- •If the nine of us had a vote, Rafter would be the first sacrificial lamb. Eight to one.
- •I doubted if the Yale money went to feed needy students. "Well, the United Way spreads the money around the city, and I'm sure some of it went to help the poor."
- •Invention failed me. "None," I said softly.
- •I flipped through the papers as Mister walked to the windows and peeked around the
- •Instead of shooting Colburn, he aimed at Nuzzo and repeated the three questions. Nnzzo
- •I could see our friends and a squadron of cops flying across the city, through rash-hour
- •I didn't know. There was blood on my face and shirt, and a sticky liquid that a doctor
- •I met Claire the week after I moved to d.C. I was just out of Yale with a great job in a
- •It's standard procedure in that situation--they notify the hospitals, and everyone is placed
- •It was busy and dusty and I was fascinated with the place.
- •It was a soft jab, and I was not in the mood to spar. "Do you know if he had aids?"
- •I saw a paralegal scanning blueprints at a desk next to a secretarial pool, and I asked him
- •I smiled again and nodded my agreement. An ass and a fool. If Chance had been pleasant
- •I was tiring of the games. I could tell she was pleased that my brush with death had
- •It was over. And I hated to tell my mother.
- •I don't know which of my parents got the worst end of my visit. My mother wanted
- •It was my life, not his.
- •I drove alone on the narrow paved trail while he stalked down the fairway chasing his
- •Vengeance. Two more volunteers manned the stove. Several hauled the food to the
- •I tried to understand this. "Then where do these people live?"
- •Volunteers stepped forward to help. One parked them in a corner near the kitchen and
- •I hadn't planned on sleeping with these people. Nor had I planned on leaving the building
- •I thought about Claire for the first time in several hours. How would she react if she knew
- •I squatted close to him, and held out a cookie. His eyes glowed and he grabbed it. I
- •I didn't smell anything foul, though I was certain I could feel lice jumping from its head
- •I hadn't dreamed of parting with my fabulous car. I was almost offended.
- •It was dim, cold, and empty. He flipped on light switches and began talking. "There are
- •In eighty-six; must've been a hundred years old. He made a ton of money, and late in life
- •In the summer, cuts down on the street traffic. You want coffee?"
- •I listened intently, and he could read my mind. Mordecai began to reel me in.
- •I raced to the sidewalk, sliding in the snow but staying on my feet, then down p Street to
- •I must have made a strange sound, because a jogger gave me an odd look, as if I might be
- •I didn't want to sit in the car by myself, but by then I trusted him with my life anyway.
- •I cursed Mister for derailing my life. I cursed Mordecai for making me feel guilty. And
- •Vintage Warner. I had a problem, he already had the solution. Nice and neat. Twelve
- •It was almost five before I found a few minutes alone. I said good-bye to Polly, and
- •In a tight booth.
- •Invitation. Mordecai had something on his mind. I could tell by the way his eyes followed
- •I called in sick tuesday. "Probably the flu," I told polly, who, as she was trained to do,
- •I was alone, with my choice of seating. I walked quietly to a spot above the rear door,
- •Its leaders who allowed such a thing to happen. She blamed Congress, especially the
- •I closed the door, sat down. "Thought you were sick," he said.
- •It was a very nice apartment; at twenty-four hundred a month it should've been even nicer.
- •I put a log on the fire, fixed another drink, and slept on the sofa.
- •I was impressed and touched by the idea, and I could not simply dismiss it. I promised
- •I cut the editorial from the paper, folded it, and placed it in my wallet.
- •Immediately known that we were up to something.
- •Very somber Rudolph that a bad precedent could be set. With a firm so large, granting a
- •It was getting dark, and Sofia seemed anxious to leave. Abraham retreated to his office.
- •I stuffed the pills in my pockets. Leon was napping in the car. As we sped away, I called
- •I explained why I was there. He found a clipboard and studied papers stuck to it. In the
- •It would be our last meal together as husband and wife, ending the same way we'd begun,
- •I walked to m Street, in a light rain that was turning to sleet, and in significant pain.
- •It was an assault, a burst of personality that put me on my heels. I shook hands, reeling,
- •I caught a very faint smile, a relaxing around the eyes, nothing a surveillance camera
- •Impression he would have rather stayed in bed.
