The Associate by Phillip Margolin

and a leather jacket stop between the two rooms, facing away from him. The intruder hesitated, then the office door slammed into Daniel with enough force to stun him. Before he could recover, his wrist was bent back and his feet were kicked out from under him. The knife flew from his grasp.
    Daniel crashed to the floor and lashed out with a punch that brought a gasp from his attacker. The grip on his arm loosened and he broke it, then struggled to his knees. A knee smashed into his face. Daniel grabbed his attacker’s leg, surged to his feet, and twisted. His assailant went down with Daniel on top, his head pressed against the leather jacket. A blow glanced off Daniel’s ear. He worked himself into a position to punch back, then reared up. As soon as he saw his attacker’s face he checked his punch and gaped in astonishment.
    “Kate?”
    Kate Ross stared at Daniel. If she was relieved to discover that her foe was not a psychopath, she didn’t show it.
    “What the hell are you doing here?” she demanded angrily.
    “I could ask you the same question,” Daniel snapped.
    “I’m working on a case for Arthur Briggs.”
    “If you’re looking for Kaidanov he’s not here.”
    Kate hit Daniel in the shoulder, none too gently.
    “Get off me.”
    Daniel stood up and Kate got to her feet.
    “How did you know I was behind the door?” he asked.
    “I saw you push it shut.”
    “Oh.”
    “Did you make this mess?” Kate asked as she surveyed the chaos in the office.
    “It was like this when I got here.”
    Kate walked into the hall and stared into the bedroom. Then she said, “Let’s get out of here before someone calls 911.”
     
* * *
     
    Kate and Daniel agreed to meet downtown at the Starbucks on Pioneer Square, an open, brick-paved block in the center of the city. Daniel parked and found a table next to a window. When Kate walked in he was nursing a cup of coffee and watching a group of teenage boys, oblivious to the cold, playing hacky-sack in the square.
    “I got this for you,” Daniel said, pointing to a cup of coffee he’d put at Kate’s place.
    “You want to explain the B and E?” Kate asked without looking at Daniel’s peace offering.
    “Yeah, right after you explain the assault and battery,” Daniel answered, peeved by Kate’s offhand manner.
    “When someone pulls a knife on you it’s called self-defense, not assault.”
    Daniel flexed his still aching wrist. “Where did you learn that judo stuff?”
    “I was a Portland cop before I went to work for Reed, Briggs.” Daniel’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “I still know the person who’s in charge of burglary. Right now I’m undecided about whether to call him.”
    “Why, are you going to turn yourself in? I didn’t hear anyone invite you into Kaidanov’s house.”
    “Nice try, but Geller Pharmaceuticals is a Reed, Briggs client. Kurt Schroeder authorized the entry to look for Geller’s property. So, let’s start over. What were you doing at Kaidanov’s house?”
    “Did you hear what happened at the deposition in the Geller case?” Daniel asked with a mixture of nervousness and embarrassment.
    “Dan, everyone in the firm knows about your screwup. It was the main topic of conversation yesterday.”
    “Do you know exactly what happened, why I’m in trouble?”
    Kate shook her head. “I heard something about a document that you turned over to Aaron Flynn, but I don’t know the details.”
    “Are you familiar with the Insufort litigation?”
    “Only a little. I told Briggs that I wouldn’t work on it.”
    “Why?”
    Kate’s tough demeanor cracked for a second. “My sister’s kid was born with birth defects. She and her husband have gone through hell caring for her.”
    Kate took a sip of coffee. When she looked up she had regained her composure.
    “Do you mind if I give you some background on the case?” Daniel asked.
    “Go ahead.”
    “Insulin is a protein hormone secreted by the pancreas that helps the body use sugar