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.Then she turned the key and 24pushed open the door.25Stepping into the office, Kate inhaled its familiar smells, furni-26ture wax mingled with Chanel No.19, a fragrance she sometimes 27wore.She cast an approving eye around her ordered domain, with 28its panoramic views of the Hudson River and beyond.Even in the 29morning haze, she could make out the Statue of Liberty in the dis-30tance, a tiny, brave figure engulfed in mist.The room was just as 31she’d left it.Neat stacks of paper lined her desk.Cartons of docu-32ments were stacked against the wall.The preholiday cleanup.33She’d try to enjoy it while it lasted.34 shKate pulled off her cape and hung it in her office closet.Before 35 re9858_01_003-152_r5hb.qxd 9/28/00 3:57 PM Page 101 0A M Y G U T M A N1closing the door, she paused to take stock in a mirror affixed to its 2back.She looked healthy and rested, her skin lightly browned from 3a week of sun.She quickly ran a comb through her dark brown 4hair, cut in the jaw-length bob favored by Samson’s female lawyers, 5then straightened her horn-rimmed glasses.The glasses were a re-6cent addition, acquired when she started work.Studying her face 7in the mirror, Kate decided that she liked the effect.Professional.8In control.A woman to be reckoned with.9How different she looked now from two years ago, when she’d 10roamed the Harvard campus in ratty jeans and a backpack.Yet one 11thing remained the same.Her reflected image inspired the same 12sense of dislocation that it had since she was a child.Who is that 13woman? Me but not me.She didn’t dislike what she saw.To the 14contrary, she knew she was pretty.Clear skin, high cheekbones, a 15fine straight nose.Her eyes were a deep shade of blue.“Stormy,”16her mother used to call them.A full-length mirror would have 17gone on to show the strong but delicate form: shoulders broad 18enough that she always cut the pads out of her suit jackets, a sweep 19of breast not entirely concealed by her black-and-gray Tahari suit, 20narrow hips tapering to long, slim legs.21So why couldn’t she see this person as herself ?22It was an old question, one that she’d long tired of considering.23She shut the closet door and turned toward her desk.24I’m proud of myself, Kate thought, surveying the well-appointed 25office.I did this all on my own.I could have fallen apart.But I didn’t.26In the end, Michael did me a favor.27But Michael belonged to the past; he had nothing to do with 28her new life.Pushing the memories aside, Kate sat down and 29turned on her computer.The screen flashed on.Responding to 30computer prompts, Kate quickly typed in her user ID followed by 31the word password.Then it was on to e-mail.Among the usual 32clutter of junk e-mails — a paralegal looking for a downtown sub-33let, a secretary with free kittens, an associate seeking a financial ort 34planner — she culled the few messages that demanded immediate reg 35attention.From Justin Daniels, her old friend and Harvard class-9858_01_003-152_r5hb.qxd 9/28/00 3:57 PM Page 11E Q U I V O C A L D E A T H1 1mate: “Welcome back! We missed you and we know you missed us.1Let’s shoot for drinks later this week.Cheers.J.D.” From Andrea 2Lee, her friend and comrade on countless late nights: “Can’t wait 3to catch up.Call me ASAP.” There was also a plaintive note from 4Jonathan Kurtz, a Harvard classmate who’d occupied the office two 5doors down until a few months back, when he’d been shipped off 6to Kansas for a trial.“I fully believe that I will be here in Wichita 7from now until the end of time.I will never perform any task other 8than the preparation of cross-examination books that will never be 9used at trial or anywhere else.I will never see any of my friends or 10family again.On the upside, I will never have to pay for another 11meal as long as I live.”12Kate laughed.Again, she felt a glow of pleasure, happy to be 13precisely where she was.But the sense of satisfaction was short-14lived.Soon, she sat staring at an e-mail from Peyton Winslow, a 15senior associate at the firm.“Greetings.I hope that you enjoyed 16your vacation.Please prepare for a meeting this morning at 10 a.m.17with Carter Mills regarding a new matter.The Complaint (which 18we believe will be served on January 13) and related papers are in 19distribution.Please review and be ready to discuss.”20Kate glanced at her watch [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]