Take Hector's money, and get the job done. Old Mike called Jimmy again to accompany him to the District Attorney's Office to revise his statement. The DA was relying on that gun covered with Tuco's fingerprints to charge Tuco with a felony, but now the defendant claimed not to know who the gun belonged to, and that shyster beside him even said it might have fallen from the sky. Though knowing they were spouting nonsense, Old Mike insisted the gun wasn't Tuco's, and the DA couldn't do anything about it. Jimmy still shuddered at Tuco's brutality; after leaving the DA's office, he privately expressed understanding for Old Mike's situation. As an old friend, Jimmy offered his services for free. But Old Mike wouldn't have it—payment settles all, no debts owed.
After leaving the DA's office, Jimmy called Kim. Kim wanted to wait until she got the offer letter after next week's interview before submitting her resignation to Howard. Either way, Kim was determined to leave. Jimmy also decided to quit Davis & Main to continue as a solo lawyer, no longer having to dance to others' tunes. But when his assistant was helping draft the resignation letter, she had to remind Jimmy of one thing. According to the contract, resigning within a year meant he had to return the signing bonus. Jimmy had no idea such a clause existed; he checked the contract and found his assistant was right. He had no intention of giving back that tens of thousands of dollars. Besides, he had secured hundreds of clients for the firm not long ago—this money was well-deserved. After carefully reading the labor contract law, Jimmy hatched a plan.
Starting the next day, Jimmy dressed like a pimp, wearing bright-colored suits paired with gaudy ties. While others were busy meeting clients and discussing business, he was busy making vegetable juice with a juicer for health. If Clifford could strum a guitar in the office to relieve stress, he would play the Scottish bagpipes in his office, filling every corner with the weird sound. Clifford wasn't stupid—he knew Jimmy's intention. Finally, after reaching his breaking point, he fired Jimmy, even willing to forgo the signing bonus. To be honest, Clifford had treated Jimmy well. But Jimmy wasn't the type to play by the rules; he couldn't adapt to such rigid work methods.
Jimmy couldn't wait to go to Hamlin, McGill & Co. to find Kim. He wanted to ask Kim to consider another possibility—partnering with him to open a law firm. He had even designed the business card layout. Being one's own boss was better than being at someone else's mercy. If she accepted the new job, it would just be replacing Howard with Rich—no real change.
Jimmy's proposal was a huge gamble for Kim. Not to mention her law school loans, a newly opened firm would have no reputation, no credibility, and no clients—where would the income come from to keep it running? Those were secondary; what Kim cared most about was how Jimmy would approach the job if they partnered. Facing Kim's question, Jimmy twisted the pinky ring Mark had given him. He had to be honest—he wouldn't strictly abide by those lawyer regulations and would use every trick in the book to win cases. Kim was glad Jimmy had been upfront, but she still had to decline his offer.
Kim's interview went smoothly. Afterward, Rich and the other two main partners barely concealed their desire to hire her. But a small accident happened at the end. Before leaving, Kim shook hands with the three politely, addressing each by name. When it was Rich's turn, Kim instinctively called him "Howard." She corrected herself immediately, but the embarrassment was obvious. After walking out of the office building, Kim stood by the parking lot, lit a cigarette, and thought carefully about what Jimmy had said. She made a major decision in her life—resign from Howard but also reject Rich's job offer. Jimmy was right; one should be their own boss. However, her collaboration with Jimmy wouldn't be a partnership—they would be independent and run their own operations. She felt they could live together, but not work together.