Free The Fall by John Lescroart Page B

in, but we can’t talk.’ ”
    “Exactly.”
    “Won’t that make them even more suspicious, especially if they already are?”
    “We don’t care how it makes them feel. How they feel doesn’t matter. I really need you to get this, Greg. It’s serious.”
    “I’m picking that up,” he said.
    “Good. Don’t drop it.”
    •  •  •
    “I DIDN’T KNOW what else to do. It just kind of happened.” Rebecca was standing in front of her father’s desk, her eyes close to overflowing with tears. “But I can’t call him back now and get myself unhired. He’s back in class and wouldn’t get the message until Waverly is already there, and then he really would be screwed. Meanwhile, I’ve got this motion due at four o’clock, and now there’s no chance I can even work on the rest of it, much less get it done, and I just—”
    Hardy held up one hand. “Shh . . . shh . . . easy now.” He came up out of his chair, around the desk, and took his daughter in his arms. “It’s all right. It’s really all right.” He kissed the top of her head.
    “I’m so sorry,” she went on. “I just wasn’t thinking, or thinking clearly, anyway. And now Amy’s going to kill me, either that or never assign me work again . . .”
    “I’ll talk to Amy. She’ll put another associate on it. It’ll be fine.”
    “But if I wasn’t your daughter . . . and by four o’clock  . . .”
    “Well, luckily, you are my daughter. And we’ll get an extension. Or not. Either way, it’s not the end of the world. These things happen. You got involved in a client’s real problem, and it has to be dealt with right now. So you do what you have to do. Welcome to criminal law.”
    “I should have gotten Amy’s permission first. I never should have just said I’d be there.”
    “But you did say that. And now you’re committed, and you’d better get moving if you don’t want to be late. Here, why don’t you give me your motion? Maybe I’ll take a crack at it myself, see if I’ve still got the chops.And hey, look at the bright side—you’re bringing aboard your first client.” He added, “I hope he can afford you.”
    “Well,” she said, “that’s another thing.” And told him about their salary negotiations.
    “A hundred bucks?” Hardy asked with a stern glance. “We’re talking three hours, maybe four hours, for a hundred dollars total? Twenty-five an hour? Not finishing your motion is one thing, but charging below your billing rate, now we’re talking problematic.”
    “I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t ever think he really wanted me there. But I knew somebody needed to be, so I—”
    “Beck. Beck.” He raised her chin and kissed her forehead. “I’m kidding, the old man trying to lighten things up. Really. But no joke. Your instincts are completely right. Get him on retainer to protect him. The guy needs help, and he wants you. So go help him, and we’ll worry about all the other stuff later.”
    “But—”
    “No buts,” he said, pointing at the door. “Go!”

14
    T HE INSPECTORS AND the lawyer were the first ones into the conference room, and they took their places on opposite sides of the table, which mostly filled the space. The Beck started out introducing herself to Yamashiro, adding a courteous enough greeting to Waverly, asking if he’d had a chance to catch up on his sleep. But the sense of low-key camaraderie with the inspector that she’d imagined from their previous night’s interaction wasn’t much in evidence today.
    The inspectors couldn’t hide their displeasure over the fact that Greg Treadway had lawyered up, though of course they didn’t say anything about it. The object was to get him talking and then keep him talking, and Rebecca knew that. She was already on her guard.
    Greg had struck her as a pretty trusting guy last night—almost dangerously so on the phone earlier—and she knew that the inspectors were under a great deal of pressure to