ever come in here again, check the computer and see that you arraigned seventeen felonies in an arraignment shift—”
“Oh c’mon.”
“You already have the highest caseload in the office.”
“The cases kept coming in, what am I supposed to do? Brilliant Debi puts Linda in arraignments on her penultimate day.”
Tom was talking and gesticulating and the rectangle at my feet with the center star of broken glass wanted it known that the trustees of Harvard College on recommendation of the faculty had conferred upon Thomas Swathmore the degree of Bachelor of Arts along with all the rights and privileges that thereunto appertained and I knew the law school felt similarly whereas the petition in my lap weighed down by signatures alleged
a pattern of abuse and intimidation
except with respect to
favorites
. I sensed silence and Tom looking at me.
“Right,” I said.
“What do you mean right? Right is not responsive.”
“No I mean, what are you talking about?”
“This mandatory you picked up.”
“Right, what about him?”
“I have to take it from you.”
“What are you talking about? I’m all over it.”
“It’s too much too soon.”
“That’s crazy. I’m going out to the scene today it’s probably not even going to be indicted.”
“What is it?”
“Sex assault, they’re known to each other and there’s a delay in reporting. No medical attention either. Like I said, I’m all over it. Don’t worry so much.”
“Okay but keep Debi and Conley posted on what’s happening. All right?”
I turned the petition over, face down onto my lap.
“If you
were
packing involuntarily, big deal, you know Kevin Miller?”
“Sure.”
“He says you’re the best trial attorney in the city. For now anyway.”
“Oh for now huh? Who the fuck talks to me like this kid?” He was laughing and looking around for invisible support.
“So it’s true?”
“No, I doubt it’s true.”
“Let me quote, something like
the closest you can get to perfection in a complicated endeavor
, about Rollins I think.”
“Probably, but I don’t think so.”
“Why not? You see Fallon on the news last night, all fake-outraged about his client’s innocence, what a clown.”
“Clown? No he’s damn good, we came in here together.”
“Get out, I didn’t know that.”
“Sure, in this very office.”
“You were tight?”
“Still are, I’ll tell him your feelings. No, we used to go on each other’s investigations. Ten, eleven at night we’re in neighborhoods you wouldn’t believe. Now this Alabama death penalty project, did I hear you were involved in that too?”
“This picture, it looks like you’re throwing something, what is this, who’s this?”
I showed him the picture of the smiling girl whom he identified as his daughter.
“You yell at her?” I said.
“Ah, that was dumb, but I told myself when I became head that I would not run an untrained office you know? People here six, nine months already looking at their watches, I don’t know what it is. So I lost it a bit there I guess. Speaking of, how exactly do you have time for a death penalty case?”
“Please, that’s a group situation, three attorneys. We have a meeting this afternoon where we get the transcripts and all the discovery then each group does an appeal-type deal.”
“That it?”
“Pretty much, there’s this Murder Two.”
“What?”
“Not mine, just considering working on it with another attorney.”
“Who?”
“He’s not on our floor, new guy, lateral from Florida.”
“Florida? Don’t know him, we get five new guys a day though.”
“He’s good.”
“What’s so good about him?”
“He’s fearless, I hear, I think, what do I know?”
“Or reckless.”
“Well I don’t know,” I started to walk out. “If I’m in it I’ll make sure everything gets done and my guess is he can try a case.”
“Look don’t get the impression that I don’t appreciate it because I do. I got about twenty
“Oh c’mon.”
“You already have the highest caseload in the office.”
“The cases kept coming in, what am I supposed to do? Brilliant Debi puts Linda in arraignments on her penultimate day.”
Tom was talking and gesticulating and the rectangle at my feet with the center star of broken glass wanted it known that the trustees of Harvard College on recommendation of the faculty had conferred upon Thomas Swathmore the degree of Bachelor of Arts along with all the rights and privileges that thereunto appertained and I knew the law school felt similarly whereas the petition in my lap weighed down by signatures alleged
a pattern of abuse and intimidation
except with respect to
favorites
. I sensed silence and Tom looking at me.
“Right,” I said.
“What do you mean right? Right is not responsive.”
“No I mean, what are you talking about?”
“This mandatory you picked up.”
“Right, what about him?”
“I have to take it from you.”
“What are you talking about? I’m all over it.”
“It’s too much too soon.”
“That’s crazy. I’m going out to the scene today it’s probably not even going to be indicted.”
“What is it?”
“Sex assault, they’re known to each other and there’s a delay in reporting. No medical attention either. Like I said, I’m all over it. Don’t worry so much.”
“Okay but keep Debi and Conley posted on what’s happening. All right?”
I turned the petition over, face down onto my lap.
“If you
were
packing involuntarily, big deal, you know Kevin Miller?”
“Sure.”
“He says you’re the best trial attorney in the city. For now anyway.”
“Oh for now huh? Who the fuck talks to me like this kid?” He was laughing and looking around for invisible support.
“So it’s true?”
“No, I doubt it’s true.”
“Let me quote, something like
the closest you can get to perfection in a complicated endeavor
, about Rollins I think.”
“Probably, but I don’t think so.”
“Why not? You see Fallon on the news last night, all fake-outraged about his client’s innocence, what a clown.”
“Clown? No he’s damn good, we came in here together.”
“Get out, I didn’t know that.”
“Sure, in this very office.”
“You were tight?”
“Still are, I’ll tell him your feelings. No, we used to go on each other’s investigations. Ten, eleven at night we’re in neighborhoods you wouldn’t believe. Now this Alabama death penalty project, did I hear you were involved in that too?”
“This picture, it looks like you’re throwing something, what is this, who’s this?”
I showed him the picture of the smiling girl whom he identified as his daughter.
“You yell at her?” I said.
“Ah, that was dumb, but I told myself when I became head that I would not run an untrained office you know? People here six, nine months already looking at their watches, I don’t know what it is. So I lost it a bit there I guess. Speaking of, how exactly do you have time for a death penalty case?”
“Please, that’s a group situation, three attorneys. We have a meeting this afternoon where we get the transcripts and all the discovery then each group does an appeal-type deal.”
“That it?”
“Pretty much, there’s this Murder Two.”
“What?”
“Not mine, just considering working on it with another attorney.”
“Who?”
“He’s not on our floor, new guy, lateral from Florida.”
“Florida? Don’t know him, we get five new guys a day though.”
“He’s good.”
“What’s so good about him?”
“He’s fearless, I hear, I think, what do I know?”
“Or reckless.”
“Well I don’t know,” I started to walk out. “If I’m in it I’ll make sure everything gets done and my guess is he can try a case.”
“Look don’t get the impression that I don’t appreciate it because I do. I got about twenty
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