Mickey Haller 4 - The Fifth Witness

routine day and it was time to get down to business. Cisco glanced over at me and gave me a look that said What the hell is this? I shrugged. I didn’t know.
    Lisa had never mentioned Herb Dahl to me, a dear enough friend and “benefactor” that he was willing to drop 200K on a bond. This, and the fact that she hadn’t tapped his largesse to pay for her defense, did not surprise me. Her barging in all bluster and business, ready to be part of the team, didn’t either. I believed that with strangers Lisa was very skilled at keeping her personal and emotional issues beneath the surface. She could charm the stripes off a tiger and I wondered if Herb Dahl knew what he was getting into. I assumed he was working an angle, but he might not understand that he was being worked as well.
    “Lisa,” I said, “can we step back here into Lorna’s office and speak privately for a moment?”
    “I think Herb should hear whatever it is you have to say. He’s going to be documenting the case.”
    “Well, he’s not going to document our conversations because communications between you and your attorney are private and privileged. He can be compelled to testify in court about anything he hears or sees.”
    “Oh… well, isn’t there a way of deputizing him or something to make him part of the legal team?”
    “Lisa, just come back here for a few minutes.”
    I pointed toward the den and Lisa finally started moving in that direction.
    “Lorna, why don’t you get Mr. Dahl something to drink?”
    I followed Lisa into the den and closed the door. There were two desks. One for Lorna and one for Cisco. I pulled a side chair over in front of Lorna’s and told Lisa to sit down. I then went behind the desk and sat down to face her.
    “This is a strange law office,” she said. “It feels like somebody’s home or something.”
    “It’s temporary. Let’s talk about your hero out there, Lisa. How long have you known him?”
    “Just a couple months or so.”
    “How did you meet him?”
    “On the courthouse steps. He came to one of the FLAG protests. He said he was interested in us from a filmmaker’s perspective.”
    “Really? So he’s a filmmaker? Where’s his camera?”
    “Well, he actually puts things together. He’s very successful. He does, like, book deals and movies. He’s going to handle all of that. This case is going to get massive attention, Mickey. At the jail they told me I had interview requests from thirty-six reporters. Of course they didn’t let me speak to them, only Herb.”
    “Herb got to you in the jail, did he? He must be relentless.”
    “He said that when he sees a story he stops at nothing. Remember that little girl who lived for a week on the side of the mountain with her dead father after he crashed off the road? He got her a TV movie.”
    “That’s impressive.”
    “I know. He’s very successful.”
    “Yes, you said that. So did you make some sort of agreement with him?”
    “Yes. He’ll put all the deals together and we split everything fifty-fifty after his expenses and he gets the bail money back. I mean, that’s only fair. But he’s talking about a lot of money. I might be able to save my house, Mickey!”
    “Did you sign something? A contract or any sort of agreement?”
    “Oh, yes, it’s all legal and binding. He has to give me my share.”
    “You know that because you showed it to your lawyer?”
    “Uh… no, but Herb said it was standard boilerplate. You know, legal mumbo-jumbo. But I read it.”
    Sure she did. Just like when she signed the contracts with me.
    “Can I see the contract, Lisa?”
    “Herb kept it. You can ask him.”
    “I will. Now did you happen to tell him about our agreements?”
    “Our agreements?”
    “Yes, you signed contracts with me yesterday at the police station, remember? One was for me to represent you criminally and the others granted me power of attorney to represent you and negotiate any sale of story rights so that we can fund your defense. You remember that you signed a lien?”
    She didn’t answer.
    “Did you see I have three people out there, Lisa? We’re all working on your case. And you haven’t paid us a penny so far. So that means I have to come up with all their salaries, all their expenses. Every week. That’s why in the agreements you signed yesterday you were giving me the authority to make book and film deals.”
    “Oh… I didn’t read that part.”
    “Let me ask you something. Which is more important to you,