Rough Justice

Judy's mouth fell open. It all fit together. 'Street money.'

'Somebody gets paid to file an absentee ballot in the name of the organ donor.'

'Eb Darning would be the somebody.'

'Bingo,' Marta said quietly, and suddenly she saw it all. Steere's scheme, perfectly planned and executed, years in the making. Steere had paid Eb Darning to file absentee ballots in the last election, undoubtedly voting against his enemy, the mayor. But Steere didn't anticipate that Eb would keep his own proof of the deal. Darning must have been blackmailing Steere, and Steere killed him for it. 'Get the file and notebook,' Marta said. 'We have to get going.'

'What? Where? To the cops?'

'No time for that. To court.'

59

Bennie sat sweltering in her parka, growing increasingly impatient as she and Emil waited for Jennifer Pressman in the chief of staff's office. There was no alternative to waiting, but it went against Bennie's nature to sit on her hands. She'd excused herself twice already to prowl the corridors of City Hall, opening office doors and checking the room where the mayor had held his press conference. The conference had ended, and Jen Pressman was nowhere to be found. 'Maybe she's home by now,' Bennie said, nudging Emil with her elbow. 'Ask the secretary to call again.'

'No.' Emil flipped through the glossy magazine he'd found on the coffee table. 'We just called. Behave.'

'Ask her.'

'No. Jen will be in soon, she has to be. It's her job. She's dedicated.'

'I can't wait any longer. You want the story or not?'

Emil snapped the magazine shut. 'You try me, Bennie.'

'Thank you.'

He dropped the magazine on the table and walked over to the secretary's desk. 'Flossie, do you think we should call Jennifer's home again?'

The secretary stopped typing and looked up from her keyboard. 'It hasn't been that long since last time.'

'I understand, but this is an important matter. Would you mind very much? I consider it a great favor to me.'

'You know—,' the secretary hesitated, then her voice softened. 'To tell you the truth, Emil, it won't do any good to keep calling her at home. I don't think my boss made it home last night.'

'What do you mean?'

'You know what I mean. I don't think she slept at home last night.'

Emil colored. 'I see.'

'You didn't hear this from me, right?' the secretary said, lowering her voice.

'Right.'

'You'd never print anything we talk about, right?'

'Of course not, Flossie. We're friends, you and I.'

'Well, I think she went to see her boyfriend last night. That's the only time she pulls a disappearing act. She hasn't taken off much lately, so I thought it was over. Maybe not, though. Guess they reconciled and she couldn't get out of bed.'

'Love weaves a spell when you're young,' Emil said, and back at the couch, Bennie wanted to throw up.

'Oh, this isn't love.' The secretary leaned over confidentially and whispered, 'I think he's married.'

'No,' Emil said, with genuine disapproval. He was the most traditional man Bennie knew, and she would have bet that he wasn't the one frying the grape leaves.

'Yes. I'm sure of it. In summer, she used to take off early on weekends. She'd come back tan and wouldn't say who she went with. She never brought back any pictures.'

'Can she be reached? Who is this man?'

'Damned if I know.' The secretary leaned over farther. 'You know, I tried to find out once. I was curious and finally I just asked her, straight out. 'Are you seeing anyone?' I said to her. Just straight.'

'Good. It's best to be honest and straightforward.'

'Sure it is. I've worked for her for two years now, and we never talk or anything. You think she'd have lunch with me? Never. Anyway, know what she said when I asked her? She said, 'I don't discuss that with subordinates.' '

Emil's face fell. 'How unkind.'

'Tell me about it. 'Subordinates!' She said she was quoting somebody named Sun Zoo something. So I said to her, 'Who the hell is Sun Zoo? It sounds like a suntan cream or something.' '

Back on the couch, Bennie's ears pricked up. Sun Zoo? Where had she heard that lately?

'Sun-Tzu?' Emil said. 'He was a Chinese philosopher. A general.'

'That's right. That's what she said. I told her, 'I don't know from Chinese generals, honey, but I know common courtesy and you don't have any.' Imagine! I'm gonna transfer back to the prothonotary's office as soon as they post it.'

Suddenly Bennie remembered. In the conference room at the office, when she was talking to Carrier and