Unnatural Acts (Stone Barrington 23)

“No, Bill, just from Karla. I won’t work for her another minute.”

A flicker of a smile crossed Eggers’s face. “And how did Karla take that?” he asked.

“Oh, we parted on good terms,” Herbie said, handing Eggers the letter.

Eggers picked up the letter and read it, looking more and more amazed. “Herbert, did you forge this?”

“Certainly not, Bill.”

Eggers pressed the speaker button on his phone and dialed an extension.

“Karla Martin.”

“Karla, it’s Bill.”

“Good morning, Bill.”

“Good morning. I’ve just read the letter you sent me, recommending Herbert Fisher for senior associate. Do you stand by it?”

There was the briefest of pauses, causing Herbie to begin to sweat, then she said, sweetly for Karla, “Of course, Bill. He’s a very bright young man, and he’s done fine work for me.”

“Thank you, Karla,” Eggers said, then hung up. His gaze had never left Herbie’s face. “I’m having a little trouble digesting this,” he said. “Do you have photographs of Karla in bed with a donkey?”

Herbie laughed heartily. “Karla? I can’t imagine her in bed with man or beast.”

“Neither can I,” Eggers said, “but before you walked in here I could never have imagined her writing this letter, either.”

“Hard shell, soft heart,” Herbie said, shrugging. “Who knew?”

“Certainly not I,” Eggers said. “So you’re making a formal request to be promoted to senior associate?”

“Karla was kind enough to do that for me,” Herbie said.

“But you do want it, don’t you?”

“Of course, Bill. I think I could be more useful to the firm in that position. And not having to slave away for Karla or another partner would give me time to make some rain around here.”

“You think you could do that?” Eggers asked.

“Let’s find out. My guess is that Marshall Brennan might be disposed to giving us some new business, and I’d like to handle it.”

“What else do you want, Herbert?”

“A substantial raise, a real office with a window, my own secretary, and a full-time associate to do everything I don’t want to do myself.”

“Is that all?”

“For the time being.”

“And what will you do if I don’t give it to you?”

Herbie took a deep breath and prepared to threaten to resign, but he stopped himself. “I think this is in the firm’s best interests, Bill, and you always do what’s in the firm’s best interests.”

“Nobody’s ever made senior associate around here in under three years,” Eggers said.

Herbie observed that Eggers had not fired him yet, and he pressed his luck just

a bit. “I’ve heard that,” he said, “and I think this might give a lot of the associates new hope-even make them work harder.”