The U.S.-Mexico border was as congested as usual. Inspectors on the U.S. side were checking suspicious vehicles, including a refrigerated truck from a dessert shop. They reviewed the driver’s identification, inspected the chassis and cab, used drug-sniffing dogs, and even pulled samples of the cargo from the refrigerated compartment for X-ray scans. Finding no issues, the refrigerated truck was allowed to pass. It arrived at the dessert shop near midnight; as soon as the goods were unloaded, the shop closed for the night. Shortly after, Tuco’s uncle Hector drove over and entered the shop’s warehouse to check the merchandise. Old Mike watched the entire process closely. Uncovering Hector’s drug money trail wasn’t just because Stacey had her eye on an apartment that cost a fortune—it was also because Old Mike would never allow anyone to threaten his granddaughter. Hector had to pay for that.
What Jimmy had been looking forward to finally happened: Kim officially submitted her resignation to Howard. Howard had long heard rumors that Kim would quit to join Rich, but he never expected she was starting her own law firm. A flash of surprise crossed his face before he quickly regained his composure. He remembered that when he had just graduated from law school, he had also dreamed of starting from scratch. But he had later followed his father’s advice to work at his father’s firm, eventually taking it over and continuing to partner with Charles, his father’s generation, to this day. His ambitions had gradually faded over the years, and now seeing Kim’s resignation, Howard admired her courage and determination. As a housewarming gift, Howard forgave Kim’s loan debt at the firm.
Walking out of Howard’s office, Kim sprinted back to her own. Before packing her personal belongings, she needed to call Paige. At noon, Kim met with Pepper and Kevin at a restaurant. She promised to tailor legal strategies specifically for Mesa Verde Bank, rather than the one-size-fits-all package service offered by Hamlin, McGill & Co. Moreover, as their sole client, she would dedicate all her energy and time to serving them.
Kim’s words were convincing, and Kevin decided to hand over all legal work related to the bank’s business to her. Overjoyed, she went to see Jimmy, who had already found an office space—two separate offices sharing a lobby, perfectly matching Kim’s requirement of two firms under one roof. Everything seemed to signal a promising start.
Devastated by Mesa Verde Bank’s notice to change counsel, Howard went to Charles’ house to personally deliver the bad news. More than losing a major client, Charles couldn’t accept that the client had chosen Kim and Jimmy. To save face, he put on a suit lined with a space blanket, endured the radiation from lights and cell phones, and met with Kevin and Paige at the firm. Kevin and Paige had originally planned only a courtesy visit, but they agreed to the meeting since Charles insisted. Charles opened not by boasting about himself or belittling Kim, but by praising Kevin’s discerning eye. Kim’s work enthusiasm, he said, was something an old man like him couldn’t match. He then shifted gears, expressing concern about whether the young Kim was familiar with this regulation or that precedent, bombarding Kevin and Paige with a string of obscure jargon that left them nervous and uneasy. Finally, he flaunted Howard’s connections at the Federal Reserve and the SEC, making the rest a foregone conclusion.
Losing Mesa Verde’s retainer was a major blow to Kim. Seeing her disappointed expression, Jimmy knew it must have been Charles’ doing. Kim had worked tirelessly to secure Mesa Verde as a client, yet Howard had never rewarded her for it. Now Hamlin, McGill & Co. was bullying the small by stealing clients, and a surge of anger rose in Jimmy’s chest. In the middle of the night, he went to Charles’ house. Exhausted from spending too much time outdoors that afternoon, Charles was sound asleep on the sofa. Ernesto, the associate lawyer sent by the firm to take care of Charles’ daily life, had been waiting until Jimmy arrived. Ernesto and Jimmy had been good friends when Ernesto worked in the mailroom, so when Jimmy told him to go home and rest, Ernesto left without hesitation.
Jimmy’s purpose wasn’t to take care of Charles—it was the two boxes of Mesa Verde Bank documents in the house. They were a pile of files for new branch locations. He flipped through them quickly, pulling out all the papers with the new branch address. He then went to a 24-hour print shop, used a knife and glue to alter the house number on the address from 1261 to 1216. After reprinting, Jimmy kept the original documents and slipped the tampered copies back into the pile.