Payback (6/6) Sequel to “Crossing the Line”, “Confused”, “Death”, “Rebound” And “The Plan” AUTHOR: Shirley E-mail: sgoates2607@charter.net RATING: PG-13 CONTEXT: This Chapter begins where “The Plan” ends. It incorporates some of the events which occurred in “The Beginning” finale episode. Those who have read the preceding Chapters know that the Lulu related storyline has been altered. Rather than utilize exact dialogue from “The Beginning” I have summarized certain scenes relating to that episode. DISCLAIMER: Some characters have been shamelessly borrowed from “The Guardian” and others are totally the figment of my runaway imagination. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Actual names of some Pittsburgh and New York sites and establishments have been used. For those of you who are familiar with the actual places mentioned herein, I apologize profusely if I have mischaracterized them. I admit that I know nothing about insider trading, police or FBI policies and procedures or forensics other than that gleaned from TV or movies. The storylines here are manufactured in my imagination for the benefit and pleasure of my readers. ~~~~~~~~ It was the Friday after his return from New York. Nick remembered he’d promised Lulu he would call her. He wished now he hadn’t promised. His desk was piled up at the Firm and he was sure things at Legal Services were just about as bad. He stepped off the elevator and ran into Alvin as he was getting on. “Well, Mr. Fallin. Are you finally back?” Nick didn’t much like his tone so he just glared and kept walking. He noticed Lulu’s door was closed so he tapped on it lightly. “Yeah, it’s open,” she called out. He opened the door a crack and poked his head in. “Got a minute?” “You back?” she smiled. “Come on in.” She waved him in the door and he sat in the chair facing her desk. “How was your trip?” “Okay, I guess. Alvin didn’t seem in such a good mood this morning. What’s been happening around here?” “Oh, you know Alvin. He doesn’t need much to tick him off. I think he’s mad about a screw-up in the State funding. So, did you have any fun or was it all work? In New York?” She grinned. “Let’s just say I stayed out of trouble.” He cast a sideways glance at her. “Are there any cases you want to dump back on me?” “No, it really wasn’t that bad. I’ll give you a break. I’m sure you’ve got plenty to do at Fallin.” “What are you doing for dinner tonight?” he asked off-handedly. “Well, so you didn’t forget.” She smiled. “Forget what?” he said, feigning ignorance. “That you promised to take me to dinner on Friday night.” “I did?” he shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows. “Well, I guess I did.” He gave her that crooked smile. The one she loved. “How does eight sound?” “Perfect.” She smiled and her dark eyes sparkled. He stood up and said, “I’ve gotta get to the Firm, but I’ll pick you up at 8:00.” He ducked into Alvin’s office to see if there were any new assignments then called for the elevator. ~~~//~~~ When Nick entered the lobby area of Fallin & Associates he was face to face with Mitchell. He glared at him and kept walking. He spent most of the day working on a new merger proposal for Barton Trucking. They were looking to acquire Seaman Transport. As he was leaving for the day he noticed his father was still in his office. He knocked twice and walked in. Burton was standing at the window looking out at the setting sun. It was almost 7:00. He turned to acknowledge his son, then turned back to the window. Burton was stroking his mustache. “Is there somethin’ wrong Dad?” He could tell when his dad seemed worried about something. Burton turned and strolled back to his chair and sat down. “The Federal Judge appointment will be announced sometime next week.” “Well, that’s good isn’t it? I feel sure you’ve got a good shot at it.” Burton was gazing out the window again. “You getting cold feet? “ “I guess I’m a little worried about the Firm.” “You don’t think I can handle it?” Nick smiled. His dad had told him earlier that he wanted him to have the Firm if he got the appointment. “It’s not that.” “Well, you needn’t worry. Everything will be okay. Hey, I’ve got a date tonight so I gotta run.” “A date, huh?” Burton raised his eyebrows. “Good for you, son.” Nick didn’t get out near enough; too wrapped up in his work. He needed more recreation. ~~~//~~~ Nick jumped in the shower when he got home. He dressed in his charcoal gray suit, a light gray shirt and his burgundy tie. It was a quarter of 8:00. He was going to have to hurry. He was five minutes late when he finally arrived at Lulu’s door. She answered his first knock. She