- •Into a pile on the bed--socks, underwear, tee shirts, miletries, shoes, but only the ones I
- •I believed him. He'd been a friend for seven years, close at times. More often than not,
- •If Braden Chance had made the connection between the eviction and Lontae Burton, he
- •I go play tennis for two weeks on Maui, then when we return you go back to your plush
- •In the past fifteen years, two and a half million low-cost housing units have been
- •Violate their leases, which can lead to eviction. They move around, sometimes they leave
- •I wrote down these instructions as if they were complicated. Waylene was owed two
- •Verified it. Mordecai said, "va is a good agency. We'll get the checks sent here."
- •Vision of Claire sitting in her lawyer's fine office, at that very moment, finalizing plans to
- •I was in no hurry to leave the clinic at the end of my first day. Home was an empty attic,
- •Very thin. I ignored him. "Your names please," I said to the two uniformed cops. They
- •Indicating how much he paid for it."
- •I almost asked why the city didn't intervene and enforce its laws, but fortunately I caught
- •Intake room, and disappeared. We set up our clinic, and were ready to dispense advice.
- •I was spellbound by his story. With every client I had met so far during my brief career as
- •I walked several blocks and stopped at a busy corner. Leaning on a building, I dialed
- •I grunted and gave him my best smart-ass laugh. "The arrest warrant usually follows the
- •Into the parking lots were of the midsized commuter variety, mostly clean and with all
- •In cars, begging for coins, counting the hours until she could see him, then being ignored
- •I removed each file from my cabinets, waved them under Gasko's nose, and returned
- •I noticed something I should have seen before. There were different levels of
- •Interest in leaving me alone; the two searches were clear proof that Arthur on the top
- •Initially. In the event we recovered damages, the family would be a nightmare. It was safe
- •It was already a habit.
- •I wasn't about to scold her. I had done nothing since the day before to help her find
- •It was a small step, but not an insignificant one.
- •It was Friday afternoon. I might not survive a weekend in the city jail.
- •I closed my eyes and tried to get comfortable, which I found impossible to do while
- •If searching for a dime. Finding none, he pointed and grunted at a metal detector, which I
- •Voice was calling for a guard. The punk with my jacket did not put it on. The cell
- •I wasn't hungry, but I thought about food. I had no toothbrush. I didn't need the toilet, but
- •Incarceration was over. Sofia waited outside with her car, and they whisked me away.
- •I left my apartment just before sunrise, Saturday, in a rush to find the nearest newspaper.
- •It sounded like a silly little spat--a bunch of lawyers quibbling over nothing but
- •I was not going to be sucked into an argument I couldn't win. "Are you going to Naomi's
- •I almost ran a red light. She was sleeping on the office doorstep at sunrise; she was barely
- •I drank tea with a Catholic priest at the Redeemer Mission off Rhode Island. He studied
- •I thanked her for calling, and we promised to keep in touch. When I laid the cell phone
- •I left as soon as I could. She invited me to return for lunch. We could eat in her office,
- •I once rode.
- •I arrived at the Associated Life Building shortly after seven Monday morning. The day
- •It was so familiar!
- •Important people, Hector had been found by the only person he was running from.
- •Indexed into the file. You did this because you knew Braden Chance would remove it at
- •In d.C. And we've talked to the guard who was with you on January twenty-seventh."
- •Interest in talking. Hector asked how much rent was being charged for the apartments,
- •I watched ten minutes of the second half, then left with spasms in my back, aftereffects of
- •I thanked them and left. The motel was at least ten miles from our office. I called Megan
- •If I couldn't keep her locked away in suburban motels for three nights, then how was I
- •I stared at the phone long after our conversation was over. I did not want to see Warner,
- •Ignored.
- •I told him the story, stretching it out with every detail because I was in control of the
- •I took a deep breath and enjoyed the humor of his question. He relaxed too. We were too
- •I waved him off and walked away.
- •Vehicles behind it. A large, toothy dog with a chain around its neck guarded the front. I
- •I left Megan at Naomi's, and promised to call later in the afternoon. Ruby had become a
- •Valuable. There appeared to be no motive. He encountered a street person in some
- •It had been many years since a member of Congress had been shot in Washington.
- •I vowed to get a bed. I was losing too much sleep floundering on the floor, trying to
- •In a lengthy article, he examined each of the three defendants, beginning with RiverOaks.
- •It was twenty minutes past nine when I arrived with my lawyer at the Carl Moultrie
- •It was only a first appearance! I would stand before the Judge while he read the charges. I
- •I nodded in agreement. It certainly felt unusual to me.
- •In the midst of this sad obituary, a glimmer of hope sprang forth. After Temeko arrived,
- •In his finest moment, he dwelt on street crime, and the deterioration of our cities. (His
- •Implied that he thought so, but bring in Justice!
