Half an hour later, I was still moping over the loss of Tex as an instructing solicitor when Wayne Newhouse bowled into my room wearing his usual rambunctious smile. He stopped and sniffed the air like a bloodhound. "What's that smell? Have you been smoking dope?"
"No, my previous client was."
"Hah, better not let a jury smell him."
"He's no longer my client. Didn't appreciate my straight talk."
"They rarely do."
I leaned back. "What's up?"
He cavalierly threw a leg over a corner of my desk and looked like he'd just been appointed to the High Court. "I've got an interesting new brief."
"Really? Who are you acting for?"
"Complainant in a sexual harassment suit."
"That's not your field."
"I know. But I'm doing this one as a favour."
"Who's the complainant?"
A super-smug smile. "You know her: Tania Carmichael, our former receptionist."
I almost fell off my chair. "You're kidding?"
"Nope."
She must be suing a barrister on the Floor. I recalled my conversation with Margaret Hagar. Holy Moses. "You mean, she's suing Hoogland?"
A deep frown. "Shit. How do you know that? You've ruined my fun."
"Sorry. But she's suing him, isn't she?"
"Yup. How did you guess?"
"Bits and pieces I've seen and heard. So, you're going to represent Tania in a claim against Hoogland?"
Wayne almost licked his lips. "Yup, I can't wait."
Wayne was fully entitled to represent someone suing a colleague on his Floor. Indeed, the cab rank principle required that he do so. Of course, Hoogland and his acolytes would claim he was being disloyal in some way. But most barristers on the Floor would accept that he was just doing his job. Indeed, I suspected that many, like me, would fully approve.
I mentally rubbed my hands with glee at the prospect of watching this showdown from a comfy ring-side seat. "Does Hoogland know you'll be representing Tania?"
"No. He hasn't even been served with the papers yet."
"He'll go berserk."
Wayne beamed. "I hope so. I'll show him what happens when you try to stick me with a $30,000 bill for renovations."
"So, you're doing this for revenge?"
A smile. "Not just revenge. I like Tania and his behaviour was appalling. Revenge will be the cherry on top."
I was rather proud of him. His personality had plenty of sharp edges and pointy bits that annoyed people, and sometimes I thought he should be wearing a back-to-front jacket. But he was no coward or flunkey. He litigated with every drop of testosterone in his body.
I said: "How'd you get the brief?"
"I've always got on well with Tania. So, after she got the sack, she came and saw me. She told me how Hoogland kept making dirty suggestions and tried to grope her. When she resisted, he told the clerk to give her the boot. Anyway, I put her in touch with a solicitor I know and he sent me the brief."
"You think she's telling the truth about Hoogland?"
"Of course. She wouldn't lie about something like that. And, to be frank, I've always thought he was a spooky bastard. I wouldn't want to peek behind any doors in his head."
"Have you spoken to anyone on the Floor committee?"
"Yeah, a few of them, but they say it's got nothing to do with them. They've got their heads in the sand."
"Hoogland and some of his pals will be upset with you. But I guess you don't care."
A smile. "Hah. Watch me play the world's smallest effing violin."