Handcuffed

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Shirley had never seen the busy overcrowded diner that Ms. Barker had driven to. It was no way near any of the bus routes she knew of. The cars outside were expensive, the people inside were dressed professionally, though it looked like their everyday clothing. She almost felt underdressed. They were given a seat somewhere near the back left and the service proved quite good.

It was a cross between a restaurant and a take out. There were waiters and waitresses available for the extra tip, but you could stand on line at the counter and do it yourself. They chose the latter, and fifteen minutes later they were sitting, eating, and talking about nothing in particular. While Shirley was eating and Ms. Barker was telling a joke, Ms. Barker carefully pushed a note into her view for a few seconds then pulled it away very quickly, slipping it into her purse. It said We'll talk private a bit later.

The ink was so light, it almost looked like a watermark. Shirley responded by giving a brief nod and then continued to eat while shaking her shoulders in laughter when Ms. Barker got through her punch line. What now, she wondered?

The small conversation continued through desert, and the rest of the car ride. Ms. Barker casually mentioned, as they were getting into the car, that she wanted to stop by somewhere for something. They stopped in a deserted valley on the side of a road, somewhere in no mans land, where Ms. Barker pulled out her cell phone and motioned Shirley to do the same. It had no reception at all.

"Even if there are listening devices on us," she sighed with relief, "nothing will work here anyway. We should be free to talk."

"What happened that prompted you to do this," Shirley questioned?

"First of all, I wanted to know if Mr. Adler managed to tell you anything more at your meeting with him. Second of all and the more important reason, the look on your face in the library told me you needed an airing out. I will not be pushy, so ignore it if you like, but I am open to trying to help."

Shirley heaved a sigh. "Concerning Mr. Adler, he basically stayed on subject, though he did say something in passing. I wasn't sure if it was a hint or not. He casually hinted to Mori being a frequent visitor to that office building.

Ms. Barker looked out her window before responding. "That is a curious thing, for Mori to frequent an office of attorneys. I don't think he's afraid of malpractice yet."

"There was something else too. You see we were delayed in the lobby when we met Mr. Ryde and Mr. Adler questioned us on the delay. Mori for some reason didn't tell him who delayed us, and I can't even be sure if it was purposely. By the way, were you ever in that office building?"

"Why wouldn't Mori want to tell whom you had met in the lobby? It shouldn't make a difference. Are you sure he deliberately skipped his name?

Shirley tried hard to bring back the conversation in her mind. "I think the conversation was something like this. He asked if the elevators took long and that is why we were delayed, so Mori said we met someone in the lobby asking us a few questions. When questioned if it was one of his fellow attorneys, Mori almost cut him off by saying he looked like a client. I know men are usually less expressive then women, but he could have easily mentioned Mr. Ryde's name and there would be no question that he was not a fellow attorney."

"Humph," grumped Ms. Barker, "it sure seems like he purposely left out Mr. Ryde's name. As to why Mr. Adler would be upset about his fellow attorney's checking out his clients, I think there is a plausible explanation. Many attorneys and for that matter most employees in many other businesses, get an extra commission if they bring in a new client. It has become the practice of unscrupulous people to try to get new deals under their name, even if they are taking it away from someone else in their own office."