The Insider Read Free Page A

long, oval face, heavy eyelids, close-cropped black hair that was graying at the temples, and a mouth that seemed to naturally twist into a frown. He was unself-consciously examining the contents of Will’s desk and bookshelves.
    After waiting a couple of minutes for Will to extricate himself from his phone call, the visitor removed something from his jacket and slid it across Will’s desk. It was the gold badge of a San Francisco Police Department detective.
    â€œI’m sorry, but I’m going to have to call you back,” Will said, hanging up without waiting for a response.
    â€œSorry for the interruption,” the visitor said in a rumbling baritone that, if it were one octave lower, would have been subsonic. “Detective Lazlo Kovach, San Francisco Police Department.”
    Will hoped the panic didn’t show on his face. “No problem, Detective. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
    â€œNo problem.” Detective Kovach once more glanced at the books on Will’s shelves. “You’re a corporate attorney?”
    â€œYes, that’s right.” Will braced for the next question, which he was certain would involve Ben Fisher.
    â€œI have a question for you, if you don’t mind. I have a little business I operate on the side, selling first-edition books on eBay. My specialty is crime and detective fiction.”
    â€œVery appropriate.”
    â€œI know, I know. I found a nearly pristine first edition of Ross McDonald’s The Galton Case at a garage sale last month—you could have knocked me over. So, now my little business is starting to take off. I’ve even bought a climate-controlled storage locker for the books because there wasn’t any more room in my house. So what I wanted to ask you is . . . do you think I should incorporate?”
    â€œI wasn’t expecting that one,” Will said with a nervous laugh. “Incorporating is probably a good idea. It sounds like it’s more than a hobby for you at this point. Having a corporation will protect your personal assets if there’s a lawsuit or the business becomes insolvent.”
    â€œThanks. I appreciate the free advice. It is free, right?”
    â€œOn the house,” Will said, growing more comfortable, despite his knowledge that this was an obvious ploy to put him at ease.
    â€œSo we should probably get to it. My partner and I are here today talking to several of the people who worked with Ben Fisher. I understand that you called in.”
    â€œYes. I actually saw him fall past my window.”
    â€œHorrible,” Detective Kovach said with a shake of his head. “It must be hard to carry on with your day after something like that.”
    â€œYes, it is. So what can I do to help?” He suddenly felt like one of those cheesily suave criminal masterminds in an episode of Columbo , a role that would be played by Jack Cassidy or perhaps Robert Culp. They always tried to appear so casual when Columbo arrived at their offices to ask a few questions, yet they all met the same fate by the final commercial break. He had to remind himself that he had no reason to feel guilty because he had not committed any crime.
    â€œHow long had you known Mr. Fisher?”
    â€œAbout six years. We came up through the ranks together at the firm. Worked together pretty regularly.”
    â€œAnd you were both up for partner, weren’t you? Were you competitive?”
    â€œNo. We were friends. Maybe not really close friends, but friends.”
    â€œBut not everyone can make partner. That must have caused some tension.”
    â€œNot really. There are other associates here that are very cutthroat about that sort of thing, but Ben wasn’t one of them.”
    â€œWere you currently working on any projects together?”
    â€œBen was providing the tax advice on a merger transaction that I was working on.”
    â€œWhich one?”
    â€œI’d prefer not to say, if