Cookie's Case Read Online Free PDF Page B

he does it with the kind of confidence that lends it a greater importance.
    â€œYoung lady,” he says, “that was quite an astounding performance.” He puts out his hand for a shake, then slides a folded bill into her unsuspecting palm. She looks. It’s a hundred.
    â€œThat’s extremely generous of you, but completely unnecessary.” She hands him back the bill.
    â€œAre you sure?” he asks. “That was a death-defying act.”
    â€œI’m positive. Please, I don’t want it. Besides, I don’t even know you, sir.”
    â€œPlease, call me Henry. ‘Sir’ makes me feel like an old man.”
    She smiles. “Well, Major’s older than you, I bet. But you’re both handsome and distinguished, and I’m not just saying that.”
    Unless I’m mistaken, Henry blushes. In my book, it’s a first.
    As the two of them are talking, I take the opportunity to inspect the halo. Being a personal injury attorney, I can’t help myself. I’ve had a number of cases involving broken necks, with about a dozen halo wearers. Of course, the million-dollar question, and I mean it literally, is: Does she have an injury claim? I have every confidence that, at just the right moment, I’ll find the opening to head us down that road.
    That is, if Henry doesn’t beat me to it. He’s one of my referring attorneys. Meaning, he sends me injury cases, and it works out for both of us. That is, I do the work and he gets half the legal fee. But here, I have a chance to make the first move.
    THIS IS MADNESS
    Sensing she’s ready to continue her rounds, Henry, with his usual perfect timing, says, “Well, Cookie, I enjoyed meeting you. I can see why you have so many loyal fans around here, and it’s clear many of them are still waiting to greet you.” She rewards him with a radiant smile.
    Wait a minute here. Isn’t Henry going to say something? Could he really be dropping the ball? If so, Cookie really casts some spell. Mick, a casual observer up to this point, now steps in.
    â€œSay Cookie, how’d you end up in a halo, anyway?”
    Thanks, Mick. I look at Henry, who’s realized a second too late that the opening’s mine.
    She pauses and takes a deep breath, like the last thing she wants is to tell the story again. By the look on her face, I know it’s a tale of trauma. How could it not be?
    â€œWell,” she begins, “hard as it may be to believe, it all started when I slipped on a banana peel. At the end of a dance number. It was entirely my fault. I never should’ve used it as a prop, but the guys love it when I do. At first I thought it was no big deal, but I wound up having an operation. Now, I’m three surgeries in. Two of them to fix what the first guy did—and that’s about it.”
    â€œThat’s horrible.” Mick shakes his head. “But I gotta tell you, I used to be a neurologist, and something doesn’t sound right.” He looks at me. “You should have this guy check it all out for you. Tug’s the best damn malpractice lawyer in the state. He’s even got trophies.”
    â€œYou have trophies?” she repeats in an awed tone.
    â€œPlease, Mick,” I correct him, “I don’t have trophies.”
    â€œWell, you have plaques.”
    â€œYes, I have some plaques, but no trophies. Besides, I’m sure Cookie isn’t interested in a malpractice case.” She shoots me a look that implies I’m wrong. Dead wrong. Wow. What’s going on here?
    â€œActually, I already have a lawyer. The case has been going on for almost three years now.” Suddenly, her expression is hard to read.
    â€œWell, who is he?” Mick wants to know. “Tug can tell you if you’re in the right pair of legal hands. He knows everybody. Malpractice cases are challenging, and most attorneys aren’t experienced enough to handle them properly. But my