Lisa Scottoline - Lady Killer

“Pure bad luck.”

“Hmph.” Judy eyed the photo. “Check out the way he’s looking at you. He’s got the look of love, girl.”

“Don’t be silly,” Mary said, but felt herself flush. Anthony had washed their wineglasses and cheese plate, which raised new questions about his sexuality.

“Are you two dating?”

“We could have been, but I blew it, which isn’t what we need to talk about right now.”

Suddenly there was a noise outside in the hallway, then footsteps, then humming, and Mary and Judy locked wide eyes. They both knew what it meant. The boss.

“What’s she doing in so early?” Judy whispered.

“Damnit!” Mary whispered back. “Now I’ll never get out.”

“Think she’ll cuff us?”

“Not funny.”

“Calm down. She’s on trial. She won’t have time to talk. She’ll stick her head in to say hi.”

“So what do I do?”

“Say hi.”

In the next minute, Bennie materialized at the threshold in her trenchcoat, her hair drying in a wide tortoiseshell barrette. She held a Starbucks venti, which was when Mary realized that Bennie was a Starbucks venti.

“Hi!” Mary and Judy said, in unfortunate unison.

“Well, gee, hi, ladies.” Bennie’s eyes widened slightly, and she smiled. “How did you two beat me in?”

“We’re younger,” Judy said, and Bennie laughed.

“You look different, Carrier. What’s different about you today?”

“I’m very brown. Shades of brown, from the same brown family. Basically, I’m wearing meat.”

Bennie laughed again, then eyed Mary. “DiNunzio, I’m seeing you everywhere and getting calls from all quarters. You at the Roundhouse. You on TV and on the front page. What’s going on?”

“I’ve been a little busy, I guess.” Mary told herself to act natural, or failing that, less nervous than natural.

“Is this a criminal matter?”

“Yes. And, no.”

“Two matters, huh?”

Uh, no.

“Whom do you represent?”

Mary stalled. She couldn’t lie. It was wrong, and also she sucked at it. She decided to shade the truth, which would consign her only to purgatory, at least until that went out of business, too. “Trish Gambone. She came to me for a restraining order against her boyfriend. She’s the woman who was kidnapped.”

“That’s terrible.” Bennie frowned, alarmed. “So the restraining order didn’t do any good?”

“Uh, well, I didn’t get one.”

“You lost?” Bennie frowned, more deeply.

“No, as it happened, we didn’t go to court. This is from the other day. Those girls who came in and started the fight, remember?”

Bennie snorted. “I should have known. So why were you at the Roundhouse?”

“I had to give information about Trish to Reg Brinkley, if you remember him. He sends his regards. He’s that detective from the Newlin case, who helped us out.” Mary hoped that if she kept talking, she would use up the two seconds Bennie usually allotted for small talk. “He was the tall one, he’s black, and he loves jazz. In fact, he was telling me to say hi to you when I-”

“I remember Reg,” Bennie interrupted. “I read that the boyfriend, Mancuso, was found dead last night. He was connected?”

“Yes.”

“They’re talking about retaliation from within the Mob. None of this bodes well for your client. Our friend Reg has a tiger by the tail, trying to find her.”

“Luckily, he’s the man for the job.”

“Yes, he is. It’s not your problem, correct?” Bennie eyed her meaningfully as she sipped her coffee, and Mary shuddered. Being cross-examined by the boss was bad enough, but on espresso, it could be lethal. Judy looked like she was holding her breath, and Mary shook her head.

“Of course it’s not my problem,” she answered.

“I’m betting that you’re far too busy to be running around, if what you said the other day was any indication.”

Mary flushed. “I am. Far too busy.”

“Good.” Bennie seemed satisfied. “Anyway, I’d like you both to clear your calendars today, to give me a hand at trial. Last night, Anne got food poisoning at dinner with the client, and I’m putting on a slew of witnesses.”

Gulp. “Poor Anne.” Mary had to stall until she could think of a reason not to help. Or maybe the office would catch fire. “Where did you eat?”

“Muggy’s, on Walnut Street.”

“What did Anne eat?”

Bennie blinked. “Something that made her sick.”

“No, I meant, what was it she ate that made her sick?”

“Does it matter?”

“It would, if I were taking a client to Muggy’s.”

“Are you?” Bennie asked.

“Hell, no. Not anymore.” HELP!

Judy cleared her throat. “I can give you a hand, Bennie. I’ve got the whole day. You won’t need Mary if you have me.”

“No, I need you both.” Bennie turned to Judy. “Carrier, you’ll sit second-chair, in court. There’s about three hundred documents in this case, so I need the assist.” She turned back to Mary. “DiNunzio, I need you to prep witnesses for me. I’m starting our case in chief today. Can you free up?”

Mary froze.

“I know you’re busy, but it’s an emergency. All hands on deck.”

“I can’t do it,” Mary blurted out.

“Why not?”

“I have a meeting out of the office,” Mary answered, shakily, and in the background, even Judy started frowning.

“What kind of meeting?” Bennie asked.

“A meeting about a case.” Mary felt panic rising. She wished she had a Starbucks venti. She felt pretty sure she could lie better if she were sucking down a Starbucks. She would use her Starbucks for good, and not evil.

“What case?” Bennie asked, impatient. “And why do I have to take your deposition to find out?”

“You don’t,” Mary answered, though it wasn’t funny anymore. She didn’t have to lie. She wasn’t going to lie. She had a good reason to be doing what she was doing, and that was that. She straightened up. “I can’t help you today. I’m sorry. I have something important to do, and I have to get going.”

“But there’s work to be done here.”

“I have work, too, and I can’t drop it. It’s about Trish. She’s still missing, and I’m going to help find her.”

In the background, Judy’s eyes flared, and Bennie’s eyes narrowed.

“So it’s not a case. Weren’t you the one telling me you were so inundated with work? Now you can take a day off?”

“I know, I am inundated. But I can’t turn my back on this girl.”

“Your clients are firing you. Is this why?”

Mary felt stricken, wondering how she’d found out.

“I know what goes on here, DiNunzio. It’s my firm.”

“They’re firing me because they think I turned my back on Trish.”

“And you’re doing this for them?”

“No.” Mary shook her head. “I’m doing it for me.”

“Either way, it’s unprofessional and dangerous. Mancuso was in the Mob.”

“I’ll be careful.” Mary reached for her bag. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.”

“Don’t go. Your place is here.”

“I have to.”

“Are you walking out on me?” Bennie looked as angry as Mary had ever seen her.

“I have to go, Bennie.”

“But I forbid it.”

“I’m sorry.” Mary locked eyes with Bennie, in an interoffice version of the age-old struggle between parent and child. “I have no choice.”

“You always have a choice.” Bennie stiffened. “If you go now, then don’t come back.”

No. Mary felt stricken.

Judy yelped, “Bennie, really? She’s just doing what she thinks is-”

“Enough.” Bennie raised a hand, never taking her eyes from Mary. “DiNunzio, you’re either an associate here or you’re not. If you are, you’ll stay. If you’re not, you’ll go. For good.”