The Associate by Phillip Margolin Read Free Book Online

in a hushed voice as soon as he shut the door.
    “What do you mean?” Daniel asked nervously.
    “The word is that Briggs has a hair up his ass the size of a redwood and you put it there.”
    “Shit.”
    “So it’s true.”
    Daniel felt utterly defeated.
    “What happened?”
    “I don’t want to talk about it.”
    “Look, compadre, I’m here for you.”
    “I appreciate the support. I’d just rather be alone now.”
    “Okay,” Molinari said reluctantly. He stood up. “Just remember what I said. If there’s something I can do, ask.”
    Molinari left. Daniel felt exhausted and the day had just started. It suddenly dawned on him that he had never gotten around to discussing with Susan her role in the discovery fiasco. If Susan went to Briggs and told him that she was partly to blame, it might help, and from what Molinari said, he could use all the help he could get. Daniel walked down the hall to Susan’s office. She was wearing a cream-colored blouse and a gray pantsuit and looked as fresh and untroubled as a woman who had slept for twenty-four hours.
    “Susan?”
    “Oh, hi,” she answered with a smile.
    “Got a minute?”
    Daniel started toward a chair.
    “Actually, I don’t.” Daniel stopped in his tracks. “Arthur needs this yesterday.”
    “We really have to talk.”
    “Now is not a good time,” she said firmly. Her smile was starting to look a little strained.
    “I was hoping that you’d tell Arthur that you were supposed to review the discovery and that I helped you out.”
    Susan looked surprised, as if the idea had never occurred to her.
    “Why would I do that?”
    “So he’d know how big the job was and that I didn’t get started until the last minute,” Daniel answered, trying to rein in his temper.
    “Even if I was supposed to review the discovery, you’re the one who did,” Susan answered defensively. “If I tell Arthur, it won’t help. All that will accomplish is getting me in trouble, too.”
    “If Briggs knew that we were both to blame it would take some of the pressure off of me.”
    Susan looked nervous. “
I
didn’t go through the discovery.
You’re
the one who missed that letter.”
    “You’d have missed it, too. Briggs would have missed it.”
    “You’re right,” Susan agreed quickly. “Look, you’ll be okay. Arthur gets angry easily, but he’ll be distracted by this mess and forget you delivered the letter.”
    “Fat chance.”
    “Or he’ll see that you’re right. That the letter was a needle in a haystack that no one could have found unless they were incredibly lucky. You don’t have to worry.”
    “You’re the one who doesn’t have to worry,” Daniel said with a trace of bitterness. “He’d never fire you.”
    Susan looked very uncomfortable. “I really do have to finish this assignment. It’s research on the admissibility of Kaidanov’s letter. Can we talk about this later?”
    “When, after I’m unemployed?” Daniel shot back.
    “I mean it, Daniel. I’ll buzz you as soon as I get some free time.”
     
* * *
     
    Daniel could not concentrate on the pleading he was drafting because his thoughts kept drifting to the Insufort case. He could not believe that Geller Pharmaceuticals would intentionally sell a product that produced the horrible results he’d seen in Aaron Flynn’s office. He had met many of the Geller executives. They weren’t monsters. The results that Sergey Kaidanov wrote about had to be an anomaly.
    Daniel set aside the pleading and opened a large folder that held all of the Insufort studies. He started with the earliest and worked his way through them looking for anything that would help. By the time he had finished his review it was almost one. Daniel suddenly remembered Susan’s promise to call him when she was through with her work. He dialed Susan’s extension and her secretary told him that she had left for the day. Daniel wasn’t surprised. Deep down he knew that Susan was not going to help him. If he wanted