First Do No Harm (Benjamin Davis Book Series, Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Squeeze Bottom, and drove them to the party. Liza, a registered nurse, volunteered to keep an eye on Goldie, who was very frail. As Davis glanced in the rearview mirror, he saw her wince in pain. Tonight was going to be difficult for this extremely sick and brave woman, but Goldie insisted on being there to join others in honoring her husband of forty-four years.
    As they entered the club, Liza took Goldie to one side and found her a place to sit so she wouldn’t be trampled by the dozens of well-wishers who converged on Morty. Morty acknowledged the accolades of his guests but made a beeline to shake hands with his old friend Justice Marshall, who was standing in the corner, drink in hand.
    The open bar flowed, and all enjoyed the food. About an hour into the party, Justice Marshall made a short speech and described Morty as “not only a great lawyer, but one of the greatest men I’ve ever known. Morty didn’t use his God-given talent to just make money and benefit his clients. Rather, he made a significant difference in this world.” Marshall actually got a little emotional and thanked Morty for their fifty-year friendship.
    Even Davis was impressed by how much Marshallrecognized the old man. Davis thought,
It has been an honor to be a part of Morty’s legal career, even a small part
.
    After Marshall spoke, Dolly Parton, whom Morty had represented for more than thirty years, climbed onto his lap and sang “I Will Always Love You.” It brought the house down.
    After Miss Dolly kissed the top of Morty’s balding head, the old orator stood and addressed the crowd. He thanked Justice Marshall for his kind words and Miss Dolly for her beautiful song: “I’ve enjoyed my legal career, representing some of you and doing battle with others.”
    Morty specifically recognized several prominent politicians, including two United States congressmen and two Tennessee Supreme Court justices. The room was filled with a who’s who of the state of Tennessee for the last fifty years.
    “I’ve loved one woman my entire life, the still beautiful Goldie. We married in 1948, and she’s been my partner in life ever since.”
    He regaled the crowd with their story. Morty stared only at Goldie as he recounted the day they met at Steine’s Department Store, she a salesclerk and Morty a young lawyer, a World War II veteran, and the owner’s son to boot. People could almost picture the tall, handsome man with curly black hair as he stood before them. Now slightly stooped, Morty had only a fringe of gray.
    The guests laughed as Morty told them all about what a good team he and Goldie made. “But I knew who the boss was,” Morty added with a grin. “If you corner her, she’ll tell you that I like to think I’m calling the shots in our partnership, but that’s not the truth. Shejust lets me think I’m in control,” he said.
    Looking at the tears streaming down Goldie’s face, Morty blew her a kiss before turning to Davis.
    “Well, in my professional life, I’ve only had one partner: Ben Davis. He and I have been together since 1975, and like Goldie, he’s figured out that it’s easier to plant one of his ideas in my head, let me call it my own, and let me take credit for it. He’s been doing that for years, and I’ve let him because I enjoy taking the bow. But it’s time to give credit where credit is due. I toast my friend, my partner, and a great lawyer, Ben Davis. Thank you for this memorable evening.”
    The open bar remained open, but the evening began to wind down as judges and politicians left the club severely under the influence.
    Liza informed her husband that she would be giving Morty and Goldie a ride home and that Sammie Davis, their niece, was his ride. Davis and Sammie needed to remain until the forty or so diehards at the bar and at tables decided to leave.
    As Davis watched Liza rounding up Morty and Goldie, Bradley Littleton approached him. With urgency in his voice, Littleton said, “Ben, I’ve got to