are?”
27
“Secretaries. Linda works for Brian Keck, the managing editor.
28
Melissa works for Oliver Leary, the deputy editor. She does over-29
flow work for me, too. Like when there was too much for Stephie 30
to handle.”
31
“Who’s doing your secretarial work now?”
32
“Depends. Some days, I just work with Melissa and Linda. If 33
there’s a lot going on, I call in a temp.”
ort 34
Epstein looked alarmed. “Temps? I didn’t know that, Chuck. We reg 35
need to talk about that. We don’t need any more potential wit-9858_01_003-152_r5hb.qxd 9/28/00 3:57 PM Page 69
E Q U I V O C A L D E A T H
6 9
nesses than we already have. Especially third-party witnesses we 1
don’t control.”
2
Thorpe rolled his eyes. “Sorry, folks. Just trying to run my mag-3
azine.”
4
“Actually, Chuck, it’s not your magazine,” Epstein snapped. “It 5
used to be, but you sold it. Remember? It belongs to WideWorld 6
now. To WideWorld’s stockholders.”
7
Holden spun around in his chair, his gray eyes flashing. “Hey 8
Richard, that’s no way to talk to Chuck. We’ll work this out.”
9
Epstein seemed about to respond but instead returned to his 10
notes.
11
Mills cut in. “I think the first order of business is to nail poten-12
tial witnesses to their stories. No point in worrying about whether 13
the accounts are going to change if we go to trial. We’ll start by 14
getting affidavits from Friedman’s coworkers. From what you’ve 15
said, Chuck, I assume that they’ll be cooperative.”
16
Thorpe nodded.
17
“In addition to getting witness statements,” Mills continued, 18
“we need to get any information that we can about Friedman’s 19
personal life. Lovers, drug use, any history or sign of mental ill-20
ness — that’s the sort of information we want. Anything that 21
could show —”
22
“That she’s a little nutty and a little slutty. Right?” Thorpe 23
grinned.
24
Holden grinned back and winked at Thorpe. Epstein stared at 25
the opposite wall, rhythmically tapping the floor with a black 26
leather shoe.
27
Mills paused, his lips turned up slightly in a benign smile.
28
“You’re going to want to watch it with the wisecracks, Chuck,” he 29
said lightly. “You too, Jed.”
30
Jed Holden looked chastened. “Sorry, Carter. You’re absolutely 31
right.” Thorpe smirked and said nothing.
32
Epstein looked up. “Gentlemen, I’m sorry to raise an unpleasant 33
issue, but I want to put myself on record.
34 sh
“I believe that WideWorld and Mr. Thorpe have divergent in-35 re
9858_01_003-152_r5hb.qxd 9/28/00 3:57 PM Page 70
7 0
A M Y G U T M A N
1
terests. I think the idea of joint representation under these cir-2
cumstances is extremely ill-advised. Simply put, I just don’t see 3
how Samson & Mills can effectively represent both Chuck Thorpe 4
and WideWorld Media.”
5
Holden glared at Epstein. “Richard, we’ve already discussed 6
this,” he said. The icy tone revealed a fixity of purpose at odds with 7
his low-key demeanor.
8
“Yes. And I’m afraid that we disagree.” Epstein’s voice was flat.
9
Kate glanced over at Mills, who showed no reaction. It was pre-10
cisely the point that Madeleine had made on Monday. She waited 11
for Mills’s response. But before he could speak, Thorpe broke in.
12
“What the hell’s wrong with you, Epstein?” Thorpe’s voice was 13
laced with fury. “Don’t try to tell me this isn’t personal. Every step 14
of the way, you’ve —”
15
“You can think whatever you like, Chuck,” Epstein interrupted.
16
“That’s entirely your concern. But I have ethical obligations to this 17
corporation. Ethical obligations. Not something you’d know a 18
whole lot about.”
19
“There’s not a goddamn thing wrong with that schedule,”
20
Thorpe shot back. “You didn’t ask for a list of every single god-21
damn stupid threat that any idiot ever made against
27
“Secretaries. Linda works for Brian Keck, the managing editor.
