cloak-and-dagger shit. You guys are good. Really had me going there for about four hours. Had a knot in my colon as big as a pumpkin. Already thinking about finding a nice bridge to wing it from. I hate your guts and don’t ever forget it.”
“When you shut up, we can get down to business.”
“Can I walk out right now?”
“Sure.”
“And no one will grab me? No more fake badges and phony FBI agents?”
“None. Go. You’re a free man.”
“Oh, thank you.”
A minute passed without a word. Wright’s fierce little eyes never left Kyle’s face, while Kyle, hard as he tried, could not return the stare. His foot twitched and his eyes darted and he drummed his fingers on the table. His mind raced through a hundred scenarios, but he never once thought of leaving the room.
“Let’s talk about your future, Kyle,” Wright finally said.
“Sure. Now that I won’t be arrested, the future has certainly improved.”
“This job you’re planning to take. Piedmont Legal Aid. Why do you want to waste a couple of years saving the world?”
“Don’t really see it that way. There are a lot ofmigrant workers in Virginia, many of whom are illegal, and they’re subjected to all sorts of abuse. They live in cardboard boxes, eat rice twice a day, work for two bucks an hour, often don’t get paid for back-breaking work, and so on. I figure they could use some help.”
“But why?”
“It’s public-interest law, okay? Obviously you don’t get it. It’s lawyers giving their time to help others. They still teach this in law school. Some of us believe in it.”
Wright was not impressed. “Let’s talk about Scully & Pershing.”
“What about them? I’m sure you’ve done your research.”
“They offered you a job?”
“Correct.”
“Beginning when?”
“September 2 of this year. I take the bar in July, and would start working in September.”
“As an associate?”
“No, as a full-fledged partner. Or how about a secretary, or a copy clerk? Come on, Bennie, you know the routine.”
“Don’t get angry, Kyle. We have a long way to go.”
“I see. And we should cooperate now, and be pals, because we’re striving for a common purpose. Just you and me, right, Bennie? A couple of old friends. Where the hell is this going?”
“It’s going to Scully & Pershing.”
“What if I don’t want to work there?”
“You have little choice.”
Kyle leaned on his elbows and rubbed his eyes.
The folding table was narrow, their faces were two feet apart.
“Have you said no to Scully & Pershing?” Wright asked.
“I’m assuming you already know the answer to that question. I’m assuming you’ve been listening to my phone conversations for some time.”
“Not all of them.”
“You’re a thug.”
“Thugs break legs, Kyle. We’re much too smart for that.”
“No, I have not said no to Scully & Pershing. I’ve informed them that I’m giving serious thought to public-interest law for a couple of years, and we’ve even discussed a deferment. They’ve given me extra time, but I need to make a decision.”
“So they still want you?”
“Yes.”
“At a starting salary of $200,000?”
“Something like that. You know the numbers.”
“One of the largest and most prestigious law firms in the world.”
“The largest, at least that’s what they tell everybody.”
“Big firm, important clients, wealthy partners with contacts everywhere. Come on, Kyle, it’s an offer most law students would kill for. Why not take it?”
Kyle jumped to his feet and paced to the door and back. He glared down at Wright and said, “Let me make sure I follow you. You want me to take the job at Scully & Pershing, for reasons that I’m sure will be against my best interests, and if I say no, then you’llblackmail me with the video and the rape allegations. Right? Is this where we’re headed, Bennie?”
“More or less. ‘Blackmail’ is such an ugly word.”
“Wouldn’t want to offend anyone, Bennie.
“When you shut up, we can get down to business.”
“Can I walk out right now?”
“Sure.”
“And no one will grab me? No more fake badges and phony FBI agents?”
“None. Go. You’re a free man.”
“Oh, thank you.”
A minute passed without a word. Wright’s fierce little eyes never left Kyle’s face, while Kyle, hard as he tried, could not return the stare. His foot twitched and his eyes darted and he drummed his fingers on the table. His mind raced through a hundred scenarios, but he never once thought of leaving the room.
“Let’s talk about your future, Kyle,” Wright finally said.
“Sure. Now that I won’t be arrested, the future has certainly improved.”
“This job you’re planning to take. Piedmont Legal Aid. Why do you want to waste a couple of years saving the world?”
“Don’t really see it that way. There are a lot ofmigrant workers in Virginia, many of whom are illegal, and they’re subjected to all sorts of abuse. They live in cardboard boxes, eat rice twice a day, work for two bucks an hour, often don’t get paid for back-breaking work, and so on. I figure they could use some help.”
“But why?”
“It’s public-interest law, okay? Obviously you don’t get it. It’s lawyers giving their time to help others. They still teach this in law school. Some of us believe in it.”
Wright was not impressed. “Let’s talk about Scully & Pershing.”
“What about them? I’m sure you’ve done your research.”
“They offered you a job?”
“Correct.”
“Beginning when?”
“September 2 of this year. I take the bar in July, and would start working in September.”
“As an associate?”
“No, as a full-fledged partner. Or how about a secretary, or a copy clerk? Come on, Bennie, you know the routine.”
“Don’t get angry, Kyle. We have a long way to go.”
“I see. And we should cooperate now, and be pals, because we’re striving for a common purpose. Just you and me, right, Bennie? A couple of old friends. Where the hell is this going?”
“It’s going to Scully & Pershing.”
“What if I don’t want to work there?”
“You have little choice.”
Kyle leaned on his elbows and rubbed his eyes.
The folding table was narrow, their faces were two feet apart.
“Have you said no to Scully & Pershing?” Wright asked.
“I’m assuming you already know the answer to that question. I’m assuming you’ve been listening to my phone conversations for some time.”
“Not all of them.”
“You’re a thug.”
“Thugs break legs, Kyle. We’re much too smart for that.”
“No, I have not said no to Scully & Pershing. I’ve informed them that I’m giving serious thought to public-interest law for a couple of years, and we’ve even discussed a deferment. They’ve given me extra time, but I need to make a decision.”
“So they still want you?”
“Yes.”
“At a starting salary of $200,000?”
“Something like that. You know the numbers.”
“One of the largest and most prestigious law firms in the world.”
“The largest, at least that’s what they tell everybody.”
“Big firm, important clients, wealthy partners with contacts everywhere. Come on, Kyle, it’s an offer most law students would kill for. Why not take it?”
Kyle jumped to his feet and paced to the door and back. He glared down at Wright and said, “Let me make sure I follow you. You want me to take the job at Scully & Pershing, for reasons that I’m sure will be against my best interests, and if I say no, then you’llblackmail me with the video and the rape allegations. Right? Is this where we’re headed, Bennie?”
“More or less. ‘Blackmail’ is such an ugly word.”
“Wouldn’t want to offend anyone, Bennie.
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