'Into cages. That's where I found Sheba. Can you imagine what it must be like…to work all your life, be so loyal and true…and end up in a cage?'
'Just the last part.'
She nodded.
A tall, slender woman came in, sat on the edge of Wolfe's desk, crossed her long legs. An ankle bracelet gleamed. She had a Cleopatra face, long, dark nails. Kept her eyes on me as she talked to Wolfe over her shoulder. 'We can't use the shield on Mary Beth. The judge ruled she wasn't a vulnerable witness.'
'What does Lily say?' Lily runs SAFE, a treatment center for abused kids, works as a consultant to Wolfe's crew. I've known her forever.
'It'll be close,' the tall woman said. 'You'll take a look?'
'Yeah.' She turned to me. 'Want to see?'
'Okay,' I told Wolfe. Her beautiful pal acted like I was furniture.
We walked down the hall to the playroom, stood in the doorway. Lily was talking to a little girl. The child had pale white skin, lank blonde hair, thick glasses. She was listening intently to Lily when she looked up, spotted me. Her expression didn't change.
Sheba was standing next to the little girl. I moved a bit too close and she growled, taking a step forward. Our relationship was over.
An angry-looking man in a double-breasted silk suit shouldered his way past me into the room. He had longish dark hair, a thick neck, slight Mediterranean cast to his features.
'You heard?' he asked Wolfe.
'I heard. It's your case?'
'No, it's not my goddamned case. But I'm gonna be there. He wants to watch Mary Beth, okay, we'll see how he likes me watching him.'
'Rocco…' A warning tone in her voice.
'I know, I know. But…'
Wolfe turned to Lily. 'How're we doing?'
'We're doing just fine. Aren't we, Mary Beth?'
The little girl's 'yes' was a whisper.
I knew what was going on. The judge had ruled the little girl would have to face the perpetrator in court, not testify over closed-circuit TV like they'd wanted. And she was scared. He'd watch her, his eyes warning her, reminding her. Maybe he'd lick his lips, make a little gesture that only she knew. Maybe she'd go mute from terror. Wouldn't act like a kid on TV. A jury of citizen-hypocrites would talk about how normal the defendant looked. And another child molester would be acquitted. Her little face turned slowly, watching everyone in the room.
I stepped back against the wall, feeling her terror radiate— I've been tuned to that station all my life.
I touched Wolfe's hand. Lightly. 'Could I try something?' I asked.
'What?'
'She doesn't want to see him, right?'
Wolfe nodded. We all knew who 'him' was. There's always a 'him' in Mary Beth's kind of nightmares. Or a 'her.' Sometimes 'them.' Never a stranger.
Rocco pushed in between us, his nose inches from my face, hoping I'd take offense. 'Who're you?'
'This is a private investigator, Rocco,' Wolfe told him. 'He's worked with me before.'
'Private investigators work for whoever pays them.'
'Rocco, come over here a minute.' Lily's voice.
Lily took him over into a corner. The little girl patted Sheba, watching.
The tall woman stepped next to me, pinning me between her and Wolfe. Listening.
'It doesn't matter what he can see, right?' I asked. 'It's what
'Right.'
'What's the distance from the witness chair to the defense table?'
'I'm not sure,' Wolfe said, looking past me to the tall woman. 'You know, Lola?'
'I'll find out,' she said, making some gesture at Rocco. 'Wait in my office,' Wolfe told me.
8
A chesty thug stepped across Wolfe's threshold. He looked half my height and twice my width, straps from a shoulder holster over his arms. And an annoyed-looking Rottweiler on a heavy chain in his hand.
'I remember you,' he said. Some office Wolfe had: the women looked like fashion models, the men looked like a continuing criminal enterprise.
The Rottweiler snarled his acknowledgment— he remembered me too.
'I'm waiting for Wolfe.'
'She let you in?'
