(1969) The Seven Minutes by Irving Wallace Read Free Book Online Page B

stared across the table. ‘How well do you know him?’
    ‘Duncan ? Oh, fairly well. We’re not exactly bosom friends, but after he was elected, when I was still with the Civil Liberties Union, I had many occasions to meet him in and out of court.’ Zelkin unfurled his napkin and draped it across his lap. ‘I like him. I don’t know if I can tell you anything useful. You want to know his assets ? A Vietnam hero with two Purple Hearts. Thirty-two years old. Big family man. Four children. An able attorney, honest, decent, square. A dynamic public speaker, marvelous television personality, not flamboyant but direct and forceful. But a political creature, by instinct. He knows he’s a winner. When he was elected district attorney it was by the biggest landslide in our local elective history. Elmo Duncan knows he’s better than his present job. Now the word is out that someone else, someone who counts, knows it, too. Ever hear of Luther Yerkes ?’
    ‘The Global Industries fellow? Aircraft and electronics. Of course. I once read about him in Fortune magazine. There wasn’t much in it about him, only about his holdings and his worth -millions, billions, something like that. I didn’t know he lived out here.’
    ‘He sure does,’ said Zelkin. ‘Luther Yerkes has a place in Malibu, a thirty-room cottage in Bel-Air, and a pad in Palm Springs. You don’t know all this because Yerkes doesn’t like publicity. He likes money. He likes power. He doesn’t care about fame. Makes sense. Anyway, according to well-founded rumor, Yerkes wants his own senator in Washington - not a senator from California, but a senator from Yerkes. As you know, our incumbent, Senator Walter Nickels, is up for re-election come soon. Our Senator Nickels is in the doghouse with Moneybags Yerkes. Seems that Senator Nickels has been pressing in Congress to head up an investigation of aircraft industries who’ve allegedly conspired to overcharge and otherwise gouge Uncle Sam in cost-plus government contracts. And Luther Yerkes has more government contracts than anyone. And he doesn’t like any snotty legislator giving him trouble. So how to stop such an investigation from getting under way? Cut down its leader, of course. Get rid of him, and serve warning on his cohorts of what can happen to them if they get out of line. So how to get rid of the leader within due process? Simply find someone more attractive, and build that someone up, and have that someone run against Nickels and crush him at the polls. Who’s the someone? You guessed it. Elmo Duncan, boy D.A. of L.A. on the rise. I haven’t got photographs to prove it. I do hear the whispering. And note that our District Attorney has suddenly blossomed as an authority on everything from A to Zygo. These last months, whenever you hear someone making a public speech you can be sure it is Elmo Duncan. In short, Mike, our Elmo Duncan is presently in the business of wanting to be loved by everybody, especially by everybody who is somebody. Your Willard Osborn II is somebody. And Faye Osborn is his daughter. And you are Fay’s fiance. Now you want a small favor from Elmo Duncan. My guess is you’ll get it, so relax.’ ť.
    T feel better already,’ said Barrett.
    Zelkin had removed his spectacles and was wiping them with his napkin. ‘In one way it’s too bad,’ he muttered, ‘your having to sweep the arrest of Ben Fremont under the rug. If it could only be brought to trial, it would be the perfect case for Barrett and Zelkin to start their partnership with. It’s our meat, Mike, a good cause, a challenge, a publicity natural, everything. But what the heck, we’ll have plenty of other cases coming up.’ Zelkin pulled on his spectacles again, and squinted at Barrett. ‘You are going to quit Thayer and Turner, aren’t you?’
    Barrett felt the lump in his throat. He swallowed. ‘I’ve already quit them, Abe. I quit them this morning.’
    Zelkin slapped his hands together. ‘Great!’ he