"TUROW, SCOTT - THE BURDEN OF PROOF" - читать интересную книгу автора (Turrow Scott)

was no telling what offense the government was investigating, or even
who had suggested to them the prospect of a crime.

"There may be a problem, Dixon. It is too early to become greatly
alarmed."

"Sure." Dixon drew a cigarette from an inside pocket. He was smoking
heavily again, an old bad habit recently grown worse, which Stern took
as a sign of concern. Three years ago the IRS set up a full-scale
encampment in Dixon's conference room, with barely a riffle in his
breezy style.

This time, however, Dixon was on edge. With word of the first subpoena,
he had been on the phone to Stern, demanding that the government be
stopped. For the present, however, Stern was loath to contact Ms.
Klonsky, the Assistant United States Attorney. At the U.S. Attorney's
Office they seldom told you more than they wanted you to know. Moreover,
Stern feared that a call from him might somehow focus the government's
attention on Dixon, whose name as yet had gone unmentioned. Perhaps the
grand jury was looking at a number of brokerage houses. Perhaps
something besides MD connected the customers. For the present it was
best to tiptoe about, observing the government from cover. "They're
always looking for something," Dixon said bravely now, and went off to
find Silvia.

In the sun room, Stern's children were still speaking about the baby.

"Will John help out?" Marta asked. "Change diapers and stuff?."

Kate reared back, astonished.

"Of course. He's in heaven. Why wouldn't he?" Marta shrugged. At
moments like this, it concerned Stern that she seemed so dumbfounded by
men. Her father's daughter, Marta, regrettably, was not a pretty woman.
She had Stern's broad nose and small dark eyes. Worse still, she shat
his figure.

Stern and his daughter were short, with a tendency to gather weight in
their lower parts. Marta submitted herself almost masochistically to
the rigors of diet and exercise, but you could never escape what nature
had provided. It was not, she was apt to say, the form favored by'
fashion magazines. Notwithstanding, Marta had always attracted her
admirers--but there seemed an inevitable doom in her' relations. In her
conversation there were, by idle reference, a procession of men who
carne and went. Older, younger. Things always foundered. Marta, in
the meantime, now came to her own defense.

"Daddy didn't change diapers," she said.

"I did not?" asked Stern. Surprisingly, he could not recall precisely.