Barely Legal

58

Melanie hugged Herbie in her arms. “You poor thing.”

“I didn’t do it.”

“As if you had to tell me that. What a horrible thing. I’m so sorry about your fiancée.”

“Why? You don’t know me.”

“True. I didn’t even know you had a fiancée.”

“It didn’t come up.”

“You must have loved her very much. I’m really sorry.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you want to talk about it? Do you want me to leave you alone? I just want to help, and I don’t know how.”

“Nothing helps.”

“Of course not.”

“I’m so confused. I came home. We were having drinks. The next thing I know I wake up in jail and am told I’m being charged with her murder.”

“You blacked out?”

“I must have, but I don’t know how. I only had one drink.”

“Could you have been drugged?”

“That’s what it was like. But it couldn’t be.”

“Are you sure?”

“The only one who could have drugged me was her.”

Melanie thought that over. “Does this have anything to do with the case?”

“Why do you say that?”

“Your friend Stone sent his car just ten blocks to pick me up. I could easily have walked here. It got me wondering.”

“He’s overprotective. He means well. Why are you here?”

“I thought you might need a friend.”

“I do,” Herbie said. A tear welled in his eye.

Melanie held him again while he got control of himself. Then he pulled away and sat back.

“Now they think it was all a big mistake, that Yvette was killed by someone robbing the apartment.”

“A robbery?”

“He took some jewelry and five thousand in cash. But why would he have to shoot her? Yvette wouldn’t have tried to stop him.”

“Maybe she could identify him.”

“The doorman identified him. He walked right in. Didn’t try to hide.” Herbie heaved a sigh. “Anyway, if you’re worried about your brother, I’ll be back in court.”

“I’m not worried about my brother. I mean, I am worried about my brother, but that’s not why I’m here. Surely you know that.”

“Well, he’s still your brother. Don’t worry, I will be in court tomorrow. And not just because of the bench warrant. I’ll be in court because that’s what lawyers do.”

Melanie smiled and nodded, but she was hesitant.

Herbie picked up on it. “You think I’ll be distracted. You think I won’t be able to concentrate.”

“No, I—”

Herbie put up his hand. “You’re right. It’ll be hard. I’m going to take Stone Barrington with me as second chair. He’ll keep me focused.”

“He doesn’t know the case.”

“He sent for the transcript. Tomorrow he’ll know more about it than I do.”

“I’m not worried about the case. I’m worried about you.”

“I’ll be fine,” Herbie said.

But he didn’t mean it.