Chapter 1
HANGING OUT THE SHINGLE
Six Months Earlier
What is it that makes a seemingly rational man set out on a perilous journey knowing full well that the odds of success are quite remote and the consequences of failure are likely to be devastating? Is it pride, stubbornness, a yearning for adventure, or just a reckless disregard of reality?
Not being a psychologist I wouldn't presume to suggest to you why my personality developed the way it did, nor does it matter, but by age fourteen I had a fixation on becoming an attorney and any casual observer at the time could have easily predicted that my legal career would be anything but conventional. It had been six long, trying years since I first started law school at the University of San Diego. Many times I had almost given up on ever making it through. It seemed like every obstacle imaginable had been cast before me and that I couldn't possibly overcome them all. But somehow, by the grace of God, I had made it and actually taken the bar exam just two months earlier.
Assuming I passed the bar, which by no stretch of the imagination was a sure thing, the question became, what do I do now? While I was waiting for the results of my bar exam, I took a job with the Helms Insurance Agency doing estate planning.
I had learned a lot about estate planning while peddling insurance to earn my way through law school, so it was an easy transition to my new position. Unfortunately, several weeks after joining the firm, I found out it was in precarious financial condition and likely wouldn't make it to summer. I broke the news to Rebekah one night at dinner.
"Put Marcia in the high chair, would you honey?" Rebekah said.
"Sure," I said and then lifted Marcia up and dropped her into the high chair.
"Use your fork, Peter," I said.
"Hey Dad, will you play soccer with us after dinner?" Mark asked.
"Sure, for a little while."
"What happened today at work?" Rebekah asked.
"You don't want to know," I said.
"What's wrong?"
"I was looking for the production reports for the agency today. I wanted to figure out what commissions I was going to get next month. Well, while digging through the files I ran across the agency contracts with all our insurance underwriters."
"Yeah."
"Well, I started to read one of them and discovered that Mr. Helms had talked the insurance company into advancing commissions on projected sales for the upcoming year."
"Really?"
"Uh huh, so I started comparing the projected sales against actual sales and we're not even close to meeting projections."
"So what does that mean?"
"It means by summer Mr. Helms will owe his insurance carriers nearly a quarter of a million dollars. The bottom line is Mr. Helms will be out of business and I'll be out of a job."
"Can't anything be done?"
"It's too late. Even if the next two months were spectacular by the time you submit all the applications, go through underwriting and place all of the policies it will be fall."
"Dad are you ready to play soccer?" Mark asked.
"Not yet, hot shot. I haven't finished my supper yet and I'm trying to talk to your mother. Go outside with Reggie and start kicking the ball around. I'll be there in a minute."
"What are you going to do?" Rebekah said.
"I don't know. I've been kind of thinking about starting my own practice."
"With what money? If you hadn't noticed, we're broke."
"Well I'd have to start out slowly and keep my overhead low."
"We've got to have a regular income. What if you don't get any clients?"
"I've talked to some of the guys at Cosmopolitan Life and they say they'll send me lots of business."
"What kind of clients would they send you?"
"Wills, trusts and corporation work mostly. They want to send their clients to an attorney who won't torpedo their insurance sales."
"That's nice, but do you think you could get enough business for us to survive?"
"I don't know, I think so. I'll have to borrow some money to set up an office."
"How much will you need?"
"I was thinking fifteen to twenty thousand."
"Who would loan you that kind of money?"
"The bank, I suppose. Next week I think I'm going to go by our bank and see if they will lend me the money."
"I don't know, honey, it seems pretty risky."
"Well, I have a gut feeling it will work out okay and I'm kind of excited about starting my own practice."
"I guess I could work at the hospital for a few months until you got things going. That would bring us in a hundred and fifty dollars a week."
"Oh, I hate for you to have to do that, Babe."
"I guess I don't have much choice," Rebekah replied.
"Well, you don't have to do it, we'll manage."
"No, it will make it a lot easier for you to get started so I don't mind for a few months," Rebekah said tentatively.
The following Monday I went to Canyon Valley National Bank to see about a loan. I had never borrowed money before except student loans so I wasn't sure what to expect. I didn't know anybody at the bank, so I went up to the new accounts desk and asked who I should talk to about a loan. I was directed to a grey-haired loan officer named Martin Campbell.
"Mr. Campbell, Hi, I'm Stan Turner."
Mr. Campbell peered up at me through his glasses without smiling. "Have a seat, I'll be with you in a minute," he replied and then returned to the paperwork in front of him.
"Okay," I said and sat down in one of the two leather side chairs in front of his desk. When he was done he put the papers in a folder and dropped the folder in his out box. Then he sat back in his chair and looked me in the eye.
"So, what can I do for you?" he said.