had on a pale pink dress with ruffles around the neck and cuffs. It was belted at the waist and the skirt had a slight flare. Her hair was a mass of loose curls. She looked so young and innocent. “Sorry I’m late,” he said with a sheepish grin. “I’ll get my purse.” She grabbed her purse, turned out the lights and locked her door. In the car on the way to the restaurant their conversation was relegated to small talk. Lulu was just enjoying being in the presence of this enigmatic man. She found herself glancing over at him, admiring his Greek-like profile. She hadn’t realized how much she cared for this man until she almost lost him forever. She was getting a second chance and she was going to play it smart. Let him come to her. Nick pulled up outside the restaurant and turned his car over to the valet. Lulu was assisted from the car by another attendant. They were escorted to their table in a quiet little alcove. After they had placed their order for dinner, Lulu started the conversation by relating a funny incident which had occurred at Legal Services while he was gone. They got around to talking about Nick’s life in New York before coming to Pittsburgh and Lulu even touched a little on her childhood. Nick was surprised to learn that Lulu had been passed around between her Aunt in New York, her mother’s sister, and her maternal grandmother, Rose, when her mother had run off with one of her many male friends. Her dad had died in Viet Nam when she was very young. Her less than idyllic childhood could explain the reason Lulu felt such a kinship with the “lost” children and shattered families they dealt with all the time at Legal Services. Nick was glad to see that Lulu had gotten back a lot of her confidence. She was able to talk about the hurtful things in her life without getting too emotional but was also able to laugh. This evening had been good therapy for him as well. It had been a wonderful evening. Nick walked Lulu to her door and gently kissed her goodnight. There was no talk about him spending the night. It was still much too early. ~~~//~~~ It was Monday morning. Nick had been doing research in the library and had let the time get away from him. He suddenly realized he was late for an office meeting. He bounded down the spiral staircase and slipped in to the gathering in the conference room. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. His dad had gotten the Federal judge appointment and was making the Senator the managing partner. Nick glared at his father. If that wasn’t bad enough, the name of the Firm would be changed to Caldwell & Associates. As Caldwell started to give his “speech” Nick turned and walked away. He shared a glance with his father and kept walking. He encountered Detective Darger standing in the reception area. He led the detective to his office and was surprised to hear that the police were still looking for Mandy. The detective thought she would eventually be contacting Nick and wanted to tell him to be sure and call if she did. After Detective Darger left, he hustled to Burton’s office to find out what was going on. He found the Senator and his dad waiting for him. The Senator tried to cozy up to him. But, when Nick asked about being named a partner, the Senator had rejected that for now. In disgust Nick stormed out of the room, leaving the office door wide open. His father had done nothing to step in on his behalf. That was fine—his dad was bailing on the Firm, and if he didn’t care what happened to it then Nick sure as hell didn’t either. He encountered Jake in the hall and called him aside. He had been toying with the idea of leaving the Firm to start his own and the meeting a few moments ago had been the catalyst. He suggested that Jake meet him at Legal Services at 9:30 pm and bring three other associates with him to discuss an alternative. Jake, along with Lisa, Henry and Arnold, met with Nick at Legal Services that night. Nick outlined his concept for a new firm where the partners shared equally in the risks and the profits. Jake would be doing preliminary work on lining up a site for their new office and the others would be making sure their clients “walked” with them in the new venture. As Nick was leaving the meeting, he called Michelle’s voice mail to have her set up a breakfast meeting with a client and to pull and send a file to his house. As he got in his car, Mandy jumped in the passenger side. She was obviously looped on drugs and was demanding money. He told her she should go to the police and tell her story. She kept threatening to implicate him in the scam. He finally dialed Detective Darger’s number and