MAN IN BLACK

As I walked towards her, I felt that something unthinkable was about to happen. I was scared of what she was going to say. “It can´t go to trial” –I thought –“Not in this beautiful Monday morning”. I took a sip of my black coffee and prepared for the worst.

“Mr. Draper” –she said –“Mr. McKinsey´s case is going to trial, it doesn´t look good”.

“I´ll take the case, Miss Woodley.” I had to, Mr. McKinsey, CEO of McKinsey Bank was being accused of tax evasion, he was my client, so I had to defend him. I entered the building, that big wonderful building in downtown Los Angeles, home of one of the finest law firms in the city, Nixon Speirs. Glad I was a part of it.

“Mr. Draper! Mr. Speirs would like to see you!” –said Miss Hellen, my secretary.

“Thanks Hellen, I´ll be in his office soon.” –I calmly said, as I took out a case containing my Purple Heart and Bronze Star. I had earned them during the war, where I had been wounded in Normandy, while serving in the infantry. I left the army in 1945, having worked as a police officer and detective in the LAPD before joining Nixon Speirs in 1950. I glanced at my medals, remembering how tough those times were. Having been raised during the Great Depression, my father ran a shipping business in San Francisco, so I was never poor or anything. I graduated in 1940 with a Bachelor of Arts in Law, from the UCLA, where I was a quarterback for the football team. Unfortunately, the war came, and in 1941 I enlisted.

“Draper!”

“Yes! I´ll be right there.” –I stopped daydreaming and went into Speirs´s office.

“We´re in trouble with McKinsey, Draper.” –said Speirs.

“Yes, I´m on it.” I sighed.

“This is an important case; he is being wrongfully accused.”

I had never liked Mr. McKinsey, however, Nixon and Speirs considered him an important asset to our firm. I had to win the case.

“I´m going to do my best sir.” –I responded. Speirs took a like to me, he thought I was the best lawyer in the whole country! I had to succeed. I left his office, pulled my Lucky Strike out of my pocket and lit it, wondering how in the world I was going to save Mr. McKinsey from spending time behind bars.

It was all so easier before, before the nightmares, before the whiskey and cigarettes and fame. Before I lost her…

But I had to do it.