“I was told that cases with a judge should be handled through her right-hand assistant. What’s the assistant’s name?”
“Alexandra Dmitrievna Yakhontova. She’s literate, keeps her distance. Everything goes through her: drafts, memos, even a cup of coffee. But bribes?”—I frown.—“If that’s true, I’ll find out.”
“Yes, yes—that very gray mouse.”
“Right facial features, excellent diction, a waist of sixty centimeters, and long hair. This, in your opinion, is a mouse?”
“And you, Saveliy Andreevich, it seems you have a personal interest in her?”
I correct myself sharply:
“Absolutely not. There’s something called legal ethics. But I’ll check: if she plays dirty, then we’ll play this game too—with pleasure.”
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A standalone story—read separately.