while he was trying to connect with him, Mandy left. ~~~//~~~ It was Tuesday. Burton called Nick into his office. He was packing up his personal things. It was painful for Nick to see his father packing up to leave the Firm he had built over 30 years. “Nick, I arranged with Caldwell for you to have this office.” Nick was touched but finally, reluctantly, told his dad that he wasn’t planning to stay. His father then told him that he brought Caldwell in to protect Nick and help him keep the Firm going and retain his clients. Although his dad was disappointed he finally said he understood that Nick had to do what he had to do and he would not mention his plans to Caldwell. ~~~//~~~ The next morning Nick was met in the reception area by Mitchell and directed to the conference room to meet with the Senator. He was surprised to see Arnold leaving as he entered the conference room. Arnold had apparently gotten cold feet about leaving and had told Caldwell about Nick’s plans to leave the Firm. Caldwell could clearly see this would greatly affect the profitability of the Firm and had decided to reconsider Nick’s request for a partnership. Nick could not believe this man’s gall. Caldwell was almost pleading with him to stay. It gave him great pleasure to tell him, “No thanks.” As he turned to leave, Mitchell was right on his heels. In desperation Mitchell said he could make it hard on Burton if Nick followed through with his plans to leave and take their clients with him. Nick glared at Mitchell. Obviously there was more to this “deal” with the Senator and Lichtman than his dad had revealed to him. ~~~//~~~ Thursday night the office staff was gathered to give Burton a send off. He had resigned from the Firm and today was officially his last day. Nick had come late to the party. He beckoned Burton to his old office. Once alone, Nick confronted his dad; angrily asking if he had traded the Firm and his future for the bench. And remembering the sinister threat made by Mitchell, Nick asked his dad what Lichtman had on him. Finally, hurt and angry with Nick’s insinuations, Burton told Nick he had no idea what it took to keep the Firm going and keep Nick and others in “diapers” – obviously meaning that Nick had been a burden all these years. For Nick, it had all come crashing down. Hurt and angry, he stalked out of Burton’s office. ~~~//~~~ When Nick got home Mandy had been waiting in the shadows and she confronted him at the door. She had finally admitted she was ready to turn herself into the police after she got a shower and came down off her high. Nick figured if he could get her in the shower then he would have a chance to call Detective Darger and he could be waiting for her when she got out. But, Mandy heard him on the phone. She came charging out of the bathroom, knocked him down, and tried to escape but he managed to grab her at the door. They struggled but she wrenched free, falling backwards into his living room, two steps down from the foyer. Nick immediately checked for a pulse and finding none he called 9-1-1. While summoning the ambulance, he heard Burton at the door. His mind was whirling. His first instinct was to get rid of Burton. He didn’t want his dad involved. After futile attempts to turn him away, he listened to what his father was saying. The “deal” he had made with the Senator had been to keep Nick out of prison after his drug bust. Dear God, his father had virtually given his Firm to the Senator as a pay-off. The D.A. apparently had no intentions of plea bargaining. He was demanding a trial and was looking for a minimum of 5 years prison time. Senator Caldwell had used his influence to convince the D.A. to bargain, saving Nick jail time and the loss of his license. In exchange Burton had promised the Senator a partnership in the Firm. The ambulance would be arriving soon. Nick had to get rid of his dad. He finally insisted his dad leave. Before he left, Burton told his son that Mitchell knew about the deal and could cause trouble if it got out to the wrong people. But, Burton pleaded with Nick not to let them push him around. He was no longer concerned about any leverage they might have against him. His dad was more concerned about him. As Nick shut the door on his father his attention was drawn back to Mandy, lying dead on his living room floor. This is one mess his father couldn’t get him out of. For several minutes, he paced. Finally, he sat down on the bottom step in his foyer and dialed his father’s answering machine. Suddenly a rush of emotion washed over him and he began to babble incoherently. He wanted his father to know that he was sorry for the