Chapter 56 Section 6

It was Barry Reed, the big boss of the firm, who received Jane.He took Jane to an extremely high-end Italian restaurant in Bacon Hills, where the governor, mayor and celebrities from all walks of life often come and go.While following the waiter through the hall, Barry stopped from time to time to shake hands and exchange pleasantries with acquaintances.Barry is at the peak of his fame. A novel he wrote "The Judgment" has just been turned into a movie by Hollywood. Barry, who is in his 50s, looks no less than a movie star. Thick, wavy, curly hair.During the filming of the film in Boston, the local media reported Barry's various legends in the judicial and literary circles.Now, he was talking to Jane about those stories again.Jane wondered, why didn't the boss ask about my situation?

Two hours passed.When signing the bill, Barry Reid seemed to suddenly remember and said, oh, the families of the two victims of the plane crash just signed the contract with us. The owner of "Pipe Arrow" had insured millions of dollars for the passengers. As long as we can prove that he had violated the regulations before the accident, the insurance company would have to pay seven-figure compensation.I heard that another family member entrusted you?I see what we do, boy.You refer the case to us, and we'll pay you a handsome sum when it's done.You just wait to get your money and you don't have to do anything.You can go to work on other cases at hand.

"I don't have any other cases at hand." Jane Hilleman said stubbornly, "If you are really interested, we can cooperate." The two argued again, and seeing that Jane had no intention of giving up, Barry Reid said, "OK, you move to my office. I asked them to move a corner for you in the conference room. " Jane Hilleman started working at the law firm of Reed & Mulligan.From time to time, Barry Reed would glance over at what the "kid" was doing as he passed the conference room.Usually when Barry goes to work, the "child" has already arrived, and when Barry leaves work, the "child" has no intention of leaving.Occasionally, "The Kid" would disappear for a few days, only to come back gleefully showing off his new discovery to Barry.In this way, Jane brought back the businessman's credit card receipt from the casino in Atlantic City, proving that he had been drinking before his plane took off at 6 o'clock on Sunday night, and brought back the recording of the call before the crash from the control center of JFK Airport in New York. It shows that the businessman had lost his judgment at that time. When the controller instructed him to turn right, he turned left. He immediately apologized and said: "Iam sorry." Then there were screams, and then "Pipe Arrow" disappeared from the radar screen disappeared.

Three months later, the case went to court.Immediately after receiving the court notice, the insurance company called the law firm of Reed Mulligan.As a result of the negotiation between the two parties, the defendant agreed to pay compensation according to the maximum insured amount. Barry Reed was so pleased with the ending that he told his partner, Joe Mulligan, "This kid is like a hound, once he bites his prey, he won't let go." One night that winter, Joe Mulligan invited Jane Hilleman to a nearby bar for a drink before leaving get off work.The two sat down in the corner train compartment with drinks, and Joe said to Jane: "We still have many good cases. One of them, I especially hope that you will handle it."

The next day, a folder was placed on Jane's "desk" in the conference room.The file is not thick, less than an inch.On the cover it read: The Warburn case. When Jane Hilleman first arrived at Woburn, it was eight months after the Five Families signed their contract with Joe Mulligan.The venue for the meeting was arranged at Anderson's home.Jimmy had just died, and Annie looked pale and haggard.Jane spent more than two hours explaining to his clients that, after months of work, he didn't think there was enough reason to file a lawsuit.He has consulted all the relevant information he can get, including the investigation report jointly submitted by the National Center for Disease Control and the State Department of Health not long ago, but, first, no one knows exactly the source of the pollutants in wells G and H, In other words, no one knows who the defendant should be; Second, there is no scientific evidence to prove that those pollutants can cause leukemia.

Jane is filled with guilt as she leaves the Andersons' house.On the drive back to Boston, Jane always recalled something Richard Toomey said: "We are not fighting this lawsuit for money, we are just asking for justice. So many children are sick and dying, But no one can tell us what the hell is going on?" You're right, Jane thought, but there's nothing I can do to help.The case was just too big, too complicated, and too expensive for me.I can't help it. Prior to this, Joe Mulligan had instructed his secretary to transfer calls from Anne Anderson and Donna Cannon to Jane Hilleman.Soon, the message notes piled up into a tall pile.Jane forced herself not to look at them, not to think about them, to bury herself in other cases as if nothing had happened.

One autumn afternoon, Anne turned on the radio in her car on her way home from get off work. The host of WRKO channel invited two lawyers as guests to answer questions from the audience.Annie left the radio on and didn't pay attention to it, but suddenly, she heard Jane Hilleman's voice.At that time, Anne had just turned into the parking lot of a supermarket, then hurriedly exited, and drove straight home at the fastest speed allowed.Annie pushed open the door, rushed into the kitchen, and grabbed the phone on the wall. "I want to ask Mr. Hilleman a question," said Anne breathlessly.

"Please speak." The host's voice. "What do you do if the lawyer doesn't return your calls?" "Wait," said Jane Hilleman, "I know the voice. Is it Anne?" "Jane, I have called you countless times, but I can never find you." Jane immediately agreed to call Annie tomorrow. According to Massachusetts law, if the plaintiff in a personal injury compensation case does not file a lawsuit within three years from the date of filing, it will be regarded as an automatic waiver.According to the official calculation, the start date of the Woburn case is May 22, 1979, the day that the G and H wells were closed.