"Brad Ferguson - Last Rights" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ferguson Brad)

all paper-filing, all pre-programmed losers. It was good to know Tom
didnтАЩt hold it against me. тАЬThatтАЩs right,тАЭ I said, and gilded the lily: тАЬRevival
work is a specialty of mine.тАЭ
тАЬFine. Want to handle one for me?тАЭ
My eyebrows went up. тАЬWe could talk about it,тАЭ I said casually. A revival
case for Aetnadential, the biggest life insurance outfit in North America?
You bet your ass IтАЩd talk about it.
тАЬGood. Look, I donтАЩt want to waltz around the block with you on this.
The fact is, I need someone fast to handle a revival hearing.тАЭ
A hearing? I hesitated a bit; I hadnтАЩt pleaded a revival in person before,
but I couldnтАЩt afford to let Bridges know that if he didnтАЩt know it already.
тАЬUh, Frank, if I might be so bold тАФ why are you farming this one out?тАЭ
Bridges didnтАЩt hesitate. тАЬFair question. Our guy got sick, and his
backupтАЩs on vacation. Tom canтАЩt oblige me either; too busy. It happens.тАЭ
тАЬIt does indeed.тАЭ I thought a moment. You win about one of every
hundred revival cases, ungood for a lawyer newly in private practice.
Revival cases are dogs. тАЬFrank, I need to know more.тАЭ
Bridges hesitated. тАЬIf you take the job, I can zap you the particulars over
this line.тАЭ
So I was supposed to buy a pig in a poke, after all. But it didnтАЩt matter.
First assumption: The case was a truly sick dog, even for a revival case.
Second assumption: I would lose. Third assumption: Bridges didnтАЩt expect
me to do better than lose. Fourth assumption: If I won, IтАЩd be in tight with
Aetnadential. тАЬFair enough. I accept.тАЭ
тАЬThanks,тАЭ Bridges said. тАЬThanks very much. If youтАЩre ready to receive,
IтАЩll shoot you the packet. The hearingтАЩs at two.тАЭ
тАЬTwo? This afternoon?тАЭ
тАЬYep. Told you it was a rush job.тАЭ I think he was grinning, the
scumbag.

тАЬAll rise,тАЭ called the bailiff. We did. тАЬThis honorable Court is now in
session. The honorable Houghton J. Barnes, presiding.тАЭ The honorable
Barnes sat down in his plush chair behind the bench. тАЬBe seated,тАЭ said the
bailiff.
тАЬFirst case?тАЭ asked the judge.
тАЬThe petition of Barbara W. Criswell, Your Honor. Docket number
NYRC-8965-44.тАЭ
The judge scanned a sheet in front of him and nodded. тАЬWill the parties
in the matter now before this Court please rise and identify themselves?тАЭ
Maggie went first, of course. тАЬMargaret Whitling for the City of New
York, Your Honor.тАЭ The judge bestowed upon her a fatherly smile, which
Maggie returned with just the right amount of Virgin Mary behind it. ItтАЩs
all a game, every bit of it, and Maggie plays it pretty well. (IтАЩm not much of
a game player, myself; about all I do is make sure my hairтАЩs combed, my
nose is blown and and my flyтАЩs zipped.) Maggie looks the part, too: tall,
pretty and slim, her head topped with bunches of tight blonde curls. She
looks real good in a navy blue business suit, which doesnтАЩt hurt a lawyer,
especially a female one. I used to work with Maggie. I miss that.
It was my turn with the judge. тАЬDavid Aaron, Your Honor, representing
the petitioner.тАЭ I got a respectful nod, something I donтАЩt rate yet from a