Mary cringed. “Sanjay, I defended Alex Chen’s deposition and it went beautifully. The case is in place, and we are going forward with the deposition schedule. We are fully prepared to continue this representation. We’re not responsible for what happened today. We are as appalled by it as you are.”
Bennie interjected, “Yes, and think about it, Sanjay. Where else will you get replacement counsel so quickly? So many of the other firms were conflicted out. That was why you came to us, and we’re doing great—”
Sanjay interrupted, “Bennie, please don’t make this harder than it already is. We have decided. We may not even continue the suit. We doubt we could find anybody else to take it on a contingency. We don’t have the money to stage this litigation otherwise. We might have to abandon it, if push comes to shove.”
Bennie pursed her lips. “But we can get this thing settled, you have to hang in until trial. So just stay with us and—”
Sanjay interrupted again, “We can’t. Business is ruthless. Nobody knows it better than the little guy. David doesn’t beat Goliath, not in real life. We’re snake-bit, and with John’s murder…” his voice trailed off, “… we’ll let you know what happens next and where you should send the file, if we pursue it further.”
Bennie paused. “Okay. I hear you. Thank you very much, Sanjay. We’re always here for you, wishing you the best. And thank you for coming to John’s service. Good-bye, and take care.”
“You too.” Sanjay ended the call, and Bennie slid the phone into her pocket, exhaling tightly.
“Oh, man. He fired us, and I don’t blame him. Do you guys?”
“No,” Mary admitted, though it drove her crazy. “So they lose, we lose, and Machiavelli wins.”
Anne moaned. “No more London Technologies? The whole case is gone, just like that?”
“It happens, Murphy.” Bennie made a sympathetic face at Anne, who shook her head.
“All that work, down the drain. It was such a good case. They were in the right. They deserved to win and they would have. We would have had an awesome settlement, I know it. We were almost there.”
“I bet.” Judy looked at Anne, her lower lip buckling. “I’m sorry. I know you worked really hard on it, and it sucks that this happened today, of all days. John would be so upset.”
“Okay, enough.” Bennie ushered them away from the wall. “We can’t let this distract us from what really matters. Please, go sit down.” She gestured to the table, and they retook their seats, then she raised her wineglass. “Everyone, excuse that interruption, but I say, let’s toast to John.”
“L’chaim,” Lou said sadly, raising a wineglass, joined by Anne and Marshall.
“Yes, to John.” Judy helped William raise a water glass, both of them holding back new tears.
“To John, a wonderful nephew.” Mel hoisted a wineglass, and so did Susan, her eyes glistening.
“TO JOHN!” Mary’s father raised his whiskey, and her mother and Anthony raised wineglasses.
“To John.” Mary sipped water, her emotions whirling. One look at Judy, William, and the Hodges told her how agonized they were feeling, and now they’d been cheated of a peaceful memorial service that could have provided some healing. Somewhere, Machiavelli was laughing. Mary felt like the bad guys were winning.
Her father rubbed her back. “MARE, YOU GOTTA FIGHT SOUTH PHILLY WITH SOUTH PHILLY. HE THINKS HE’S A BIG MUCKETY-MUCK, JUST ’CAUSE HE’S GOT HIS OWN LAW FIRM? WELL, SO DO YOUSE.”
Mary’s mother nodded in approval. “Si, e vero.”
“Thanks.” Mary forced a smile. The baby hadn’t kicked in a while, giving her a break.
“We sure do.” Bennie patted Judy on the shoulder. “We have each other. We’re partners, and we’re going to mourn John, then get it together and fight back. I already have some ideas.”
“Me, too,” Mary said, since a plan was hatching in the back of her mind. Meanwhile, the waiters entered the dining room with trays of salmon filet and broccoli, then started serving the Hodges, The Tonys, Anthony, Marshall, and William, as Judy began to cut his food to feed him.
“HE’S ON HIS HIGH HORSE ON ACCOUNT OF HE HAS SO MUCH MONEY AND BUSINESSES, TOO. I WAS ASKIN’ AROUN’ AND JOEY ONE EYE TOLE ME THAT MACHIAVELLI HAS INVESTMENTS ALL OVER. EVEN IN THE HAM TINS.”
“The ham tins?” Mary asked, ignoring the meal placed in front of her, for the time being.
