“Mickey, you okay?” Lorna asked at one point. “You actually look... well, sad.”
“I’m not sad,” I insisted. “It’s just different, you know? We essentially won the case and got our client a big check and an apology, but it just sort of feels like something’s missing.”
“Like a verdict?” Cisco said.
I nodded.
“I guess,” I said. “Look, we got what we wanted. They admitted their sins in front of the cameras. That’s what Brenda was looking for more than anything. That was job one and we did it. The money is the money. It’s just a way of keeping score. And speaking of which, you each are getting a million-dollar bonus. Your work—”
“Oh my God!” Lorna said loudly, drawing everyone’s attention to our table.
I lowered my voice.
“Your work on the case was exemplary,” I said. “Each of you. Amazing. But you’ll need to consult with a money manager, because you’re going to have to pay taxes on it, and I want to make sure you’re prepared for that. When you’re ready, I’ll transfer the money to you. Happily.”
“Boss,” Cisco said. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. You did the work, you deserve it. We kicked ass.”
“Thank you, Mickey,” Lorna said. “I’m going to cry.”
“No crying,” I said. “It’s only money.”
I looked at McEvoy.
“The bonus goes to everyone on the team, and that includes you,” I said. “And I hope you go out and sell the book for another million.”
“You’re a generous man,” Jack said.
I shook my head.
“The stuff you came up with iced the case,” I said. “Now you have to go out there and ensure that the foundation makes a difference. Or none of this was worth it.”
“I promise, it will,” Jack said. “I already talked to Brenda. There’s going to be an advisory board and we want all three of you on it.”
I nodded my assent.
“Gladly,” Cisco said.
“Can’t wait,” Lorna said.
My phone buzzed with a text. It was from Sticks. I read it and then reported to the group.
“We need another bottle of champagne,” I said. “Sticks says Jake Tapper wants me on his show tomorrow. They’re going to run the video from the press conference too.”
Cisco extended his hand across the table and there were high fives all around.
“He says they want Brenda on with me,” I said. “Jack, can you check with her? Details to come, but it will be tomorrow.”
“Is this a remote feed, or are they flying you to DC?” Jack asked.
“Looks like the CNN Building on Sunset,” I said.
“That should be doable,” Jack said. “I’m sure she’ll be up for it.”
We lapsed into a comfortable silence after that. Nobody called over a waiter to order a second bottle. Another bottle couldn’t erase the regret I think we all felt in settling the case before getting to the finish line.
“Okay, I’ll say it,” I finally announced. “We should have rolled the dice and taken it to a verdict.”
“I don’t know, Mick,” Cisco said. “You’re the one who always says that anything can happen.”
“Even if we had won, they would have appealed, and it would have been years before Brenda saw any money and started the foundation,” Lorna added. “And now we’re all sitting here millionaires.”
She held up her glass. She was down to the last swallow.
“To no regrets,” she said.
We all held up our glasses and repeated the toast.
“The one thing I wish,” Jack said, “is that we had put Wren on the stand. That would have been something.”
“I think that was a long shot,” I said. “It was probably better as a threat to the Masons than a real possibility.”
“But we’ll never know,” Jack said.
Before I could form a comeback to that, my phone buzzed. It was a call this time and I saw that it was from the district court.
“I’m going to take this,” I said.
I got up from the table and walked out to the sidewalk to escape the bar noise. It was Judge Ruhlin’s clerk.
“The judge was wondering if she could see you tomorrow morning in chambers,” he said.
“Uh, sure,” I said. “I mean, no trial, so I’m free. What time?”
“How is nine o’clock for you?”
“I’ll be there. Are the Masons invited?”
“No, only you.”
“Is this about the contempt order?”
“The judge has also invited a few of the jurors who asked to speak with you. I assume that is okay with you?”
“Uh, sure, I’ll talk to them.”
“Then we’ll see you at nine.”
He disconnected before I could ask about the contempt order again. I stood on the sidewalk and thought about the invitation. I was probably going to find out which way the jurors had been leaning when the rug was pulled out from under them. Since they had heard only the plaintiff’s side of the case, I assumed they had planned to come down on my side of the equation and were upset that we had settled when they were ready to teach Tidalwaiv a major financial lesson. I assumed the judge would take a few shots at me as well, since we had wasted more than a week of court time before settling the case.
I finally went back inside the bar to tell the others that the case wasn’t quite finished yet. The sommelier was opening a second bottle of bubbles. But soon afterward, I left the team there and headed home. I was hoping to get in before Maggie so I could think about what I wanted to say to her about the money I had just made. I planned to tell her that I would rebuild her house if she wanted me to and that I hoped to live in it with her when it was finished. But that of course would be her call, not mine.
I succeeded in getting to the house on Fareholm ahead of her but not ahead of someone else. As I climbed the stairs to the front door, I saw a man sitting, his back to me, on one of the bar-height director chairs turned toward the view of the city below. His black suit and silver hair made him easily recognizable.
“So you came down after all,” I said as I approached. “I didn’t see you at the press conference.”
Victor Wendt turned to look at me.
“I didn’t come down for the press conference,” he said.
I nodded and gestured toward the view.
“You heard about the sunsets up here,” I said.
“Actually, I came to see you,” he said.
“If you’re going to tell me you stopped the wire and my client will never see a dime, you’re too late.”
“No, not at all. The money’s yours. And your client’s. I consider fifty million dollars an acceptable fee for doing business.”
I nodded as I realized that he had come to gloat about avoiding a more expensive verdict.
“Fifty-two million, actually, but who’s counting,” I said. “Except maybe your board of directors.”
“Yes, I will have to explain to them how we chose the lesser of two evils,” Wendt said. “I’m sure they will understand.”
“Then, what can I do for you, Mr. Wendt? I’m sure you didn’t come here to rehearse your speech to the board.”
“No, and I appreciate that you didn’t invite me to get the fuck off your porch. I came to make you an offer.”
“An offer? Like the last time we met? I’d say that was more of a bribe.”