“Am I correct?” he finally asked.
She glanced over at Ken, then back to Barney. “I’m not sure.”
“You’re not sure if you’ve heard the rumors?”
“Oh, I’ve heard the rumors,” she said.
“Then what aren’t you sure about?”
“I’m not sure whether the allegations have a factual basis or not.”
“I can assure you, Maria, that they do not.”
She waited a couple of beats. “Okay.” Colin, she thought, would be proud of her right now. More than that, she began to understand how the use of the word okay shifted the power dynamic in the room. Or at the very least, set the tone she wanted, even if Barney didn’t like it. He didn’t, but he was professional enough to hide it, the drawl and slower cadence continuing in his courtroom rhythm.
“Because Mr. Martenson is our managing director, the firm intends to vigorously contest these allegations in whatever manner the firm deems best. That includes litigation. Of course, as you know well, when reputations are at stake, cases like this are usually settled to avoid lengthy, expensive, and distracting legal proceedings. In this particular instance, any potential settlement would not reflect on the veracity of the claims, but rather the time, money, and inconvenience that contesting the charges would bring. Obviously, any settlement – if there is a settlement – would be sealed and confidential.”
Maria nodded, thinking, Just get to the point. Why did you ask me here?
“I’m sure I don’t need to review Mr. Martenson’s stellar reputation with you. Those who know him best – people like you and me – know that he has always kept the best interest of the firm at the forefront of his thoughts and actions. He has made tremendous sacrifices, and it’s simply not possible that he would have done anything to put either the firm or his own personal reputation at risk. The allegations, I might add, are preposterous. In his nearly three-decade career as an attorney in our community, no claims of sexual harassment have ever so much as seen the light of day in any courtroom. Three decades of hard work, now at risk because there are people in the world who are simply greedy.”
Claims that never reached the light of day because they were settled, Maria thought.
“Unfortunately, whenever there is a pot of money, there are those who believe themselves to be entitled to it. In some cases, these people may lie outright; in other instances, they distort the truth with a story that fits their agenda. Other times, people simply misinterpret behavior that nearly everyone else would find inoffensive. It’s my belief that a bit of all three is what is happening here, and that has led to – in colloquial terms – a feeding frenzy. Some people – these greedy sharks – now sense blood in the water and want to make sure they get their fair share because they believe it is owed them by birthright. But our fair Constitution does not say that you’re allowed to take someone else’s property because you believe that it should have been yours all along. Greed. It’s an awful, awful thing, and too many times, I’ve seen good people hurt by it, even my own kin. My neighbors – fine, churchgoing folk, mind you – were ruined by greedy people. But in these twilight years, I usually feel less anger than simple pity for them. Their lives are empty and they believe they can fill that emptiness with the coins from other people’s pockets. Still, Mr. Martenson’s reputation is at stake, as is the good name of our firm, and I feel a responsibility – even a duty – to ensure that both Mr. Martenson and the firm receive the most vigorous defense possible.”
He was good, Maria thought, even when distorting the truth himself. She could understand why juries liked him.
“Of course, I am certain that you feel just as strongly about integrity and maintaining the high-quality reputation of our firm. But I do have to tell you that I’m frightened, Maria. I’m frightened for the other people here. Your coworkers. Your friends. The young families with mortgages and heating bills. Their babies and their children. I feel an obligation to them to use all the skills the good Lord has given me in the hopes that right and fair and good can prevail over wrong and greedy. But then again, I’m an old man and out of touch with the way things work these days, so what do I know?”
When Barney trailed off after playing the “deeply troubled” card, Maria almost felt like applauding. Instead, she kept a poker face. In time, Barney sighed and went on.
“I know you, Maria. And I know you share my concerns. You’re too good of a person not to be scared for all your friends and coworkers here. And I know you’ll want to help them because you don’t desire a perversion of justice any more than I do. Our firm – all of us – need to stand united as one against these… these greed-mongers who have deluded themselves into believing that they’re entitled to your hard-earned money, even though they themselves did nothing to earn it.”
He shook his head.
“We just want the truth to come out, Maria. That’s all. Just the simple, God’s honest truth. And that’s why you’re here. Because I need your help.”
Here it comes, Maria thought.
“All we’re asking of you is the same thing we’re asking of all our employees. We want you to sign an affidavit that simply states the truth: that you have the greatest respect for Mr. Martenson’s character, and that in your tenure at the firm, you have never witnessed, or even heard about, Mr. Martenson engaging in anything that could be construed in any way as sexually offensive to any employee. In your case, and for our female employees, we’re also asking that they confirm that they never felt sexually harassed, in any fashion, at any time.”