Lisa Scottoline - Think Twice

Third floor.

She got inside, and when the elevator doors slid open, she exited and walked through a reception area stuffed with hotel art, blue chairs, shining tables, and a stack of fancy magazines. She came upon a hallway that opened onto a conference room with a table made from a single slab of wood, its edges rough, black bark. It must have cost a fortune, and it was surrounded by soft navy blue swivel chairs, a walnut entertainment center, a plasma TV, and a mini-kitchen in matching walnut. It was classy down to the tartan dog bed that read BEAR, which reminded her to get the dog’s body out of the basement before it started to stink.

There were four offices off the conference room area, each with a shiny nameplate: MARY DINUNZIO, JUDY CARRIER, and ANNE MURPHY, and at the end, BENNIE ROSATO. She went into the office, where sunlight streamed through the tall window onto a nubby tan rug, walnut desk, and matching credenza with files. Bronze plaques covered the walls, and the end tables were blanketed with crystal bowls and engraved Lucite.

It’s not her office, it’s her shrine.

She went around the desk, dropped the messenger bag on the rug, and sat down in the black mesh chair. On the left was a Filofax open to Monday, and the day’s only appointment was in the afternoon with Rexco, a potential client she had read about in the email last night. She’d cancel the meeting to avoid any chance to slip up. Suddenly, Bennie’s cell phone started ringing in her messenger bag, and Alice dug it out and checked the screen, recognizing the phone number. It was her old boss, Karen Wise, the director at PLG.

Well, how-dee-doo. “Hello, Karen,” Alice said into the phone, as Bennie.

“Bennie, how have you been?”

“Great, thanks.”

“Sorry to bother you on the weekend, but I left a message last night and didn’t hear back from you, and it’s kind of important. I won’t keep you, but I wanted to let you know that Alice quit on us last week, out of the blue. Just up and left.”

“Oh, no.” Do tell.

“I didn’t think you knew. I gather you two haven’t spoken recently.”

“No, I’m just so busy.” And important. You should see my awards.

“I thought as much. Alice worked hard and showed such an eagerness to learn, in the beginning. She seemed to lose interest, in time. She started coming in late and her attitude changed.”

What a bad puppy!

“She’s naturally intelligent and she has a fine legal mind. If she wanted, she could be a great lawyer, like you.”

We’re about to find out.

“Anyway, here’s why I called. There’s a problem. I hesitate to even say this, but we think that she might have taken some money from petty cash. It was about four hundred dollars and as you know, it’s not as if we have the money to spare, after the last funding cut.”

And you didn’t notice I embezzled about $1,500 ?

“One of our other employees saw her leaving the room last, and with her sudden disappearance, well, it seems sort of damning, doesn’t it?”

“How terrible, really. Karen, let me send you a check, and please accept my apologies.”

“Thank you, Bennie. Again, I’m so sorry about this.”

“As am I, but I have to go. Good-bye,” Alice said, pressing END. She set the phone down, then heard someone clearing their throat.

She looked up, and standing in the doorway was her toughest test yet.

Mary stood in the threshold of Bennie’s office, trying not to be insecure. The boss owned a coffee mug that read I CAN SMELL FEAR, and she hated it when Mary was insecure. Unfortunately, it only made Mary more insecure, and blotches would bloom on her neck like roses in her own little garden of anxiety.

“DiNunzio, what do you want?” Bennie looked up with her usual businesslike smile.

“Uh, do you have a minute to talk?”

“Only just.” Bennie pointed to one of the chairs opposite her desk. “Sit. Talk. Then go.”

“Thanks.” Mary entered the office, sat down, and crossed her legs, which was when it struck her that it was a huge deal to ask someone to make you a partner, and she hadn’t said anything yet, so she could just keep it to herself, for several years.

“DiNunzio, what is it?”

“How are you?”

Bennie frowned. “Fine. How are you?”

“Good. Where’s Bear?”

“Home.”

“Why?”

“What do you want, DiNunzio?”

Mary found her voice. “I was wondering if you’d made your decision yet, about making me a partner.”

“No.”

“The answer is no, or you haven’t decided yet?”

“No, I haven’t decided. I’ll think about it and get back to you.”

Mary thought the boss was being a little, well, bossy. “We agreed that you’d make your decision by September.”

“It’s still August. Don’t jump the gun.”

Mary flashed on what Anthony had said about showing initiative, but it turned out that initiative was overrated. Still, she deserved the promotion, even if she wasn’t jerky enough to say so. “I’d like to know more about what you’re thinking about it and-”

“Quiet.” Bennie raised a palm like a traffic cop. “I can’t talk right now. If I said I’ll get to it in September, I will.”

Mary felt nonplussed. Bennie wasn’t usually this abrupt, and she sensed that something was wrong, though she wasn’t about to ask. She rose and walked to the door. “Okay, well, I guess we’ll talk next month.”

“Wait. DiNunzio?”

“Yes?” Mary turned back, and Bennie’s expression had changed, her features softening.

“Listen, I hate to get personal, but I should mention that I just heard from Karen Wise that Alice Connelly-you know, my twin-quit her job at PLG. It’s just bothersome. I’m so disappointed in her.”

“I see,” Mary said, concerned. “I knew something was bothering you.”

“You did? How?”

“I could just tell. I’ve worked for you for a long time now.”

“Worked with me, not for me.”

Mary blushed. Maybe she really would make partner. “So, do you think you’ll hear from her? If she has no job, she’ll be needing money.”

“That may be true, but it’s not my problem, anymore. I haven’t seen her in a year or so, and I’m so tired of her expecting me to put her life back together, after she messes it up.”

“Remember, she gave you trouble before and she may do it again. She’s resentful of you, and you’re so successful now.”

“I didn’t think of that.” Bennie looked concerned. “You know, Karen told me that she stole money from petty cash.”

“She stole from a nonprofit? That’s low.” Mary was a twin herself, and she knew from experience that being one wasn’t always easy. She and her sister Angie loved each other, but it could be tricky to establish your own identity when somebody else was wearing your face. “Remember, I’m a twin, even though we haven’t really talked about it much. So I’ve been there, to a certain extent.”

“Right. I had forgotten.”

“People do, since Angie’s off always doing missionary work, now that she left the convent.” Mary didn’t add that she’d never talked to Bennie about her twin because the boss wasn’t exactly down with girl talk. “Anyway, I noticed that, in the past, Alice seems to come to you when she needs money, help, or a favor. If she came by on Monday with Rexco here, it might be a problem.”

“Then let’s cancel the meeting.”

“We can’t. It took three weeks to get it scheduled. You should see the emails I had to send, back and forth.” Mary hesitated, then went for it. She was showing initiative all over the place. “Can I make a suggestion?”