PART THREE
TILL DEATH DO US PART
Chapter 47
THREE HUNDRED E-MAILS had collected in my in-box since court recessed for lunch. I responded to a third of them: the ones from clients, heads of three overseas offices, Eric Caine, Justine, and Cruz.
There was an e-mail from Hal Archer too, and I thought about how I had grown up calling him Mr. Archer, that he was loyal enough to stay with Private after my father was imprisoned, even after Tom Sr. turned the remains of his client list over to me.
I inherited Hal Archer.
He may have been my first client. But I never liked him. He was a bully. He demeaned his employees, all of them, including his contracted consultants, guys like me. Did I want to fire a client whose business was worth three million a year to Private’s bottom line?
I did.
I hit my phone’s Call Back button, listened as the line connected and Hal answered.
“Hal, it’s Jack. I have an idea. I have a good friend, I used to work for him, as a matter of fact, and I think he would be more suited to handling your business than Private is.”
“I killed her, Jack.”
The air went absolutely still as I tried to process what Archer had said.
“That’s not funny, Hal.”
“I killed that bitch in self-defense. Maybe you’ll come over to my house now, Jack. That is, if you’re not too busy.”
His voice was saturated with sarcasm, but the quaver was still there. Archer was afraid. And this time, he had reason to be.
“Who else knows about this?” I asked him.
“Only you.”
“What about people working in the house for you?”
“They’re in the main. We’re in the back. Pool house.”
“Don’t let anyone in. I’m on the way.”
“Your father would have said, ‘Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything, Hal.’”
“Don’t go anywhere. Don’t touch anything. Don’t talk to anyone. I’ll be there soon.”