bush. I saw him moving around down there.”

Bret leaned against the desk and smiled.

“Thanks. You know —”

���For saving your life?”

Bret laughed.

“I was sick of his ass. Don’t flatter yourself.” Bret stopped, until Shawn looked at him and smiled back.

“This was kinda fun, huh?” Shawn looked at him dead on again. “I mean, unless you’re gonna have the cops haul me off when they get here.”

“I think your secret’ll be safe with me.”

Almost forgot to add my author’s note:

- I initially envisioned this as a one-off, but then I was like, “What if I just made Bret and Shawn Nick and Nora Charles but in dingy 1970s LA? And they solve mysteries and get on each other’s nerves and fall in love?” So…

- Also, this takes place in the 70s and I made absolutely no mention of it in this entire story lol