Rage of Angels

The following morning Adam Warner was on a plane to Seattle, Washington. He had meetings with Je

Stewart Needham telephoned Adam in Seattle. “What are you doing up there, Adam? You’ve got a big case load waiting for you back here. That Parker thing should have been a snap.”

“A few questions have arisen,” Adam said carefully. “I’ll be back in a day or so, Stewart.”

There was a pause. “I see. Let’s not waste any more time on her than we have to.”

By the time Adam Warner left Seattle, he felt he knew Je

Now, almost two weeks after he had had that morning conversation with Stewart Needham, Adam Warner found himself facing the girl whose past he had been exploring. Adam had seen newspaper pictures of Je

Adam said, “I’ve been assigned to investigate your part in the Michael Moretti trial, Miss Parker.”

“Have you now!” Je

When Je

Je

She stood against the sink, taking deep breaths, wiping the tears from her eyes. She knew she had behaved stupidly. That’s twice, she thought wryly. She should have handled Adam Warner differently. She should have tried to explain, instead of attacking him. Maybe then she would not be disbarred. But she knew that was wishful thinking. Sending someone to question her was a charade. The next step would be to serve her with an order to show cause, and the formal machinery would be set in motion. There would be a trial panel of three attorneys who would make their recommendation to the Disciplinary Board which would make its report to the Board of Governors. The recommendation was a foregone conclusion: disbarment. She would be forbidden to practice law in the state of New York. Je

She stepped into the bath again and lay back, letting the still-warm water lap at her, soothing away her tension. At this moment she was too tired to care what happened to her. She closed her eyes and let her mind drift. She was half asleep when the chill of the water awakened her. She had no idea how long she had lain in the tub. Reluctantly she stepped out and began toweling herself dry. She was no longer hungry. The scene with Adam Warner had taken her appetite away.

Je

Adam Warner was seated in a chair, leafing through a magazine. He looked up as Je

“I’m sorry,” Adam said. “I—”

Je

“The inquisition is over. I asked you to leave.”

Adam put the magazine down and said quietly, “Miss Parker, do you think we could discuss this calmly for a moment?”

“No!” All the old rage boiled up in Je

“Have I said you were a criminal?” Adam asked quietly.

“You—isn’t that why you’re here?”

“I told you why I’m here. I’m empowered to investigate and recommend for or against disbarment proceedings. I want to get your side of the story.”

“I see. And how do I buy you off?”

Adam’s face tightened. “I’m sorry, Miss Parker.” He rose to his feet and started for the door.

“Just a minute!” Adam turned. “Forgive me,” she said. “I—everybody seems to be the enemy. I apologize.”

“Your apology is accepted.”

Je

“Fair enough. Have you had di

She hesitated. “I—”

“I know a little French restaurant that’s just perfect for inquisitions.”

It was a quiet, charming bistro on 56th Street on the East Side.

“Not too many people know about this place,” Adam Warner said when they had been seated. “It’s owned by a young French couple who used to work at Les Pyrénées. The food is excellent.”

Je

Adam was going out of his way to try to relax her. He had recently returned from a trip to Japan where he had met with top government officials. A special banquet had been prepared in his honor.

“Have you ever eaten chocolate-covered ants?” Adam asked.

“No.”

He gri

He talked about a hunting trip he had taken the year before in Alaska, where he had been attacked by a bear. He talked about everything but why they were there.

Je

He had finished dessert and he said quietly, “I’m going to ask you some questions, and I don’t want you to get upset. Okay?”

There was a sudden lump in Je

“I want you to tell me exactly what happened in the courtroom that day. Everything you remember, everything you felt. Take your time.”

Je