"I'd like to talk to you about a loan."
"A loan. Sure, what kind of loan do you need?
"Well, I just graduated from law school and I want to start my own practice."
"Your own law practice? Really?" Campbell said.
"Yeah, it's something I've always wanted to do."
"That seems like a rather brash endeavor, don't you think?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Starting a law practice wouldn't be easy. It would require substantial capitalization. Do you have any clients lined up yet?"
"No, but I've got friends who will send me business."
"Friends. . . . Right, we all have friends, and friends will tell you what you want to hear, but will they deliver on their promises?" Campbell asked. "Not that they wouldn't want to, but how many opportunities are they going to realistically have to send you business?"
"They're mainly insurance salesman, so probably quite often."
"I hope you're right," Campbell said as he reached into his drawer and pulled out a loan application. "Okay, before I get started I need to ask you one question."
"What's that?"
"Do you have any collateral?"
"Collateral?"
"Yeah, . . . you know, like stocks, bonds or real estate?"
"No, like I said, I just graduated from law school I haven't accumulated any assets yet."
"Well, I'm sorry but we don't give unsecured loans."
"But I'm a lawyer. I'll pay it back."
"Lawyers are notoriously bad businessmen."
"Is that right?"
"Yes, that's a fairly well known fact."
"You don't even want me to fill out an application?"
"No, without collateral the only thing we could give you would be a Gold American Express Card with a $2,000 line of credit?"
"I'm supposed to start a law practice with $2,000."
"Well, that's the best we can do. Why don't you go work for an established law firm for a while?"
"Oh, I've heard about that, working eighty hours a week for peanuts and having to kiss everyone's ass hoping they'll make you a partner. No thanks."
"Okay then, go get one of those fat jui
cy government jobs where they pay you lots of money to sit around and occupy desk space," he suggested.
"All the good government jobs are in Washington, D.C. I want to stay here in Dallas. I applied for the DEA and they would have hired me but my wife failed her interview."
"Your wife failed her interview?"
"Uh huh, they asked her what she would do if I was doing undercover work and came home with lipstick on my collar and smelling like perfume. She said she would divorce me."
He frowned. "Then get a job with a major corporation. Being an attorney will give you a great advantage.”
"I didn't go to law school to become a businessman. I want to practice law and one way or another I'm going to do just that."
"Well, I'm afraid I can't help you."
"Fine!" I said and rose to my feet. "Thanks anyway."
I left the bank upset and discouraged by the cold shoulder Mr. Campbell had given me. To think of all the time, effort and agony I had put into becoming an attorney and all it got me was a $2,000 line of credit. It occurred to me that maybe other banks might have a different attitude so I visited several others. Unfortunately, the reaction at each bank was pretty much the same, no collateral, no loan.
Although I was disappointed at not being able to get a loan I was not deterred from my resolve to start my own practice. Call it stubbornness, pride or stupidity but whenever someone told me I couldn't or shouldn't do something, it just intensified my desire to do it. That night at Mark's soccer game I broke the bad news to Rebekah. I explained the banks policy about collateral and their offer to give us a Gold American Express card. She didn't seem upset.
The thought of starting my own law practice was dropped for a few weeks but when Helms announced the firm was shutting down and gave us all two weeks’ notice the issue again surfaced. We had just put the kids to bed and were just sitting down to watch TV when I gave Rebekah the news.
"Mr. Helms called it quits today," I said.
Rebekah's faced dropped. "Oh no, already?"
"He gave us two weeks’ notice."
"Oh, crap, I thought we would have another couple of months."
"He tried to get another advance from one of the underwriters but they turned him down."
"Are you going to start looking for another job?"
"No, I think I'm going to take the plunge."
"You mean start practicing law by yourself?"
"Yeah, I really want to have my own law practice."
"Stan, come on, you don't have any clients."
"I really think the guys will send me quite a bit of business and I'm already getting requests from friends and acquaintances for wills and stuff."
"What happens if you don't get enough business?"
"Then I'll go look for another job."
"I don't know."
"I was looking in the newspaper today and I found an ad for a furnished office with Burton Realty in the North Dallas Bank Building," I said. "You know those towers near LBJ Freeway and Preston Road. It would be perfect and he only wants $150 per month."
"That couldn't be much of an office."
"Well, I only need a desk and a typewriter to get started. Anyway, when clients come in they'll think the whole office is mine."
"But you won't have a secretary."
"Well, it's a good thing I took typing in high school. Anyway, I'll just stay there six months or so and then I'll get a real office with a live secretary."
"I guess we can go take a look at it."
"Good, get your Mom to baby sit tomorrow at lunch. I'll come pick you up and we'll go check it out."
"Okay, if you promise to feed me."
