Jack of Spades Read Online Free

seemed to be taking an undue amount of time to read the document which she herself had signed.
    Stubbornly then she merely repeated what she’d already told me, that was of little help.
    “‘Evidence of theft’—but what am I accused of having stolen?”
    My voice was raised in exasperation. Primly Ms. Flaherty said that such information would be given at the hearing, and that she had no idea what it might be.
    “It’s a serious charge—‘theft.’ I’m thinking that such a charge could be libelous.”
    When Ms. Flaherty did not reply I said that it was strange, if I’d been accused of theft, that a police officer had not come to my house to arrest me, with a warrant; and Ms. Flaherty said, “Mr. Rash, this is not criminal court—this is civil court. You would not be arrested .”
    Civil court! Of course. In my agitation I hadn’t quite realized.
    “But the warning is on the document—I am subject to arrest.”
    “Sir, that would be for ‘contempt of court.’ Not for a crime.”
    “But—if I am not guilty of a ‘crime . . .’”
    “Sir, that will be adjudicated. That is what the hearing is for.”
    With the fluency of a well-trained parrot Ms. Flaherty uttered the multi-syllabic adjudicated . As if expecting me to be daunted by this feat.
    “Ms. Flaherty! Maybe you can’t grasp the ludicrousness of this situation, but I can. At least tell me, please—who is ‘C. W. Haiden’?”
    “We don’t give out such information, sir.”
    “But—this person, a stranger to me, is charging me with theft. What does this ‘theft’ entail?”
    “I’ve told you, sir. That information isn’t available. There’s no one here in the office except me at the present time, and even if I wished to comply with your request, I could not.”
    Ms. Flaherty’s voice was quavering with indignation. She seemed about to end our conversation. Urgently I asked if there was some way that I could find out what the charge was, to prepare for Monday, but she said, “Sir, I do not know. You may wish to retain counsel. That is what is usually done, in lawsuits.”
    “‘ Lawsuits ’?I’m being sued?”
    “I don’t know, sir. That is what you will learn at the hearing.”
    “But you advise me to ‘retain counsel’—even if I am wholly innocent, and have no idea what the hell is going on.”
    Audibly Ms. Flaherty drew in her breath. Was using the word hell tantamount to some sort of verbal harassment? Would I be charged with sexual harassment ?
    “Mr. Rash, there—”
    “‘Rush.’ My name is ‘Rush.’”
    “Mr. Rush, there is—”
    “You’ve consistently misspelled my name on this document. My name is ‘Andrew J. Rush’—”
    How pathetic it seemed to me, that I’d ever imagined that Andrew J. Rush was a “famous” name in Harbourton. The chief clerk of the Municipal Court had never heard of me, clearly.
    “—and I can barely read this copy of the summons you sent me, the printing is so faint! This has got to be a mistake, and I don’t want to be dragged to court on Monday for a mistake that isn’t mine.”
    “Sir, court is in session at nine o’clock, Monday. Until then I can’t give you any further information.”
    “But please, this is very upsetting—”
    “Mr. Rash, I am going to hang up now. I would advise you to retain legal counsel, if you are concerned.”
    “‘If I’m concerned’—is that a joke? Of course I’m concerned—I’ve been accused of theft, threatened with arrest, coerced into retaining a lawyer—”
    “That is up to you, sir. No one is ‘coercing’ you.”
    “You must know, lawyers are God-damned expensive! Why should I pay a lawyer’s exorbitant fee, if I am wholly innocent—if I don’t even know what it is I’ve been accused of doing.”
    A rush of anger seemed to leap from me. As if, with his money, Andrew J. Rush couldn’t afford a lawyer!
    “Sir, good-bye.”
    “Wait! Ms. Flaherty, I need to know—”
    But the line had gone dead. By this time my