carlee in law part ten
conny was awful - i thought- as i sat in a chair, in my own room. all men were. i saw the ambulance take frankie away. his newest hero, john gotti, died the same day. that would have made frankie sad, poor frankie, I wondered about what they would do with him, if anyone would claim him. my other dilemma: i wasn't going to tell joe and ty ty about dr. sericca's visit, even though he said that I could, i felt that he had taken me into his confidence. "what do lawyers do after they die? they lie still." an old joke, but probably a true one, i found it hard to trust anyone. i woke the next morning at six. i had to go to class, i'd missed four days, mrs. gregory, my shakespeare professor, was a stickler for attendance. she'd knock off a grade letter for every unexcused absence. at this point, i was looking at a c for an a, not good. i stopped off for a quick bite at shorty's.
"where's reginald?" i asked.
"asleep, i hope."
"where have you been?"
"on business carlee, big business. i'm going to be a pie man."
"simple simon?"
"no babe, rich shorty." i smiled.
"you do great pies shorty, is your deal a secret?"
"for the moment little one, for the moment," he answered. i knew that i could get it out of him if i wanted, but i was in a hurry this morning. "you look nice today kid, off to school?"
"yeah, as soon as i eat."
"coming up, the carlee special." a hearse pulled up in the front of the hotel.
"oh great, they found someone to take care of frankie," i said.
"frankie lamont?" said shorty.
"yeah, poor thing hung himself last night."
"he owes me over three hundred dollars, i have the tabs."
"sorry shorty, i doubt if his estate is worth three hundred."
"probably not carlee, but, he was a nice man, i liked him." i smiled.
"joe, this is getting boring," ty ty said over his bloody mary.
"sit tight sweetie, we'll get a break soon," joe said.
"well, by god it better be pretty soon or we're going to have to hustle."
"we're really going to have to hustle if this fucking things goes to court," joe stated.
"god," ty ty said, "i haven't been in a court room in over five years."
"we've been lucky, friend. hell, people are afraid of court these days. hey, did i tell you that a group wanted me to run for the supreme court a few years ago?" joe asked.
"goddamnit joe, you don't run for that, someone appoints you, god maybe, or the president."
"i know, it was a bunch of red-neck old ladies, a garden club I think."
"what you tell 'em?"
"that i had more important things to do than set with those old bastards." ty ty laughed.
"man, you always know just exactly what to say."
"gentlemen, the phone."
"who was she?" ty ty asked.
"a fill in, hell, i don't know. answer the phone," joe said.
"mccloud," ty ty answered.
"mr. mccloud, this is dr. serrica, from the university. is there any way my office could meet with you this morning?"
"eh, we have a slot opened at eleven," he answered.
"that would do nicely, see you then."
"jake serrica, joe, maybe the worm has turned," ty ty said. "make me another drink baby."
at ten thirty my shakespeare class ended. god, the histories were so boring. i ran into jayne in the hallway.
"they've made an arrest in the stolen test thing, carlee."
"an arrest, who?"
"it wasn't me, thank god. i hear that they wanted to keep this thing as hush hush as possible. the stock holders are getting antsy, and administration has already lost several really good grants."
"hummm, i didn't know the university did stocks," i said.
"in certain research projects, i'm told, very private, but very important," she responded. i knew that jayne was in this up to her neck, maybe my status would change a little. i remembered how nice dr. serrica was the other night. apologetic, almost.
"come in jake," joe said with a large smile. "and you know ty ty?" he asked. dr. serrica nodded. "have a seat," joe insisted. dr. serrica sat in an overstuffed recliner.
"now, what can we do for you doctor?" ty ty asked, finishing his drink.
"i like your client mr. Mccloud," he answered.
"strong case, ain't it?" ty ty replied, grinning from ear to ear.
"it's not that strong mr. mccloud, lots of holes, but, i'm willing to make you a generous offer." dollar signs lit up in ty ty's eyes.
"you don't want to go to court?" joe asked.
"quite frankly, no, we find all of this 'old hat', we've caught the culprit, we'll deal with him, probably expel him. miss mccord has done no real damage."
"we're not suing you, counsellor, because of damage she did or may have done to you," ty ty said, with fire in his eyes.
"i realize that sir," dr. serrica responded. "i have a cashiers check in my vest pocket made out to gorman and gorman for two and a half million dollars, it only needs my signature."
"our client is hell bent for a million more than that," ty ty retorted.
"she wasn't when last i talked with her," dr. serrica added.
"bull shit, you had no right to talk with her!" ty ty shouted.
"i had every right sir, no law dictates who i can talk to and whom i can't!"
"gentlemen, gentlemen, let's not get out of hand," joe said. ty ty got up and fixed himself another bloody mary.
"i didn't speak to miss carlee about any deals, joe," dr. serrica confessed. "i just wanted to get to know her better, and to apologize for some mistakes."
"oh, you all made plenty of them, serrica," ty ty said. "and you're going to pay for them in court."
"suit yourself, mr. mccloud. of course i could deal directly with miss mccord myself."
"not on your tin type buster, we're her legal representatives, her power of attorney, she don't exist without our say so!" ty ty shouted.
"oh my, i'm sure she would love to know that, mr. Mccloud," dr. serrica scowled.
"everyone likes to be owned."
"look serrica, you're pissing me off, take your goddamned check back to the hill and tell your boss to shove it up his fuckin' ass!" ty ty hollered.
"gentlemen, gentlemen, we're getting carried away, let's stop for a moment and talk turkey," joe interjected.
"turkey my ass joe, he's trying to fuck us," ty ty said.
"he's not fuckin' us ty ty, he's doin' his job," joe said.
"mr. gorman is right, mr. mccloud, i'm here to deal, get this thing over, and get on with our lives, that's all, if this check was made out for five million, i'd be glad to sign it, no skin off my ass," serrica stated.
"then call the son-of-a-bitch and tell him to cut the check for three and a half, that's what our client wants, the damage you all have caused her is irreparable!" ty ty screamed with neck veins distended.
"is he all right, mr. gorman?" serrica asked. ty ty ripped opened his desk drawer. the noise startled the other two men. he pulled out a 45 and threw it on top of his desk. "i won't be intimidated mr. Mccloud," serrica said.
"tie him up, joe!" ty ty shouted.
"no ty ty, i can't," "joe replied.
"tie the mouther fucker up or i'll shoot you!" he screamed.
"no, goddamnit, i won't do it, ty ty, you're out of line, baby."
"you son-of-a-bitch!" ty ty yelled as he pointed the gun at joe and pulled the trigger. joe was hit, hit hard, in the chest. mr. sericca squirmed, and suddenly, there was another shot. ty ty was blown out of his chair. he was dead before he hit the floor. sericca looked up, fear in his eyes.
mr. gorman senior had shot ty ty.
"get out of here dr. sericca, and by god pretend you were never here. It over, it's over!" the old man said, as he cried.
j
