Part 7 (1/2)
”So it made me curious. My father represented the Sandler family in several cases. Zenger and Daniels handled the Sandler fortune for years. So Victoria finally died, long after most people had forgotten about her.” He smiled and his tone changed.
”What do dead people leave besides bodies?”
”Wills ” ”Exactly. That old woman had been out of her mind for years.
Probably didn't know where her own will was. The previous will, Arthur Sandler's, was probated by Zenger and Daniels. That made me wonder if-' if Victoria Sandler's will was in your Ale” she said.
”And if you were sitting on a ma.s.sive probate case.”
”Brilliant deduction.”
She smiled coyly.
”In other words, if the probate fee were enormous enough you wouldn't mind being a lawyer again?”
”With the probate fee on a will like that I'd gladly accept it as my first and last big case. Then I'd take the money and get out of this sleazy profession. To be specific, I'd be able to buy my freedom.”
Her grayish-blue eyes glanced to where his fingers ran up and down the charred center drawer of that filing cabinet.
”What did you find?”
”A black hole in s.p.a.ce,” he said.
”There's enough left in this drawer for me to know what was here when the fire started. The beginnings of the Ss. Lbok.” He fingered each file as he spoke.
”Eugene Sabato. Margaret Saichter. Robert Samuelson He reached a s.p.a.ce filled only with ashes from the other folders.
”Here it skips' he said excitedly.
”No Sandler. It continues with Saperstein, @oward. Then Saxon, Reginald. And that's the end of the drawer.” His hand moved back to the center.
”Nothing but ashes and an empty s.p.a.ce where the biggest frigging folder in the whole office should be.”
He looked at her. Her expression was pensive yet skeptical.
”What do you think?” he asked.
Her eyes met his.
”Flimsy,” she said.
”What's flimsy?”
”Your whole theory.”
”Why?” His tone was almost belligerent.
”One of your a.s.sociates could have taken the file' ' ”They'd have no reason to,” he said.
”Anyway, I asked them.