Free While Drowning in the Desert by Don Winslow

be compromised or renewed.
Sincerely yours,
Eugene Petkovitch, Esquire
    Ms. Pamela A. Holmstrum
Claims Superintendent
Western States Insurance Co.
801 Flower Street
Los Angeles, CA
    Craig D. Schaeffer
    Attorney-at-Law
    3615 Monterey
    Palm Desert, CA
    27 July 1983
    Dear Craig,
    Please see attached correspondence from Attorney Eugene Petkovitch on behalf of his clients, our policyholders, Heinz Muller and Amin “Sami” Abdullah.
    FIFTEEN MILLION DOLLARS!!!???
    He sends us form letters demanding fifteen million dollars?!
    Who does this guy think he is?!
Pam
    Craig D. Schaeffer
Attorney-at-Law
3615 Monterey
Palm Desert, CA
    Ms. Pamela A. Holmstrum
    Claims Superintendent
    Western States Insurance Co.
    801 Flower Street
    Los Angeles, CA
    29 July 1983
    Dear Pam,
    You’ve never heard of Eugene “The Wolverine” Petkovitch?! Where have you been?
    Eugene Petkovitch is the most despised, loathed, feared and respected plaintiff attorney in California, if not the known litigious world. Over the past ten years the Wolverine has hit every major insurance carrier in the state for seven- and eight-figure punitive damages awards.
    When that security guard in mid-Wilshire shot the big toe off the would-be bank robber and the bank robber got $2,000,000? Eugene “The Wolverine” Petkovitch.
    When the security guard sued the company that made the gunsight and won $3,000,000? Eugene Petkovitch.
    When the would-be bank robber sued his insurance company for failing to pay his legal costs, citing “Chronic Recidivist Syndrome” and won $5,000,000? Eugene Petkovitch.
    When the security guard sued his insurance company, the bank’s insurance company, and the would-be robber’s insurance company, citing “Severe Post-Victimization Stress Disorder” and won $6,000,000? Eugene Petkovitch.
    These are just a few of the judicial highlights of the Wolverine’s recent career.
    The guy’s cross-examinations are brutal. I’ve seen them. I remember. I wish I could forget.
    I’ve seen hardened insurance executives break down and sob on the stand during one of Gene’s cross-exams. I’ve seen homicide cops blubber like babies. I’ve seen guys develop permanent eye twitches and stutters. In fact, one of Gene’s victims was a claims superintendent who happened to be a deaf mute. Gene crossed him in sign language and I swear the guy’s hands were shaking. The jury concluded he was lying.
    Eugene Petkovitch is Satan.
    He rarely even has to go to trial anymore, everyone is that afraid of him. He just writes the demand letter, fills in the amount, and the insurance companies pay.
    Pay the money, Pam. I’m begging you.
    You don’t want this trouble. I don’t want this trouble.
Sincerely,
Craig
    Ms. Pamela A. Holmstrum
Claims Superintendent
Western States Insurance Co.
801 Flower Street
Los Angeles, CA
    Craig D. Schaeffer
    Attorney-at-Law
    3615 Monterey
    Palm Desert, CA
    1 August 1983
    Dear Craig,
    Where have I been?
    I’ve been in Nebraska, Craig, where—naive and old-fashioned as this may seem—we still take a dim view of extortion. I’ll admit that I’m just the new kid here in sophisticated California—a hayseed, a hick, a corn-fed farm girl with the mud barely dry on her clodhoppers—but I guess I just don’t think that the best way to start my job as the regional claims superintendent for Western States Insurance is to fork over $15,000,000 of the company’s hard-earned money to a Nazi money-launderer, the male, Lebanese counterpart of Imelda Marcos, and an extortionate, blackmailing shyster with a candy-assed name like Eugene who embodies everything that I feel is currently wrong with this country.
    I just ain’t a-going to do it.
    In the ringing words of Thomas Jefferson, “Millions for defense, not one penny for tribute.”
    Get to work.
Sincerely,
Pamela A. Holmstrum
    Craig D. Schaeffer
Attorney-at-Law
3615 Monterey
Palm Desert, CA
    Ms. Pamela A. Holmstrum
    Claims Superintendent
    Western States Insurance Co.
    801 Flower