afraid to come forward by herself, worked her friends into a frenzy and got them to join her. That idiot principal was anxious to get the teacher.. ."
"I don't know all that for sure," Kevin said slowly.
"It's all right," John Milton said, smiling again. "You did what you had to do as her advocate." John Milton stopped smiling. In fact, he looked angry. "The prosecution should have done the kind of homework you did. You were the only real attorney in that courtroom," he added. "I admire you for it and want you here working with me. You're the kind of attorney who belongs here, Kevin."
Kevin wondered how John Milton knew so much about the Lois Wilson case, but that curiosity didn't linger. There were too many distractions, too many wonderful things to think about now. They went on to talk about salary, and he discovered Paul Scholefield had not exaggerated. It was twice what he was making at his present firm. Mr. Milton said he would make arrangements for Kevin and Miriam to move into their apartment immediately if Miriam approved. As soon as he finished, Mr. Milton buzzed his secretary and asked her to fetch Paul Scholefield. Paul arrived instantly, as if he were just standing outside the door, waiting.
"He's back in your hands, Paul. Kevin, welcome to our family," John Milton said, extending his hand. Kevin took it and they shook firmly.
"Thank you."
"And as I told you, all the arrangements for your moving into the apartment will be taken care of before the weekend. You can bring your wife in any time to look at it.""Thanks again. I can't wait."
John Milton nodded with understanding.
"Quite a man, isn't he?" Paul said softly as they left the office.
"Extraordinary how he gets right to the heart of things. There's a no-nonsense air about him, yet I didn't feel he was all business. He was very warm, too."
"Oh yes. To be honest," Paul said, pausing in the corridor, "all of us love the guy.
He's like ... a father."
Kevin nodded. "Yes, that's the way I felt." He looked back. "As if I was sitting and talking with my father."
Paul laughed and put his arm around Kevin, and they continued down the corridor, stopping at Dave Kotein's office. Dave was closer to Kevin's age, being only thirty-one.
He, too, was a graduate of NYU Law, and they immediately reminisced about the professors they had in common. Dave was a slim, five-feet-ten-inch-tall man with light brown hair cut short, almost as close as a military cut. Kevin thought Miriam would find him cute because he had baby blue eyes and a soft, pleasing smile and in some ways reminded him of her younger brother, Seth.
Despite his slender frame, Dave had a deep, resonant voice, the kind of voice chorus directors sell their souls to get into their ensembles. Kevin imagined him in court, cross-examining a witness, his voice reverberating over the heads of an attentive audience. From their introduction, Kevin sensed that Dave Kotein was a sharp, highly intelligent man. Later Paul would tell him Dave Kotein had graduated in the top five of his class at NYU and could have worked at a number of prestigious New York or Washington firms.
"Let me continue the tour," Paul said. "You and Dave will have many opportunities to get to know each other, as will your wives."
"Great. Any children?" Kevin asked.
"Not yet, but soon," Dave replied. "Norma and I are at about the same point you and Miriam are," he added. Kevin started to smile but then thought how odd it was they knew about his personal life, too.
Paul anticipated the thought. "We make a complete study of a prospective associate," he said, "so don't be surprised at just how much we already know about you."
"Sure this isn't a branch of the CIA?"
Dave and Paul looked at each other and laughed.
"I felt the same way when Paul and Mr. Milton were considering me."
"We'll talk to you later," Paul said, and he and Kevin left to go to the law library.
The law library was twice the size of Boyle, Carlton, and Sessler's and fully
"I don't know all that for sure," Kevin said slowly.
"It's all right," John Milton said, smiling again. "You did what you had to do as her advocate." John Milton stopped smiling. In fact, he looked angry. "The prosecution should have done the kind of homework you did. You were the only real attorney in that courtroom," he added. "I admire you for it and want you here working with me. You're the kind of attorney who belongs here, Kevin."
Kevin wondered how John Milton knew so much about the Lois Wilson case, but that curiosity didn't linger. There were too many distractions, too many wonderful things to think about now. They went on to talk about salary, and he discovered Paul Scholefield had not exaggerated. It was twice what he was making at his present firm. Mr. Milton said he would make arrangements for Kevin and Miriam to move into their apartment immediately if Miriam approved. As soon as he finished, Mr. Milton buzzed his secretary and asked her to fetch Paul Scholefield. Paul arrived instantly, as if he were just standing outside the door, waiting.
"He's back in your hands, Paul. Kevin, welcome to our family," John Milton said, extending his hand. Kevin took it and they shook firmly.
"Thank you."
"And as I told you, all the arrangements for your moving into the apartment will be taken care of before the weekend. You can bring your wife in any time to look at it.""Thanks again. I can't wait."
John Milton nodded with understanding.
"Quite a man, isn't he?" Paul said softly as they left the office.
"Extraordinary how he gets right to the heart of things. There's a no-nonsense air about him, yet I didn't feel he was all business. He was very warm, too."
"Oh yes. To be honest," Paul said, pausing in the corridor, "all of us love the guy.
He's like ... a father."
Kevin nodded. "Yes, that's the way I felt." He looked back. "As if I was sitting and talking with my father."
Paul laughed and put his arm around Kevin, and they continued down the corridor, stopping at Dave Kotein's office. Dave was closer to Kevin's age, being only thirty-one.
He, too, was a graduate of NYU Law, and they immediately reminisced about the professors they had in common. Dave was a slim, five-feet-ten-inch-tall man with light brown hair cut short, almost as close as a military cut. Kevin thought Miriam would find him cute because he had baby blue eyes and a soft, pleasing smile and in some ways reminded him of her younger brother, Seth.
Despite his slender frame, Dave had a deep, resonant voice, the kind of voice chorus directors sell their souls to get into their ensembles. Kevin imagined him in court, cross-examining a witness, his voice reverberating over the heads of an attentive audience. From their introduction, Kevin sensed that Dave Kotein was a sharp, highly intelligent man. Later Paul would tell him Dave Kotein had graduated in the top five of his class at NYU and could have worked at a number of prestigious New York or Washington firms.
"Let me continue the tour," Paul said. "You and Dave will have many opportunities to get to know each other, as will your wives."
"Great. Any children?" Kevin asked.
"Not yet, but soon," Dave replied. "Norma and I are at about the same point you and Miriam are," he added. Kevin started to smile but then thought how odd it was they knew about his personal life, too.
Paul anticipated the thought. "We make a complete study of a prospective associate," he said, "so don't be surprised at just how much we already know about you."
"Sure this isn't a branch of the CIA?"
Dave and Paul looked at each other and laughed.
"I felt the same way when Paul and Mr. Milton were considering me."
"We'll talk to you later," Paul said, and he and Kevin left to go to the law library.
The law library was twice the size of Boyle, Carlton, and Sessler's and fully
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