رجی لاو

Chapter six

Reggie Love

As Mark ate his breakfast in the cafe he looked at Gill Teal’s card. He knew what he needed to do. He took some coffee back to his mother and gave her a kiss.

‘I’m going to look around the hospital for a bit,’ he told her, and left the room again. He asked the nurses for a phone book and looked at the city map. Gill Teal’s office was not far away. Then he went downstairs again and left the hospital by a back door.

Mark walked quickly. It was Tuesday and he was the only kid on the street. He didn’t want anyone to ask why he wasn’t at school. Gill Teal’s building was old and very tall. He entered the lift with a crowd of others and went to the third floor.

When he got out he was in a long hall with a lot of doors. He tried to walk calmly, looking at the names on the doors. They were all lawyers, but he wanted Gill Teal. At the end of the hall he found the right door. The words GILL TEAL - THE PEOPLE’S LAWYER were painted on it. Three people waited by the door.

Mark entered the office. It was crowded with sad, sick people, just like the hospital. Mr Teal certainly had a lot of clients.

‘What do you want?’ said someone rudely.

Mark answered softly, ‘I’d like to see Mr Teal.’

‘Does he know you?’

‘No, ma’am.’

‘Did you have an accident?’

‘No, ma’am.’

‘Well, you’re in the wrong place. Why do you need a lawyer?’

‘It’s private,’ said Mark.

‘Look, kid, you see all these people? They’re all waiting to see Mr Teal. He’s a very busy man, and he only takes accident cases.’

‘Okay,’ said Mark. He was glad to leave the crowded office. He took the stairs and walked around the second floor. More lawyers. He passed a few of them in the hall. They were too busy to notice him.

Suddenly he saw a policeman coming towards him. The next door had REGGIE LOVE - LAWYER painted on it in small letters.

Mark quickly opened the door and stepped inside. There was a glass table, some magazines, soft music, and three chairs - and nobody waiting.

A young man with a tie but no jacket sat behind a desk. ‘May I help you?’ he said quite pleasantly.

‘I’d like to see a lawyer.’

‘Aren’t you a bit young?’

‘Yes, but I’m having some problems. Are you Mr Love?’

‘No, I’m Clint. I’m Reggie’s secretary.’

‘Then I need to see Reggie,’ said Mark.

‘What’s your name?’ asked the secretary.

‘Mark Sway.’

‘Are you in trouble, Mark?’

‘Yes.’

‘What type of trouble? You need to tell me a little bit about it, or Reggie won’t talk to you.’

‘Well,’ said Mark, ‘I have to talk to the FBI at twelve, and I think I need a lawyer.’

This was good enough. Clint went away for a moment, then came back. He took Mark to the lawyer’s office.

‘This is Mark Sway,’ he said.

‘Hello Mark,’ said the lawyer. ‘I’m Reggie Love.’

Mark looked at the lawyer in surprise. Reggie Love was a woman.