List

Chapter One ; ;Inherit the wind. ;--Proverbs 11:29, kjv ; ;The secretary whom Renny shared with two other associates in the banking law section of the firm buzzed the speakerphone on Renny's desk. "Attorney Jefferson McClintock from Charleston calling on line one. Says it's personal." ; ;"I'll take it." ; ;Renny shut the door of the windowless office he had occupied since graduating from law school three months earlier. If he continued working sixty hours a week, he had a fifty-fifty chance of a comfortable six-figure salary and an office with a view of the city in approximately twelve years. But for now he was at the bottom of the legal food chain. Of the 104 lawyers employed by Jackson, Robinson, and Temples in Charlotte, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, and Washington, D.C., his name, Josiah Fletchall Jacobson, was next to last on the firm's letterhead. ; ;Renny picked up the phone. "Hello, Mr. McClintock." ; ;"How are you, Renny?" ; ;"I'm OK. Busy learning the ins and outs of Truth in Lending and Regulation Z." ; ;"Bank work, eh?" ; ;"Yes sir. I have to review all the forms used by the lending institutions we represent to make sure they contain the exact wording required by the regulations and print everything in the appropriate size type." ; ;"Sounds picky." ; ;"It is, but if I make a mistake, the banks can get hit with class-action lawsuits involving thousands of consumers who have a cause of action, even if they didn't suffer any financial harm." ; ;"Our government regulators at work." The Charleston lawyer coughed and cleared his throat. "Well, move the law books to the side for a minute, and let's talk about your father's estate. With the help of two associates, I've almost completed the documents needed to probate your father's will, but there are several matters that need your attention." ; ;Two associates. Renny knew how the system worked. Multi-lawyer involvement was McClintock's way to triple his money: charge for each junior lawyer's time and throw in another fee at time and a half for the senior partner to proofread a stack of papers. ; ;"Any problems?" Renny asked. ; ;"We need to meet and discuss some things," McClintock answered vaguely. "When can you come to Charleston? Tomorrow is Friday. Why not leave early and see me around two?" ; ;Renny had worked until ten o'clock two nights earlier in the week and had billed enough hours for the week to sneak away by late morning on Friday. Besides, he wasn't going to let anything delay moving forward on the estate. "Could we make it three?" ; ;"Let me see." McClintock paused. "Yes. I can move my three o'clock appointment up an hour." ; ;"Do I need to bring anything?" ; ;"No," replied McClintock, "we'll have the paperwork ready. See you then." ; ;"With your bill on top," Renny remarked as he heard the click of the other lawyer hanging up the phone. ; ;Renny let his mind wander as he looked around his office. Even though it wasn't much larger than a walk-in closet, Renny didn't complain. Landing a job at a big law firm in a major city was the ultimate prize for the masses of eager students passing through the law school meat grinder. Each one entered the legal education process hoping they would come out with Law Review on their resumes and filet mignon status in the difficult job market. Most ended up as hamburger, relieved to find any job at all. ; ;Renny had an adWhitlow, Robert is the author of 'List', published 2004 under ISBN 9780849945182 and ISBN 0849945186.