Public indecency, plus narcotics possession.
In a place like Albuquerque, that wasn't exactly a major crisis.
Dexter met with his clients, chatted for a bit, and then went to find the prosecutor in charge to discuss a plea deal.
It wasn't a big case. If it went to trial, it would involve a judge, a jury, and a whole lot of back-and-forth. Honestly, the prosecutor found it a hassle too.
However, prosecutors represented the District Attorney's office—the government. They were, in a sense, just another type of bureaucrat.
And bureaucrats generally thought highly of themselves and looked down on public defenders.
So, negotiating terms wasn't exactly a walk in the park.
But it didn't matter.
Dexter wasn't short on money, he had time to kill, and more importantly... he was a master of the law in all its forms.
Because of that mastery, he knew this case had holes big enough to drive a truck through. Holes meant that even if they went to court, the prosecutor wasn't guaranteed a win.
Seeing the prosecutor trying to play hardball, Dexter didn't waste breath. He just smiled and casually pointed out a few legal loopholes.
The prosecutor's expression shifted. "The judge won't admit that."
"The jury might," Dexter smiled. "Reasonable doubt is a product, my friend, and it just so happens that I'm excellent at sales. If just two or three jurors buy what I'm selling, this case becomes a nightmare. What do you think?"
The prosecutor's face soured. He scrutinized Dexter. "You're a new public defender? I haven't seen you before."
Dexter nodded cheerfully. "That's right. Just started today."
"Why would a guy like you take a job like this? Couldn't you make more money in private practice?" the prosecutor asked.
"I'm just starting out. Gotta take it slow," Dexter replied.
They talked for a while longer.
The reality was, most prosecutors weren't exactly legal eagles. If they were, they'd be out running their own firms or making partner somewhere else, not grinding away on a government salary.
Long story short, the prosecutor dropped the attitude.
The terms became negotiable.
Of course, being a government official of sorts, the prosecutor had an image to maintain. He couldn't just fold immediately.
Dexter wasn't in a rush. He played along patiently.
They paused the negotiation, agreeing to wrap it up tomorrow.
After that, since public defenders could typically only handle one assigned case at a time, Dexter didn't have anything else on his plate. There was no point wasting time at the courthouse, so he got ready to leave.
Just then, a voice called out.
"Dexter?"
Recognizing Kim's voice immediately, Dexter turned around and grinned. "Kim."
Kim walked over to him. "You got a case already? That was fast. Impressive."
Dexter smiled. "Actually, I just registered as a public defender. It doesn't pay much, but... the reason I became a lawyer was to help poor people who can't afford representation. It feels pretty good."
Being a fan of the original show gave him a natural advantage.
Dexter knew exactly what motivated Kim to become a lawyer in the first place, and he knew she had temporarily lost sight of that spark. So, he spun a bunch of nonsense specifically tailored to appeal to her.
Sure enough.
Hearing this, a complex look washed over Kim's face. She took the bait.
She paused for a couple of seconds, then gave a faint smile. "Yeah, that is... really great. The court already assigned you a case?"
"Yeah, they're short-handed. The moment I registered, they handed me a file," Dexter replied.
Kim understood. She sighed slightly. "The shortage is normal. Most lawyers don't want to do this kind of work."
They chatted for a few more moments.
Kim checked the time. She had things to do and couldn't delay any longer. She thought for a second. "Dexter, I have to get back to work. How about we grab dinner some other time? My treat."
Under normal circumstances, Kim wouldn't have offered an invitation like that. But these weren't normal circumstances. Dexter's little speech had made a significant impact.
"Sounds good," Dexter thought to himself, amused. He agreed immediately.
Kim didn't say much else and turned to leave.
Dexter didn't dawdle either and leisurely walked out of the courthouse.
He got to the parking lot, hopped in his car, lit a cigarette, and drove toward the exit.
Mike was still in the booth, expressionless. Seeing Dexter approach, he slid the window open.
"How much?" Dexter asked.
"Three dollars," Mike replied.
Dexter handed over the cash. "I just registered as a public defender here. I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other."
Mike took the money, raised an eyebrow, but didn't say a word. He just grabbed the change and opened the gate.
Dexter left it at that and drove off slowly.
It was still early.
Albuquerque really didn't have much in the way of entertainment.
After thinking about it, Dexter decided to find a store to buy a printer, go back to the hotel, print out a sample will, and draft the lawsuit against Sandpiper Crossing.
However, he hadn't driven far when the crow flying silently overhead sent back feedback: someone was following him.
Receiving the mental signal, Dexter immediately checked his side mirror. He guessed it was Nacho.
And indeed, it was Nacho.
Dexter smiled. He thought for a moment and decided to change his plans. The printer could wait. He changed direction and headed toward his law office, which hadn't officially opened yet, to wait for Nacho to show up.
He was confident Nacho would come to him.
Nacho was different from Mike.
Mike would patiently stake someone out, watching until he was certain of success before making a move.
