Parnell Hall: The Naked Typist

Fitzpatrick stood up. “Well, I’d like to stick around until Kelly gets here, but I’m two weeks behind on my work. Make my apologies for me.”

“Sure,” Steve said.

Fitzpatrick took a breath, looked at Steve. “I said some rough things yesterday.”

“They were deserved.”

“Anyway, I apologize.”

“I’m the one who should apologize.”

Fitzpatrick waved his hand. “Whatever. I’m not good at this, but what I said about never working with you again. Well, I don’t know how to say this. I’m not saying I ever would work with you again. I guess what I’m saying is, don’t feel you have no right to ask.”

Fitzpatrick smiled, nodded and went out the door.

“Hell of a guy,” Steve said. He sighed.

Tracy took off her glasses, pushed the hair out of her eyes. “Hey, snap out of it,” she said. “You’re the gloomiest winner I ever saw.”

“I don’t feel much like a winner,” Steve said.

There came the sound of voices from the outer office. Tracy pushed open the door and looked. “Kelly’s here. She snagged Fitzpatrick.”

Steve frowned. “Do me a favor, will you Tracy?”

“What’s that?”

“Go out there and stall her off a few minutes. I want to talk to Mark.”

Tracy frowned and nodded. “Sure.”

She went out, closing the door behind her.

“Look, Mark-” Steve said.

Mark Taylor held up his hand. “You don’t have to say it.”

“Yeah, I do. I let you down. I let Fitzpatrick down. I took chances I had no right to take. We won, but that doesn’t excuse it.”

“So?”

“So, I’m sorry. I know it’s not enough, but for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

“I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t thought I had to.”

“I know that too.”

Steve sighed. “This isn’t just an apology.”

“What is it?”

“I guess it’s a warning.”

Taylor grinned, shook his head. “You don’t have to tell me. I already know.”

“What’s that?”

“You’re not about to say, ‘Sorry, Mark, I won’t do it again.’ Because you can’t promise that. You get a client, you lose all sense of proportion. You lose all sense of-Hell, you lose all sense. You’ll do anything at all to protect that client, and nothing and no one’s gonna stand in your way.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know any other way to play it.”

“So you’re telling me you’re real sorry this happened, but the next case that comes along you’ll probably go out on a limb again.”

Steve nodded. “Yeah, that’s it.”

“Okay. I stand warned.”

“And?”

Taylor looked at him. He smiled. “Shit, Steve, we’re friends. You take your business elsewhere, I will be really pissed off.”

Steve exhaled, rubbed his head. He smiled. “Thanks, Mark. That means a lot.”

The intercom buzzed. Steve picked up the phone. “Yeah, Tracy?”

“Fitzpatrick left, and Kelly’s bouncing off the walls. With Danby’s confession, they’re reopening her brother’s case, and the word is the conviction will be overturned and he could be out as soon as tomorrow. Kelly’s absolutely ecstatic, and she can’t wait to thank you. What shall I tell her?”

Steve chuckled. He grinned at Mark Taylor.

“Tell her to keep her shirt on.”