True Blue

CHAPTER 36

WHEN MACE returned to the table Roy obviously sensed something was wrong. “You okay?”

“Yeah, there was just something really disgusting in the ladies’ room.”

As she finished her Coke in one gulp Roy said, “The cops came and got the key.”

“Yeah, I know. Messed up there.”

“I did?”

“No, I did. I forgot how smart my sister is.”

“She knew you’d taken the key?”

Mace nodded. “And if it happens again my butt will be right back in prison.”

“Your sister is not going to arrest you.”

“You don’t know Beth then.”

“Mace-”

“Drop it, Roy!”

“Okay.” He fiddled with his drink. “I’ve been thinking about Abe Altman.”

Mace said absently, “What about him? Want to renegotiate my deal?”

“I was thinking that there is no way he got a research grant that would pay an assistant six figures.”

Now Mace looked curious. “I was wondering that too. What do you think?”

“That he’s not taking a salary and he’s giving those dollars to you. I mean, it’s not like he needs the cash.”

“Still nice of him, though,” she pointed out.

“Well, it sounds like he wouldn’t be here except for you.”

“He was exaggerating.”

“Why do I think that’s bullshit?”

Mace shrugged. “Think what you want.”

“I heard a snippet on the news that a DA was found murdered.”

“Jamie Meldon. Did you know him?”

“No, you?”

She shook her head.

“I guess your sister has her hands full. That’s a high-profile case.”

“Actually, she’s not working it.”

“Why not? He was found in D.C.”

“Above everybody’s pay grades, apparently.”

Mace sat there staring off, mulling Mona’s words. She finally looked over at Roy. “Did you have time to do any snooping around your firm?”

“I did.”

“And?”

“Ackerman’s office was clean. In fact, I’m not sure the guy does anything.”

“What do you reckon he makes for doing nothing?”

“Seven figures, easy.”

“I hate lawyers.”

“But he’s a rainmaker. The biggest in the firm. He brings major deals in like clockwork. The worker bees like me get paid well. But the rainmakers get the gold.”

“Good for him. What else?”

Roy brought her up to speed on the rest of what he learned, including his inspection of the fourth-floor construction site and his conversation with the construction supervisor and later discussion with the building’s day porter.

Mace jumped to her feet. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me that before?”

“Tell you what before? I just talked to the guy this afternoon.”

“That was the day porter. You said you talked to the supervisor a lot earlier.”

“Okay, so?”

Mace dropped some cash on the table for the drinks.

“Where are you going?”

“We’re going to your office building. Right now.”

He stood and grabbed his windbreaker. “My office? Why?”

“Not your office, your office building, and hopefully you’ll get to see why.”

“You want to follow me on your bike?”

“No, I need to hide in the floorboard of your car.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I’m apparently being hovered!”