- •I followed her into the front room, where in the center Mr. Deese sat next to her desk. He
- •I almost hoped the police would sweep the streets again.
- •In a hallowed corner of the building I'd never been near. Mordecai was treated like a visiting dignitary by the receptionist and staff--his coat was quickly taken, his coffee
- •Interest in judicial proceedings in Omaha. He knew what he could do with a jury in the
- •Individual wrongs; they are sometimes used as pulpits.
- •I drove to the Georgetown Law School near Capitol Hill. The library was open until
- •I wanted to take my seat in the jury box, listen to it all, and not be bothered by anyone.
- •If at trial we proved the defendants liable, the jury would then consider the issue of
- •It was a spellbinding performance, given off the cuff with the skill of a gifted storyteller.
- •It was the perfect case for the levying of punitive damages, and there was little doubt in
- •I caught a few stares from Rafter, but who cared. He and the rest were anxious to get their
- •I was unlocking the car when the cell phone rattled in my pocket. It was Judge DeOrio.
- •I avoided the jury box and sat next to Mordecai. Wilma Phelan had left.
- •Involved in this mess, and we'll have us an old-fashioned spitting contest." He pointed at
- •Voices would be heard through ours.
- •I was too surprised to say much, so I just listened. I wished Mordecai could hear him.
- •I didn't dare think of the future; the past was still happening.
I was unlocking the car when the cell phone rattled in my pocket. It was Judge DeOrio.
Mordecai laughed when I said, "Yes, Judge, we'll be there in five minutes." We took ten,
stopping in the rest rooms on the ground floor, walking slowly, using the stairs, giving
DeOrio as much time as possible to further pummel the defendants.
The first thing I noticed when we entered the courtroom was that Jack Bolling, one of the
three attorneys for RiverOaks, had removed his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and was walking away from the Drake & Sweeney lawyers. I doubted if he had physically slapped
them around, but he looked willing and able.
The huge verdict Mordecai dreamed about would be lodged against all three defendants.
Evidently RiverOaks had been sufficiently frightened by the settlement conference.
Threats had been made, and perhaps the company had decided to chip in with some cash
of its own. We would never know.
I avoided the jury box and sat next to Mordecai. Wilma Phelan had left.
"We're getting close," the Judge said.
"And we're thinking of withdrawing our offer," Mordecai announced with one of his
more violent barks. We had not discussed such a thing, and neither the other lawyers nor
His Honor had contemplated it. Their heads jerked as they looked at each other.
"Settle down," DeOrio said.
"I'm very serious, Judge. The more I sit here in this courtroom, the more convinced I am
that this travesty needs to be revealed to a jury. As for Mr. Brock, his old firm can push
all it wants on the criminal charges, but it's no big deal. They have their file back. He has
no criminal record. God knows our system is overloaded with drug dealers and murderers;
prosecuting him will become a joke. He will not go to jail. And the bar complaint--let it
run its course. I'll file one against Braden Chance and maybe some of the other lawyers
Involved in this mess, and we'll have us an old-fashioned spitting contest." He pointed at
Arthur and said, "You run to the newspaper, we run to the newspaper."
The 14th Street Legal Clinic couldn't care less what was printed about it. If Gantry cared,
he wouldn't show it. RiverOaks could continue to make money in spite of bad press. But
Drake & Sweeney had only its reputation to market.
Mordecai's tirade came from nowhere, and they were completely astonished by it.
"Are you finished?" DeOrio asked.
"I guess."
"Good. The offer is up to four million."
"If they can pay four million, then they can certainly pay five." Mordecai pointed again,
back to Drake & Sweeney. "This defendant had gross billings last year of almost seven
hundred million dollars." He paused as the numbers echoed around the courtroom.
"Seven hundred million dollars, last year alone." Then he pointed at RiverOaks. "And this
defendant owns real estate worth three hundred and fifty million dollars. Give me a jury."
When it appeared that he was silent, DeOrio again asked, "Are you finished?"
"No sir," he said, and in an instant became remarkably calm. "We'll take two million up
front, a million for our fees, a million for the heirs. The balance of three million can be
spread over the next ten years--three hundred thousand a year, plus a reasonable interest
rate. Surely these defendants can spare three hundred thousand bucks a year. They may
be forced to raise rents and hourly rates, but they certainly know how to do that." A
structured settlement with an extended payout made sense. Because of the instability of
the heirs, and the fact that most of them were still unknown, the money would be
carefully guarded by the court. Mordecai's latest onslaught was nothing short of brilliant.