trouble he had caused. Sorry for all the disappointments. He also wanted him to know the reason he had come back to Pittsburgh was to work with him and spend more time with him because he respected him. He didn’t know when he would get another chance so he told his father that he loved him. Near tears he disconnected and set the phone on the floor to wait. He could hear the sirens wail, getting closer. He rubbed his eyes and took deep breaths to try and pull himself together. Suddenly the wailing stopped and the next sound was a knock at his door. He opened the door for the EMTs. “Did you call for an ambulance?” Unable to find his voice, Nick nodded and pointed to the living room. They immediately checked Mandy for vital signs and finding none that asked, “How long has she been like this?” “Maybe 10 minutes,” Nick was finally able to squeak out. There was another knock at the door and Nick opened it to find Detective Darger standing there. “Well, Nick. What do we have?” Nick stepped back from the door and the detective entered. He immediately saw the EMTs attending Mandy. “Would this be Mandy Gressler?” he asked. Nick nodded. “Nick, would you like to tell me what happened?” “Am I under arrest?” Nick had his arms crossed over his chest. He really wasn’t thinking straight right now. Should he call his lawyer? Should he talk to Detective Darger? The EMTs were bundling their equipment up. Detective Darger asked, “What’s the verdict?” “Well, she’s dead. According to this gentleman, she didn’t have a pulse for at least 10 minutes before we got here. We’ll be calling the Coroner.” Detective Darger got on his cell phone and called the Station. He reported the death and called for a cruiser and a forensics team. “Nick, I’m gonna need you to come down to the Station and give us a statement.” “Now?” Nick dreaded that. “When the cruiser gets here we can leave.” The black & white was the first to arrive and after Detective Darger gave them instructions to cordon off the area as a crime scene, he led Nick to his car. At the Station House, Nick was led into an interrogation room. “Would you like coffee or something to drink?” Darger asked, as he poured himself a cup. “No. I’m okay.” “Okay, Nick. You wanna to tell me what happened?” He turned the chair around and sat straddling it backwards. “I think I should call my lawyer.” “Of course, that’s your privilege but, Nick, you’re not under arrest. All we want is a witness statement. Just tell me what happened.” Nick had his head in his hands as his elbows rested on the table. He was sure he wouldn’t be able to avoid jail this time. When Nick didn’t respond, Darger said, “You know I got your call that Mandy was at your house. That’s why I got there so soon after the ambulance. I was in my car and near your place when I got your call.” “I tried to keep her from leaving. She heard me on the phone with you and she tried to leave. We struggled… then she must have lost her balance or something… she just fell.” Nick looked away remembering the nightmare. “How did she get into your house in the first place?” “I don’t think I should answer any more questions without my lawyer here.” “You want me to get you a phone?” “No, I’ve got my cell phone.” He reached into his inside coat pocket and withdrew his cell phone. Darger nodded it was okay to make the call. Nick dialed the phone and waited. “Dan. It’s Nick. I’m down at the 8th Precinct. Detective Darger wants to ask me some questions about Mandy.” He listened. “No, I’m not under arrest. He just wants me to give a statement. Mandy died in my house tonight.” He listened again then said, “Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Thanks.” He folded his phone and put it back in his pocket. He looked at Darger. “He’s on his way.” “Okay. I’ll let you wait in here.” Darger went to his desk to make a few phone calls to see if they had any preliminary findings at the Fallin residence. Across the office, he heard his named called and turned to see an elderly man muscling his way into the squad room. “I want to talk with Detective Darger, now.” Darger sauntered over to the man and said, “I’m Detective Darger.” “Where’s my son?” “And who would your son be?” “Nick Fallin.” Darger took him by the arm and led him to his desk. “Come this way, Mr. Fallin.” “What makes you think your son is here?” “I called my son’s house and a policeman answered. He told me that you had brought my son here. I want to know what’s going on.” Burton’s anxiety was evident. “He is here, Mr. Fallin. We’re waiting for him to give us a statement.” “A statement about what?” “A woman died in his house tonight.” “What? What