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Authors: Sheldon Siegel
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suicide?”
Roosevelt tries to intercept Skipper before he gets to the microphone.Skipper pushes him back.
“Young lady,” he says, “Bob Holmes was my partner and my friend. Imust rely on the SFPD and experienced homicide investigators likeInspector Johnson. They will gather the evidence and I will ultimatelydecide whether there is any basis to prosecute anyone. That’s all Ihave for today.”
I turn off the TV.
“Well, what do you think?” Rosie asks.
“Not a bad performance for his first press conference.”
“No, dummy. Not Skipper. The killings. What do you think?”
“They’re not telling the whole story. They’re holding stuff back.”
“Like what?”
“Like Vince Russo. He hasn’t been found. His name wasn’t evenmentioned. There was nothing about the deal. There was nothing aboutthe divorce.”
Rosie shrugs.
“I’m due in court in twenty minutes. I’ll see you later.”
“Jesus, Mikey, I know you said you were going small-time, but this isridiculous.” At twelve-fifteen the same day, Doris is getting herfirst look at my new office.
“Do you like it?”
“This isn’t an office, it’s a closet.” She gives me a hug.
“What’s that smell?”
“I think it’s moo shu pork.” Rosie warned me. It seems my officestarts to smell like the Chinese place next door by midmorning.
“You’ll get used to it, Mikey.”
“I hope so.”
“How’s Grace?”
“Fine. And Jenny?”
“So-so. Boyfriend trouble. You know how it is.”
“I wish.”
“You will.”
We exchange small talk. She tells me things are starting to calm downat S&G.
She’s been reassigned to another attorney for the time being. Shesays she’s going to take a few weeks off for a trip to the Bahamas.
“I brought you something, Mikey,” she says. She opens a shopping bag,takes out a small plant and gives it to me.
“I thought you might like something to brighten up your office.”
“Thanks. It could use a little help.”
“So I see.” She looks at Grace’s picture.
“I was hoping you’d do me a favor.”
“Anything.”
She takes a manila envelope out of her purse and hands it to me.
“Open it,” she says.
I find a check made out to me for a hundred dollars. On the memo line,it says “retainer.” There is a letter that says she’s retaining thelaw office of Michael J. Daley to represent her on all legal matters.There is a copy of her will.
“Doris,” I begin.
She interrupts me.
“Mikey,” she says, “how many clients do you have?”
I look down.
“I thought so,” she says.
“Well, now you have one.”
“Look, Doris, I can’t…”
“Yes, you can. This isn’t charity. I need you to review my will.”
“Doris,” I say, “I’m sure there are people at S and G who could helpyou.”
She holds up her hand.
“If I wanted somebody at the firm to represent me, I wouldn’t be here.How long did we work together?”
“About five years.”
“And how many arguments did we have?”
“A few.”
“And how many of those arguments did I win?”
“All of them.”
“And I’m going to win this one, too.” She smiles.
“You don’t have to cash the check.”
“If it’s okay with you, I think I’ll frame it.”
“That’s fine. The law offices of Michael J. Daley are now officiallyopen for business.”
“Can I buy you lunch?”
“Absolutely. The moo shu pork smells pretty good.”
CHAPTER 6
A GREAT HUMANITARIAN
“HOLMES, John Robert, Jr.” died December 31, at age 48. Belovedhusband of Elizabeth, father of seven. A respected partner at theinternational law firm of Simpson and Gates. Services will be held atGrace Cathedral, San Francisco, on Tuesday, January 6, at 10:00 a.m.Donations in his memory may be made to the Legal Community AgainstViolence.”
—obituary NOTICE, san francisco chronicle. tuesday, january 6.
“Did you read Bob’s obit, Mike? Jesus, you’d have thought he wasfucking Mother Teresa.” Arthur Patton is talking to me on a mistymorning as Rosie and I stand waiting for Joel on the front
Roosevelt tries to intercept Skipper before he gets to the microphone.Skipper pushes him back.
“Young lady,” he says, “Bob Holmes was my partner and my friend. Imust rely on the SFPD and experienced homicide investigators likeInspector Johnson. They will gather the evidence and I will ultimatelydecide whether there is any basis to prosecute anyone. That’s all Ihave for today.”
I turn off the TV.
“Well, what do you think?” Rosie asks.
“Not a bad performance for his first press conference.”
“No, dummy. Not Skipper. The killings. What do you think?”
“They’re not telling the whole story. They’re holding stuff back.”
“Like what?”
“Like Vince Russo. He hasn’t been found. His name wasn’t evenmentioned. There was nothing about the deal. There was nothing aboutthe divorce.”
Rosie shrugs.
“I’m due in court in twenty minutes. I’ll see you later.”
“Jesus, Mikey, I know you said you were going small-time, but this isridiculous.” At twelve-fifteen the same day, Doris is getting herfirst look at my new office.
“Do you like it?”
“This isn’t an office, it’s a closet.” She gives me a hug.
“What’s that smell?”
“I think it’s moo shu pork.” Rosie warned me. It seems my officestarts to smell like the Chinese place next door by midmorning.
“You’ll get used to it, Mikey.”
“I hope so.”
“How’s Grace?”
“Fine. And Jenny?”
“So-so. Boyfriend trouble. You know how it is.”
“I wish.”
“You will.”
We exchange small talk. She tells me things are starting to calm downat S&G.
She’s been reassigned to another attorney for the time being. Shesays she’s going to take a few weeks off for a trip to the Bahamas.
“I brought you something, Mikey,” she says. She opens a shopping bag,takes out a small plant and gives it to me.
“I thought you might like something to brighten up your office.”
“Thanks. It could use a little help.”
“So I see.” She looks at Grace’s picture.
“I was hoping you’d do me a favor.”
“Anything.”
She takes a manila envelope out of her purse and hands it to me.
“Open it,” she says.
I find a check made out to me for a hundred dollars. On the memo line,it says “retainer.” There is a letter that says she’s retaining thelaw office of Michael J. Daley to represent her on all legal matters.There is a copy of her will.
“Doris,” I begin.
She interrupts me.
“Mikey,” she says, “how many clients do you have?”
I look down.
“I thought so,” she says.
“Well, now you have one.”
“Look, Doris, I can’t…”
“Yes, you can. This isn’t charity. I need you to review my will.”
“Doris,” I say, “I’m sure there are people at S and G who could helpyou.”
She holds up her hand.
“If I wanted somebody at the firm to represent me, I wouldn’t be here.How long did we work together?”
“About five years.”
“And how many arguments did we have?”
“A few.”
“And how many of those arguments did I win?”
“All of them.”
“And I’m going to win this one, too.” She smiles.
“You don’t have to cash the check.”
“If it’s okay with you, I think I’ll frame it.”
“That’s fine. The law offices of Michael J. Daley are now officiallyopen for business.”
“Can I buy you lunch?”
“Absolutely. The moo shu pork smells pretty good.”
CHAPTER 6
A GREAT HUMANITARIAN
“HOLMES, John Robert, Jr.” died December 31, at age 48. Belovedhusband of Elizabeth, father of seven. A respected partner at theinternational law firm of Simpson and Gates. Services will be held atGrace Cathedral, San Francisco, on Tuesday, January 6, at 10:00 a.m.Donations in his memory may be made to the Legal Community AgainstViolence.”
—obituary NOTICE, san francisco chronicle. tuesday, january 6.
“Did you read Bob’s obit, Mike? Jesus, you’d have thought he wasfucking Mother Teresa.” Arthur Patton is talking to me on a mistymorning as Rosie and I stand waiting for Joel on the front
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