"We might arrange that."
The following day we visited the North Dallas Bank Building and met General Horace Burton. He was a retired army general who sold commercial real estate as a second career. He greeted us when we walked into his office.
"We've come about your ad for office space."
"Oh yes, it’s over here."
General Burton pointed to a small room off to our right which appeared to be about eight by ten feet. It was furnished with a desk, a chair, a typing stand, typewriter and a few prints on the walls. Despite its small size it looked pretty impressive.
"What kind of work do you do?" General Burton asked.
"I'm a lawyer. I just graduated from law school and wanted to start up a law practice."
"A lawyer, huh? I may need your services."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, I just got sued by some bastard who’s trying to get out of paying a commission he owes me."
"You're kidding?" I said.
"Anyway, I don't like the way my attorney is handling it. I may want to switch," the general said.
"Well, I'd be happy to take a look at your case."
"Good, my patience is running out with this clown."
I smiled and held up the ad in front of the General. "Your ad said it was a hundred and fifty dollars a month, is that right?"
"Yes, that's including all the furniture. You'll have to get your own phone line though."
"No problem," I said. "What do you think, honey?"
"It's beautiful Stan," Rebekah replied.
"Then we'll take it."
Rebekah frowned. "I thought we were just looking?"
"I know, but we're not going to find anything better than this," I said.
Rebekah shook her head and frowned at me. I gave her an excited smile and said, "We'll take it."
"Great, it'll be good to have an attorney close at hand. What kind of law do you practice anyway?" the general asked.
"I don't know yet, . . . probably estate planning and business law."
"Good, maybe I can send you some business."
"That would be super."
Needless to say I was ecstatic to find such a great place to start out my law practice. The office was attractive and the location was excellent. If General Burton did send me some business that would be an added bonus. But with overhead of only a hundred and fifty dollars a month, I surely could survive long enough to get some business rolling in.
That night we took the whole family out to dinner to celebrate the beginning of my new venture as a sole practitioner. The kids didn't really understand what the celebration was about but they loved the pizza. Rebekah was a little scared but I assured her it would all work out for the best. I told her the important thing was that I was doing what I wanted to do and that usually was the ticket to success.
About ten days later I walked into my new office, placed a sign on my new desk that read "Stanley Turner, Attorney at Law" and waited for my first client. About an hour later General Burton came in from playing golf, which was his passion, and shot the breeze with me until it was almost noon.
"Do you have any lunch plans, Stan?" General Burton asked.
"Well, not really," I replied.
"How would you like to meet Rufus Green?"
"You mean the Rufus Green of the Yankees?"
"The one and only," General Burton said.
"Wow, that would be fabulous."
"Well good, I'm having lunch with him today and you can join us."
"Why thank you, General, that's very nice of you."
"No problem, I think Rufus will like you a lot and God knows the way that guy wheels and deals he must use a lot of attorneys."
"Oh really?"
Just then the door swung open and a tall, muscular man walked in who I immediately recognized as being Rufus Green. He had blond hair, blue eyes and looked like he wasn't a day over thirty-five, although he was actually close to fifty. Even though I lived in California at the time and was a Dodger fan, I always admired Rufus Green as a great center fielder and tremendous hitter. I couldn't believe that he was standing in front of me.
"Rufus, you son of a gun, how are you?" General Burton said.
"Just fine General, you ready for lunch?" Rufus asked.
"I'm ready,” the General said and th
en glanced over at me. “Hey Rufus, I want you to meet my new tenant and friend, Stan Turner. He's an attorney."
Rufus gave me a once over and then said evenly, "Well, I guess I won't hold that against him.”
I laughed tentatively.
Rufus cracked a smile and extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Turner."
"It's a pleasure to meet you. This is such a surprise. I've been a fan of yours for years and I never dreamed I would ever see you in person."
"Well, I'm just flesh and bone just like everybody else."
"I invited Stan along for lunch, if that’s all right, Rufus?" General Burton said.
"Sure, I’m gonna need a new attorney here pretty soon," Rufus replied. "Can you believe Wally was appointed to the federal bench? He's been my attorney for years. I don't know what I'm going to do without him."
“He was a good man,” General Burton said.
" Well, if I can do anything for you, let me know," I said.
After lunch I couldn't wait to call Rebekah and tell her I had just had lunch with Rufus Green. I knew she wasn't much of a baseball fan but she would have to be impressed because everyone knew him. As it turned out my afternoon wasn't too shabby either as one of my old insurance buddies, Tex Weller, showed up unexpectedly to get a will for he and his wife. Not only had I eaten lunch with Rufus Green but I made $75 to boot.
Brash Endeavor, A Stan Turner Mystery Vol 3 Page 2