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about both cases again … and again … and
again. Like I said, it has that familiar ring.”
    “And no more basis.”
    Megan didn’t respond.
    “You proved I wasn’t liable,” Waldoch said.
“Remember that?”
    “I remember.”
    “I didn’t do anything wrong the first time,
and I didn’t do anything wrong this time.”
    “Was she fired?”
    “She was. There were some issues regarding
her performance and her responsiveness to board direction. Those
issues were addressed within DMW management, which included three
people besides me, and Ms. Landry was then terminated for full-time
incompetence, not to mention part-time theft.”
    “What kind of theft?”
    “The taking kind.”
    “Big or little?” A note of impatience from
Megan in that.
    “Little,” Waldoch answered with a sigh.
“Petty cash. The accounts never matched, but it wasn’t more than
two hundred dollars overall.”
    “How much was she making?”
    “A hundred fifty thousand.”
    “She’s getting a hundred fifty K, and she
takes a couple hundred bucks? That’s small change.”
    “It’s never too small for some people.”
    “Is the theft documented?”
    “I have the account records, and I have two
people in the office who say they saw her take it.”
    “Was she ever subject to performance
reviews?”
    “About two years ago. They were fine. People
had quibbles here and there, and they sometimes noted them in
written reviews, but that mainly was so they’d have something to
write down. No one likes giving real criticism. So most people
don’t. It makes them feel bad.”
    “But they’ll testify to their impressions of
her performance over any relevant period?”
    “They already have.”
    Megan had dragged her notes back in front of
her and was reading over the few things she’d written. She looked
up at Waldoch’s statement.
    “What do you mean they already have?”
    “They’ve been deposed.” He said it
matter-of-factly, as though Megan would know that despite having
learned of the case only within the past half hour.
    “Testimony’s been taken?” she asked. “How
far along are you here?”
    “Seven months,” Waldoch said, considering
it. “Somewhat longer.”
    “You’re already represented.”
    “For now,” he said. “Her name is Natalie
Quinlan.”
    “I know Natalie. She’s a good attorney, and
you could do worse.”
    “I don’t need good, and I could do better,”
Waldoch said. “I needed you when this started, but you weren’t
around. Now you are.”
    “Why are you changing lawyers?”
    “How should I say this?” Waldoch eyed the
ceiling, studying it as the words came out. “She was encouraging me
down a path I didn’t want to take.”
    “She wanted you to settle?”
    “She recommended that, yes. And I strongly
opposed it.”
    “Because you think you didn’t do anything
wrong?”
    “I didn’t do something wrong,” Waldoch
replied. “That’s not what I think . It’s simply a fact.”
    Megan sat back, staring at the man across
the desk. He didn’t blink at her examination. He returned it,
waiting for anything she had to say.
    “How much time?” she asked.
    “Before what?”
    “You’re already seven months in,” Megan
said. “How much time is left for whatever still needs to
happen?”
    “The next thing scheduled is my deposition.
That’s set for a week from today.”
    “A week.” Megan said it bluntly, her
distaste clear.
    “I apologize, of course.”
    “But you don’t apologize enough to excuse
it. Why a week?”
    “I’m afraid I don’t understand. They
scheduled it –”
    “That’s not what I mean.”
    “Then I can’t –”
    “Why do you fire your attorney one week
before you’re supposed to be deposed?”
    “I told you, she wanted me to settle, and I
didn’t wish to.”
    “Yeah? Well I’m telling you that’s bullshit.
Why did you fire her?”
    Waldoch didn’t hesitate at that, either. “I
lost faith in her.” He shrugged his shoulders. “She