Scadman jumped to his feet, moving ominously toward me. "Don't you dare threaten me with sanctions!"
As he approached, I measured the distance between us. I had a longer reach than he did, and I knew I was in better shape. I'd spent more than my share of time in the principal's office in junior high school, mostly for fighting. Instinctively, I made ready for the attack Scadman was apparently planning to launch.
But the assault never came.
Behind Scadman, Matt Bruner had risen unhurriedly to his feet. He flipped his hand in a gesture of dismissal. "Oh, back off, Scadman. This is just a deposition. It's not the WBA boxing championship."
Scadman wheeled suddenly. "Yeah? And what are you going to do about it?"
To my absolute amazement--and to Bruner's--Scadman walked over and shoved the big lawyer against one of the mahogany bookcases. Bruner winced with pain as his right shoulder banged against the corner of the bookcase, tearing a gash in his blue blazer.
Suddenly, there was fire in Bruner's eyes. His large hands became fists. Something about the way the big man rumbled slowly toward Scadman told me that Bruner was a trained athlete, probably football or hockey.
I stepped forward to intervene. "Stop it!" I thundered at the top of my voice. Bruner stopped in his tracks. "Not here and not now!"
The two lawyers stood glaring at each other. Finally, like a pair of prizefighters at the sound of the bell, they dropped their hands to their sides. Scadman made a show of fiddling with the papers on the table in front of him, and Bruner stormed out of the room.
I took Josie by the elbow. "Ms. Ballantine?"
She nodded and rose from her chair. Her gait was shaky as I led her out of the library and down the corridor to my office.
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