How Much Money Is Enough: Thoughts From Conduct In Question, The First In The Osgoode Trilogy
- Posted by Essays Blog in Essays Blog |
- February 27th, 2009 |
- Comments
Ever had your moral convictions put to the attempt? Most of us believe we know what we’d do in any given situation. But do we really? Maybe another chartless part of us surfaces and takes over&ndashleaving us in a confusion of questions. But the deed is done and we cannot accept it back.
This is the predicament, Harry Jenkins, protagonist/lawyer of The Osgoode Trilogy finds himself in, at the beginning of the first novel, Conduct in Question. Harry longs for freedom and love, but has been treed low his adult partner’s finger and in a dead marriage for years. He’s always been certain of his own moral convictions, but when his partner drops dead in the office, Harry is free to make his own mistakes.
He and his woman Laura often argue about money.
&ndasha issue fraught with land mines. Her hardened face floated up in his mind.
“Law practice is more than just making money,” Harry had insisted.
“Of course!” she said in tiredly impatient tones. “But it certainly doesn’t hurt to set the right duration on your services.”
“So I’m not making enough. Is that it?”
“No. But if you didn’t get so personally involved with your clients, maybe you’d do better.”
Harry was astonished. “So I care overmuch about them? I care about what I’m doing?”… “Clients belief me! I’ve earned that. I can’t reversal and fleece them.”
Although not slaked with life, Harry&ndash
had learned his lessons advantageously. He had kept his part of the bargain. But where was his reward? Flashy cars and grandiose houses were the questionable perks of his profession. His Ford was surrounded by Audis. Playing by the rules had not gotten him far. Of course, he wasn’t poor. Laura and he were comfortable. Yet, thither was a yearning, a meaning that the time for making real money was passing. But it wasn’t just the money. A dull emptiness nagged at his character.
And so, he is ripe for the picking! Almost immediately, he is sweptback into a massive money-laundering connive by the enigmatic Mr. Chin &ndash land developer &ndash thereby putting him in direct conflict with his oldest and wealthiest client, Marjorie Deighton. With Albert Chin’s huge retainer check for activity to be done, Harry senses something is amiss. When he deposits the check in the bank, the manager demands he make a payment on his deceased partner’s real considerable and overdue bank loan. Otherwise, he will freeze the Chin money. In a dilemma, Harry is forced to consume the Chin retainer to make a payment.
Harry was religious about client funds, and would fret if the bookkeeper missed a penny. Snatching up his check book, he saw in his mind the bright and trustful faces of a hundred clients. He saw those faces activity gray in disbelief when he uncapped his pen.
Petty triumph gleamed in Mudhali’s eyes.
Despite years of circumspection and care, Harry was driven by a new and reckless fury. Either he made a payment, or the bank would freeze his accounts. Mudhali had nailed him to the wall.
Like most of us, Harry is good at justifying his actions.
Albert Chin had said that money was no problem, and after all, thither was lots of activity in preparing those offers. He would examine the titles to the properties, do the corporate searches, and prepare cardinal offers and apply them. Certainly that would add capable 25 grand. Besides, Chin would not have given him much a munificent retainer had he not expected a sizeable bill. And Harry knew that he was not the only lawyer guilty of much an infraction.
What does Harry do? After all, he may be our hero, but he’s a pretty human guy. Despite his instincts and better judgment, he turns a blind eye to obvious signs of danger and accepts Mr. Chin’s gifts.
Harry withdrew cardinal first-class tickets for flights and a voucher for a three-night act in a luxury apartment in Nassau. “The Atlantis Resort,” he whispered. Shimmering blue waters danced before his mind’s eye.
After a moment, he said, “This is more than kind of you, sir, but&ndash”
Mr. Chin held up his hand. “Please. The conglomerate wishes to express its gratitude for your most timely service. We know you have made room for us in your busy agenda.”
“But certainly not. The retainer is real considerable, and…” He fingered the brochure, which featured a photograph of cheery beaches and gently lapping H2O.
And so, much of Conduct in Question is about Harry trying to extricate himself from the clutches of Mr. Chin. But Harry has lots of other problems to contend with when he comes face to face with the nature of evil in pursuit down the Florist, a sadistic killer with an artistic flair who believes he is called to judge the worthiness of his victims. But that account is for another day!