group.”
“What?” Mary didn’t follow.
“You wouldn’t eat steak, a side of chicken breast, and pork chops for dessert, would you?”
“No.”
“So why is it okay with clothes?”
“Because clothes are different from meat?” Mary asked uncertainly, thinking that Judy was either really dumb or really smart. She was going with really smart, since she had come to her for advice. She sat down in a chair opposite the desk. “Okay, whatever, we have to talk about Trish.”
“Whatever.” Judy leaned forward. “Sorry I didn’t call you last night. Frank and I were at a movie, and when I saw the news online, I figured you’d already gone to bed.”
“That’s okay.”
“So what’s happening? You barely said on the phone, and this is some story.” Judy gestured at the newspaper on her desk. “They’re talking about a Mob war. It’s all over The Inquirer.”
“I know. But the bottom line is, Trish is gone, maybe dead, or maybe he locked her in a basement somewhere.”
“What a nightmare, even for Trash.”
Mary winced. “We like her now. Get with the program.”
“Done. Next?”
“His sister says he has a house somewhere, because he wasn’t always going to stay in the Mob. So all we have to do is find the house.”
“We?” Judy grinned, brightening. “Yay! We need a new adventure. Lately I’m feeling so brown.”
“No, sorry, I didn’t mean us. I meant me. You stay and cover my desk. Please, please, please, I beg of you.” Mary slapped her hands together, praying hard as a Communion photo. “I can’t do what I have to do if my desk isn’t covered.”
“But your desk is even more boring than my desk.”
“I need you. I’m getting dropped by half my clients as we speak.”
“I heard.” Judy puckered her lower lip. “ Marshall told me you got another cancellation yesterday afternoon.”
“Great. I liked it better when I was the Neighborhood Girl Who Made Good.” Mary tried not to think about it. “So please, will you cover me for just one more day? I’ll owe you, big-time.”
“Okay, but you do owe me.” Judy sighed. “I want food.”
“Fine. What’s your favorite food?”
“I don’t have a favorite food. Food is my favorite.”
“Okay, I’ll take you out for food. Meantime, I made a list of my matters today.” Mary got the paper from her purse and gave it to Judy, but she set it down.
“Hold on, I have a more important question.” She picked up one of the newspapers from her desk, and it showed a picture of Mary, her head down as she left the Roundhouse. Anthony was looking at her, his hand on her arm. “Who’s this hottie?”
“The guy I told you about. The not-gay one.”
“How’d he get invited and not me?”
“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
