reaching the pan, feeling the heat from the burner near her nose, watching the pancakes flip over so that the golden side came up, all smooth and fresh.
The best part was that they were together again, just the two of them, standing so close that Bennie could smell her mother’s tea rose perfume, hear her voice, reach out and touch her soft robe, and she was so happy to have her mother back again for just one pancake breakfast, just one morning, just one day would be all she could ask for. Her full heart told her what she knew was true, that this was surely heaven.
And even though they were both of them dead, Bennie felt that this moment was the only time she felt truly, happily, fully alive.
Chapter Eighteen
Alice accepted the pen from the guard while he watched her, his cop eyes narrowing. Her hand hovered over the log, then she said, “Between you and me, what time did the associates leave last night?”
“Don’t know. I wasn’t here. Herm was.”
“Let’s see.” Alice flipped the page backwards and ran her finger down the signatures. Her finger stopped at Judy Carrier’s signature but she glanced a few lines up at Bennie’s, took a mental snapshot, then flipped the page back and scribbled a decent forgery. “When the cat’s away, the mice will play.”
“The kids work hard, Bennie, and you know Mary’s shootin’ for partnership. She always comes in on Saturday.”
“I know.” Alice handed him the pen. “But I gotta whine about something, don’t I?”
“Don’t we all, Cinderella?” the guard said, and they both laughed as she told him good-bye, walked through the turnstile, and headed for the elevator bank. She found a swipe card in Bennie’s wallet and used it over the electronic reader, then glanced quickly at the building directory for ROSATO & ASSOCIATES.
She got inside, and when the elevator doors slid open, she exited and walked through a reception area stuffed with hotel art, blue chairs, shining tables, and a stack of fancy magazines. She came upon a hallway that opened onto a conference room with a table made from a single slab of wood, its edges rough, black bark. It must have cost a fortune, and it was surrounded by soft navy blue swivel chairs, a walnut entertainment center, a plasma TV, and a mini-kitchen in matching walnut. It was classy down to the tartan dog bed that read BEAR, which reminded her to get the dog’s body out of the basement before it started to stink.
There were four offices off the conference room area, each with a shiny nameplate: MARY DINUNZIO, JUDY CARRIER, and ANNE MURPHY, and at the end, BENNIE ROSATO. She went into the office, where sunlight streamed through the tall window onto a nubby tan rug, walnut desk, and matching credenza with files. Bronze plaques covered the walls, and the end tables were blanketed with crystal bowls and engraved Lucite.
She went around the desk, dropped the messenger bag on the rug, and sat down in the black mesh chair. On the left was a Filofax open to Monday, and the day’s only appointment was in the afternoon with Rexco, a potential client she had read about in the email last night. She’d cancel the meeting to avoid any chance to slip up. Suddenly, Bennie’s cell phone started ringing in her messenger bag, and Alice dug it out and checked the screen, recognizing the phone number. It was her old boss, Karen Wise, the director at PLG.
“Bennie, how have you been?”
“Great, thanks.”
“Sorry to bother you on the weekend, but I left a message last night and didn’t hear back from you, and it’s kind of important. I won’t keep you, but I wanted to let you know that Alice quit on us last week, out of the blue. Just up and left.”
“Oh, no.”
“I didn’t think you knew. I gather you two haven’t spoken recently.”
“No, I’m just so busy.”
“I thought as much. Alice worked hard and showed such an eagerness to learn, in the beginning. She seemed to lose interest, in time. She started coming in late and her attitude changed.”
“She’s naturally intelligent and she has a fine legal mind. If she wanted, she could be a great lawyer, like you.”
“Anyway, here’s why I called. There’s a problem. I hesitate to even say this, but we think that she might have taken some money from petty cash. It was about four hundred dollars and as you know, it’s not as if we have the money to spare, after the last funding cut.”
“One of our other employees saw her leaving the room last, and with her sudden disappearance, well, it seems sort of damning, doesn’t it?”
“How terrible, really. Karen, let me send you a check, and please accept my apologies.”
“Thank you, Bennie. Again, I’m so sorry about this.”
“As am I, but I have to go. Good-bye,” Alice said, pressing END. She set the phone down, then heard someone clearing their throat.
She looked up, and standing in the doorway was her toughest test yet.
Chapter Nineteen
Mary stood in the threshold of Bennie’s office, trying not to be insecure. The boss owned a coffee mug that read I CAN SMELL FEAR, and she hated it when Mary was insecure. Unfortunately, it only made Mary more insecure, and blotches would bloom on her neck like roses in her own little garden of anxiety.
“DiNunzio, what do you want?” Bennie looked up with her usual businesslike smile.
“Uh, do you have a minute to talk?”
“Only just.” Bennie pointed to one of the chairs opposite her desk. “Sit. Talk. Then go.”
“Thanks.” Mary entered the office, sat down, and crossed her legs, which was when it struck her that it was a huge deal to ask someone to make you a partner, and she hadn’t said anything yet, so she could just keep it to herself, for several years.
“DiNunzio, what is it?”
“How are you?”
Bennie frowned. “Fine. How are you?”
“Good. Where’s Bear?”
“Home.”
“Why?”
“What do you want, DiNunzio?”
Mary found her voice. “I was wondering if you’d made your decision yet, about making me a partner.”
“No.”
“The answer is no, or you haven’t decided yet?”
“No, I haven’t decided. I’ll think about it and get back to you.”
Mary thought the boss was being a little, well, bossy. “We agreed that you’d make your decision by September.”
“It’s still August. Don’t jump the gun.”
Mary flashed on what Anthony had said about showing initiative, but it turned out that initiative was overrated. Still, she deserved the promotion, even if she wasn’t jerky enough to say so. “I’d like to know more about what you’re thinking about it and-”