happened?” Burton couldn’t believe his ears. “Come with me,” Darger said, and led him to the interrogation room where Nick was waiting. When he opened the door, Nick looked up and was shocked to see his father standing there. Burton rushed over to Nick as he stood up. He embraced his son. It was several moments before he released Nick. They were both struggling to hold their emotions in check. He stepped back and looked at Nick. “Are you okay, son? What’s all this about a dead girl in your house?” Nick glanced at Darger who was observing this poignant family scene. “I’ll check to see if your lawyer’s here yet,” he said and turned to leave, closing the door behind him. Nick collapsed in the chair. Burton continued to stand. “Son, you scared the hell out of me with that message. I didn’t know what to think.” He walked over to Nick and put his hand on his shoulder. “Nick, look at me.” He moved the other chair around to the end of the table and sat, facing Nick. His son looked at him and Burton could tell he had been crying. Nick was struggling to say something but he was afraid. Afraid he would break down completely and cry like a baby. Burton reached out to hold Nick’s hand. He squeezed it lovingly. “Son, I want you to know that I will do whatever it takes to help you.” “Dad, you’ve already done enough.” Nick blurted out. “You’ve lost everything because of me,” he blubbered. He swiped at his eyes. There was a knock on the door and Darger entered with Dan Carpenter. “Nick, here’s your lawyer. Let me know when you’re ready to give your statement.” Burton stood and extended his hand. “How are you, Dan? Glad you could come down.” “Sure,” Dan said. He was disturbed to see Nick’s condition. “Nick, have they been mistreating you here?” “No. Detective Darger has been very considerate.” “Do you want to tell me what happened?” “Yeah.” Dan looked at Burton, suggesting he should leave the room. Nick hurriedly said, “No, Dad can stay.” Nick went through the whole gruesome story from the beginning for his dad’s benefit. Burton sat silent but noticeably upset. For whatever reason Nick hadn’t felt comfortable in confiding in him. Now he was in all this trouble. Nick was feeling a little better. Getting it all out was helping. “Nick, this business with Mandy, I believe you should tell Detective Darger. After all, you were on the phone with him when it all happened. That should carry a lot of weight in your favor. You are not currently under arrest. They may not find enough evidence against you to charge you.” “If you think I should.” Dan went to the door and motioned to Detective Darger to come in. After Nick gave his statement he was free to go. “Nick, Forensics should be through with your house by tomorrow afternoon. Do you have someplace else you can stay until then?” Detective Darger asked. Burton answered, “He’ll be staying with me.” He provided Detective Darger with his home address and phone number. It was now after midnight. Nick thanked Dan for coming and got into Burton’s car. They rode home in silence. When they got home Burton went straight to the liquor cabinet and poured Nick a brandy. “Here, son. This should help you sleep. Lord knows you need it after a day like today.” Nick gulped it down like water. “Now, come on upstairs, son, and get some rest.” Burton opened the guest bedroom door and turned on the light. He checked the bathroom for fresh towels and pulled a pair of pajama bottoms out of the chest of drawers. “I wouldn’t plan on going to work tomorrow, Nicholas.” ~~~//~~~ Before Nick awoke the next morning, Burton was on the phone with D.A., John Goldfarb. “John, Burton Fallin here.” “Oh, congratulations, Burton. You fought the good fight.” “Oh, thanks. Yeah, you gave it a good run yourself. I hear you came in a close second.” Burton chuckled. “Burton, you’ll make a good judge. No hard feelings.” “Well, that’s what I was calling you about, John. I’d like to ask you a big favor.” “I should be asking you to do me a favor,” John quipped. “Well, maybe we can help each other out, here.” “Okay, what ya got.” Goldfarb was curious now. “My son’s in a little trouble – not of his own doing, just an innocent victim in my opinion. If that could be resolved quietly, I would consider stepping down from the appointment. That should put you in line for the judgeship.” Burton held his breath. This kind of dealing could get him in a lot of trouble if the D.A. chose to handle it that way. “Burton, seems like I remember that I intervened on behalf of your boy once before. That was a drug charge, as I remember. Is he back into drugs?” “No. He got mixed up in some deal with his probation