“After I’ve addressed the press,” Eddie said.
“Address them somewhere else, or I’ll have the police haul them all away, you included.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Eddie said.
“Joan,” Stone said to her. “Call the police and ask them to haul this crowd away.”
“On what grounds?” she asked, having joined him outside.
“Making a public nuisance,” Stone replied.
“I’m afraid they’re standing on a public sidewalk. They can do anything they like there, including making a public nuisance of themselves.”
“Have you recently graduated from law school and passed the bar?” he asked her.
“No, but someone has,” she replied, nodding at Eddie Jr.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Eddie said, “I have recently taken and passed the bar exam and am now an attorney-at-law, licensed to practice in New York State.”
“Oh, come on, Eddie!” a reporter shouted.
“I refer you to page twenty-four of this morning’s Daily News,” Eddie said, “where you will find my name on the long list of those who passed the bar exam.” He handed them the newspaper, and they passed it around for everyone to see.
“I suggested that to you only yesterday,” Stone said. “Did you bribe someone to add your name to the list?”
“I took the exam ten days ago,” Eddie said, “in the expectation of someone suggesting that I might seek employment in a law firm. I’m smarter than you think I am, Mr. Barrington. They’re just getting around to announcing it.” Eddie took an envelope from his inside coat pocket and handed it to Stone. “Here is my curriculum vitae and particulars. I wish to be employed by Woodman & Weld.”
Stone handed it back to him. “Personnel is just around the corner in the Seagram Building. You may submit your application there. Please give me time to call them and instruct them to deny your application before you submit it.”
“That is highly prejudicial,” Eddie said. He turned back to the crowd. “Do you see how I’m being treated? I am a graduate of Yale University and Yale Law School, and I am fully qualified for employment as an attorney.”
“You have no experience to qualify you,” Stone said. “Now, please go away.”
“I worked at Woodman & Weld for four summers as an intern,” Eddie said.
“In what department?” Stone demanded.
“In eight departments, two a summer. Check with Mr. Grady, the director of personnel.”
Stone leaned over near Joan’s ear. “Call Grady and check that out,” he whispered.
Joan disappeared into the office. She returned shortly. “He’s not lying,” she said.
“Well?” Eddie demanded.
“You are temperamentally unsuited to work at Woodman & Weld,” Stone said to him.
“Says who?”
“Says a senior partner of the firm. Now get out of here and take this passel of ink-stained wretches with you.” Stone took Joan’s arm and propelled her back into the office. “Call Grady and tell him that Edwin Charles Jr. is temperamentally unsuited for employment at Woodman & Weld.”
“Yes, sir.”
Stone went back into his office, hung up his jacket, and addressed the little pile of mail and messages on his desk.
“Excuse me, Stone,” Joan said. “Mr. Grady would like to speak with you.”
“Did you tell him what I said?”
“Yes, that’s why he wants to speak with you.”
Stone picked up the phone and pushed a button. “Ellis, it’s Stone Barrington. What can I do for you?”
“Stone, you can explain to me why you don’t want Eddie Charles to work at Woodman & Weld.”
“Are you telling me that you do?” Stone asked, amazed.
“Why? I’ve heard he’s bright, hardworking, and has a prodigious memory for cases. He’s a walking, talking Lexis,” Grady said, referring to the legal reference service.
Stone was feeling cornered now, but he had a way out. “Ellis, are you acquainted with Eddie’s stepmother, Annetta Charles?”
“I haven’t met her, but I certainly know who she is.”
“Are you aware that, yesterday, she became a client of the firm, moving all her legal work to us?”
“I hadn’t heard that, but it’s certainly good news.”
“Then you are not aware that she made it a condition of being our client that her stepson, Eddie, would have nothing whatever to do with the firm?” This was an exaggeration, but Stone was now desperate.
“I was not aware of that.”
“Then see that any application of Eddie Jr. to the firm is rejected out of hand.”
“As you wish,” Grady said, then hung up.
“You think that will do it?” Stone asked Joan.
“Maybe,” Joan said.
Six
Joan buzzed Stone after lunch. “Bill Eggers for you on one.” Eggers was the managing partner of Woodman & Weld who had brought Stone aboard not long after he left the NYPD.
Stone picked up the phone. “Good morning, Bill.”
“Good morning, Stone.” He paused.
“What can I do for you?”
“Stone, I try not to meddle in the day-to-day working of our various departments, but a few minutes ago I got a call from Ellis Grady, our recently appointed personnel director. It seems that you have, in effect, blackballed a job applicant, and one that Ellis feels is well qualified. Why did you do that?”
“Bill, did Ellis tell you the applicant’s name?”
“One Edward Charles, I believe.”
“That is incorrect. His name is Edwin Charles Jr. Does that ring a bell?”
“Would he, in some way, be related to Edwin Charles, our new client?”
“No, Bill. That Mr. Charles was deceased about four months ago.”
“Then his estate is our client?”
“No, Bill. His widow, Annetta Charles, is our client.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
“I believe so. And I’m surprised that I have not received a congratulatory phone call from you, for making such a large amount of rain.”
“How much rain are we talking about?”
“Buckets full. Her annual legal expenditures have been running in excess of a million dollars.”
“Stone, allow me to congratulate you, although belatedly, for bringing in some important new business.”
“Thank you, Bill, it’s kind of you to mention it.”
“Tell me, is Edwin Charles Jr. related to our new client?”
“He is her despised stepson.”
“Define ‘despised.’ ”
“Hated in the extreme, so much so that she has declared a sort of personal temporary restraining order, covering anywhere she might choose to be.”
“Surely, Stone, that would not include the offices of the law firm that represents her.”
“Surely, Bill, it would. She made no exceptions in her TRO for the premises of Woodman & Weld.”
“Well, that is unfortunate.”
“If you should have the opportunity to meet and get to know Eddie Jr., you may wish to reconsider your statement.”
“Is our Ellis Grady cognizant of Mrs. Charles’s feelings toward her stepson?”
“Ellis appears to be information-resistant where Eddie Jr. is concerned.”
“How odd.”
“Very. Mr. Grady is fairly new to us, isn’t he?”
“He joined us about three months ago, I believe.”
“It would be interesting to have a look at his application, I think.”
“I’ll call you back,” Eggers said.
Joan rapped on Stone’s door. He waved her to a seat. She looked around. “What’s going on?”
“I’m endeavoring to construct a bomb under Junior’s application for employment at Woodman & Weld.”
“Oh.”
“What are your earliest memories of your cousin, Eddie Jr.?” Stone asked.