Phillip Margolin: The Associate

“My father’s first name is Arnold, so I remember it perfectly.” Daniel laughed, too, even more enthusiastically than Mrs. Cummings. “Wow,” he said, “that was easy. Thanks.” “I’m glad I could help. Mr. Flynn has been so good to Patrick and me. I don’t know what we’d do without him.

He’s going to get us the money for Patrick’s operations. I don’t have health insurance and my husband walked out when Patrick was born.” She looked down. “He couldn’t take it. He couldn’t even look at Patrick,” she said softly. “If Mr. Flynn wasn’t fighting this case for us…”

Daniel felt sick inside, both for her plight and for deceiving her. He couldn’t imagine how she would feel when Flynn was arrested and she learned that her suit against Insufort was baseless. Daniel said good-bye, feeling like the worst kind of traitor. Partway down the block he looked back. Alice Cummings smiled and waved hopefully from her front door. Daniel couldn’t bring himself to wave back.

Susan Webster looked up when Kate Ross walked into her office and closed the door behind her. “Yes?” Susan said. Kate sat down without being asked and laid the envelope she was carrying on Webster’s desk.

“It’s Kate, right?” Webster asked after a moment of silence, annoyed when Kate continued to sit and stare. “That’s right.” “Why are you here?” Susan demanded. “Show-and-tell,” Kate said, opening the envelope and handing Susan a picture of her and Aaron Flynn standing outside the Midway Cafe. Susan flushed, then glared at Kate. “How dare you follow me.” “If you don’t like it, why don’t we both go up to J.

B. Reed’s office? You can complain that I’m harassing you and I’ll tell J.B. about your clandestine meeting with Aaron Flynn.” Susan gave herself time to calm down by looking at the photograph again. “Why are you showing me this?” she asked. “I want you to know that I’m onto your arrangement with Flynn.” “Aaron and I don’t have an arrangement.”

Kate smiled. “Beer and fried chicken never struck me as your cuisine of choice. I always pictured you as more the Pinot Noir and coq au vin type.” “Cute,” Susan answered sarcastically, “but I didn’t pick the restaurant. Aaron wanted to meet where no one would see us. He chose the Midway Cafe. As you said, I don’t usually do business over fried chicken and beer. Neither does anyone else at Reed, Briggs, so we knew we’d be alone when we discussed settling the Geller case.” “Why would Flynn discuss a settlement with you? Brock Newbauer is the lead attorney.” Susan laughed. “Brock is clueless in a case of this complexity. Flynn knows I’m running the show. And he didn’t want Brock around when he tried to bribe me.” Kate’s eyebrows went up. “Aaron offered me a job at his firm at significantly more than I’m making if I convince Geller to settle.” “Which I assume you’re trying to do.”

“Of course, but not because I plan to leave Reed, Briggs. The Insufort case is a sure loser in court. We have to settle to save the company.”

“Was Arthur Briggs murdered so you could control the Insufort litigation?” “What!” “You can stop the act, Susan. I know you’re helping Flynn fix the Insufort and Fairweather cases.” “What are you talking about?” “Before Kaidanov died, he told Daniel that his study is a hoax. Flynn’s plan is going to fail and you’re going down with him.” “You better think twice before you threaten me, Ross.” “I don’t make threats,” Kate said. “Either you go to the police and confess or I’ll make sure that J.B. and the DA learn about your deal with Flynn.”

Susan shot to her feet. “Listen, you bitch. If you say one word of this to anyone, I’ll sue you for slander and see that you’re fired.

Joe Molinari can’t keep a secret. Everyone knows that Ames is staying with you. Why don’t you tell J.B. your ridiculous theory and see if he believes you? But don’t forget to tell him you’re fucking the man who killed his best friend.” Kate colored, but she held her temper. “I’ll give you until the end of the day to decide what to do. After that, you’re on your own.” Kate walked out and Susan slammed her hand on the desk. Was Ross bluffing, or would she really go to J. B. Reed? Then she suddenly realized that Kate had said that Daniel Ames could testify that Sergey Kaidanov’s study was a hoax. She sat down heavily.

Before he died did Kaidanov give Ames hard evidence to back up his claim? Susan tried to calm down so she could think more clearly. After a moment she dialed Aaron Flynn’s office.

There was an urgent message from Amanda Jaffe for Daniel on the answering machine when Daniel returned to the house. He called her office immediately “We have a problem,” Amanda told him as soon as they were connected. “Mike Greene wants to reopen your bail hearing.”

“How can he do that? The judge already ruled I could stay out.” “Mike has a witness who can corroborate April Fairweather’s testimony.”

“Who?” Daniel asked, alarmed. “Did you call Renee Gilchrist after you heard Arthur Briggs’s message on your answering machine?” Daniel’s face fell. “Oh, shit.” “I take it that’s a yes?” Amanda said sharply.

Daniel could tell that she was upset and disappointed in him. “It would have been nice if you’d let me know that there was a land mine right in front of us.” “I knew they’d interviewed Renee once. I didn’t figure they would talk to her again.” “Well, they did. Someone dropped a dime on you.” “What’s that mean?” “An anonymous caller told Zeke Forbus to ask Gilchrist about a call you made to her on the day Briggs was shot. She told Forbus that you said Briggs wanted to meet that evening at the cottage where he was killed to talk about the Insufort case.” Daniel felt sick. “Greene let me go at the cemetery. He saw my head wound. I thought he was convinced that I’m innocent.” “No. He just had some reservations about last night’s shooting, and Forbus is still certain that you killed Arthur Briggs. He’s the one who’s pushing Mike. Now tell me what happened with Renee Gilchrist.” “I couldn’t figure out why Briggs wanted to see me,” Daniel said, “so I called to talk to him. Only he’d left. So I asked Renee if she knew about a new development in the Insufort case that involved me. When she asked why I wanted to know, I told her about Briggs’s call.” “You know what you said to her is admissible as an exception to the hearsay rule because you’re the defendant,” Amanda said. “The judge can consider your statements as proof that you intended to meet with Briggs.” “Do you think that’s enough to change Judge Opton’s decision on bail?” “Come on, Daniel, be smart about this. Bail could end up being the least of our problems.”

When Kate walked into her house, Daniel was sitting on the couch in the dark. One look told her that something was wrong. “What happened?” she asked. Daniel told her about Amanda Jaffe’s call. “I don’t think Renee’s testimony will be enough to convince the judge to deny bail,” Kate said. “They still can’t prove that you killed Briggs.

The best they can do is place you at the crime scene.” “Renee can also corroborate Fairweather’s testimony about my argument with Briggs after he fired me.” “How did things go with Cummings?” Kate asked to change the subject. “I can prove that Flynn got a call from Gene Arnold,” Daniel answered without looking at her. “Alice Cummings was in Flynn’s office when Arnold called. She even remembers Arnold’s name.” “That’s great!” “Yeah.” Daniel should have been thrilled, but he sounded depressed. “What’s going on, Dan?” Kate asked with concern.