Sheer Gall by Michael A. Kahn Page B

created on the day she saw me. She created no documents the next day, which was Thursday. That jived with Amy’s recollection that Sally had called in sick that day.
    Sally came into the office on Friday, and according to the computer she created three documents that afternoon: a memo to file on a telephone conversation with defense counsel about settlement of the Brancusi case (a fender-bender, according to Amy), a letter to defense counsel about rescheduling a physician’s deposition in the Brenner case (a slip-and-fall, according to Amy), and a rough outline of the questions for that deposition.
    No new documents on Saturday and Sunday.
    Four on Monday: a letter to the court clerk requesting a hearing date in one case, a memo to file on another telephone conversation with defense counsel in the Brancusi case, notes of a telephone interview with an eyewitness in the Stahl case (yet another fender-bender), and a letter to the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis requesting CLE credit for a seminar on structured settlements she was planning to attend in West Palm Beach in November.
    There was nothing on Tuesday, of course. Sally was dead by then.
    The phone rang as the two of us were staring at the terminal screen. It was Jacki. Amy left the room while I took the call.
    â€œWhat’s up, Jacki?”
    â€œA few things. First, I stopped by the post office and closed out her box.”
    â€œAnything in there?”
    â€œNothing exciting. Two bank statements and a credit card offer from American Express.”
    â€œOkay.”
    â€œI checked out the second column of names on that nine-page client list we found in the safe deposit box. I ran the names against listings for doctors, attorneys, judges. Even private investigators and court reporters. No luck. I can’t find a common denominator.”
    I pulled a copy of the document out of my briefcase and studied the names in the second column: Johnson, Dice, Magliozzi, Tubbs, Rice.
    â€œClaims adjusters?” I mused.
    â€œPossibly, but I don’t know an easy way to run that down.”
    â€œI’ll take a look at some of her files over here. Maybe the answer is in there. What else do you have for me?”
    â€œJonathan Wolf called. He wants to talk to you.”
    â€œAbout what now?”
    â€œHe didn’t say. But as long as I had him on the phone, I asked if he’d heard from the handwriting expert.”
    â€œHad he?”
    â€œYeah, but the guy can’t give him a definite opinion. All he can say is that it might be her signature and it might not.”
    I groaned. “Great.”
    â€œHow much longer are you going to be over there?”
    â€œMaybe another hour or so. Meanwhile, here’s another project. You know that sheet of paper in her safe deposit box that had those long series of numbers on it? The one with the letters BCS at the top?”
    â€œI have a copy in front of me.”
    â€œMaybe they’re bank accounts. See if our guy at the trust company can have someone run them down.”
    â€œWill do. I’ll type up the results if I leave before you get back. By the way…” She paused. “I picked up Sally’s pictures.”
    â€œAnd?”
    Jacki chuckled. “Brother.”
    â€œWhat’s so funny?”
    â€œYou’ll see.”
    â€œWhat’s that mean?”
    â€œHard to describe over the phone. I’ll leave them on your chair.”
    â€œNot what we expected, eh?”
    She laughed. “I don’t want to spoil the surprise.”
    â€œThat’s not very nice, Jacki.”
    â€œYou’ll see.”
    I sighed. “Okay. Anything else?”
    â€œYes. The libel case. I checked on the two subpoenas.”
    â€œAnd?”
    â€œGood news. Neiman-Marcus will produce their documents and the actual returned item tomorrow afternoon.”
    â€œSuper. Did they tell you what the item is?”
    â€œNope, but I’m guessing a