Lisa Scottoline - Lady Killer

“I didn’t handle him. He’s a good guy and he’ll help if he can.”

“It’s really who you know, not what you know, like they say.”

Mary let it go. “Where’s Missy and Yolanda?” she asked, and they looked around the parking lot, which buzzed with activity.

“There, flirtin’ with those guys.” Giulia pointed across the lot, where Missy and Yolanda were chatting up two good-looking men in suits and a wiry bicycle messenger.

“Okay, forget them. You’re in charge. You heard Brinkley, he said it’s okay to send out a flyer. Here’s what you gotta do. You’re good online, right?”

“Sure. I got a MySpace and I watch porn, like everybody else.”

Mary let that go, too. Then she didn’t. “You watch porn?”

“Yeah.”

“But you’re a girl.”

“Yeah, so?” Giulia shrugged.

Right the first time. “Anyway, let’s use some self-help. Take the photo from your cell phone and e-mail it to everybody you know. Find some missing persons sites and post the photos there. Put it on your MySpace page and everywhere online that you can.”

“Good idea, Mare. We don’t want to waste any time.”

“Right, and make a flyer, in hard copy.”

Giulia nodded. “Like when you lose a dog?”

Uh. “Yes. You know what it should say?”

“Yeah.”

“You want me to write it down?”

“Nah, I got it.”

“Do that right away.”

“I know, I know.” Giulia stamped her little black boots. “Come on, I’m jonesin’ for a cigarette.”

“I’m going back to work, to check in. Call me and tell me your progress with the flyer. We’ll meet again in an hour.”

“When am I gonna see that diary?”

“Never.” Mary hustled out of the parking lot, with a final wave to Missy and Yolanda, who were laughing with the men and didn’t notice her. She unsheathed her BlackBerry while she hailed a cab, hit the number for voicemail, then heard the first message.

Which was very bad news.

“W hat happened?” Mary said, as soon as she hit Judy’s office. She’d tried to call her on the cab ride to the office, but she kept getting the voicemail, so she’d used the time to return other calls and e-mails. By the time she got back, her head was exploding and she could be liable for malpractice.

“I’m so sorry.” Judy hung up the phone. “I was just about to call you.” Sunlight poured through the window behind her, backlighting her hair and setting her fuchsia dress aglow. A half-eaten tofu salad and a bottle of Fiji water fought for desktop with messy notes, a laptop, correspondence, pencils and pens, and a Magic 8 Ball.

“Not your fault. Nunez wouldn’t go forward with the deposition?” Mary deflated into the chair in front of the desk.

“Not without you.” Judy looked regretful, puckering her lower lip. “I told him you had an emergency, but he just got rattled.”

“Oh no. Poor guy.”

“I think he has a crush on you.”

Mary scoffed. “He’s like ninety years old.”

“He says he doesn’t feel safe without you. He’s supercute, for such an old guy.”

“You’re creeping me out. So what happened?”

“We got as far as state-your-name-for-the-record, and he said he wanted to leave.” Judy sighed. “You’ll just reschedule.”

“To when?” Mary knew her week would be crazy. She had her regular case load to deal with, plus Dhiren and Dean Martin.

“What happened this morning with Trish?”

Mary didn’t have the time to fill her in, but did anyway.

“Good work,” Judy said, when the executive summary was over. “You’re doing all you can do for the dark side.”

“They’re not so bad.”

“The harpies?”

“I’m doing it for Trish.”

“Watch yourself with these girls.” Judy pointed a finger. “They’re just going to hurt you, in the end, and I don’t like anybody who hurts you.”

Mary smiled, touched. “Oh, by the way, I talked to Bennie this morning.”

“You did?” Judy’s eyes flared, and Mary filled her in on her meeting with the boss, which seemed ages ago. When she was finished, Judy’s unlipsticked mouth made a determined little line. “She won’t even hire a contract lawyer? That’s not fair. You need help.”

“It is what it is.” Mary got up. She had tons to do before Giulia called.

“If you were her partner, you wouldn’t have to ask permission to hire help.”

“If I were her partner, I’d be your boss.”

Judy laughed.

“My thoughts exactly,” Mary said with a smile, then hurried back to her office.

There, she called Roberto Nunez, but there was no answer and she left a message. She rifled through her mail, sorting it into Good and Evil piles, as was her habit. She ignored the ringing phone, logged on to the computer, and searched for special-education websites. She took notes, then scouted online to find an alternative place to get Dhiren tested. All the time, she was wondering when Brinkley would get back to her. She found a suburban child-study center with psychological and personality testing, then called them and was put through to the intake coordinator. Mary explained the situation, finishing with, “He’s so frustrated in school that he’s pulling his hair out.”

“That’s called trichotillomania.”

“You’ve heard of it?”

“Yes, it’s unfortunately quite common. We have fifteen psychologists on staff, all specializing in children with learning disabilities. As you’re seeing with your client, those disabilities affect them emotionally, so they hurt themselves or act out in school.”

“That’s exactly what’s happening.” Mary almost cheered. “Great! So when can I get him an appointment?”

“Will this be paid by the district?”

“No. This is private.”

“Payment is due when services are rendered. The cost is $3025.”

“I understand. I told the boy’s mother it’s expensive. I just need to set up the appointments.”

“Would you like an appointment for testing or counseling?”

“Both.” Mary felt greedy. “He really needs help.”

“I understand, these cases can be so heartbreaking.” From the other end of the phone came the clicking of a computer keyboard. “I’d start counseling as soon as possible. I have an opening on June 11, at three thirty with Dr. Theadora Landgren.”

Mary thought she was kidding. It was months away. “He has to wait that long?”

“I’m sorry, we’re very busy.”

“He can’t wait. He’s in a very bad way.” Mary heard the intake coordinator’s other phone start ringing.

“Excuse me. I have to get that. Please hold.”

Mary waited while they played uplifting music that didn’t uplift. She was already defaulting to Plan B. She wouldn’t make a counseling appointment; she’d find Dhiren another shrink, maybe closer, in the city. The important thing was the testing.

“Ms. DiNunzio, would you like to make that appointment for counseling?”

“No, that’s okay. Let’s go for the testing. I’ll get him counseling elsewhere, if you don’t mind.”

“I can even make some referrals for you.” Then came the sound of keyboard clacking, and the coordinator said, “Our first appointment for testing is June 3.”

“June? Even for the tests? Can you really be so booked up? I mean, it’s just a test.” Mary thought of Amrita saying, give him a book and see how he struggles.

“It’s not that simple. Our tests include full psychological batteries, personality testing, neuropsychological assessment…”

Mary zoned out while she explained in detail.

“So you can see it’s a complicated process, and that’s why we can’t take you until June 3. But I have referrals for testing as well.”