Read Online Lou Mason Mystery - 01 - Motion to Kill by Joel Goldman - Free Book Online
Authors: Joel Goldman
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tainted since he’s only been here a few months. I think he should handle it. Harlan, what do you think?”
“Excuse me,” Sandra interrupted. “His name is Lou Mason, not Perry Mason. Would you like to know what the head of the litigation department thinks about putting the future of this firm into the hands of a lawyer whose idea of a courtroom victory is selling a rear-end collision whiplash sob story? To say nothing of the verdict he got for his best friend in his last trial.”
Mason felt everyone’s eyes burning holes into him while waiting to see if he got up off the mat after Sandra’s body slam. His were on her. She didn’t flinch. Trouble was, angry as he was, she wasn’t wrong. Vicious, yes. Wrong, probably not. That was the nature of brutal truth. Had she known Mason was quitting, she would have thrown him out the window. Scott saved him from having to respond.
“As a matter of fact, Sandra, what you think is not the subject of this discussion. The people who built this firm will make these decisions. Lou is the right choice.”
“Sound judgment, Scott,” Harlan added. “Lou, get started today. Sandra will cover your docket and reassign anything that’s in need of immediate attention. You’ll have our complete cooperation. Just get it done.”
Bugging out now was not an option. Mason wouldn’t let Scott down and give Sandra the satisfaction of thinking she was right.
“Not a problem. I’ll take care of my other cases. That’s why I get the middle money. But I’ll need help on this.”
“Sure, Lou. I’ll back you up on the corporate side,” Scott said.
“You’ll have to stay out of it. You were too close to Sullivan. I don’t want St. John to focus on you now that Sullivan is dead. I want Sandra and two associates, one from litigation and one from corporate. Sandra, let’s talk after the meeting and make our choices.”
Mason couldn’t tell whether Scott or Sandra was more surprised, since both of them had stopped breathing.
“Look, Sandra,” Mason continued. “I know you don’t like me and you don’t think I know what I’m doing. I can’t help the first problem but you might be right about the second problem. If we work together on this, at least you can keep me from screwing it up.”
Mason worried that he was in over his head. Putting Sandra on the team gave him a chance to solve both problems. Though it may not have been a good idea to ask someone to hold his safety net who would be just as happy to see him fall off the high wire.
Scott caught his breath and tried to change Mason’s mind.
“Lou, I think we should try to keep this within as small a circle as possible …”
Mason cut him off. “Look, Scott, the stakes have gone up.” Mason looked around the table, making eye contact with each of his partners. “The sheriff at the lake called me last night. Richard Sullivan was murdered.”
He let the words sink in, watching the reaction of each partner. Most looked away as if to duck from Mason’s announcement. A couple covered their hearts with their hands as if they’d been struck. Only Sandra, Scott, and Harlan held his gaze.
Mason continued. “This isn’t about a partner who died in his sleep. It’s about a murder investigation going on in the middle of a criminal investigation of this firm. If I’m going to run this show, then I’m going to make the staffing decisions. I’ll lose my credibility if I lose my independence.”
Scott swallowed hard. “You’re right, of course. You won’t get anywhere with St. John if he thinks you’re shilling for Sullivan. Meeting adjourned.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Sandra Connelly followed Mason into his office and closed the door.
“Nicely done, Louis. I didn’t think you had the balls.”
“Thanks for the endorsement. I need you. You cut through the crap and get to the bottom line. I don’t care if you like me. That’s not required. Now, which of the associates do you think we should use?”
She
“Excuse me,” Sandra interrupted. “His name is Lou Mason, not Perry Mason. Would you like to know what the head of the litigation department thinks about putting the future of this firm into the hands of a lawyer whose idea of a courtroom victory is selling a rear-end collision whiplash sob story? To say nothing of the verdict he got for his best friend in his last trial.”
Mason felt everyone’s eyes burning holes into him while waiting to see if he got up off the mat after Sandra’s body slam. His were on her. She didn’t flinch. Trouble was, angry as he was, she wasn’t wrong. Vicious, yes. Wrong, probably not. That was the nature of brutal truth. Had she known Mason was quitting, she would have thrown him out the window. Scott saved him from having to respond.
“As a matter of fact, Sandra, what you think is not the subject of this discussion. The people who built this firm will make these decisions. Lou is the right choice.”
“Sound judgment, Scott,” Harlan added. “Lou, get started today. Sandra will cover your docket and reassign anything that’s in need of immediate attention. You’ll have our complete cooperation. Just get it done.”
Bugging out now was not an option. Mason wouldn’t let Scott down and give Sandra the satisfaction of thinking she was right.
“Not a problem. I’ll take care of my other cases. That’s why I get the middle money. But I’ll need help on this.”
“Sure, Lou. I’ll back you up on the corporate side,” Scott said.
“You’ll have to stay out of it. You were too close to Sullivan. I don’t want St. John to focus on you now that Sullivan is dead. I want Sandra and two associates, one from litigation and one from corporate. Sandra, let’s talk after the meeting and make our choices.”
Mason couldn’t tell whether Scott or Sandra was more surprised, since both of them had stopped breathing.
“Look, Sandra,” Mason continued. “I know you don’t like me and you don’t think I know what I’m doing. I can’t help the first problem but you might be right about the second problem. If we work together on this, at least you can keep me from screwing it up.”
Mason worried that he was in over his head. Putting Sandra on the team gave him a chance to solve both problems. Though it may not have been a good idea to ask someone to hold his safety net who would be just as happy to see him fall off the high wire.
Scott caught his breath and tried to change Mason’s mind.
“Lou, I think we should try to keep this within as small a circle as possible …”
Mason cut him off. “Look, Scott, the stakes have gone up.” Mason looked around the table, making eye contact with each of his partners. “The sheriff at the lake called me last night. Richard Sullivan was murdered.”
He let the words sink in, watching the reaction of each partner. Most looked away as if to duck from Mason’s announcement. A couple covered their hearts with their hands as if they’d been struck. Only Sandra, Scott, and Harlan held his gaze.
Mason continued. “This isn’t about a partner who died in his sleep. It’s about a murder investigation going on in the middle of a criminal investigation of this firm. If I’m going to run this show, then I’m going to make the staffing decisions. I’ll lose my credibility if I lose my independence.”
Scott swallowed hard. “You’re right, of course. You won’t get anywhere with St. John if he thinks you’re shilling for Sullivan. Meeting adjourned.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Sandra Connelly followed Mason into his office and closed the door.
“Nicely done, Louis. I didn’t think you had the balls.”
“Thanks for the endorsement. I need you. You cut through the crap and get to the bottom line. I don’t care if you like me. That’s not required. Now, which of the associates do you think we should use?”
She
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