Ejecta Read Online Free PDF

going back outside.
    All of the building’s tenants were listed on a board that faced out into the lobby, so it was a simple matter to scan the list for Leander, and make a mental note of which floor he was on. By wearing the knapsack, and hoisting a bag in each hand, Devlin managed to carry everything into the elevator. A well-dressed professional held the door for her. Devlin couldn’t help but feel out of place as more business types entered the car and the elevator began to rise. The academic tried to picture the raggedy, largely unkempt, and often filthy men she’d been working with for the last couple of years showing up for work in suits. The thought brought a smile to her face.
    The car stopped, the doors whispered open, and people made room so Devlin could exit. After one false start Devlin chose the correct hall, spotted the glass panel that had “Marvin Leander, Attorney,” printed across it, and was forced to place her bags on the floor before opening the door and dragging them into the office one-at-a-time.
    The middle-aged woman who sat behind the reception desk watched with amusement as the young woman shrugged her way out from under the much repaired pack. “Can I help you?” she inquired politely.
    Devlin smiled. “Sorry about the luggage…. But I just came from the airport. My name is Sara Devlin. Is Mr. Leander in?”
    “Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist countered professionally. She was petite, pretty, and had light brown skin. In marked contrast to the woman in front of her every aspect of the paralegal’s apparel had been chosen with care.
    “No,” Devlin confessed. “I don’t.”
    “Please have a seat,” the receptionist said sympathetically. “Mr. Leander has a full schedule this afternoon—but perhaps he can squeeze you in.”
    After disappearing into what Devlin assumed to be Leander’s office, the woman returned to say that the attorney would see her as soon as possible, and offered a cup of coffee which she accepted. It had been a long time since Devlin had been able to satisfy her secret appetite for
People
magazine, and she was about halfway through the latest edition, when the inner office opened and an elderly woman emerged. A well dressed man was right behind her. He had brown eyes, a broad nose, and hair so short that his dark scalp showed through. His shirt was glaringly white, his tie was secured by a Windsor knot, and his shoes were so shiny they seemed to glow. When he spoke his voice had a deep melodious quality. “Don’t worry about a thing, Mrs. Kanski…. I’ll have the contract to you by the end of the week.”
    As soon as the door closed behind Mrs. Kanski the attorney turned toward Devlin. The smile appeared to be genuine and the handshake was firm. “I’m Marvin Leander…. And you must be Dr. Devlin.”
    “Everyone calls me Sara,” Devlin said, as she came to her feet. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
    “The feeling is mutual,” Leander said agreeably. “I’m glad you came by…. Let’s adjourn to my office and get the process started.”
    Devlin followed the lawyer into his office where she chose one of two guest chairs. With the single exception of the attorney’s back table, which was piled high with paper, the rest of the room was just as impeccable as the man himself. The cherry wood table reflected his image, the thousand-dollar chair sighed happily as he sat in it, and floor to ceiling book shelves were positioned as if to protect his left flank. Only the view, which looked out onto the I-5 corridor, hinted at the fact that while already successful, Leander had a ways to go before he arrived at the very top of the legal food chain.
    “How was your flight?” Leander wanted to know as he arranged a yellow legal pad and a sleek looking pen in front of him.
    Devlin toyed with the idea of telling the attorney about the strip search, and asking if the procedure was legit, but decided to let the matter go. “I had a center seat