“YEAH. IT’S A FANCY PLACE IN NEW YORK. THEY GOT BEACHES AND HORSE SHOWS.”
“You mean the Hamptons?”
“YEAH, THAT’S IT.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“YES, JOEY ONE EYE TOLE ME. EVER HEARD OF THE PLACE?”
“I’ve heard of the Hamptons, but I mean the business. Are you saying that Machiavelli has a business in the Hamptons?” Mary felt something gnawing at the edges of her memory.
“YEAH, LIKE FINANCIAL SERVICES OR SOMETHIN’. HE OWNS IT.”
Suddenly it came to her. “Was the name of the company Hampton Holdings?”
“YEAH, I THINK THAT’S IT. WHY?”
Mary felt a bolt of excitement. “One of the plaintiffs from the reverse-discrimination lawsuit worked there during the summers. I think it was Graham Madden.”
Bennie looked over. “You mean the lawsuit against us? One of those plaintiffs used to work for a company of Machiavelli’s?”
Judy came alive. “For real?”
“Yes.” Mary reached for her phone, rallying. “I can show you the resume. I was searching to see if the plaintiffs had worked for him at his law firm. I didn’t know Machiavelli owned businesses other than his law firm so I didn’t see the connection.”
Anne blinked. “He owns companies, in addition to his law firm? Who does that? Is that a thing?”
Bennie nodded. “Sure. I don’t own any other businesses, but Declan does, and I have other friends who do. Mostly business lawyers, not litigators. They buy shares of companies or form consortia to buy them, like any other investments.”
Judy straightened in her seat. “So Machiavelli did manufacture the lawsuit against us.”
“I knew it!” Mary searched her email, found the email from Bennie, and opened the attachment, enlarging the screen to see Madden’s resume, with its reference to Hampton Holdings, LLC. She held up the phone. “It’s right here. Madden worked for Hampton Holdings in the summers before law school.”
Bennie and Judy exchanged looks. Bennie said, “So Machiavelli meets this kid when he’s in college, then the kid goes to law school, and Machiavelli puts him up to suing us?” She frowned. “But why would the kid do that?”
Judy’s blue eyes came to life. “He would if Machiavelli put him through law school. He’d owe him.”
“Right!” Mary felt the puzzle pieces fall into place. “Madden does well in school, then one day, Machiavelli asks him a favor. He says, Apply to Rosato & DiNunzio for a job, and when you get turned down, sue them. It’s evil, and it works. I bet the other plaintiffs worked for Machiavelli’s other businesses. Pop, what were they, do you remember?”
“NO, UH, IF YOU SAY THE NAME, I MIGHT. I WROTE IT DOWN. IT’S AT HOME.”
Mary opened the attachment of Michael Battle’s resume, skimming to his employment experience. “How about Wheels-Up, an aviation insurance company in Wayne?”
“UH, YEAH, THAT’S ONE.” Her father nodded.
Mary’s heart beat faster. She opened the attachment of Stephen McManus’s resume, reading his work experience. “How about AI-Intelligence, some kind of robotics company? It’s in the Chicago area.”
“YEAH I THINK THAT’S ONE, TOO.”
“Were there others?”
“YEAH, BUT I FORGET.”
“Who told you this again?”
“JOEY ONE EYE. YOU DON’T KNOW HIM. YOUR MOTHER’S CAMARR JOSIE KNEW HIM FROM HER OLD PARISH BEFORE SHE MOVED AND—”
“How does he know all this about Machiavelli?”
“HE USED TO DO SOME BOOKKEEPIN’ FOR MACHIAVELLI, EARLY ON BEFORE HE GOT TO BE A BIG SHOT.”
Bennie interjected, “If this man was an accountant, he has a fiduciary duty to keep it to himself. It’s confidential information.”
“BENNIE, DON’T WORRY. JOEY ONE EYE’S NOT A REAL ACCOUNTANT. HE WAS GOOD WITH NUMBERS IN SCHOOL AND MACHIAVELLI USED HIM BECAUSE HE’S A CHEAP BASTARD. JOEY ONE EYE GOT PISSED AFTER MACHIAVELLI STIFFED HIM ’CAUSE HE COULDN’T WORK NO MORE.”
Mary asked, “Because he lost his eye?”