The Associate by John Grisham Read Free Book Online Page B

He really works for the FBI.”
“Yes, these are real names. We just borrowed them for the night.”
“So, you're impersonating an officer?”
“Certainly, but it's just a small offense. Not worth your trouble.”
“But why?”
“To get your attention, Kyle. To convince you to come here and have this little meeting with me. Otherwise, you might have run away. Plus, we wanted to impress you with our resources.”
“We?”
“Yes, my firm. You see, Kyle, I work for a contractor, a private one, and we've been hired to do a job. We need you, and this is how we recruit people.”
Kyle blew out a chestful of nervous laughter. His cheeks were getting warm, the blood was beginning to circulate. There was a rising thrill at the relief of not being prosecuted, of having been rescued from the firing squad. But the anger was beginning to boil.
“You recruit by blackmail?” he asked.
“If necessary. We have the video. We know where the girl is. She does indeed have a lawyer.”
“Does she know about the video?”
“No, but if she saw it, your life could get very complicated.”
“I'm not sure I follow you.”
“Come on, Kyle. Rape has a twelve-year statute of limitations in Pennsylvania. You have seven years to go. If Elaine and her lawyer knew about the video, they would threaten criminal prosecution to force a civil settlement. It would be, as you say, nothing but a shakedown, but it would work. Your life will go much smoother if you play along with us and we keep the video buried.”
“So you're recruiting me?”
“Yes.”
“To do what?”
“To be a lawyer.”

The Associate

Chapter 5
With a crushing weight suddenly lifted from his shoulders, and with his breathing somewhat normal again, Kyle glanced at his watch. It was after midnight. He looked at Wright, or whatever the hell his name really was, and he wanted to smile and even hug the man because he wasn't a cop from Pittsburgh and he didn't deliver an indictment. There would be no arrest, no prosecution, no humiliation, and for this Kyle was euphoric. But at the same time he wanted to bolt across the table and punch Wright's face with as much violence as he could generate, then knock him to the floor and kick him until he didn't move.
He vetoed both ideas. Wright was fit and probably trained and could take care of himself. And he certainly wasn't the type anyone would want to hug. Kyle leaned back in his chair, placed his right ankle on his left knee, and relaxed for the first time in hours.
“So what's your real name?” he asked.
Wright was preparing a new legal pad for a fresh round of note taking.
He entered the date in the top left corner. “We're not going to waste time with frivolous questions, Kyle.”
“Oh, why not? You can't even tell me your name?”
“Let's stick with Bennie Wright for now. It doesn't really matter, because you'll never know the real name.”
“I like this. Real cloak-and-dagger shit. You guys are good. Really had me going there for about four hours. Had a knot in my colon as big as a pumpkin. Already thinking about finding a nice bridge to wing it from. I hate your guts and don't ever forget it.”
“When you shut up, we can get down to business.”
“Can I walk out right now?”
“Sure.”
“And no one will grab me? No more fake badges and phony FBI agents?”
“None. Go. You're a free man.”
“Oh, thank you.”
A minute passed without a word. Wright's fierce little eyes never left Kyle's face, while Kyle, hard as he tried, could not return the stare. His foot twitched and his eyes darted and he drummed his fingers on the table. His mind raced through a hundred scenarios, but he never once thought of leaving the room.
“Let's talk about your future, Kyle,” Wright finally said.
“Sure. Now that I won't be arrested, the future has certainly improved.”
“This job you're planning to take. Piedmont Legal Aid. Why do you want to waste a couple of years saving the world?”
“Don't really see it that way. There are a lot