'What happened to the money?'
'Don't know. I just found out today that the participating charities got stiffed.'
'Sometimes that is simple mismanagement,' she said.
'Yep, and Sterling seems capable of it, but a couple of tough guys showed up at my office and threatened to beat me up if I didn't stay away from the case.'
'What case?' Rachel Wallace said.
'I guess I'm trying to save Sterling from the sexual harassment charge. Susan says he came to her in desperation.'
'What does he say?'
'He says it'll just go away, and by golly he's not a bit worried.'
'By golly?'
'By golly.'
'But you're wondering about the bad men who came to call, and about the money that didn't go to charity?'
'Yep.'
'And you have a client that says `by golly.' '
'Sometimes he says `by golly, Miss Molly.''
'Please,' Rachel Wallace said.
I finished my beer, Rachel Wallace finished her second martini. The waiter brought us each a new drink. I could see Rachel Wallace turning my situation over in her head.
'Either he was pretending to Susan that he was desperate,' she said, half to herself, 'or he's pretending to you that he's not.'
'Or Susan's lying.'
'You're just pretending to be objective,' Rachel Wallace said. 'that she is lying is not a possibility in your universe.'
'A fool for love,' I said.
'There are worse things to be a fool for,' she said. 'But don't confuse yourself by pretending you aren't.'
'Okay,' I said. 'You happen to have a working definition of sexual harassment around?'
Rachel Wallace spoke without inflection like a kid saying the pledge to the flag.
'In Massachusetts,' she said, 'sexual harassment means sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when: (a) submission to or rejection of such advances, requests, or conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of employment or as a basis for employment decisions.'
She took in a big stage breath, let it out, drank some martini, and went on. 'Or (b) such advances, requests, or conduct have the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance by creating an intimidating, hostile, humiliating, or sexually offensive work environment.'
'That's the law?'
'That's it in Massachusetts.'
'And you can recite it from memory.'
'I'm not just another pretty face,' she said.
'Well,' I said, 'the legislators are clearly a bunch of pickle puss spoilsports.'
'Yes,' she said. 'I understand the Iron Maiden is illegal here too.'
'At the moment. But these women were volunteers,' I said. 'Does the law apply to them?'
'I'm not an attorney,' Rachel Wallace said. 'But part B might be the more applicable one.'
'The thing about the sexually offensive work environment.'
She rattled it off again.
'Maybe,' I said. 'Still, it doesn't seem to me like the strongest case in the world.'
'Not every offensive sexual remark is, legally, sexual harassment,' Rachel Wallace said. 'Have you interviewed the plaintiffs?'
'They won't talk to me, advice of counsel.'
'Is the counsel formidable?'
'Francis Ronan?'
'Jesus Christ,' Rachel Wallace said.
The waiter offered us menus and we paused to browse them. When we had ordered, Rachel Wallace rested her chin on her folded hands and looked at me.
'Is it difficult with Susan right now?'
