kids. She forced herself to put her hand on Witt’s back in a cynical attempt to display affection. He didn’t acknowledge the caress, too absorbed in the morning newspaper to notice or care.
“Don’t count on me for dinner tonight,” he said. “I’ll be in Harrisburg. If my meeting runs too late, I may stay overnight. If I’m not home by ten o’clock, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“What about the people from the county? They’ll be here tomorrow morning.”
“Screw them. Reschedule it.” Witt folded the paper and set it on the table. He glanced at his watch. “Isn’t there something at the girls’ school this morning?” he asked. “What time does the driver pick them up?” His tone was more of a complaint than a question.
“Eight,” Natalie said. He wasn’t really interested in the girls. He just liked to find fault.
“He’s always in my way whenever I try to back out of the garage.”
“You could leave now,” she said.
“And I might have to fly to Sacramento this weekend. I don’t know yet.”
He pays so little attention to me that he doesn’t even notice when I’m being a bitch , she thought.
Witt took a quick swipe at his face with a paper napkin, dropped it on the table, and then rose and left the room. He didn’t say goodbye. A minute later, Natalie heard the garage door clank open and Witt’s car drive off.
Lock had just sat down at his desk when Natalie called.
“Good morning, Lock,” she said. He could hear the smile in her voice. “It’s me.”
“Good morning, Mrs. Mannheim. What can’t wait until seven thirty?”
“It’s okay, I know you’re at work. I need to see you,” she said.
“That’s what you said yesterday.” Lock tapped the eraser end of a pencil against the phone.
“I meant it then, and I mean it now,” she said.
“I’m sorry. I have a busy morning.”
“Taking care of someone else’s kids.”
“That’s what I do,” he said, lowering his voice. No one was in the cubicles nearby, but he had to be careful. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t care about your kids.”
“What if I tell you I’m beating my children with a belt? Would you come over then?”
He could hear her smiling and he laughed. “I’ll see you tonight,” he said.
“Wait,” she said. “Witt’s going out of town, and he’s probably not going to be back tonight.”
“Did you—?”
“I told him it was important. He said, ‘Screw them.’”
“Charming,” Lock said. “He’s going out of town? Give me his cell phone number.”
Natalie recited the number. Lock wrote it down and said, “I’ll let you know what I find out.”
He called her back ten minutes later. “He let it go to voicemail,” he said. “I left a message saying that this is serious business and if he stands me up again, I’m going to get the police involved. I told him he has until the end of the day to return my call and make another appointment. I think I’ll hear from him.”
“Yes, probably,” she said. “You’re getting to see what a sweetheart he is.”
“Yeah, I think I have a pretty good sense of him now. I’ll call you when I hear.”
“Thanks, Lock.”
“Look for a lawyer, okay? For a case like this, I’m sure you can find someone who’ll take it without getting paid up front.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that. Otherwise I’m going to end up like that tree,” she said.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Lock said.
After lunch, Lock’s desk phone rang again.
“Lochlan Gilkenney.”
“Mr. Gilkenney. This is Wittley Mannheim. First, let me apologize for having to reschedule our meeting. Completely unavoidable. Business crisis that’s getting worse by the minute. Now, it appears that I’ll be out of town for an entire week, but I am anxious to meet with you and set the record straight. Any chance we can do this by phone? I could do it today by phone, or even right now, if possible.”
“It’s not possible,” Lock said. Mannheim sounded a
“Don’t count on me for dinner tonight,” he said. “I’ll be in Harrisburg. If my meeting runs too late, I may stay overnight. If I’m not home by ten o’clock, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“What about the people from the county? They’ll be here tomorrow morning.”
“Screw them. Reschedule it.” Witt folded the paper and set it on the table. He glanced at his watch. “Isn’t there something at the girls’ school this morning?” he asked. “What time does the driver pick them up?” His tone was more of a complaint than a question.
“Eight,” Natalie said. He wasn’t really interested in the girls. He just liked to find fault.
“He’s always in my way whenever I try to back out of the garage.”
“You could leave now,” she said.
“And I might have to fly to Sacramento this weekend. I don’t know yet.”
He pays so little attention to me that he doesn’t even notice when I’m being a bitch , she thought.
Witt took a quick swipe at his face with a paper napkin, dropped it on the table, and then rose and left the room. He didn’t say goodbye. A minute later, Natalie heard the garage door clank open and Witt’s car drive off.
Lock had just sat down at his desk when Natalie called.
“Good morning, Lock,” she said. He could hear the smile in her voice. “It’s me.”
“Good morning, Mrs. Mannheim. What can’t wait until seven thirty?”
“It’s okay, I know you’re at work. I need to see you,” she said.
“That’s what you said yesterday.” Lock tapped the eraser end of a pencil against the phone.
“I meant it then, and I mean it now,” she said.
“I’m sorry. I have a busy morning.”
“Taking care of someone else’s kids.”
“That’s what I do,” he said, lowering his voice. No one was in the cubicles nearby, but he had to be careful. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t care about your kids.”
“What if I tell you I’m beating my children with a belt? Would you come over then?”
He could hear her smiling and he laughed. “I’ll see you tonight,” he said.
“Wait,” she said. “Witt’s going out of town, and he’s probably not going to be back tonight.”
“Did you—?”
“I told him it was important. He said, ‘Screw them.’”
“Charming,” Lock said. “He’s going out of town? Give me his cell phone number.”
Natalie recited the number. Lock wrote it down and said, “I’ll let you know what I find out.”
He called her back ten minutes later. “He let it go to voicemail,” he said. “I left a message saying that this is serious business and if he stands me up again, I’m going to get the police involved. I told him he has until the end of the day to return my call and make another appointment. I think I’ll hear from him.”
“Yes, probably,” she said. “You’re getting to see what a sweetheart he is.”
“Yeah, I think I have a pretty good sense of him now. I’ll call you when I hear.”
“Thanks, Lock.”
“Look for a lawyer, okay? For a case like this, I’m sure you can find someone who’ll take it without getting paid up front.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that. Otherwise I’m going to end up like that tree,” she said.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Lock said.
After lunch, Lock’s desk phone rang again.
“Lochlan Gilkenney.”
“Mr. Gilkenney. This is Wittley Mannheim. First, let me apologize for having to reschedule our meeting. Completely unavoidable. Business crisis that’s getting worse by the minute. Now, it appears that I’ll be out of town for an entire week, but I am anxious to meet with you and set the record straight. Any chance we can do this by phone? I could do it today by phone, or even right now, if possible.”
“It’s not possible,” Lock said. Mannheim sounded a
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