Until by Timmothy B. Mccann Page B

wrinkled brow.
    â€œWith my education and dollars generated to this firm, I’d be a partner now and on my way to the governor’s mansion.” She plopped down in her chair on the word mansion, to drive home the point with a smile.
    After a thorny silence, O’Shaughnessy flashed his toothy grin. “Point taken. Well,” he said as he stood and brushed the wrinkles from his jeans before he reached for the doorknob, “I think I’ll leave a note in Sampkins’s box. We need to get started on that Subaru case.”
    â€œAhh, George? Is that why you wanted to get together for lunch Monday?”
    â€œOh. Oh no,” he said as he looked at the pink slip of paper between her fingers. “No, no, we were going to ask you a couple of questions about a civil case that was similar to that Biradial Foods case you worked on a few years ago.That’s all. But Phillip Sheridan answered our questions last night.”
    Betty crumpled the memo, put on her glasses, and skipped the opportunity to comer him with a lie.
    â€œI’ll tell Sampkins to thank his lucky stars he’s not going to go against you in court, sugar,” O’Shaughnessy said, and laughed as he closed her door.
    Betty thought as she shook her head, So you wanted me to be the token Negro attorney in the Subaru case, huh? Oh, you tried my natural soul that time.
    Betty and Carol searched for files and related documents for an hour to prepare for a large lawsuit filed against a hardware store by the parents of a kid who’d been hit by a truck driven by one of their delivery men who had been drinking on the job. After she located all of the files, Betty got a fresh cup of cocoa and settled in to finally get some work done. Fifteen minutes into her reading of a motion appeal filed by the company’s attorney, there was yet another knock on her door.
    â€œYes!” she said in her driest, most frustrated voice. This time she removed her spectacles and leaned back on the desk she sat in front of Indian style.
    â€œIt’s me, girl; calm down,” Jacqui said as she opened the door and dropped her bag on Betty’s antique oak desk.
    â€œThank goodness.”
    â€œWhy? What the hell’s going on here today? I’ve never seen that many cars outside this place on the weekend.”
    â€œChild, let me tell you; this place has been beyond crazy. Murphy is in the hospital, apparently with a heart attack. You know he was always in perfect health.”
    â€œI know,” Jacqui replied with her mouth open. “I used to see him jogging every Saturday morning when I came by here from Books for Thought. As a matter of fact, I looked for him this morning. Where is he?”
    â€œNorth Florida General. Apparently he’s still in ICU and they’re only allowing his immediate family to see him. I just found out about it this morning.”
    â€œOh, snap. It happened yesterday? But we were in here. You mean to tell me these jerks didn’t tell you?”
    â€œNo, no. Remember, we were in and out so fast we didn’t see anyone. There was no one at the reception counter when we came in or when we left.”
    â€œOh yeah. That’s right.”
    â€œCarol tried to call me, but what with the move, the answering machine didn’t pick up. But this morning,” Betty said as she cupped her mouth and spoke lower, “she told me that the vultures are already circling for position.”
    Jacqui got up to close the door so they could speak without being overheard and sat on the edge of Betty’s desk. “So what does this do to the partnership opportunities here for you?”
    â€œWell, really, Jac, I haven’t thought about it. I mean, I’m just hoping the man survives.”
    â€œYada, yada, yada. Whatever, whatever. I understand all that, girl, but you better watch out for yourself in a place like this. I don’t trust none of them here. You’re working in a