‘How dare you? In fact, since we are not in court here and nothing is being recorded, let me rephrase that: how fucking dare you? Your client was part of a violent militant anti-abortion group whose leader was responsible for several deaths, including that of an unborn child. We have reason to believe that your client is borderline mentally unwell. I advised my client not to offer her much. My client is a generous and decent man. More than generous. Your client will have a mortgage-free house and a significant sum of money. If you dare – I will repeat that, dare – to go greedy and mercenary on us, I promise you that (a) the offer will be withdrawn by 6 p.m. tomorrow evening, and (b) I will become merciless on my client’s behalf. We will offer next to nothing and we will argue that this woman deserves nothing. And if you think I am angry now – angry that you dare try to gain more for a woman with terrorist connections – because her political mentor and best friend, Teresa Hernandez, was just that, a terrorist – wait until we are in a court of law. Do you get that, Counsellor?’

Suarez looked like he had just been pummeled. He was wide-eyed and genuinely speechless. Then he made a bad mistake. He turned to Dwight and said:

‘If we might be able to have a calm word alone …?’

‘Why alone?’ Dwight asked. ‘Because my associate is a woman? Are you also implying because she is a woman she can’t be calm, reasoned?’

Suarez realized he’d just blown it. Dwight narrowed him in his sights.

‘You’ve heard my associate’s offer. Take it or leave it. I promise you: if you don’t take it everything my associate told you will not just happen … it will very much happen. As our business is done here, I respectfully ask you to leave.’

Suarez stood up, genuinely shaken. He turned to Jennifer.

‘I meant no offense.’

‘Yes, you did,’ she said.

He was gone moments later. When the door closed behind him Jennifer put her face in her hands and said:

‘Fuck, that felt good.’

Suarez left at 12.35 p.m. according to the clock on the wall. He knew he had just under eighteen hours to accept our offer or face Jennifer’s considerable wrath. She called me around five that afternoon to inform me:

‘It’s all over, way before the deadline. Your offer has been accepted.’

‘I’m pleased. I had no appetite for a fight. Just one last thing: tell Suarez that if my wife ever wants to meet me the door is open.’

But she never got in touch. And that was fine with me.