Page 6 of Maddy's Justice

The two of them exited the elevator on forty-four. As they walked down the hallway, Marc asked, “How do you know this guy, what’s his name?”

“Gavin Blake. The usual way,” Connie said.

“You were married to him!” Marc exclaimed.

“No, smartass. I’ve been around and…”

“You slept with him,” Marc said.

“No, I didn’t. At least I don’t think so,” Connie said.

“You don’t think so?”

“Hey, who remembers every ship that passes in the night?”

“I’m not answering that,” Marc said.

Before she opened the firm’s exterior door, Connie looked at Marc and said, “Behave and no, you can’t ask if they will validate parking.”

“I’ll bill them for it later,” Marc replied. “They would bill a client for it.”

It was less than a minute until Melanie Stewart’s administrative assistant came for them. She was a serious woman who led them back to Melanie’s corner office.

When they got there, Melanie was the only one present. By the time introductions and handshakes were made, three men joined them. The same three from the evening before.

Marc took a long moment to check out Gavin Blake. Unimpressed, he looked at Connie and asked, “Seriously?” referring to their conversation in the hall.

“Young people should be seen and not heard,” she replied.

The other four lawyers looked at them with puzzled expressions to which Connie replied, “Inside joke. He goes to bed without supper tonight.”

This elicited a laugh and Marc asked, “What, again?”

Now that the ice breaking was done, Clifford Spenser said, “Mr. Kadella…”

“Marc, please,” Marc said.

“Marc. I must admit I’m a fan of yours. You’ve handled some pretty high-profile cases and done quite well for yourself.”

“That’s very kind of you to say,” Marc replied.

“Have you seen this morning’s paper?” Melanie asked getting down to business.

“No,” Connie and Marc both replied.

“And if it isn’t in the Sports section, he won’t see it unless someone reads it to him,” Connie said.

“I’m beginning to see why you brought me along,” Marc grumbled.

“Front page of the business section,” Melanie continued. Looking at Connie, she added, “I assume Gavin explained why we wanted to meet.”

Marc had picked up the Business section of today’s Star Tribune from the table they were seated around. He scanned the article while Connie replied.

“A sexual harassment suit by some current and former female lawyers,” Connie answered.

“Against your mass torts Rainmaker,” Marc added without looking up.

“Yes, on both points,” Melanie said.

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