officer who got himself killed at a strip club.” Goldfarb interrupted him. “Yeah, I heard about that. Dale Petrocki. He was trouble. There had been a lot of complaints about the way he intimidated his charges, threatening to write them up on violations if they didn’t do what he said. Is that what happened?” “Exactly.” “Listen, Burton. Let me check into this thing and see what I come up with. When is the swearing in ceremony?” “Next Friday.” “I’ll get back to you.” Nick could smell bacon frying. It smelled good since he didn’t remember the last time he had eaten. He sat up on the side of the bed and rubbed his head. He had slept like a log. He found clean underwear, jeans and a sweatshirt in the dresser and after taking a quick shower he dressed and made his way downstairs. “Mornin’, Nicholas. I heard the shower runnin’. Good timing, son. Go ahead and have a seat at the table. Breakfast will be ready in a minute.” He poured a cup of coffee and handed it to Nick who took it to the table. “Looks like the story didn’t make it into the papers this morning. It’ll probably be in this afternoon’s News. I don’t think it will do any good for you to dwell on this matter. I think you should just go about things like nothing ever happened.” Burton set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Nick, who ate like he was starved. “After breakfast I can take you over to your house so you can see if they left things in order. If you’d rather stay here a few days, then that would be fine, too” “Dad, I want you to know that I appreciate everything you’re doing for me. I’m just concerned how all this might effect your appointment. I know you have it, but you haven’t been sworn in yet. Could this jeopardize it? I wouldn’t want that.” “You let me worry about that. Okay?” ~~~//~~~ Nick was nervous about entering the house. Burton went in first. “Everything looks okay, Son.” Nick walked in, holding his breath. He glanced over at the living room floor. His father was standing where Mandy had died. He had to glance away. Finally he walked into the living room. He looked at the floor but didn’t notice any blood where Mandy had hit her head. He really thought the fall had cracked her skull and caused her death. But without any evidence of blood on the floor, the fall may not have been the cause of death. Darger had said it would be a few days before the coroner’s report was complete and a cause of death was determined. “Well, Nick. Whadaya think? You gonna be able to stay here?” “Yeah, Dad. It’ll be all right.” Nick was going to be a grown-up about it. He didn’t want to stay here, ever again. But, that was ridiculous. He would just have to get over it. ~~~//~~~ It had been a long weekend. Over the weekend, the story did appear in the paper but well back off the front page. Nick didn’t get any calls from anyone he knew about the story. He had braced himself to walk into the office Monday morning as if nothing had happened. When Nick arrived, Jake followed him to his office. Jake shut the door behind him and sat down. Nick gave him a curious look and Jake spoke, “Nick, the others want to know what the status is on the move, you know, to Southside.” Jake apparently hadn’t heard about his terrible weekend and, of course, he couldn’t know about the FBI investigation. “Listen, Jake. Something important has come up and we need to postpone this for at least a couple of weeks. Can you spread the word?” “Sure, but…?” Jake was about to ask. “Jake, I’m sorry I can’t tell you. Just trust me. Okay?” Nick’s phone rang. It was an interoffice call. “Yeah?” Nick listened. “Sure, I’ll be right in.” “Jake?” Nick stood and Jake realized the conversation was over. Nick grabbed a folder out of his file cabinet and followed Jake out of the room. He knocked on Caldwell’s office door and waited for permission to enter. It sickened him to know that Caldwell was now happily ensconced in his dad’s old office. “Come in,” he heard from beyond the door. Nick walked in and laid the file on Caldwell’s desk. Caldwell flipped open the file and reviewed the contents. He asked, “When is this deal set to close?” “I have an appointment with them on Wednesday.” “Nick, have you decided to stay on?” “I have several cases I would like to conclude before making any moves.” Nick’s face belied his contempt for the Senator. “It would just be less complicated.” “I don’t have any problem with that, Nick. Perhaps when you get to that point you will have decided to stay on permanently.” Caldwell handed the file back to Nick. “Good work, Nick.” Nick left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. He planned to lull the Senator