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granddaughter.
    The obit gave me my first information about Fleur’s mother. She was the former Irene Olian, daughter of a Reverend Billy Lee Olian. She had married Estes in 1916 and had given him four children. Three sons had been killed in World War II. But Irene Olian Graham had already died in 1937. Estes was survived only by Fleur and Leander and Eloise in utero .
    I thought about the wedding picture. Especially about Leander Crystal getting married in his uniform. Crystal was the perfect son-in-law for a man who’d lost three sons in war. About the right age, something of a hero himself, and alive.
    Estes’ funeral was scheduled for August 23.
    I cranked on.
    To a surprise. In the innards of Friday, August 27, I found another picture of Fleur and Leander at Weir Cook Airport. Leaving, according to the caption, for New York City. Not happy. Fleur, clearly pregnant, dressed in black. No additional story.
    Not a very good time to go to New York. They certainly didn’t travel places in the comfortable seasons. A French winter and a New York summer.
    The only thing I could think of was that there was some complication in Fleur’s pregnancy. So they were going to New York to birth the child.
    There was no notice of Eloise’s birth in the Star between August 27 and October 31, 1954. That gave me a moment’s hesitation. But I decided to check out the New York records. I got the New York Times microfilms out and began a search there.
    I finally found her. Born, November 1, 1954, a daughter, Eloise Graham Crystal, to Leander and Fleur Crystal of Indianapolis, Indiana.
    I had to laugh. Yesterday had been October 14, 1970. That gave me a fifteen-year-old client, not a sixteen-year-old one. She had hedged by a few days. Poor thing.
    Of course in some states those few days make all the difference.
    I went back to the Star . And found, on November 16, a picture of the family Crystal returning to Indianapolis. Eloise’s first introduction to Indianapolis. The airport photographer was on the ball. His combings of the names of people with reservations and the names on the incoming flight lists had yielded some pictures that I appreciated.
    From November 16 on I found only one item more.
    December 30, 1954. Notice of the completion of probate of Estes’ will. Worth in the neighborhood of twelve million. Nice neighborhood.
    With that I packed up shop. It was pushing three. I was expecting Eloise Crystal, and had a call to make before I saw her. I refiled all the microfilm, gathered my notes and walked briskly home.

4
    First thing back in the office, I called Clinton Grillo. He’s one of my lawyers, the one I use for actual and possible criminal prosecution of my nearest and dearest. Me. His secretary asked me to hold on. Which I did, for nearly ten minutes.
    The question I needed answering was whether I was legally free to take on a fifteen-year-old female client.
    â€œYou’ve come up with some interesting questions in your time Albert. Is this one hypothetical?” He is also the father of one of my closer high school friends.
    â€œNo, sir, it’s not.”
    â€œI am presuming the young lady wishes to employ you without the knowledge of her parents.”
    â€œThat is correct.”
    â€œWell, I know of no specific prohibitions, but there would seem to be many dangers. For instance, you would have no legal recourse should such a client decide to withhold payment of monies owed you. And were she to visit you alone in your office you would be particularly vulnerable should such a client take it into her head to make, sexual accusations. Especially, shall we say, if someone else had already done what the client decided to accuse you of.”
    â€œYou have a dirty mind, sir.”
    â€œTrue, my boy. How true.”
    â€œThat’s it?”
    â€œIsn’t it enough for you to think about?”
    â€œGuess so.”
    It all depends on just how much you trust the minor