A Fool For A Client

  I lowered my face and hoped she'd realize I didn't want to speak to her. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and scrunched her hooknose in her "what the hell are you doing" look. With that sneer on her face she made a beeline towards me.

  She leaned over me like I was a truant and shook her finger. "Mr. Burrows, I blame you. Your constant carping at Mr. Hale made him snap. He would never have done any of it otherwise. And the firm fired me because I should have known. That scarecrow Beresford even hinted that I might have been involved. You've ruined my life. I hope you can live with yourself."

  Before I could respond, she spun around and stomped out. I wondered what the hell was she meant. What could I possibly have done that would have caused her to be fired? Not that I really cared. She'd been one of my least favorite people, ever, at Lott & Pembroke because she was a female version of Brad: pushy, abrasive, arrogant. I wasn't the only one who hadn't liked her. My guess was that she made too much money and none of the other members of the firm wanted the hag as a secretary. Brad's death gave them an excuse to fire her and reduce overhead. A bit of Schadenfreude lifted my spirits. If Jane thought I had enough pull at L&P to get her fired, it wouldn't bother me.

  Even though I spent the remainder of the day shopping for groceries and running errands around Mill Valley, I didn't encounter anyone else I knew. I almost wished I had so that I could learn more about what had happened at L&P after they read that Brad and Morgado were kidnappers.

  When I returned home, the orange glow of sunset streaked over Mt. Tam. I couldn't wait to tell Keiko about Jane. Unfortunately, it was too early to go to bed and I'd decided not to take any more sleeping pills because I didn't want to become addicted. So after dinner, I stared at the television until I felt sleepy. It didn't work. After tossing and turning for a couple of hours, I realized I was so anxious to talk to Keiko that adrenalin was surging through my system.

  An idea popped into my mind. I hadn't had a glass of wine since I'd returned from France. A glass of port might help me relax enough to fall asleep. One sip of the rich, oaky flavors told me I'd been a fool to deprive myself of the pleasures of wine. The port brought memories of Keiko, happy memories of the nights we shared a glass of port before bed. For the first time in weeks I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

  The welcome sight of Keiko in her red trumpet gown greeted me.

  "You won't believe what happened today," I said.

  "I hope it was something good," she replied.

  I nodded. "It provided some sense of justice."

  "I'm intrigued," she said with her sly grin.

  "I went to Starbucks for breakfast and ran into Jane, Brad's secretary. Actually, when she saw me, she practically attacked me. She started babbling about how I'd caused her to be fired."

  Keiko arched her eyebrows and tilted her head. She always did that when I said something that confused her. I wanted so bad to reach out and caress her face. "Why would she say that?"

  "I have no idea how she could blame me. She said Beresford was in on her firing. She must think I somehow convinced him to can her." I chuckled. "Talk about a wacko imagination. I couldn't fire her when I was there, but she thinks I managed to do it after I was fired."

  I stopped chuckling. "I guess I shouldn't take any pleasure in her being fired. My being fired devastated me, and it obviously did her too."

  The depression I thought I'd fought off resurfaced. "She's in the same hopeless boat I am. A loser cast adrift by L&P with no hope for the future."

  Keiko's eyes narrowed into that look of disapproval she'd give me when I said something she didn't like. Even if it had been possible, I knew better than to try to touch her when she gave me that look.

  "Hobie, enough is enough. You can't spend the rest of your life sulking about what you've lost. You've got to get on with your life. Find something to do that makes you happy, even if it's not the practice of law. That's what I want most."

  "I don't know if I can. I never want to have to meet anyone I know. They'll want to know why I left L&P and what happened to you. I don't think I have the strength to deal with any of it."

  Keiko's eyes narrowed even further. "The Hobie I love isn't a quitter. He wouldn't admit defeat and hide from his problems like a hermit. He'd use his years of legal experience to analyze his problem and decide how to master it."