28
Melissa works for Oliver Leary, the deputy editor. She does over-29
flow work for me, too. Like when there was too much for Stephie 30
to handle.”
31
“Who’s doing your secretarial work now?”
32
“Depends. Some days, I just work with Melissa and Linda. If 33
there’s a lot going on, I call in a temp.”
ort 34
Epstein looked alarmed. “Temps? I didn’t know that, Chuck. We reg 35
need to talk about that. We don’t need any more potential wit-9858_01_003-152_r5hb.qxd 9/28/00 3:57 PM Page 69
E Q U I V O C A L D E A T H
6 9
nesses than we already have. Especially third-party witnesses we 1
don’t control.”
2
Thorpe rolled his eyes. “Sorry, folks. Just trying to run my mag-3
azine.”
4
“Actually, Chuck, it’s not your magazine,” Epstein snapped. “It 5
used to be, but you sold it. Remember? It belongs to WideWorld 6
now. To WideWorld’s stockholders.”
7
Holden spun around in his chair, his gray eyes flashing. “Hey 8
Richard, that’s no way to talk to Chuck. We’ll work this out.”
9
Epstein seemed about to respond but instead returned to his 10
notes.
11
Mills cut in. “I think the first order of business is to nail poten-12
tial witnesses to their stories. No point in worrying about whether 13
the accounts are going to change if we go to trial. We’ll start by 14
getting affidavits from Friedman’s coworkers. From what you’ve 15
said, Chuck, I assume that they’ll be cooperative.”
16
Thorpe nodded.
17
“In addition to getting witness statements,” Mills continued, 18
“we need to get any information that we can about Friedman’s 19
personal life. Lovers, drug use, any history or sign of mental ill-20
ness — that’s the sort of information we want. Anything that 21
could show —”
22
“That she’s a little nutty and a little slutty. Right?” Thorpe 23
grinned.
24
Holden grinned back and winked at Thorpe. Epstein stared at 25
the opposite wall, rhythmically tapping the floor with a black 26
leather shoe.
27
Mills paused, his lips turned up slightly in a benign smile.
28
“You’re going to want to watch it with the wisecracks, Chuck,” he 29
said lightly. “You too, Jed.”
30
Jed Holden looked chastened. “Sorry, Carter. You’re absolutely 31
right.” Thorpe smirked and said nothing.
32
Epstein looked up. “Gentlemen, I’m sorry to raise an unpleasant 33
issue, but I want to put myself on record.
34 sh
“I believe that WideWorld and Mr. Thorpe have divergent in-35 re
9858_01_003-152_r5hb.qxd 9/28/00 3:57 PM Page 70
7 0
A M Y G U T M A N
1
terests. I think the idea of joint representation under these cir-2
cumstances is extremely ill-advised. Simply put, I just don’t see 3
how Samson & Mills can effectively represent both Chuck Thorpe 4
and WideWorld Media.”
5
Holden glared at Epstein. “Richard, we’ve already discussed 6
this,” he said. The icy tone revealed a fixity of purpose at odds with 7
his low-key demeanor.
8
“Yes. And I’m afraid that we disagree.” Epstein’s voice was flat.
9
Kate glanced over at Mills, who showed no reaction. It was pre-10
cisely the point that Madeleine had made on Monday. She waited 11
for Mills’s response. But before he could speak, Thorpe broke in.
12
“What the hell’s wrong with you, Epstein?” Thorpe’s voice was 13
laced with fury. “Don’t try to tell me this isn’t personal. Every step 14
of the way, you’ve —”
15
“You can think whatever you like, Chuck,” Epstein interrupted.
16
“That’s entirely your concern. But I have ethical obligations to this 17
corporation. Ethical obligations. Not something you’d know a 18
whole lot about.”
19
“There’s not a goddamn thing wrong with that schedule,”
20
Thorpe shot back. “You didn’t ask for a list of every single god-21
damn stupid threat that any idiot ever made against
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