guidance. But I was numb with shock. I returned all the film cassettes to their proper places and put the documents in a file folder. This time, I wouldn't leave the information lying around where Julie could find it. Zach and Vince's claim that no secrets existed among employees of Braddock, Appleby, and Carpenter didn't apply to what I'd uncovered. After forty years, it still bore the stink of death.
'Find everything okay?' Eddie Anderson asked as I wrote down the time on the entry and exit log.
I looked up at him, not sure how to answer. He quickly glanced away.
I drove back to the office and pulled into the parking lot but didn't get out. I didn't know what to do next. I couldn't talk to my parents. Oscar Callahan was at home recovering from a heart attack and, although a lawyer, had no more right to privileged information than the courier I watched walk up the sidewalk to the front door of the office. My confidence in Zach and Vince as reliable counselors had been seriously weakened. And if Mr. Carpenter summoned me into his office again, I wouldn't be able to look him in the eyes and find a way to dodge his probing questions. For the second time, I considered fleeing Savannah like the Confederate army that faced Sherman. I closed my eyes and let the coolness from the air-conditioning vent blow over my face. A knock on the car window made me jump. It was Zach. I pushed the button to lower the window.
'This isn't the place to take a nap,' he said.
'I'm not in a joking mood.'
'What did you find in the microfilm records?'
'I'm not ready to talk about it.'
'Why not?'
I shook my head. 'Don't pressure me.'
Zach leaned closer to the open widow. 'Tami, when a lawyer isolates herself on a case, there's a much greater chance of a mistake.'
'I'm not a lawyer yet, as you so gently reminded me the other day. And I'm debating whether I ever want to be!'
I opened the door and pushed Zach out of the way. He backed up as I marched past him and met the courier leaving the firm. I returned the car keys to the receptionist.
'Did you see Mr. Mays?' she asked. 'He was looking for you.'
'Yes.'
It was close to lunchtime, and I desperately hoped Julie wouldn't be in the library. I opened the door and peeked inside. The table where we usually sat was empty. On one of the bookshelves I found a set of out-of-date tax treatises no one would likely use and hid the folder behind them. As I repositioned the books, the library door opened. It was Vince. He looked around the room.
'Are you alone?' he asked.
'Yes.'
'I owe you an apology,' he said. 'Can we talk?'
Given how vulnerable I felt, I didn't want to be around anyone.
'I accept your apology, but let's not talk,' I answered.
'I'm sorry, but it can't wait.'
Vince shifted on his feet. He was unbelievably persistent about spending time with me.
'All right,' I sighed. 'But I'm only going to listen. Don't expect me to respond.'
26
'IS THE SANDWICH SHOP NEAR THE RIVER OKAY?' VINCE ASKED as we passed through the reception area.
'I don't care. I'm not hungry.'
We rode in silence. Vince had to park a block away from the deli. As we walked on the uneven cobblestones, the sights and sounds of the people along the waterfront seemed out of touch with reality. The deli was crowded. Vince ordered a ham sandwich. I picked up a bottle of water.
'Thanks for coming,' Vince said as we sat down. 'Where did you go after we talked this morning?'
'That's a question, not an apology.'
'I'll get right to it. You were right that your investigation into Lisa Prescott's disappearance shouldn't be common knowledge at the firm.'
Vince paused as a waitress brought his sandwich. I took a sip of water.
'At ten thirty I was supposed to go over a research memo with Mr. Braddock in the conference room. He wasn't there so I went to his office but had to wait because he was in a meeting with Mr. Carpenter. The office door was cracked open. I couldn't hear Mr. Braddock's voice because he's so soft-spoken, but I caught some of Mr. Carpenter's side of the conversation. He told Mr. Braddock that you had sent him a memo on Tuesday to update him on the Jones matter and he should be hearing from you again soon. Then he said `stronger pressure should have been applied to Moses Jones a long time ago.''
'What does that mean?' I asked.
'I don't know exactly, but it doesn't sound good. Mr. Braddock must have talked for a while; then Mr. Carpenter said, As soon as Ms. Taylor is out of the picture, we'll get to him before it's too late.' It was quiet while Mr. Braddock talked, and then Mr. Carpenter came barreling out of the office. I almost fell out of the chair.'
'Did he realize you were eavesdropping?'
'I hope not. He was in such a hurry to leave the office that I don't think he paid any attention to me.'
Vince took a bite from his sandwich. I glanced past his shoulder at the people lined up at the counter. Two women were pointing at items in the display case as they discussed what to eat. My decision was much more serious-how much to tell Vince about my morning discovery.
'Your intuition or discernment or whatever you want to call it was correct,' Vince said between bites. 'I thought about going back to Julie and warning her to keep her mouth shut, but that would probably make her more likely to talk.'
'Yes.'
Vince pushed his plate away from him and covered his sandwich with a paper napkin.
'I'm not hungry either,' he said. 'It was so bizarre hearing two respected attorneys talk like gangsters that I didn't know what to think.'
Vince's dilemma mirrored my own. 'I completely understand,' I said slowly. 'Only this morning I was reading about a forty-yearold conversation between two different men named Carpenter and Braddock.'
Vince listened to my story, then spoke. 'If I hadn't read the memo and overheard today's conversation, I wouldn't think that the current Mr. Carpenter and Mr. Braddock had done anything wrong,' he said. 'Now, I don't know. Mr. Braddock was just beginning to practice law with his father when all this happened, and Joe Carpenter was in high school or about to enter college. Maybe they were pulled in somehow.'
'I'm not sure I want to know. The immediate crisis is what to do about Moses Jones. Even if he did something wrong a long time ago, he should only be punished by the proper authorities. Do I have a greater obligation to protect him from `stronger pressure,' or should I just keep quiet and represent him in the trespassing case? Would it be unethical to tell the assistant district attorney that he needs to be kept in jail for his own safety?' My voice trembled slightly. 'What if he gets out of jail and something bad happens to him?'
'What does Zach think? Have you talked to him?'
'No! From the beginning, he's been reluctant to help and argues with me about everything. I think it's time to draw a circle around us and agree that we're the only ones who need to know what's going on.,,
Vince leaned back in his chair. 'Okay. But while you're thinking about Zach and Mr. Jones, you need to decide what you're going to tell Mr. Carpenter. He's expecting to hear from you.'
'I know, but I think it all leads to the same place. First, I have to talk to Moses. This is his case, his life.'
We returned to the office. The firm car was checked out and would be gone for the rest of the afternoon. I was stranded.
'You can borrow mine,' Vince offered.
