Rafael and the Weight of Loyalty
Rafael Costa answered on the first ring because he was already at his desk at seven-fifteen on a Sunday morning, which was the kind of man he was.
"I know why you're calling," he said.
"Then you're ahead of me," Leonardo said.
"She came to see me Friday morning. Before she came to you." A pause. "She wanted to know if I was still your lawyer, and if that meant I couldn't be trusted to give her straight information."
"What did you tell her?"
"That she was right to be cautious, and that I couldn't act for her, and that I had a colleague she should speak with." He paused. "I also told her that whatever I knew about you after fifteen years suggested that if she told you the truth, you wouldn't punish her for it."
Leonardo was quiet for a moment. "Do you
