had said for a moment, then added, “If we ask for only half of the value of their business, our claim is for over a hundred million.”
He was nodding. “Now that’s what I call money,” he said. “Five million for each of us if we won that much. I could pay all those back taxes the IRS is asking for. I could pay off the place in Bel Air and the alimony. I could take that vacation my doctor’s been ordering. But . . .”
“But?”
He spilled a drop of the wine into his plate. “There’s many a slip ’twixt the cup and the lip,” he said. “Somehow, with all my wins, the amount of money I really need to solve all my problems always seems to hover just out of reach. Have you noticed that? It’s like a dark force out there that steps between us and our just deserts, leaving us to salivate and starve and wonder why. Even if we win at trial, appeals take years. And nobody ever comes out with any money on appeal.”
“Not this time. Working together, we can make it happen if anyone can. Everyone tells me you’re the top attorney in this field.”
“Those are kind words,” he said. “Thank you. You’ve probably guessed, I like being flattered, even when it is necessary.”
He was mocking her. She refused to be waylaid. “I doubt Jeff Riesner’s made an offer as generous,” she said.
“Ah. So you’ve guessed. Yes, Jeff and I worked together on a case last year out of Sacramento. He has called my office several times in the past few days.”
“You haven’t talked to him?”
“No.”
“You knew it was about the Markov case?”
“That’s what the message said.”
“So . . .”
“I can’t abide the guy,” Reynolds said, smiling. “Even if he’s going to be the one on the winning side.”
Now she felt offended. “Mr. Reynolds,” Nina said, “am I wasting my time? Because I get the feeling you’re not listening. And if you can’t take me seriously, I should probably leave.”
“Now, hold on,” he answered, “I’m hanging on every word. You’re offering me the chance to spend time at Lake Tahoe, which I love, and to take a gamble on big money, which involves a minor weakness of mine, as you may already have surmised. And I think we have something in common. We’d both rather represent the underdog. I apologize if I’ve given the wrong impression. It’s a bad habit that comes from keeping people off balance as a matter of course. Even playing second fiddle, I’d kill to get on this case.” He raised his glass. “A toast,” he said, “to you.”
Nina raised her glass, too. “You’re in?” she asked.
“You betcha.”
By the time the food came, presented so artistically on exquisite plates she hated to disturb it, they had finished the wine, started using first names with each other, and hammered out the beginnings of a deal. She offered him an office across the hall, and he said he would come up for a meeting as soon as his trial was over.
“I’ve got a jury consultant for us that might just be available. Young and the hottest ticket in town. Her name’s Genevieve Suchat,” he said, as they started on their green tea ice cream.
“I think I’ve heard of her, but . . .”
“Now, this is no time to scrimp on help. You’ve got to spend money to make money.”
“Winston, I . . .”
“She’s got a slight hearing problem, but that doesn’t slow her down for a second. Wears a little thing in her ear but you don’t strike me as the type who’s going to hold that against her.”
“Well, of course not!”
“She worked with me on a case down in Long Beach. Just as smooth and cool as this ice cream.”
“Did you win?”
“We did. She has won almost every case she’s been associated with.” He took a sip of water and pushed the ice cream saucer away. He had finally slowed down.
“Jury consultants spend a lot of time on research, don’t they? I have to think about keeping our expenses down,” Nina said.
“Now, wait a minute here. It doesn’t make
He was nodding. “Now that’s what I call money,” he said. “Five million for each of us if we won that much. I could pay all those back taxes the IRS is asking for. I could pay off the place in Bel Air and the alimony. I could take that vacation my doctor’s been ordering. But . . .”
“But?”
He spilled a drop of the wine into his plate. “There’s many a slip ’twixt the cup and the lip,” he said. “Somehow, with all my wins, the amount of money I really need to solve all my problems always seems to hover just out of reach. Have you noticed that? It’s like a dark force out there that steps between us and our just deserts, leaving us to salivate and starve and wonder why. Even if we win at trial, appeals take years. And nobody ever comes out with any money on appeal.”
“Not this time. Working together, we can make it happen if anyone can. Everyone tells me you’re the top attorney in this field.”
“Those are kind words,” he said. “Thank you. You’ve probably guessed, I like being flattered, even when it is necessary.”
He was mocking her. She refused to be waylaid. “I doubt Jeff Riesner’s made an offer as generous,” she said.
“Ah. So you’ve guessed. Yes, Jeff and I worked together on a case last year out of Sacramento. He has called my office several times in the past few days.”
“You haven’t talked to him?”
“No.”
“You knew it was about the Markov case?”
“That’s what the message said.”
“So . . .”
“I can’t abide the guy,” Reynolds said, smiling. “Even if he’s going to be the one on the winning side.”
Now she felt offended. “Mr. Reynolds,” Nina said, “am I wasting my time? Because I get the feeling you’re not listening. And if you can’t take me seriously, I should probably leave.”
“Now, hold on,” he answered, “I’m hanging on every word. You’re offering me the chance to spend time at Lake Tahoe, which I love, and to take a gamble on big money, which involves a minor weakness of mine, as you may already have surmised. And I think we have something in common. We’d both rather represent the underdog. I apologize if I’ve given the wrong impression. It’s a bad habit that comes from keeping people off balance as a matter of course. Even playing second fiddle, I’d kill to get on this case.” He raised his glass. “A toast,” he said, “to you.”
Nina raised her glass, too. “You’re in?” she asked.
“You betcha.”
By the time the food came, presented so artistically on exquisite plates she hated to disturb it, they had finished the wine, started using first names with each other, and hammered out the beginnings of a deal. She offered him an office across the hall, and he said he would come up for a meeting as soon as his trial was over.
“I’ve got a jury consultant for us that might just be available. Young and the hottest ticket in town. Her name’s Genevieve Suchat,” he said, as they started on their green tea ice cream.
“I think I’ve heard of her, but . . .”
“Now, this is no time to scrimp on help. You’ve got to spend money to make money.”
“Winston, I . . .”
“She’s got a slight hearing problem, but that doesn’t slow her down for a second. Wears a little thing in her ear but you don’t strike me as the type who’s going to hold that against her.”
“Well, of course not!”
“She worked with me on a case down in Long Beach. Just as smooth and cool as this ice cream.”
“Did you win?”
“We did. She has won almost every case she’s been associated with.” He took a sip of water and pushed the ice cream saucer away. He had finally slowed down.
“Jury consultants spend a lot of time on research, don’t they? I have to think about keeping our expenses down,” Nina said.
“Now, wait a minute here. It doesn’t make
Similar Books
