“Why didn’t you tell us about your grandfather when we interviewed you last year?” he began with clipped words and a fierce stare.
“Because you didn’t ask me,” Adam answered. Goodman had advised him the meeting might get rough, but he and Wycoff would prevail.
“Don’t be a wise ass,” Rosen growled.
“Come on, Daniel,” Goodman said, and rolled his eyes at Wycoff who shook his head and glanced at the ceiling.
“You don’t think, Mr. Hall, that you should’ve informed us that you were related to one of our clients? Certainly you believe we have a right to know this,don’t you, Mr. Hall?” His mocking tone was one usually reserved for witnesses who were lying and trapped.
“You guys asked me about everything else,” Adam replied, very much under control. “Remember the security check? The fingerprints? There was even talk of a polygraph.”
“Yes, Mr. Hall, but you knew things we didn’t. And your grandfather was a client of this firm when you applied for employment, and you damned sure should’ve told us.” Rosen’s voice was rich, and moved high and low with the dramatic flair of a fine actor. His eyes never left Adam.
“Not your typical grandfather,” Adam said quietly.
“He’s still your grandfather, and you knew he was a client when you applied for a job here.”
“Then I apologize,” Adam said. “This firm has thousands of clients, all well heeled and paying through the nose for our services. I never dreamed one insignificant little pro bono case would cause any grief.”
“You’re deceitful, Mr. Hall. You deliberately selected this firm because it, at the time, represented your grandfather. And now, suddenly, here you are begging for the file. It puts us in an awkward position.”
“What awkward position?” Emmitt Wycoff asked, folding the phone and stuffing it in a pocket. “Look, Daniel, we’re talking about a man on death row. He needs a lawyer, dammit!”
“His own grandson?” Rosen asked.
“Who cares if it’s his own grandson? The man has one foot in the grave, and he needs a lawyer.”
“He fired us, remember?” Rosen shot back.
“Yeah, and he can always rehire us. It’s worth a try. Lighten up.”
“Listen, Emmitt, it’s my job to worry about the image of this firm, and the idea of sending one of our new associates down to Mississippi to have his ass kickedand his client executed does not appeal to me. Frankly, I think Mr. Hall should be terminated by Kravitz & Bane.”
“Oh wonderful, Daniel,” Wycoff said. “Typical hard-nose response to a delicate issue. Then who’ll represent Cayhall? Think about him for a moment. The man needs a lawyer! Adam may be his only chance.”
“God help him,” Rosen mumbled.
E. Garner Goodman decided to speak. He locked his hands together on the table and glared at Rosen. “The image of this firm? Do you honestly think we’re viewed as a bunch of underpaid social workers dedicated to helping people?”
“Or how about a bunch of nuns working in the projects?” Wycoff added helpfully, with a sneer.
“How could this possibly hurt the image of our firm?” Goodman asked.
The concept of retreat had never entered Rosen’s mind. “Very simple, Garner. We do not send our rookies to death row. We may abuse them, try to kill them, expect them to work twenty hours a day, but we do not send them into battle until they are ready. You know how dense death penalty litigation is. Hell, you wrote the books. How can you expect Mr. Hall here to be effective?”
“I’ll supervise everything he does,” Goodman answered.
“He’s really quite good,” Wycoff added again. “He’s memorized the entire file, you know, Daniel.”
“It’ll work,” Goodman said. “Trust me, Daniel, I’ve been through enough of these things. I’ll keep my finger on it.”
“And I’ll set aside a few hours to help,” Wycoff added. “I’ll even fly down if necessary.”
Goodman jerked and stared at Wycoff. “You! Pro
“Because you didn’t ask me,” Adam answered. Goodman had advised him the meeting might get rough, but he and Wycoff would prevail.
“Don’t be a wise ass,” Rosen growled.
“Come on, Daniel,” Goodman said, and rolled his eyes at Wycoff who shook his head and glanced at the ceiling.
“You don’t think, Mr. Hall, that you should’ve informed us that you were related to one of our clients? Certainly you believe we have a right to know this,don’t you, Mr. Hall?” His mocking tone was one usually reserved for witnesses who were lying and trapped.
“You guys asked me about everything else,” Adam replied, very much under control. “Remember the security check? The fingerprints? There was even talk of a polygraph.”
“Yes, Mr. Hall, but you knew things we didn’t. And your grandfather was a client of this firm when you applied for employment, and you damned sure should’ve told us.” Rosen’s voice was rich, and moved high and low with the dramatic flair of a fine actor. His eyes never left Adam.
“Not your typical grandfather,” Adam said quietly.
“He’s still your grandfather, and you knew he was a client when you applied for a job here.”
“Then I apologize,” Adam said. “This firm has thousands of clients, all well heeled and paying through the nose for our services. I never dreamed one insignificant little pro bono case would cause any grief.”
“You’re deceitful, Mr. Hall. You deliberately selected this firm because it, at the time, represented your grandfather. And now, suddenly, here you are begging for the file. It puts us in an awkward position.”
“What awkward position?” Emmitt Wycoff asked, folding the phone and stuffing it in a pocket. “Look, Daniel, we’re talking about a man on death row. He needs a lawyer, dammit!”
“His own grandson?” Rosen asked.
“Who cares if it’s his own grandson? The man has one foot in the grave, and he needs a lawyer.”
“He fired us, remember?” Rosen shot back.
“Yeah, and he can always rehire us. It’s worth a try. Lighten up.”
“Listen, Emmitt, it’s my job to worry about the image of this firm, and the idea of sending one of our new associates down to Mississippi to have his ass kickedand his client executed does not appeal to me. Frankly, I think Mr. Hall should be terminated by Kravitz & Bane.”
“Oh wonderful, Daniel,” Wycoff said. “Typical hard-nose response to a delicate issue. Then who’ll represent Cayhall? Think about him for a moment. The man needs a lawyer! Adam may be his only chance.”
“God help him,” Rosen mumbled.
E. Garner Goodman decided to speak. He locked his hands together on the table and glared at Rosen. “The image of this firm? Do you honestly think we’re viewed as a bunch of underpaid social workers dedicated to helping people?”
“Or how about a bunch of nuns working in the projects?” Wycoff added helpfully, with a sneer.
“How could this possibly hurt the image of our firm?” Goodman asked.
The concept of retreat had never entered Rosen’s mind. “Very simple, Garner. We do not send our rookies to death row. We may abuse them, try to kill them, expect them to work twenty hours a day, but we do not send them into battle until they are ready. You know how dense death penalty litigation is. Hell, you wrote the books. How can you expect Mr. Hall here to be effective?”
“I’ll supervise everything he does,” Goodman answered.
“He’s really quite good,” Wycoff added again. “He’s memorized the entire file, you know, Daniel.”
“It’ll work,” Goodman said. “Trust me, Daniel, I’ve been through enough of these things. I’ll keep my finger on it.”
“And I’ll set aside a few hours to help,” Wycoff added. “I’ll even fly down if necessary.”
Goodman jerked and stared at Wycoff. “You! Pro
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