  "That's easy for you to say. I made my choice to stay and it's killing me. I don't know how I can possibly go on alone. You can't understand what it's like."

  Her face turned red. "I know exactly what it's like. I, too, made a choice that cost me the one I loved. Or do you think you're the only one capable of having a broken heart? I'd hoped my download would help you, but damn it, I won't let it be the cause of you wallowing in self-pity. If I can't share my download with the man I love, a man who lives a full and happy life, I won't stay. Get a life or I'll uninstall."

  Her words stunned me the same as if her pendant had lasered me. She might only be a computer program downloaded to my implant, but even so she saw the truth better than I could. I would only prolong my misery by continuing the way I had since I returned. I'm not sure why I hadn't recalled it previously, but I remembered how great I'd felt in Paris when I decided to open my own law firm. I'd been so invigorated at the thought of showing L&P that law could still be practiced in accordance with Quincy's principles as a profession, not as a business solely interested in making money. I could still do that.

  Keiko must have mistaken my silence for refusal to accept what she said. "If you're going to sulk, I'm shutting down for the night."

  "No, don't. I was just reflecting on what you said. I never had a chance to tell you before you left for Tirano, but while I was in Paris I realized that I wouldn't be happy going into the wine business with you. I'm a lawyer, and despite what they think at L&P, a damn good one. I decided to start my own law firm. I made up my mind to go solo and form my own law corporation: Hobart L. Burrows, III, A Law Corporation. That way I could work only for clients I respect and wouldn't have to fight with partners about money."

  The smile on her lips said everything. "I never really thought you'd be happy selling wine at my store. You need the intellectual challenge of solving legal problems. And I have your first set of problems."

  I wondered what she was talking about. What kind of legal problems could a vision in my head have?

  She must have sensed my uncertainty because she gave her little half-smile that told me she had a surprise up her sleeve. "Are you forgetting the obvious? Everyone thinks I'm dead. Therefore, everything I own passes to my trust, of which you're now the trustee. You have a fiduciary duty to take care of my estate. There's an apartment to sell and a business to wind up. And you have to do a good job because you insisted that I require that all of the trust proceeds be donated to charity."

  She knew what would motivate me. "Why didn't you mention all of this days ago?" I asked.

  "I had to wait until the proper moment. Your confrontation with Brad's secretary gave me the opportunity. It made you think about L&P and the practice of law. I just needed to provide a little nudge that would make you see the obvious."

  Even though I knew it wouldn't be real, I puckered my lips and gave her a kiss. She did the same.

  -3-

  When I woke, I grabbed a post-it pad and sat down at the kitchen counter to list the things I needed to do for Keiko's trust. The first thing I wrote on the list was to talk to a real estate agent who could give me an idea of the value of Keiko's condo. That should be an easy item to complete. Georgia Pfals had helped several lawyers at L&P find condos in San Francisco. I'd never met her, but everyone spoke so highly of her that I decided to call her. She was free that afternoon and we agreed to meet at the condo at 1:30.

  I arrived a few minutes early in case Keiko's apartment needed to be tidied up. It took all my effort to enter the building's elevator and push the button for Kei
ko's floor. That was the easy part. I stood in front of the door to her apartment for several minutes. The apartment had always been filled with Keiko's presence; now it would only contain memories of the happiness I'd lost. My hand shook as I inserted the key to unlock the door.

  Before I could turn the key I heard the elevator door open. "Oh, you must be Mr. Burrows," a husky female voice said.

  I jerked my head toward the voice and saw a buxom woman walking towards me.

  "I didn't mean to startle you," she said. "I'm Georgia Pfals." She stuck out her hand. "I always like to arrive early and get a feel for the neighborhood and the building before I meet my client."

  I shook her hand. She struck me as a once attractive brunette who over the years had added a few pounds. Her red lipstick, rouge, and painted eyebrows failed to hide the wrinkles from too many afternoons of sunbathing at the beach.

