Equivocal Death Read Online Free PDF Page B

some of MacKinnon’s work in law school,” Kate said, try-31
    ing to muster an air of detachment while she figured out where this 32
    was leading. “It’s interesting, but . . . doesn’t she say that sexual re-33
    lations between men and women are never consensual?”
    ort 34
    “Something like that.” Madeleine smiled. She did not seem in-reg 35
    clined to continue.

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    E Q U I V O C A L D E A T H
    2 5
    In the silence that followed, Kate’s eyes scanned the room. As a 1
    general rule, partners’ suites were dense with signs of their private 2
    lives — family photos, mementos from past victories, children’s 3
    artwork. However, this human detritus was notably absent from 4
    Madeleine’s office. Hanging on the back wall was a single abstract 5
    oil — a vibrant composition of blues, greens, and orange. If they 6
    shared nothing else, Madeleine and Carter seemed to share a taste 7
    for the modern. Though since Madeleine was younger and a 8
    woman, Kate found her choices less surprising. Was it Madeleine 9
    who’d shaped Mills’s taste?
    10
    Aside from the painting, the only other item on the ivory walls 11
    was a black-and-white photograph behind Madeleine’s desk. A 12
    rugged coastline, waves cresting against huge rocks. Kate found 13
    herself staring at the image. She sensed Madeleine watching her.
    14
    “That’s a wonderful picture,” Kate said. She wasn’t sure what to 15
    say next.
    16
    Madeleine’s face softened as she turned to look at the picture.
    17
    “A good friend of mine took that many years ago,” she said. “I’ve 18
    always had it with me.” Then she looked back at Kate.
    19
    “How long have you been at Samson & Mills?”
    20
    The question caught Kate off guard. “Just over a year, I guess.”
    21
    Abruptly, Madeleine stood up. As if she’d reached some sort of 22
    decision. Circling her desk, she came up alongside Kate’s chair.
    23
    Leaning forward, she grasped her shoulder. “You need to be very 24
    careful.” Her green eyes glittered. Her fingers dug into Kate’s flesh.
    25
    “There are things —”
    26
    Again, the phone rang. After a brief hesitation, Madeleine re-27
    leased Kate’s shoulder and went back to her desk.
    28
    “Yes, Carter?” This time, Kate could hear nothing from the 29
    other end of the line. Madeleine’s head was bowed. Kate couldn’t 30
    make out her expression. She felt a sharp tingling sensation on her 31
    skin where Madeleine’s hand had been.
    32
    Moments later, the call was over. Madeleine seemed once again 33
    preoccupied as she pulled open a drawer and began to rifle through 34 sh
    its contents. When she spoke, she didn’t look up. “There’s some-35 re

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    A M Y G U T M A N
    1
    thing I need to take care of,” she said. “We’ll have to finish this 2
    later.”
    3
    w
    4
    1 p.m. It was time. He’d put it off as long as he could. Any further 5
    delay and he might not reach her. Of course, he’d logged on to 6
    Samson’s computer network to check Madeleine’s calendar. That 7
    was a daily practice. Click in. Click out. He knew she was in for 8
    the afternoon. Conference call on some boring Micro-Net matter 9
    at three. A new client prospect at four.
    10
    He picked up the phone, punched in her number.
    11
    Breathe in, breathe out. Everything will be fine.
    12
    “Madeleine Waters’s office. How may I help you?” He recog-13
    nized the voice of Carmen Rodriguez, Madeleine’s secretary. So far 14
    so good.
    15
    “I’m calling from Chuck Thorpe’s office. Mr. Thorpe has had a 16
    slight change of schedule. He’d appreciate it if Ms. Waters could 17
    meet him an hour earlier than planned. At seven instead of eight.”
    18
    Good. Take control. Remind her that you’re the client. You set the 19
    terms.
    20
    “Just one moment. Let me check with Ms. Waters.” He heard 21
    the click of the hold button. And then the interminable