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Chapter 4
I had to give up my parking spot in front of the building. Damn! I wanted to get downtown before the evening rush started. I found a parking spot with about 45 minutes left on the meter. "Thank you very much, whoever the nice person was who put extra in so I wouldn't have to." It was about a block away from 101 South Main Street. Being almost 3:20, that gave me plenty of time before the meter maids came around and ticketed me. Of course I also had to remember that you can't park on this street from 4 to 6 pm for the evening rush hour, and they'll tow you faster than ticket you. After all, this was downtown. They need to make money somehow.
The Armacost Building is one of the newest and taller buildings downtown. Pretty nice to be able to build a high-rise office building, put your name on it, and make millions off the rent. Just about every big law firm in this portion of the state has an office in it. It makes you wonder if what you pay to be represented in court is worth it. Taking dirty money for getting the drug dealers and murderers off and suing doctors who really and truly tried to correct something God planned, well⦠Let's just leave it with saying there are many more honorable professions.
I know what you're thinking, "he just doesn't like lawyers". You know something? You're right. I've watched lawyers, shysters, play games with our legal system just to make a buck. Making sure a client's rights weren't violated is one thing, but to attack the police officer, make up lies, and try to "trip up" the witnesses and victims of the crimes just so their client has to pay them is the most foulest of ethics. The sad part is that it's allowed. Why is the crime rate so high? How do we reduce it? Shakespeare said it best; "Let's start by killing all the lawyers."
I went into the lobby. On the one wall was a huge painting of Benjamin Armacost. If his Johnson was as big as his ego maybe the Mrs. wouldn't be worried about him cheating. I looked at the directory. "So and So, Esquire, Attorney at Law" this and The Law Firm of "Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe" that. Oh yes, the preferred law firm of politicians everywhere; "Finer, Winer, Dicker, & Dunker". Oh what a fine group of people. I think I started breaking out in a rash.
I was so enthralled in reading the "Who's Who of Corrupting Our Legal System" that I didn't even notice the security guard that walked up behind me. "Can I help you find someone?"
I must have jumped a foot. "Yes, I'm looking for an attorney, Mr. Smith." How original, right?
"John, William, Robert or Joseph?"
I remembered seeing Smiths on the list. Being a quick thinker, "Bob, oh I guess that would be Robert."
"That would be the tenth floor."
"Thank you very much." With his implied consent to proceed, I started to the elevators. Just in case he was watching the numbers indicating which floor the elevator stopped at, I made a couple of stops along the way. Fourth, sixth, ninth, and finally the tenth. I got off the elevator for a few minutes and looked around at the names on the offices. I didn't see anything that obviously looked like a camera, but I didn't want to take any chances. I came across Robert Smith's office. It didn't look like anyone was in. The door was locked and the lights were off. "Oh well, I guess I have to stop back later."
I went to the 12th floor. When the elevator doors opened, the entire floor was Armacost's firm. A huge reception desk with two receptionists was right in front of me. Not wanting to draw attention to myself, I didn't even get off the elevator. I just stayed put and waited for the doors to close, just as if I had made a mistake of getting on an up elevator several floors below. It happens all the time.
Okay, so now I knew where the office was. I had a few minutes to spare so I checked the outside of the building. It has an entrance for the underground garage. It looked like the kind that only the tenants can access with separate roll-up gates for the entrance and exit. It has the little access card reader and cameras. "So somebody does watch who comes and goes." I went back to my truck with about two minutes to spare.