  "Glad to meet you," I said. "I haven't been to the apartment since . . ." I bit my lip. I couldn't bring myself to say since Keiko died.

  "It's okay, Mr. Burrows. I know what happened to Ms. Nidara and know how you must feel. I lost my husband two years ago." She took me in her arms and pulled me to her ample bosom and gave me a reassuring hug. "If you're like me, you'll muddle through the hurt somehow. The sharp edges eventually dull to a bearable pain."

  I pulled back and wiped away a tear. "Keiko always kept the apartment immaculate, but I wanted to check it before you arrived."

  "I'll come back at one-thirty," she said.

  "No, let's go in." I unlocked the door and pushed it open. "I'm not sure I can face all of the memories alone."

  I motioned for Georgia to enter. "If you don't mind, I'll look around so you can have a few moments to yourself," she said.

  I nodded and entered after her. Out of habit I removed my shoes and set them on the tatami mat. I looked around the living room. Everything was the same as the last night Keiko and I spent together in it. The red ikat futon that served as a couch, the framed van Gogh and Cézanne prints hanging on the walls, the black-lacquered Japanese table in front of the futon, the antique tansu chest pushed against the wall opposite the futon, and the antique French-writing desk. Even Keiko's funky-looking gray notebook computer remained where I'd last seen it on her antique French-writing desk. I'd take it home with me so that Dr. Avril and the French won't be able to their hands on it.

  Georgia came bustling out of the bedroom. "Oh, this is gorgeous. The view of the Bay Bridge from the balcony is lovely. I can imagine how romantic it would be sitting in the hot tub with that view. I've got several dot-com clients who cashed out their options. They've been searching for an apartment like this for ages. They'll happily get in a bidding war for this jewel and pay an out-of-this-world price."

  I'd heard stories of how Silicon Valley types became engaged in a bidding war and would pay several times the asking price for an apartment, and in this case it truly was an out-of-this-world place. "That's great," I said. "Go ahead and list it. Do you think you can sell it furnished? I have no idea what to do with the furniture."

  "I doubt it. These youngsters like to hire an interior designer to create some gawd-awful stainless steel mess. But I know a good estate agent who can help you auction off anything you don't want to keep."

  Georgia impressed me. She seemed to know the San Francisco market and could help me find people who could help me. She could help carry some of the burden of dealing with Keiko's affairs.

  "Do you know anyone who could help me sell Keiko's wine store?" I asked.

  She puffed her lips for a moment. "I know a couple reliable commercial real estate people who might be able to help. Let me talk to them and see what they think."

  This was going better than I'd hoped. On impulse, I decided to ask one more favor. "I'm looking for office space. I'd like a small suite for a one person law firm in the financial district. Any ideas?"

  "Office space is always in tight supply in the financial district. But let me see what I can find. If some firm is downsizing, you might get a favorable sublease."

  "Thanks," I said. My neck felt a little less tense. I'd taken the first step towards opening my own law firm. I couldn't wait to tell Keiko tonight.

  *

  I told Keiko about meeting Georgia Pfals and that I'd also asked Georgia to look for office space. "That's good news," Keiko said.

  "It's a start. I do have one question, though," I said. "I brought your computer home. Is there anything on it that I need to worry about?"

  Keiko wrinkled her nose. "What?"

  "I told Dr. Avril about it. He seemed intrigued. He may have thought it was from your landing shuttle."

  Keiko's eyebrows drew down. "And you think he'd try to get his hands on it?"

  I shrugged my shoulders. "He might."

  "Well, if he did," she said with a mischievous smile, "he'd be in for a surprise. Before I left San Francisco, I downloaded everything important to my pendant and encrypted all of Vision's programs. The only things it's good for now are word processing and e-mail. He'll never find anything to help him."

  I laughed. "Well, if that's all it's good for, it's perfect for me."

  Keiko bit her lip. "Do you think the French are actually following you?"

  "I wouldn't be surprised. But I'm not worried. I've got nothing to hide."