Nacho was a drug dealer. He thought of himself as tough and ruthless. When he had a problem, he liked to tackle it head-on.
Dexter arrived at the office.
He got out of the car, lit a cigarette, and walked inside as naturally as possible.
The renovations were basically done. The sign was up, and there were only a few finishing touches left. It would probably be completely finished by tonight.
Dexter kept the cigarette in his mouth and deliberately loitered inside the office for a while. Only when the crow signaled that Nacho was approaching on foot did he slowly walk back out.
He stepped out the front door.
Dexter spotted Nacho immediately.
Nacho saw him too.
Dexter took the cigarette out of his mouth, flashed a brilliant smile at Nacho, and decisively took the initiative, walking straight toward him at a leisurely pace.
By moving first, Dexter forced Nacho into a passive position. Nacho paused for a beat, then walked toward Dexter, though slightly slower than before.
"How long did it take you to find me?" Dexter kept the initiative, asking with a smile.
Nacho's expression was dark. He ignored the question. "Who are you?"
"My name is Dexter. I'm a lawyer. And, hopefully, your future boss," Dexter said, maintaining his smile.
Nacho smirked, acting as if he'd just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. Then, his expression snapped, becoming menacing. "You want to be my boss? Do you know who I am?"
That was a very interesting question.
Dexter chuckled and nodded. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a business card he'd made yesterday afternoon, and held it out to Nacho.
The card was simple. Just two lines of text.
First line: Dexter.
Second line: A phone number.
"The fact is, I know you very well. I'm probably the person who understands you best in this world, other than yourself."
"I know about your side business. And I know Tuco is a lunatic."
"I can even predict that if you keep going down this road, it won't be long before you end up dead in a ditch somewhere."
Seeing that Nacho wasn't taking the card, Dexter didn't withdraw his hand. He kept holding it out. "Take it. Don't throw it away. There will come a time when you need my help."
"Oh, and by the way, if you work for me, I can provide you with money and safety. All I ask for in return is your loyalty."
The words landed one after another.
Nacho's face grew darker with every sentence.
Dexter finished speaking.
Nacho stared at Dexter without blinking.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
Nacho took the card. In his mind, he made the decision to kill Dexter. He turned around immediately and walked away.
Dexter smiled, shook his head lightly, and got back in his car to go buy that printer.
Back in his hotel room, Dexter worked for about two hours, getting all the necessary documents ready. He grabbed the sample will, went out to a supermarket to buy some snacks that elderly people liked, and headed for the Sandpiper Crossing retirement home.
On the way.
Dexter received feedback from the crow again. Nacho had popped up and was tailing him. But Dexter didn't care much.
He had already told Nacho that he knew about the side business. Given that, Nacho—being a smart guy—wouldn't try to kill him in broad daylight. He would look for the perfect opportunity to strike when it was safe.
Let's take Nacho for a walk then.
It was a good chance to let Nacho learn exactly what kind of person he was dealing with.
With the crow watching his back, Dexter wasn't panicked.
Speaking of the crow...
Killing the McGill brothers the night before last had earned him over ten thousand Merit Points.
Since he had some downtime now, he might as well open some loot boxes.
[You have opened a Silver Chest. Congratulations, you have received: One Barrett Sniper Rifle, equipped with 100 rounds of untraceable ammunition.]
[You have opened a Silver Chest. Congratulations, you have received: One Desert Eagle Pistol with a silencer, equipped with ten full magazines. All ammunition is untraceable.]
[You have opened a Silver Chest. Congratulations, you have received...]
[...]
[You have opened a Silver Chest. Congratulations, you have received: Crow (Basic) → Upgrade → Crow (Intermediate).]
He opened ten Silver Chests in a row before he finally got what he wanted.
Heh heh.
Dexter quit while he was ahead, closed the system interface, lit a cigarette, and focused on driving.
He arrived at Sandpiper Crossing. He flashed his lawyer credentials and slipped five hundred dollars to the middle-aged woman at the front desk, explaining that he wanted to develop some elderly clientele. The receptionist happily agreed, and Dexter smoothly entered the facility.
Old folks living in places like this were, generally speaking, bored out of their minds.
It didn't take long for Dexter, with his dashing looks and friendly smile, to get on the good side of several elderly ladies.
The Sandpiper case wasn't something that could be built in a day or two. He needed to sweet-talk as many seniors as possible into signing the class-action paperwork... so the groundwork had to be laid carefully. He couldn't rush it.
Dexter patiently spent the whole afternoon playing games and chatting with the residents, not leaving until it was dark.
He got back in his car and drove for less than a minute.
The crow sent feedback again.
Nacho was following him.
Well then, time for another little chat.
Dexter made a decision. He kept driving until he saw a small alleyway. He turned in, drove to about the halfway point, and got out. He retrieved the Desert Eagle he had just won from the system, leaned against his trunk, and waited quietly.
One minute. Two minutes.
Nacho arrived.