prelude

Canyons of steel had plunged the street below into a false early darkness. Sunday afternoon, bleak and gray, downtown deserted and misty. The attorney worked alone in his office, a halogen lamp casting a bright pool of light on the papers spread across the desk. His brow furrowed in concentration as he studied the documents, considering which would be needed for the court hearing later in the week. A file box filled with reams of paper rested on the floor next to his chair.

He grasped another handful of documents and flipped through the pages, mentally cursing his associate who should have already completed this task. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath in an effort to control his temper. His doctor had warned him about his blood pressure. Lazy damn incompetents, he thought. All of them. Did he really have to do this scut work himself ?

He heard the ping of the elevator doors in the corridor but ignored the sound, certain it was the weekend cleaning staff. He wanted no interruptions and planned to finish his review within the hour. He glanced up in irritation as the door swung open.

“What the hell do you want now?” he barked. Not waiting for an answer, he swiveled in his chair and leaned forward, flipping up the lid of the nearest file box.

A blinding light filled his sight as sharp metal was thrust into his neck. His attacker stepped back. Arterial blood sprayed the wall. His hand reached for the wound. His mouth opened but he could not speak. Twitching uncontrollably, he slumped forward onto the desk, the complexities of trial strategy no longer on his mind.