sentences with a ton of potential. Rights for the poor? You saw the way Ramsey picked up on it. Is Knight posturing for something down the road? A case she was trying to set up in there?”
“I can’t believe you’re asking me that. It’s confidential.”
“We’re all on the same team here, Sara.”
“Right! How often do Knight and Murphy vote together? Not very. And this place has nine very separate compartments, you know that.”
“Right, nine little kingdoms. But if Knight has something up her sleeve, I’d like to know about it.”
“You don’t have to know everything that goes on at this place. Christ, you already know more than all the clerks combined, and most of the justices. I mean, how many other clerks go down to the mail room at the crack of dawn to get a jump on the appeals coming in?”
“I don’t like to do anything halfway.”
She looked at him, was about to say something, but then stopped herself. Why complicate things? She had already given him her answer. In reality, although a driven person herself, she could not imagine being married to someone with standards as high as Michael Fiske’s. She could never reach them, sustain them. It would be unhealthy even to try.
“Well, I’m not betraying any confidences. You know as well as I do that this place is like a military campaign. Loose lips sink ships. And you have to watch your backside.”
“I’m not disagreeing with you in the grand scheme of things, but I am in this case. You know Murphy, he’s a throwback — a lovable throwback, but he’s a pure liberal. Anything to help the poor he’d go for. He and Knight would be aligned on this, no doubt about it. He’s always on the lookout to throw a wrench in Ramsey’s machine. Tom Mur-phy led the Court before Ramsey got the upper hand. It’s no fun always being on the dissenting end in your twilight years.”
Sara shook her head.
“I really can’t go into it.”
He sighed and picked at his meal.
“We’re just pulling away from each other at all points, aren’t we?”
“That’s not true. You’re just trying to make it seem that way. I know I hurt you when I said no, and I’m sorry.”
He suddenly grinned.
“Maybe it’s for the best. We’re both so headstrong, we’d probably end up killing each other.”
“Good old Virginia boy and a gal from Carolina,”
she drawled.
“You’re probably right.”
He fiddled with his drink and eyed her.
“If you think I’m stubborn, you really should meet my brother.”
Sara didn’t meet his gaze.
“I’m sure. He was terrific during that trial we watched.”
“I’m very proud of him.”
Now she looked at him.
“So why did we have to sneak in and out of the courtroom so he wouldn’t know we were there?”
“You’d have to ask him that.”
“I’m asking you.”
Michael shrugged.
“He’s got a problem with me. He sort of banished me from his life.”
“Why?”
“I actually don’t know all the reasons. Maybe he doesn’t either. I do know it hasn’t made him very happy.”
“From the little I saw, he didn’t strike me as that sort of person. Depressed or anything.”
“Really? How did he strike you?”
“Funny, smart, identifies well with people.”
“I see he identified with you.”
“He didn’t even know I was there.”
“You would have liked him to, though, wouldn’t you?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Only that I’m not blind. And I’ve walked in his shadow all my life.”
“You’re the boy genius with a limitless future.”
“And he’s a heroic ex-cop who now defends the very people he used to arrest. He also has a martyr quality about him that I never have been able to get around. He’s a good guy who pushes himself unbelievably hard.”
Michael shook his head. All the time his brother had spent in the hospital. None of them knowing if he was going to make it day to day, minute to minute. He had never known such fear, the thought of losing his brother. But he had
“I can’t believe you’re asking me that. It’s confidential.”
“We’re all on the same team here, Sara.”
“Right! How often do Knight and Murphy vote together? Not very. And this place has nine very separate compartments, you know that.”
“Right, nine little kingdoms. But if Knight has something up her sleeve, I’d like to know about it.”
“You don’t have to know everything that goes on at this place. Christ, you already know more than all the clerks combined, and most of the justices. I mean, how many other clerks go down to the mail room at the crack of dawn to get a jump on the appeals coming in?”
“I don’t like to do anything halfway.”
She looked at him, was about to say something, but then stopped herself. Why complicate things? She had already given him her answer. In reality, although a driven person herself, she could not imagine being married to someone with standards as high as Michael Fiske’s. She could never reach them, sustain them. It would be unhealthy even to try.
“Well, I’m not betraying any confidences. You know as well as I do that this place is like a military campaign. Loose lips sink ships. And you have to watch your backside.”
“I’m not disagreeing with you in the grand scheme of things, but I am in this case. You know Murphy, he’s a throwback — a lovable throwback, but he’s a pure liberal. Anything to help the poor he’d go for. He and Knight would be aligned on this, no doubt about it. He’s always on the lookout to throw a wrench in Ramsey’s machine. Tom Mur-phy led the Court before Ramsey got the upper hand. It’s no fun always being on the dissenting end in your twilight years.”
Sara shook her head.
“I really can’t go into it.”
He sighed and picked at his meal.
“We’re just pulling away from each other at all points, aren’t we?”
“That’s not true. You’re just trying to make it seem that way. I know I hurt you when I said no, and I’m sorry.”
He suddenly grinned.
“Maybe it’s for the best. We’re both so headstrong, we’d probably end up killing each other.”
“Good old Virginia boy and a gal from Carolina,”
she drawled.
“You’re probably right.”
He fiddled with his drink and eyed her.
“If you think I’m stubborn, you really should meet my brother.”
Sara didn’t meet his gaze.
“I’m sure. He was terrific during that trial we watched.”
“I’m very proud of him.”
Now she looked at him.
“So why did we have to sneak in and out of the courtroom so he wouldn’t know we were there?”
“You’d have to ask him that.”
“I’m asking you.”
Michael shrugged.
“He’s got a problem with me. He sort of banished me from his life.”
“Why?”
“I actually don’t know all the reasons. Maybe he doesn’t either. I do know it hasn’t made him very happy.”
“From the little I saw, he didn’t strike me as that sort of person. Depressed or anything.”
“Really? How did he strike you?”
“Funny, smart, identifies well with people.”
“I see he identified with you.”
“He didn’t even know I was there.”
“You would have liked him to, though, wouldn’t you?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Only that I’m not blind. And I’ve walked in his shadow all my life.”
“You’re the boy genius with a limitless future.”
“And he’s a heroic ex-cop who now defends the very people he used to arrest. He also has a martyr quality about him that I never have been able to get around. He’s a good guy who pushes himself unbelievably hard.”
Michael shook his head. All the time his brother had spent in the hospital. None of them knowing if he was going to make it day to day, minute to minute. He had never known such fear, the thought of losing his brother. But he had
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