Unnatural Acts (Stone Barrington 23)

“Mark,” Herbie said, “this is our firm’s managing partner, Bill Eggers.”

“Good to meet you.” Mark rose and took Eggers’s hand.

“I’ve wanted to meet you since Marshall Brennan told me about your start-up,” Eggers said. “Are we meeting all your legal needs?”

“More than meeting them,” Mark said. “Herb has given me a wealth of good advice in a very short time.”

“That’s what we’re here for,” Eggers said.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Mark said, “I have a computer to get back to. I’m unaccustomed to seeing daylight during the workday.”

They said their goodbyes and Mark left. Eggers took a seat, and Herbie handed him a cup of coffee.

“Well, Herbert,” Eggers said, “congratulations on making our new client happy.”

“Thank you, Bill.”

“Now, what have you done for me lately?”

Herbie laughed aloud. “Greedy, aren’t you?”

“You’d better know it.”

“Well, last night Robert Bentley the Third and I had dinner at the Brook with Robert Bentley the Second.”

Eggers’s eyebrows went up. “And?”

“And the elder Mr. Bentley says he’d like to give us some new business soon.”

“How soon?”

“I’m going to leave that up to him, and I’m not going to rush him. He said something interesting, though.”

“What was that?”

“He put this to me hypothetically: how would I handle a major piece of commercial litigation for a client?”

“Tell me what you told him.”

“I told him that we are a large enough firm to have specialists in every area of the law, and that I would assemble a team of our best litigators, then act as the firm’s liaison with the client.”

“Whew!” Eggers said. “I’m relieved to hear it. I’m glad you didn’t tell him you’d handle it yourself.”

“I’m young, Bill, but I’m not crazy.”

“Do you have any idea if he’s referring to a real lawsuit?”

“My guess is, yes. He described it as ‘dangerous.’”

Eggers frowned. “I’m not aware of anything like that looming in Bentley’s future.”

“Perhaps it hasn’t happened yet. Perhaps he’s thinking of suing, not being sued.”

“I’m going to have a word with our litigation department and see what we can find out. If Bentley comes to us with this, I want to be ready.” Eggers got to his feet and wandered out.

Cookie came in with a brown envelope and handed it to Herbie. “This just came by messenger.”

“Thanks, Cookie. You performed brilliantly in putting together that closing.”