“Exactly. First I have a son that he knows isn’t his and, although he wants a son, it makes him feel inadequate. But at least he loves his son. Then the boy dies in a car accident, with Edgar driving, and he feels guilty. And I don’t spare his feelings, because he’s deprived
“That would certainly mess up a man’s mind.”
“Exactly. And all Esther’s efforts to try and put it right only backfired and made it worse.”
“But what about Jonathan? You said you knew who his father was?”
“More than that — I introduced them.”
“You
“Esther thought that the only thing that would placate Edgar’s constant fits of rage wasn’t just to have another son, but to have one who reminded him of Jimmy. But he still wouldn’t admit that he had a problem and so he wouldn’t sign the consent forms for artificial insemination with a donor. So I decided to help her out by fixing her up with the same family friend who … er … sired little Jimmy.”
19:06 PDT
Juanita remembered that Alex had called her when he arrived at Anita Morgan’s house and asked her not to call him unless it was urgent. The truth of the matter was that she wasn’t really sure how urgent it was.
The missing fax bothered her and she felt she ought to tell him. But that would be rather hard to do with Nat hovering round. She wondered again whether she should simply ask him. But if a fax had come through from the London clinic he should have told her about it. And there was something else that she remembered too.
Suddenly the phone rang. It was Alex.
“I’ve finished with Anita Morgan.”
“Did you find anything out?”
“Quite a lot. Anything at your end?”
She told him about the message from the New York law firm.
“Anything else?”
Now was the time to voice her suspicions about Nat. But the light pattern on the wall opposite Juanita showed that his door was open. Nat could hear every word that she was saying.
“I’ll check with Nat. Nat! Anything to tell the boss?”
“No, nothing!” Nat called back.
“I heard,” Alex replied before Juanita could say another word. “Okay, I’m on my way back.”
After she had put the phone down, she noticed Nat’s shadow. She looked up.
“Are you all right?”
“Sure,” she replied, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. “Why?”
“You sounded like you wanted to say more … like you’re holding something back.”
19:24 PDT
Lee Kelly had been trying to call Alex for over thirty minutes. At first it had rung a few times. After that it kept going straight to voicemail, almost like the lawyer was brushing him off.
Lee knew that Alex wasn’t like that. Alex was a good man and Lee was a good client. Yes, he was a career criminal but he was never violent. And because he was all too aware of the three strikes and you’re out rule, he now confined himself to burglarizing business premises with no residential premises attached. That meant he could afford to break into a branch of Wal-Mart or Sears, but he wouldn’t touch one of those Korean shops where the owner lived above the premises.
Alex knew this and he knew also that Lee was money in his pocket, at least on those rare occasions when he failed to stay one step ahead of the law. He was a pretty good burglar and he seldom got caught. But when he did, it was Alex who had the honor of getting him out and fixing him up with a bail bondsman. To Lee, the risk of getting caught and sent to jail was an occupational hazard.
But it was good business for Alex. What Lee liked about Alex was that he never prejudged or tried to moralize with him. He did at times try to persuade Lee to consider going straight, but his arguments were always practical, on the lines of “aren’t you getting kinda old for this sort of thing?” The trouble was that at fifty-five, Lee considered himself too old to do anything else. He didn’t have any real social security and he knew that his mind was too stultified to acquire new skills. Changing his ways was not really an option.
“Hell, I’ll be coming up to retirement pretty soon,” he once told Alex. “This is for my pension.”
Indeed, the last time Alex had suggested that Lee reconsider his chosen occupation, Lee had put on his best Fagin accent and launched into a surprisingly convincing rendition of “I’m Reviewing the Situation.”
They had both smiled at the time. But the truth of the matter was that the reference to saving for the future was all too ironic. The reality was that Lee had let most of his ill-gotten gains slip through his fingers.
The phone was ringing again. Finally Lee got through to Alex.
“Hi, Mr. Sedaka. I’ve got a job for you.”
19:27 PDT
Juanita was sitting tensely at her desk waiting for Alex to get back, when the phone rang. It was Alex.
“Hi, Juanita. Listen, I’m going to be delayed slightly.”
He told her about the calls from Lee Kelly. She told him that she had called the office and that she had tried to get him to use one of the two-bit shysters who hang round the courthouse.
“I figure I owe it to him. He’s one of my oldest clients — in both senses of the word. Anyway, it’s not like we can do anything. We’re still waiting for the full hearing at eight thirty.”
After they hung up, Juanita sat thinking. They were rapidly running out of options — and she still hadn’t told Alex her suspicions about Nat. Now it was going to be even longer before she could tell him.
No! I have to tell him now!
She had an idea. Quietly and surreptitiously, she took her cell phone and slipped it into her pocket. Then she asked Nat to listen out for the phone and went to the bathroom. She lowered the toilet cover and sat there, messaging Alex in text-speak.
Fax journal showed fax frm England wen I out geting sandwiches but wasnt der wen I bak. Fink Nat tuk bt nt sure. Also Nat didnt tel wat David sed re travel booking receipt til sliped out. Fink Nat up 2 sumfing.
After sending it, she flushed the toilet and returned to her desk. Alex called back within a minute on the office line.
“Alex Sedaka’s office.”
“Hi, it’s me. Am I on speaker?”
“No, b — ” She had to force herself not to say boss.
“I got your text.”
“Okay,” she replied in a neutral tone.
“You know, it’s funny, but he said something earlier that made me suspicious.”
“What?”