There was a noticeable relaxing in the Drake & Sweeney group. He had given them a
way out. Jack Bolling huddled with them. Gantry's lawyers watched and listened, but
were almost as bored as their client.
"We can do that," Arthur announced. "But we keep our position regarding Mr. Brock. It's
a one-year suspension, or there's no settlement."
I suddenly hated Arthur, again. I was their last pawn, and to save what little face they had
left, they wanted all the blood they could squeeze.
But poor Arthur was not negotiating from a position of power. He was desperate, and
looked it.
"What difference does it make?!" Mordecai yelled at him. "He's agreed to suffer the
indignity of surrendering his license. What does an extra six months give you? This is
absurd?
The two corporate boys from RiverOaks had had enough. Naturally afraid of courtrooms,
their fear had reached new heights after three hours of Mordecai. There was no way on
earth they would endure two weeks of trial. They shook their heads in frustration and
whispered intensely to one another.
Even Tillman Gantry was tired of Arthur's nitpicking. With the settlement so close, finish
the damned thing!
Seconds earlier, Mordecai had yelled, "What difference does it make?" And he was right.
It really made no difference, especially for a street lawyer like me, one whose job and
salary and status would remain wonderfully unaffected by a temporary suspension.
I stood, and very politely said, "Your Honor, let's split the difference. We offered Six
months; they want twelve. I'll agree to nine." I looked at Barry Nuzzo when I said this,
and he actually smiled at me.
If Arthur had opened his mouth at that point, he would've been mugged. Everyone
relaxed, including DeOrio. "Then we have a deal," he said, not waiting for a confirmation
from the defendants.
His wonderfully efficient law clerk pecked away at a word processor in front of the bench,
and within minutes she produced a one-page Settlement Memorandum. We quickly
signed it, and left.
* * *
There was no champagne at the office. Sofia was doing what she always did. Abraham
was attending a homeless conference in New York.
If any law office in America could absorb five hundred thousand dollars in fees without
showing it, it was the 14th Street Legal Clinic. Mordecai wanted new computers and
phones, and probably a new heating system. The bulk of the money would be buried in
the bank, drawing interest and waiting for the lean times. It was a nice cushion, one that
would guarantee our meager salaries for a few years.
If he was frustrated by the reality of sending the other five hundred thousand to the
Cohen Trust, he concealed it well. Mordecai was not one to worry about the things he
couldn't change. His desk was covered with the battles he could win.
It would take at least nine months of hard labor to sort out the Burton settlement, and that
was where I would spend much of my time. Heirs had to be determined, then found, then
dealt with when they realized there was money to be had. It would get complicated. For
example, the bodies of Kito Spires and those of Temeko, Alonzo, and Dante might have
to be exhumed for DNA tests, to establish paternity. If he was in fact the father, then he
would inherit from the children, who died first. Since he was now dead, his estate would
be opened, and his heirs located.
Lontae's mother and brothers posed intimidating problems. They still had contacts on the
streets. They would be paroled in a few years, and they would come after their share of
the money with a vengeance.
There were two other projects of particular interest to Mordecai. The first was a pro bono
program the clinic had once organized, then allowed to slip away as federal monies
evaporated. At its peak, the program had a hundred lawyers volunteering a few hours a
week to help the homeless. He asked me to consider reviving it. I liked the idea; we could
reach more people, make more contacts within the established bar, and broaden our base
for raising funds.
That was the second project. Sofia and Abraham were incapable of effectively asking
people for money. Mordecai could talk people out of their shirts, but he hated to beg. I
was the bright young Waspy star who could mix and mingle with all the right
professionals and convince them to give annually.
"With a good plan, you could raise two hundred thousand bucks a year," he said.
"And what would we do with it?"
"Hire a couple of secretaries, a couple of paralegals, maybe another lawyer." As we sat in
the front after Sofia left, watching it grow dark outside, Mordecai began dreaming. He
longed for the days when there were seven lawyers bumping into each other at the clinic.
Every day was chaos, but the little street firm was a force. It helped thousands of
homeless people. Politicians and bureaucrats listened to the clinic. It was a loud voice
that was usually heard.
"We've been declining for five years," he said. "And our people are suffering. This is our
golden moment to turn it around."
And the challenge belonged to me. I was the new blood, the new talent who would
reinvigorate the clinic and take it to the next level. I would brighten up the place with
dozens of new volunteers. I would build a fund-raising machine so that we could lawyer
on the same field as anyone. We would expand, even knock the boards off the windows
upstairs and fill the place with talented advocates.
The rights of the homeless would be protected, as long as they could find us. And their