“So he says. I’m checkin’ it out, but why would he claim something so easy to verify if it wasn’t true?”
Steve rubbed his head. “Jesus. One dead end after another. You got anything else?”
Taylor frowned. “I got a suggestion. I’m not sure you’ll like it.”
“Whaddya mean?”
“Well, it’s really none of my business. But we’re friends, so I’m gonna say it.”
“What’s that, Mark?”
“I been thinking this ever since I heard Dirkson was prosecuting himself.” He gestured to the newspapers on his desk-”And ever since I saw this.
“You got a problem with this case, Steve. In more ways than one. The girl typin’ nude-well, that’s a big bummer. You can fight to keep it out of court, but so what. It’ll be like the Oliver North trial. You’re not gonna find twelve people in all of Manhattan who haven’t heard about it.”
“I know that. So?”
“So the people on the jury are gonna know. And human nature bein’ what it is, at least half of them are gonna think a girl who runs around nude is the type of girl who’d kill someone.”
“I know that Mark. What’s the point?”
“The point is, you got a big image problem. You want to build your client up, make her seem respectable, make her seem the type of girl who
Steve looked at him. Taylor held up his hands. “Hey, no offense, but I gotta say it. Imagewise, you’re the wrong lawyer for the case. You look like a refugee from the sixties. Ordinarily that’s all right, but this time it isn’t gonna play. The girl doesn’t need a hippie standing next to her. She needs someone respectable and conservative. Some pillar of the community whose presence would build up her image.”
“You telling me to get off the case, Mark?”
Taylor shook his head. “No. I’m only suggesting you might secure associate counsel.”
“You mean Fitzpatrick?”
“I was thinking of Fitzpatrick. He’s just the right image. The white hair, the three-piece suit. Plus he’s overweight and got chubby cheeks, the well-fed, prosperous look. Fitzpatrick, Blackburn and Weed is a prestigious, conservative firm. His standing up for the girl would lend weight.
“Of course, I’m not sure if Fitzpatrick would want to work with you again.”
“Thanks a lot, Mark.”
“You know what I mean. Look, Steve, maybe I’m out of line, it just seems to me having Fitzpatrick on the team might help. I hope you’re not offended.”
Steve thought a moment. “No, I’m not offended, Mark. In fact, that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.”
25
Harold Fitzpatrick ran a hand through his curly white hair, cocked his head at Steve Winslow and said, “I understand you have a case.”
Steve Winslow looked at him for a moment, then burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Fitzpatrick said.
“You,” Steve said. He jerked his thumb at the newspaper lying on Fitzpatrick’s desk. “It’s on the front page of the
Fitzpatrick smiled. “You don’t like my choice of words? All right, I
“Not too well. She’s in jail.”
“I know that. I mean, what is she like?”
“She has large breasts.”
Fitzpatrick shook his head. “Dear, dear.”
“And she’s spunky.”
“Spunky?” Fitzpatrick grimaced. “Even worse. Juries don’t like spunky.”
“Yeah,” Steve said. “I can strap her down and dress her like a Sunday-school teacher, but it’s not gonna fool anyone.”
Fitzpatrick jerked his thumb at the newspaper. “Not with this kind of publicity. So how you gonna play it?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“I see.”
Steve Winslow glanced around Fitzpatrick’s sumptuously furnished office. “So how’s things with the firm?”
“Could be worse, “ Fitzpatrick said. “Could be a lot worse. In point of fact, we’re actually doing very well.”
“I’m not surprised,” Steve said. “A firm like this, I would imagine things were pretty steady.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you have an established clientele. You don’t take on new clients all the time.”
Fitzpatrick nodded. “That’s largely true. A good percentage of our clients have been with the firm twenty, thirty years. That’s the way it is with firms of our type. Of course, we do pick up a new client now and then.”
“Did appearing in court with me hurt you any?”
Fitzpatrick shook his head. “Not at all. It might have if we’d lost, but we won. We actually picked up clients from it.”
“Oh?”
Fitzpatrick chuckled. “Yeah. I was a celebrity for a while. People would come up to me at cocktail parties, say, ‘You defended in the Harding case, didn’t you?’ People actually came over to our firm, which is strange when you think of it. Because our type of client isn’t looking for a criminal lawyer. Quite the contrary. I guess it was a status thing. Snob appeal. Like saying F. Lee Bailey’s my lawyer, you know?” Fitzpatrick shook his head. “No, that case didn’t hurt me at all.”
Fitzpatrick grinned. His eyes were shining. “Why do you ask?”
“Oh, just making conversation.”
Fitzpatrick nodded judiciously. “Right, right. You got a murder case you’re defending, so you just pop over here to make a little conversation.”
“Well, I was wondering about your courtroom experience.”
“What about it?”
“When the case was over, you expressed the opinion that you doubted if we’d be working together again soon.”
“As I recall, I did say something like that.”
“I was wondering if you were still of that opinion.”
Fitzpatrick pursed his lips. “Are you asking me to work on this case?”
“No.”
Fitzpatrick frowned. “No?”
“No,” Steve said. “It would be highly detrimental to my client to ask for help from such a prestigious firm and be turned down. And I do hate lying to the press.”
“That’s a failing in a lawyer,” Fitzpatrick deadpanned.
“Anyway, I prefer to talk hypothetically. I’m wondering if that were the case, what your reaction would be.”
Fitzpatrick leaned back in his chair, ran his hand through his curly white hair. “You know,” he said, “I have to admit, I liked it. The Harding case, I mean. Being in court. The whole thing. Not the sort of thing I want to do every day, but it sure was a kick.
“Oh course, that was a lot different. I was the original lawyer on the case, and then you came in. This case, it’s the other way around. Not that I mind playing second fiddle, but I’d still like to play