into a false sense of security. ~~~//~~~ Tuesday morning Nick got a call from Bob Foster. He caught his breath when Foster identified himself. “That thing we talked about, well it looks like we’ll be ready for Thursday morning. We would like you there in case we need any directions or have any questions. Can you be available?” “Sure. Is there anything special you want me to do?” He wouldn’t be able to sleep now until this was over with. “No. See ya Thursday.” Later that night he called his father to tell him. ~~~//~~~ Wednesday arrived. Nick had that closing. Afterwards, he spent the rest of the day at Legal Services. He just had to be out of the office for awhile. At 2:30 that afternoon, Nick got a call from Detective Darger. “Well, Fallin. Looks like you called in your chits again. Looks like the D.A. is not going to bring charges against you. I guess he figures there’s not enough evidence or something lame like that.” Nick couldn’t believe his ears. He finally found his voice and asked, “What did they determine the cause of death to be?” “A drug overdose. Mandy was a heavy coke user and apparently the 8-ball she used that final day killed her dead as a doornail.” That had never occurred to Nick even though he had had experience with drugs. “Okay, so it looks like there isn’t enough evidence.” Nick said, breathing a sigh of relief. “I still have questions about the two murders in the girlie club,” Darger said, derisively. “But the D.A. isn’t pursuing that either?” Nick asked. “That’s right. Looks like you’re off the hook. If I might make a suggestion, you should be careful who you associate with.” “Yeah, I believe I’ll take your advice.” Nick hung up the phone. The minute Nick got home he called his dad to relay the good news. He thanked him for standing by him. ~~~//~~~ Nick arrived at the office before anyone else Thursday morning. He wasn’t exactly sure when the raid would occur and he wanted to be as prepared as he could be. He had checked the calendars of Sands, Lichtman and Caldwell to make sure they would be in the office. It was about 9:00 am when 6 agents wearing FBI windbreakers walked into the office. One agent was stationed at the front doors to monitor entering and leaving. Bob Foster presented his credentials at the front desk, then asked to see Barry Sands, Mitchell Lichtman and Nathan Caldwell. Nick heard the commotion and walked to the front lobby. Foster approached Nick and presented him with search and arrest warrants for the three named individuals and asked for their office locations. Nick led them to the three offices. He would never forget the look on Caldwell, Lichtman and Sands’ faces as the agents systematically confiscated their files and computers; then, handcuffed, walked them out the main entrance. Nick learned later that a similar arrest and search warrant had been executed at Cooper-Greene Investments for Jim Adams; his computer and files. Nick called an office wide meeting for 3:00. He advised everyone that due to the unfortunate events of the day and the loss of the managing partner, that he would be taking control of the Firm until permanent arrangements could be made. He reminded everyone that matters involving the Firm were strictly confidential and anyone found discussing these matters with others outside the Firm would be summarily terminated on the spot. “And questions about any of the cases which were being handled by Sands, Lichtman or Caldwell, should be directed to me. Does anyone have any questions?” No one moved. “Okay. Then let’s get back to work. Jake, I’d like to see you in my office.” Nick quickly moved down the hall and into his office with Jake on his heels. “Jake, shut the door.” Jake did so and sat down. “You knew about this?” Jake looked admiringly at Nick. Nick ignored the question and walked to the window. He turned to look at Jake. “Jake, you said once that you wanted to be my ‘strong #2 man’. Well here’s your chance. I want you to form a team of the best lawyers we have, say maybe six, to review all the files handled by these three. We want to reassure those clients that we want to retain their business and let’s get those accounts transferred. Divide them amongst the team. The only cases off limits would be those under direct investigation by the FBI. This needs to be done rather quickly due to the media attention surrounding the Firm.” Jake obtained a master list of all the files being handled by Caldwell, Lichtman and Sands and with Nick’s assistance he deleted the files under direct investigation by the FBI. By the end of the day Jake had set up his team and they had made contact with several of the