you get ten thousand dollars?”
“Right out of the bank.”
“Your savings?”
“That’s right. Didn’t steal from anyone but myself.”
“But why?”
There was a slight pause in Washington. “You used the word, son. I believe you called it a retainer.”
There was a second pause. In New York. “I think I said I was the only lawyer I knew who had a retainer based in the sort of blackmail that could march me in front of a firing squad.”
“That’s what you said. And I wanted to correct that impression. I want you to know I value your services. I surely wouldn’t want you to think I didn’t appreciate you.”
“Cut it out! You can’t afford it and I haven’t done anything.”
“Well, boy, I believe I’m in a better position to judge what I can afford. And you
did
do something. You got me out of China some four thousand years before my parole was due.”
“That’s different. I mean—–”
“And tomorrow’s going to be your first day of work,” interrupted the Hawk. “Not much, but a beginning.”
There was now a long pause in New York. “Before you say anything, you should understand that as a member of the bar, I subscribe to a canon of ethics that is very specific. I’ll do nothing to jeopardize my standing as an attorney.”
Hawkins replied loudly, with no pause whatsoever, “I should hope not! Goddamn, boy, I don’t want any slippery shyster in
my
corporation. Wouldn’t look good on the stationery—–”
“
Mac!
” roared Devereaux in exasperation. “You didn’t have stationery printed?”
“No. I just said that. But it’s a hell of an idea.”
Sam did his best to control himself. “Please.
Please
. There’s a law firm in Boston and a very nice man who’ll be on the Supreme Court someday who expects me back in a couple of weeks. He wouldn’t look kindly on my being employed by—somebody else during my leave. And you said my work for you would be finished in three or four weeks. So no stationery.”
“All right,” agreed Hawkins sadly.
“Now, what’s on for tomorrow? I’ll charge you by the day and deduct it from the ten thousand and return the rest at the end of the month. From Boston.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that.”
“I
do
worry. I should also tell you that I’m not licensed to practice in the state of New York. I may have to pay outside attorney’s fees; depending upon what you want done. I gather it involves filing for this corporation of yours.” Devereaux lit a cigarette. He was happy to see that his hands were not shaking.
“Not yet. We’ll get to that in a couple of days. Tomorrow I want you to check out a man named Dellacroce. Angelo Dellacroce. He lives in Scarsdale. He’s got several companies in New York.”
“What do you mean, ‘check out’?”
“Well, I understand he’s had business problems. I’d like to know how serious they are. Or were. Sort of find out what his current state of well-being is.”
“ ‘Well-being’?”
“Yeah. In the sense of his being around and not in jail, or anything like that.”
Devereaux paused, then spoke calmly, as if explaining to a child. “I’m a lawyer, not a private investigator. Lawyers only do what you’re talking about on television.”
Again MacKenzie Hawkins replied quickly. “I can’t believethat. If somebody wants to become part of a corporation, the attorney for the company should find out if the fellow’s on the up-and-up, shouldn’t he?”
“Well, it would depend on the degree of participation, I suppose.”
“It’s considerable.”
“You mean this Angelo Dellacroce has expressed interest?”
“In a way, yes. But I wouldn’t want him to think I was being rude by making inquiries, if you know what I mean.”
Devereaux noticed that his hand now trembled slightly. It was a bad sign; better than a pained stomach but still bad. “I’ve got that strange feeling again. You’re not telling me things you should tell me.”
“All in good time. Can you do
“Right out of the bank.”
“Your savings?”
“That’s right. Didn’t steal from anyone but myself.”
“But why?”
There was a slight pause in Washington. “You used the word, son. I believe you called it a retainer.”
There was a second pause. In New York. “I think I said I was the only lawyer I knew who had a retainer based in the sort of blackmail that could march me in front of a firing squad.”
“That’s what you said. And I wanted to correct that impression. I want you to know I value your services. I surely wouldn’t want you to think I didn’t appreciate you.”
“Cut it out! You can’t afford it and I haven’t done anything.”
“Well, boy, I believe I’m in a better position to judge what I can afford. And you
did
do something. You got me out of China some four thousand years before my parole was due.”
“That’s different. I mean—–”
“And tomorrow’s going to be your first day of work,” interrupted the Hawk. “Not much, but a beginning.”
There was now a long pause in New York. “Before you say anything, you should understand that as a member of the bar, I subscribe to a canon of ethics that is very specific. I’ll do nothing to jeopardize my standing as an attorney.”
Hawkins replied loudly, with no pause whatsoever, “I should hope not! Goddamn, boy, I don’t want any slippery shyster in
my
corporation. Wouldn’t look good on the stationery—–”
“
Mac!
” roared Devereaux in exasperation. “You didn’t have stationery printed?”
“No. I just said that. But it’s a hell of an idea.”
Sam did his best to control himself. “Please.
Please
. There’s a law firm in Boston and a very nice man who’ll be on the Supreme Court someday who expects me back in a couple of weeks. He wouldn’t look kindly on my being employed by—somebody else during my leave. And you said my work for you would be finished in three or four weeks. So no stationery.”
“All right,” agreed Hawkins sadly.
“Now, what’s on for tomorrow? I’ll charge you by the day and deduct it from the ten thousand and return the rest at the end of the month. From Boston.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that.”
“I
do
worry. I should also tell you that I’m not licensed to practice in the state of New York. I may have to pay outside attorney’s fees; depending upon what you want done. I gather it involves filing for this corporation of yours.” Devereaux lit a cigarette. He was happy to see that his hands were not shaking.
“Not yet. We’ll get to that in a couple of days. Tomorrow I want you to check out a man named Dellacroce. Angelo Dellacroce. He lives in Scarsdale. He’s got several companies in New York.”
“What do you mean, ‘check out’?”
“Well, I understand he’s had business problems. I’d like to know how serious they are. Or were. Sort of find out what his current state of well-being is.”
“ ‘Well-being’?”
“Yeah. In the sense of his being around and not in jail, or anything like that.”
Devereaux paused, then spoke calmly, as if explaining to a child. “I’m a lawyer, not a private investigator. Lawyers only do what you’re talking about on television.”
Again MacKenzie Hawkins replied quickly. “I can’t believethat. If somebody wants to become part of a corporation, the attorney for the company should find out if the fellow’s on the up-and-up, shouldn’t he?”
“Well, it would depend on the degree of participation, I suppose.”
“It’s considerable.”
“You mean this Angelo Dellacroce has expressed interest?”
“In a way, yes. But I wouldn’t want him to think I was being rude by making inquiries, if you know what I mean.”
Devereaux noticed that his hand now trembled slightly. It was a bad sign; better than a pained stomach but still bad. “I’ve got that strange feeling again. You’re not telling me things you should tell me.”
“All in good time. Can you do
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