Dead Ringer

“So this is what it’s like to have kids,” she muttered.

And Mary exploded with joy.

Be

“Gotcha!” It was Dale Gondek, the rental agent for her office building. “Be

Busted. Be

“Who fell, Bill Gates?”

“Very fu

“Three grand? That’s one month rent. You owe us for three months, Be

Be

“When’s later?”

“Soon later.”

“Huh?”

Be

“Six months?” Dale sighed. “Not good enough. You know I like you, Be

“I know that, and I appreciate it.” Be

“I know, and that’s why you’re still there. I got you the three months’ leeway because of that trial you were on.”

Ouch. “Maybe if I could talk to them myself and explain.”

“No way, that’s what they hire me for. Just between us, they ain’t doin’ so hot either. They need the money. Can’t you borrow the dough somewhere?”

“No, I’m already leveraged out the wazoo.” Be

“Ben, I’m up against it here. Don’t make me send you an eviction notice.”

“You did that already. It’s pink.” Be

“No can do.”

“I get thirty days on the eviction anyway. I’ll have plenty of money as soon as this case settles. Send me the final eviction notice. The orange one.” Oops.

“I’ll see what I can do, but I’m not promisin’ anything.”

“Dale, thanks so much! You’re the best!” Be

She hung up before he could change his mind.

5

It took only a weekend to transform the firm’s large conference room into a war room. Documents from St. Amien amp; Fils, Xeroxed cases, and scribbled notes cluttered its long walnut table, law books sat stacked on its matching chairs, and a modern oak credenza overflowed with empty lo mein containers and a coffeemaker brewing on an endless loop. Windows lined the north wall, dark squares of shiny onyx, now that it was well past eight o’clock at night, and four weary lawyers ringed the table.

“Well, I understand class-action law better and I almost have a complaint drafted.” Be

“How so?” Judy looked up from behind a mountain of open casebooks. Her orange T-shirt was wrinkled, and the stubby strands of her candy-coated hair were pi

“Yes. Under the lodestar approach, lead counsel can charge five to six times more than the hourly rate for representing the class, because of the benefit bestowed on the class as a whole.” Be

A

“If there’s sixty million in damages in this case, then we can make twenty percent in fees. That’s more than ten million dollars!” The number took Be

“Yowza!” Judy said, and Be

“The hard part is getting to be lead counsel. Lawyers usually decide among themselves who will be lead counsel. It’s called ‘private ordering.’ The lawyer representing the biggest fish generally becomes lead counsel, which I have to believe is us, in St. Amien. And you know another way lead counsel is picked?”

“I do,” A

Judy looked over. “Are you serious? Lawyers submitting bids, like contractors? That’s absurd! How can a judge choose who should be someone’s lawyer? Whose lawsuit is it anyway?”

Be

“Bidding is commerce, not law.” Judy curled her nose. “The law should be pure, like art. It evolves like a painting, created step by step, until the whole can be seen.”

Be

“DiNunzio?” she said. “It’s late. Maybe you should stop now. We all should.”

“Huh?” The associate looked up after a minute, her gaze preoccupied behind her glasses. “Gimme another ten minutes.”

“No, I think we’re all finished. We have to go to work tomorrow. You’ve all busted your butts this weekend, and I appreciate it. Time to go get some di

Mary set down her pen only reluctantly, avoiding eye contact. Silence fell for a minute, and everybody noticed it.

Carrier looked over at her friend. “Hey, Mare. Something the matter?”

“Not at all. It’s nothing. Not really.” She turned to Be

“No, but Marshall canceled the cards. Is that what’s bothering you, my wallet?” Even Be