Lisa Scottoline - Killer Smile

“Next time you hit a girl, remember that we hit back,” Mary said with a smile, and she closed the door on him.

Then she ran like hell.

Okay, it really really hurts to hit someone with your hand.

Mary drove with her left hand on the steering wheel while she opened and closed her right hand, trying unsuccessfully to make a fist. Her fingers had swollen quickly, turning pink, and her middle knuckle killed her. She didn’t know if she had broken it, but it almost didn’t matter. She felt high, adrenalized, exhilarated. Filing lawsuits only went so far. You should get to hit somebody back. You might even have a First Amendment right to hit somebody back.

Mary considered it, keeping an eye on the road, and luckily the traffic was light, since nobody was driving into the city at the end of the business day. She had so much more to do. She got off 202 North and negotiated the King of Prussia construction that funneled her onto the expressway, going east to Philly. She whizzed past an orange blur of Home Depot, Chili’s, and an Outback Steakhouse, and accelerated.

Time for stage two of the plan. Mary had a zillion cell phone calls to make, starting with her new best friend. She fumbled with her Filofax, managed to find the number, then pressed it into her phone with a combination of teeth, nose, and little finger.

“Mac?” she said, when he picked up. “Jim MacIntire, from the News ? This is Mary DiNunzio, returning your call.”

“Mary!” the reporter exclaimed. “I need to talk to you. I can’t get over what you said to me, what you think of me! What’s going on?”

“Here’s the scoop, Jim,” she began, then launched into the details of the suit papers Judy had just filed for her, including everything she had learned about the original patent that Giovanni Saracone had stolen and how Justin Saracone continued to profit. She answered every question as fully as possible, defaming both the living and the dead, because it only suited her purposes if Justin countersued her for defamation. She ended by telling Mac to be at the hearing for the restraining order.

“You’re going for a TRO?” he repeated, salivating audibly.

“Be there or be square,” Mary answered, then hung up with her teeth. She consulted her Filofax for the next reporter’s number, decreased her speed in a concession to auto safety, and plugged in the next number.

“ Shannon,” she said when he picked up, then she told him the whole story, too, beginning at the beginning and ending with the TRO hearing at ten tomorrow.

“I’ll be there,” the reporter promised, and after that she took her life in her hands and called five other reporters, then she hung up, satisfied that the word would spread. Telling a reporter was almost as good as telling Skinny Uncle Joey, and Mary wanted to make as much noise as possible. She wanted the whole scheme brought to light and the Saracones dragged along, kicking and screaming. The Reinhardt deal would collapse, and as soon as the licensees found out that the validity of the original patent was being questioned, as well as subsequent patents relying on it, they could stop doing business with Justin. The licenses would fall like dominoes. Justin’s world – and his income – would collapse and end. One way or the other, she was taking him down.

Mary switched into the fast lane and was about to check on Keisha when her cell phone started ringing. She picked it up, recognized the number on the lighted display, and felt her heart plummet to her pumps. How could she be so happy and so unhappy in the same moment? “Hi, Bennie,” she said into the phone.

“DiNunzio, what’s up? You okay, or still upset over Cavuto?”

“No, I’m not.” Frank seems like years ago, and I have so much more to be upset about.

“And Brandolini’s doing what?”

“It’s quiet right now.” Or being filed in federal court.

“You’re letting it go?”

“Absolutely. It’s gone.” What had Judy said? Smooth as glass.

“Then you’re all ready.”

“Ready for what?”

“Don’t tell me you forgot!”

“Forgot what?” Mary asked miserably.

The restaurant in Fairmount turned out to be dark, smoky, and crowded, putting Mary in an even worse mood. Another blind date was the last thing she wanted right now, with her hand killing her, a TRO hearing to prepare for, and a night’s sleep to catch up on, but she had no choice. Bennie had set it up a few weeks ago with a good friend of hers named Gary Haddon, and Mary had forgotten about it completely. She couldn’t have cancelled this late without arousing the boss’s suspicion. Or her fury.

She glanced around the packed bar, looking for Gary. He should be here already, since she was almost twenty minutes late. She had wasted so much time at home, trying on different outfits, finally deciding on a little black dress and black heels. She’d even changed her purse to match her outfit, which was one of those things that women thought essential and men never noticed. Mary wanted a good report card from this guy, even if she wasn’t looking for Mr. Right. Him, she had already met and married. Nobody gets two Mr. Rights in her life, even if she’s a good Catholic.

Mary didn’t see Gary at the bar. Bennie had said he was hot, hot, hot; a tall, thirty-five-year-old lawyer with black hair and an incredibly hunky body, because he was the Vesper crew’s stroke. Bennie had said that meant he was the best rower in the boat, as if Mary cared. He was supposed to be wearing a dark polo shirt and biceps. She peered though the carcinogens for dark hair and a dark shirt, but she didn’t see him. Maybe he was waiting for her at a table. The dining section of the restaurant looked like it was toward the back.

She waded into the crowd, ignoring the degrading sensation that men were looking her over, and the equally degrading sensation that they weren’t.

“Can I get you a drink?” asked a man to her left, and Mary looked over. He was tall, but skinny and bald. Not Gary Haddon.

“Uh, no, thanks. I’m meeting someone.”

“Maybe next time?”

“Mrphm,” she answered, just to be nice. Then a man turned to look at her from the far side of the bar, catching her eye. He was about thirty-five years old, tall, with thick, dark hair. He wore a dark polo shirt and had the requisite musculature. Gary Haddon. Wow! This guy was seriously hot, if you happened to have a sex drive, which Mary didn’t. She gave him a little wave with her good hand, and he waved back, then got up from the bar. She squeezed her way over, extending her good hand when she reached him. “Gary Haddon?”

“Mary? I’m Gary.” Gary smiled almost shyly, which she found instantly cute. He was a great height, maybe six two, and when he shook her hand, his grip felt warm and strong. “Nice to meet you.”

“You, too. Sorry I’m late.”

“No sweat.”

“Did you make a reservation or was I supposed to?”

“I think you were supposed to.”

Argh . “Sorry. Please don’t tell Bennie.”

“No sweat.”

Mary decided he was big on no sweat . Gary had a jock-y way about him for a lawyer, like Bennie. She could see why they’d be friends, even if Bennie’s biceps were bigger.

“Maybe they’ll have a table anyway,” Gary said, and they both looked at the dining section. There were about thirty tables and all of them were taken, to a one. Mary hid her dismay. This date would never begin, so it couldn’t end. Still, Gary seemed nice and he was really good-looking. For a stroke.

“Sorry, I should have called.”

“Forget it. I’ll check the wait.” Gary left her and wedged his way to a gorgeous hostess, who held the menus under her ample breasts, like push-up menus. Mary watched Gary speak to her, and he didn’t seem to notice the cleavage display. Nevertheless, she countered with a matching-purse display as he returned, his expression unhappy. “Bad news. The wait is an hour, maybe more.”