Unnatural Acts

12

Stone had just come into his office when Joan buzzed him. “Herbie on one.”

Stone picked up the phone. “Good morning, Herbie. How did it go with Mike Freeman?”

“Better than I could have hoped,” Herbie replied. “Dink is at the funny farm, thanks to Mike’s help, and Mike offered me a job at Strategic Services, if I ever want to leave Woodman and Weld.”

“Are you thinking of doing that?” Stone asked.

“No, but having that to fall back on gave me the guts to tell Karla Martin to sort of go fuck herself and get her to write a recommendation to Eggers that he promote me to senior associate.”

“Herbie, it takes a while for an associate to break through that particular ceiling.”

“It’s done, Stone. Eggers went for it.”

“What have you been smoking?”

“I kid you not. I’m in an office with a window, next to a corner office, with a beautiful view up Park Avenue, and I’m interviewing secretaries this afternoon. I’ve got myself an associate to abuse, too, name of Bobby Bentley.”

“Go easy on him, Herbie, Bobby’s dad is an important client.”

“Well, that’s good news. I need to make some rain around here.”

“Good thinking. Congratulations, and have a perfect day.”

“How could it get any more perfect?” Herbie hung up.

Half an hour later, Joan buzzed him. “Marshall Brennan on one.”

Stone was surprised; he had never received a call from Brennan. “Hello?”

“Stone, Marshall Brennan.”

“Good morning, Marshall.”

“I’m calling to thank you for the way you dealt with my son’s problem. He called me this morning from Winwood Farm, and we made up. He says he’s going to make a go of his treatment, then go back to Yale.”

“That’s wonderful news, Marshall.”

“Tell me, who is Herbert Fisher?”

“He’s a lawyer at Woodman and Weld and the young man who made all this happen.”

“You mean you weren’t responsible?”

“Only indirectly. I judged that Herb was the best man for the job, so I brought him in.”

“And he’s at Woodman and Weld?”

“Yes, a senior associate.”

“What does ‘senior associate’ mean?”

“It’s the level at the firm from which partners are selected, and Herb got that promotion faster than any other associate ever has. I’m sure he’d appreciate a call from you, and he’d certainly appreciate any other work you might be able to send his way.”

“Why don’t you bring him to lunch today? I’d like to meet him.”

“We’d both enjoy that, Marshall.”

“P.J. Clarke’s at one? I’ll book.”

“See you there, Marshall.” Stone hung up and called Herbie. “You and I are having lunch with Marshall Brennan today.”

“You’re kidding me!”

“Nope. He wants to express his gratitude for your work, and he might even be more appreciative than that. P.J. Clarke’s, at one.”

“Not the Four Seasons?”

“Marshall’s a pretty down-to-earth guy. I think he was uncomfortable at the Four Seasons last time we met.”

“I’ll be there.”

Stone and Herbie arrived at the restaurant simultaneously and found Marshall Brennan already seated. “You’re not Herbie anymore, you’re Herb,” Stone whispered. He made the introduction, Marshall thanked Herbie, and they ordered. Marshall had the bacon cheeseburger.

“Herb,” Marshall said, “can you ride a horse?”

“Yes,” Herbie replied, with a straight face.

“Can you take a couple of weeks off this summer?”

“I have some vacation time coming,” Herbie said, looking askance at Stone, who shrugged almost imperceptibly.

“Dink’s going to get out of Winwood Farm sometime this summer, and I’m sending him out to my ranch in Montana for a few weeks, before he starts at Yale again this fall. How’d you like to go with him?”

“Mr. Brennan, I’m a reasonably priced lawyer, but an expensive babysitter.”

Brennan laughed. “Dink doesn’t need a babysitter, he needs a friend. He spoke well of you when we talked this morning, said he’d like to get to know you better.”

“In that case I’d be delighted to visit Montana.”

“Good. I’ll let you know the dates later. Now, Herb, I understand you’re a senior associate and looking for some business of your own.”

“Both of those things are true,” Herbie said.

“I have a substantial investment in a start-up software company that I have high hopes for. They’re smart kids, but they need some adult supervision with legal matters, especially intellectual property. You know anything about that?”

“I do, sir, and by tomorrow morning I’ll know a lot more,” Herbie said.

Brennan handed Herbie a card. “This is the CEO. They’re housed in an old industrial building in SoHo. Drop in and see them, will you?”

Herbie looked at the card. “High Cotton Ideas,” he read. “I like the sound of that. Now, Mr. Brennan…”

“Please, it’s Marshall.”

“Marshall, I have some business for you, if you want it-a young lawyer with two million dollars to invest.”

“My bottom limit with clients is ten million,” Brennan said. “Who’s the young man?”

“I am he,” Herbie said, “and I’ll make it five million. That’s the best I can do.”

“Okay,” Brennan said. “My secretary will send you the documents, and you send me a check, then we’ll set about making you rich.”

“Thank you, Marshall. I’ll look forward to that.”

Brennan turned toward Stone. “How about you, Stone? From what I hear you’ve got money that needs to be put to work.”

Stone had thought about this before but hadn’t known how to approach Brennan. Word was, he was almost impossible to hire these days. “I’ll send you a check for twenty-five million of mine and ten million of my son’s. He’s at Yale, in the drama school.”

“You have his power of attorney?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll send you the paperwork this afternoon.”

Their food arrived, and they dug in.

After lunch, the three men walked out of the restaurant to find cabs.

“Herb,” Brennan said, looking him up and down, “you dress very well.”

“Thank you, Marshall.”

“I’m aware that I’m pretty much clueless about clothes. Would you take me on as a patient?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll call you for lunch again, and you can take me shopping.”

Stone and Herbie put Brennan into a cab, then hailed one for themselves.

“Man oh man,” Herbie said, “I’m investing with Marshall Brennan! I would never have been able to swing that on my own.”

“If it’s any consolation, Herb, neither would I,” Stone said.