  "Well, be careful. I don't like the idea that someone's following you. Especially someone who knows the truth and thinks he could gain some information by stealing my computer."

  I nodded in agreement. "At this point, there's nothing I can do about it. I guess it's the price I have to pay to keep Avril from locking me up for the rest of my life.

  "Enough about Avril. I want to talk about starting my new office."

  -4-

  We talked for so long that I didn't remember falling asleep. When I woke the next morning, I started a list of things I needed for an my office. I knew what to write as the first thing on my list. I couldn't imagine an office without the desk and chairs that Quincy gave me. I was so upset when I signed the documents resigning from Lott & Pembroke, I didn't think to tell anyone where to send my personal belongings, including my desk and chairs. I hoped they hadn't thrown anything out. The only one way to find out for sure was to stop by the L&P offices to see what had happened to my things.

  That afternoon for the first time since I'd been a law student I walked into the Lott & Pembroke offices as something other than a member of the firm. I had expected to feel an emotion of something lost, but after everything that had occurred during the last month, all I could summon up was surprise. Surprise that no clients were present in the normally bustling reception area. Surprise at the wilting bouquet of flowers on the reception desk. It had long been a tradition at L&P that the reception bouquet was replaced daily. This bouquet looked at least a week old.

  A young lady I didn't recognize sat behind the mahogany reception desk filing her finger nails. I wondered if Joy, who'd been the receptionist for over a decade, was on vacation.

  "Hi, I'm Hobie Burrows. I'm here to pick up my things."

  The receptionist gave me a blank stare. "I'm sorry. I don't have anything out here for pick-up by a Mr. Burrows."

  I guess she must have been hired in the last couple of weeks. "You must be new. I was a partner in the firm until a few weeks ago. I'm here to pick up the personal things I left behind."

  She still had that blank look on her face. "No one told me anything about that."

  I started to get irritated until I realized she had no reason to expect me. I hadn't bothered to call ahead to tell anyone I wanted to retrieve my belongings. "Why don't you call Robert Beresford? He'll be able to help me."

  "I can't do that. He's in a meeting."

  She might be new on the job, but she'd learned the lesson never to call a partner if someone unexpected showed up demanding to talk to them.

  "I understand. Why don't you call h
is secretary Joan. She'll know me and will let Robert know I'm here."

  She looked down at a list, then shook her head. "I'm sorry. I don't see any secretary named Joan."

  "What do you mean? Joan's worked for Robert ever since he became a partner. Just call her."

  She rolled her eyes. "There've been some changes in secretarial staffing. There's no Joan on my list."

  I let out a long breath and tried to decide what to do next. "How can I make an appointment to see Mr. Beresford?"

  "You'll have to contact the firm's appointment clerk." She pointed to a phone on an end table in the reception lounge. "Just dial extension 555."

  "Thanks."

  As I headed for the phone I wondered what this appointment clerk business was. Clients had always been able to call a lawyer's secretary directly for an appointment. This smelled of Jack Fong's penny-pinching.

  I sat in the leather chair next to the end table, surprised how dull the leather looked. Brad had insisted that the leather chairs be oiled to a sheen at least weekly. I dialed the number. "Lott & Pembroke appointments," a familiar voice answered.

  "Joan, this is Hobie. The new receptionist just told me there was no secretary named Joan. What the heck is going on?"

  "Things are so crazy here ever since, well, you know. I'm not a secretary anymore." Even I could hear the anger in her voice. "I either had to take this menial position at half my old salary or be out of a job. I'm too close to retirement to find a new job, so I swallowed my pride and stayed."

  Joan had been an outstanding secretary. I wondered what she'd done to so upset Robert. "Why?" I asked.

  There was a pause. "And who would you like to make an appointment to see?" she asked.

  "Robert," I said.

  "Sorry," she said. "My supervisor just walked by and I'm not supposed to take personal calls."

  "Hobie, what a surprise," another familiar voice said behind me.