On this particular morning, junior partner Redwing of Springtree, Basl and Karpas, soon many believed to become Basl, Karpas and Redwing, had legal matters on her mind light-years away from tribal concerns. That was until her intercom buzzed and her secretary announced, «Your brother’s on the line.»
«Charlie?»
«That’s who. He says it’s urgent, and I believe him. He didn’t even take the time to tell me that he knew I was beautiful by the sound of my voice.»
«Good Lord, I haven’t heard from him in weeks—»
«Months, Miss Red. I like his calls. Level with me, boss. Is he as handsome as you are gorgeous? I mean, is it a family thing?»
«Take an extra half-hour for lunch and let me talk to my brother.» Redwing touched the lighted button on the telephone line. «Charlie, darling, how are you? I haven’t heard from you in … in months.»
«I’ve been busy.»
«The clerking? How’s it going?»
«It’s over. Finished.»
«That’s good.»
«Actually, I’ve been spending some time in Washington.»
«That’s even better,» exclaimed the sister.
«No, it’s not. It’s worse—the worst.»
«Why, Charlie? A good D.C. firm would be terrific for you… I know I shouldn’t tell you this, but you’ll find out in a day or so. I had a call from an old friend on the Nebraska bar and you not only passed the exam, little Brother, you were in the highest percentile! How about that, you genius you?»
«It doesn’t matter, Sis, nothing matters anymore. When I said it was over and finished, I meant me and all thoughts I ever had of a legal career. I’m destroyed.»
«What are you talking about?… Oh, is it money?»
«No.»
«A girl?»
«No, a guy. A man.»
«Charlie, I never even suspected!»
«Oh, for God’s sake, not that.»
«Then what?»
«We’d better have lunch, Sis.»
«In Washington?»
«No, here. I’m downstairs in the lobby. I didn’t want to come up—the less you have to do with me in public, the better it is for you… I’ll get to Hawaii first, then work on the ships and maybe reach American Samoa, where, with any luck, they don’t get much news—»
«You stay right where you are, feather head! Big Sister’s on her way down and I might just beat the crap out of you!»
A stunned Jennifer Redwing stared at her brother across the table; she was speechless, so Charlie struggled to break the silence. «Nice weather you have in San Francisco.»
«It’s pouring, you idiot… Charlie, why didn’t you call me before you got mixed up with this lunatic?»
«I thought about it, Jenny, honest, but I know how busy you are, and in the beginning it seemed like one big joke and we were all having a lot of fun and the joker was spending money and no one was getting hurt—a little broiled now and then but not hurt—then all of a sudden it wasn’t a joke any more and I was in Washington.»
«A litigant before the Supreme Court under false representation, that’s all!» interrupted the older sister.
«It was only for show, Jenny, I didn’t actually do anything … except meet two of the justices—on a very informal basis.»
«You met with—»
«Very casually, Sis, they’d never remember me.»
«How and why not?»
«Hawkins told me to hang around the lobby every once in a while in a tribal jacket and buckskins—I tell you, I felt like a goddamned fool—and one day the big black judge came out and shook my hand and said, ‘I know where you’re coming from, young man,’ and a week later the Italian fellow met me in a hallway and put his arm around my shoulder and said kind of sadly, ‘Those of us who came from across the sea were frequently treated no better than you.’»
«Oh my God …!» mumbled Red Redwing.
«It was very crowded, Sis,» added the brother quickly. «Lots of tourists and lawyers—whole crowds.»
«Charlie, I’m an experienced attorney; I’ve argued before the Court, you know that! Why didn’t you pick up a phone and call me?»
«I guess part of the reason was that I knew you’d get all upset and ream me out, but the real reason was that I figured I could talk Mac the Clown out of the whole mess. I explained to him that it was a lost cause because of my situation, which would annihilate any conceivable leanings in the brief’s favor, a prospect as improbable as my entering a rodeo. My idea was to immediately file a writ of default based on subsequent discoveries, wiping the slate clean… I learned this much while wandering those hallowed halls like Minnie Ha Ha’s brain-damaged kid. They’ll drop a case quicker than Uncle Eagle Eyes can belt down a shot on the slightest pretext.»
«What did this Hawkins say to your suggestion?»
«That’s the problem, I never got a chance to spell it out in full. He wouldn’t listen; he only shouted, and when he finally gave me my clothes back, the clothes you sent me the money for while clerking—»
«Your clothes?»
«It’s another story. Anyway, I was so grateful to get ’em and so pissed off, I just ran. Again, I figured I’d call him later, like in the morning and try to reason with him.»
«Did you?»
«He was gone. Split. Johnny Calfnose—you remember Johnny …?»
«He still owes me bail money.»
«Well, Johnny was sort of Mac’s special adjutant for security matters, and he told me that Hawkins left for Boston but made it clear that if there were any calls or mail from Washington, Johnny was to reach him immediately at a number in Weston, Massachusetts—that’s outside of Boston.»
«I know where it is. I spent a few years in Cambridge, remember? So did you call him?»
«I tried to. Four times, in fact, and each time all I got were minor variations of the same woman’s hysterical scream along with incoherent accusations that I think somehow concerned the Pope or a Pope.»
«That’s not unusual. Boston’s predominantly Catholic, and in times of stress its communicants seek solace from their Church. Wasn’t there anything else?»
«No. After the last call, whenever I tried again, all I got was a busy signal, which I took to mean that crazy lady took the phone off the hook.»
«It also means that Hawkins is in Boston… Do you have the number?»
«I know it by heart.» He recited it and sighed. «I’m sunk.»
«Not yet, Charlie,» said Jennifer, glaring at her sibling. «I have a not-so-minor vested interest in your predicament. I am your sister and I am an attorney, and regardless of what the law states, there’s a hell of a lot of guilt by association in this business. Also, you’re a pretty nice kid and, God help me, I love you.» She signaled a waiter, who came over immediately. «Bring me a phone, will you please, Mario?»