clients. So far they had all been willing to stick it out. It was 9:00 before the weary group finally called it a day. As they were leaving Nick shook hands with each one of the lawyers and expressed his sincere appreciation for their hard work and devotion to the Firm. Nick slumped exhausted in his chair. Jake was sitting across from him. “I’m impressed.” Jake said, smiling at Nick. Nick looked at him. Jake continued, “I didn’t know you had it in ya. You handled that like a pro.” Nick’s expression didn’t change. “Thanks for your help, Jake. You better get home and get some rest. Tomorrow is another long day.” Jake stood and extended his hand. Nick stood and took his hand. They shook hands for a long moment; each having renewed respect for the other. ~~~//~~~ It was about 9:30 when Nick finally got away from the office. He was tired but exhilarated at the same time. He thought things had gone pretty well. He pulled up in the circular drive of his father’s house. The lights were still on. He went to the front door and knocked. When his father answered, he grabbed his son’s arm and pulled him in. “Come in, Nick. I’ve wanted to call you all evening but I figured you were busy. I saw it on the 6:00 o’clock News. I’m sure it will be repeated on the 10:00 o’clock News. Are you coming from work? Have you had anything to eat?” His dad was jubilant. So far his father hadn’t given him an opportunity to say one word. “Hold on, Dad.” Nick laughed. “Yes, I am coming from work and no I haven’t had anything to eat. But, to be honest, I’m not hungry. I just wanted to let you know what happened.” “Sit, Nick. The News will be on in a few minutes. Tell me all about it.” He related the information about the raid and then about the meeting and their strategy for preserving the clients of Sands, Lichtman and Caldwell. He told his dad, tomorrow he was going to find out how they could change the name of the Firm back to Fallin & Associates. Burton offered some helpful suggestions. They watched the 10:00 o’clock News together and Nick said his goodbyes and headed home. ~~The News cameras had filmed Sands, Lichtman & Caldwell being hauled out in cuffs by the FBI and the FBI spokesperson had been quick to praise the cooperation of Nick Fallin in a month long investigation involving insider trading. Nick later learned that Caldwell had been under investigation by the Feds for years for various crimes. They had never been able to gather enough evidence against him but with this new evidence they were sure they would be able to put him behind bars for some time. Lichtman was looking at a lesser sentence since he was only implicated in a couple of Caldwell’s schemes. As for Sands, he would likely get a commuted sentence in exchange for 5 years probation and the loss of his law license. The News footage was shown at 6:00 and 10:00 on Thursday.~~ ~~~//~~~ Friday morning, a small story on Page 4 of Section A of the News carried the following headline: “Fallin Rejects Federal Appointment”. Noted Pittsburgh Attorney, Burton Fallin, recently appointed to the vacancy created by the death of Federal Judge Richard Stanton, District 4, has invoked “family hardship” and is said to be stepping aside. The News has learned that runner-up nominee, District Attorney John Goldfarb, will be replacing Mr. Fallin. Mr. Goldfarb will be sworn in at a ceremony scheduled for 2:00 pm today. ~~~//~~~ Nick was in the office bright and early on Friday. He had settled into his work day schedule when Jake knocked on the door. Nick was a little irritated at the interruption. “Nick, you got a minute?” “What is it Jake?” a little impatiently. “Did you see this?” Jake handed him the newspaper folded to Page 4. Nick glanced over the page and his eyes suddenly settled on the article about his father. He was stunned. He put the newspaper on his desk and clenching his jaw he peered out the window, staring at nothing. So that’s why the D.A. didn’t press charges. Another sacrifice by his Dad. Nick turned to look at Jake. “No, I didn’t know about it,” Nick said quietly, almost a whisper. “What’s the family hardship?” Jake asked. Nick thought, ‘Jake never knows when to stop with the questions.’ Nick shook his head and said, “Jake, we have a lot to do today. Maybe you should get to work.” Jake made his exit. Nick picked up the newspaper and looked at the article again. He got up and walked to the window. He glanced up to the heavens then rubbed his eyes, biting his bottom lip. He wondered if he would live long enough to repay his dad for everything he had done for him. At that moment, Nick realized the depth of his father’s love. THE END