lost a young son about a year ago. After that, she just closed up like a clam, to everybody. I think this divorce is about to push her over the edge.”
I considered everything he was telling me without responding.
“I had more than one reason for putting the two of you together on this case,” he continued. He was no longer lecturing me. He was talking to me like an ally. “She needs a friend–badly. When you work together day and night on a murder case, the day-to-day pressures of litigation force you to bond. She’s hurting and I think you can help her.”
“She doesn’t seem to want any help.”
“That’s only because she’s not used to asking for it. She’s pushed everybody away who’s tried to help her, including me. And all her family’s back in Chicago. You’re a lot like her. You’re both smart, strong women. You’ll be able to penetrate the walls she’s put up to protect herself.”
Of course, there was no way I could bail out after that sappy appeal. I got up to leave.
“Hey,” he said, as I opened the door, “keep this stuff to yourself. I wouldn’t want anybody else to know I actually have a heart.”
CHAPTER 9
O ’Reilly’s revelations about Neddy forced me to look at her in a far more sympathetic light. I understood now why my remark about making a baby when we were going at it outside Tina Montgomery’s house the other day stopped her in her tracks. And I felt pretty bad about it.
My guilt did nothing, however, to help me deal with my own little mama drama. I would just have to pray that the cops found a suspect other than Tina Montgomery and that my eggs could outrun my hubby’s sperm in the interim.
I could still smell O’Reilly’s sandwich and it made me hungry. I pulled ten bucks from my purse and headed for the Subway shop in the lobby of our building. Before I reached the elevator, I had a kind thought. I did an about-face and made my way past my office, down the hall to Neddy’s.
Since it looked like I was going to be stuck on this case, Neddy and I had to mend our working relationship. If O’Reilly was right and there was a decent human being hiding under her mean-spirited exterior, her alter ego had to make an appearance sooner or later. I was still pissed at the way she had attacked me outside Tina’s house, but I decided to suck it up for the sake of the case. Somebody had to extend the olive branch and that somebody was going to be me. Maybe we could start this whole bonding thing over lunch.
When I reached her doorway, I saw Neddy standing near the window. She was on the telephone, her back facing me.
“I don’t give a damn about that spousal support order!” she hissed into the telephone. Her voice was low and controlled but at the same time filled with rage. “I’ll kill you before I give you a dime.” She turned and slammed down the phone just as I took a step backward, out of her line of vision.
My timing sucked. I wanted to flee, but I wasn’t sure whether she had seen me. I counted to five, then knocked on her open door.
Her palms were planted flat on her desk and her head hung low. When she saw me standing in the doorway, she composed herself.
“Do you have lunch plans?” I asked hurriedly. “I was going to run downstairs and pick up a sandwich. Want to join me?”
Neddy stared at me, but not in an annoyed way. There was a contemplative look on her face. She was probably trying to figure out how much of her conversation I had overhead. I assumed she was talking to her no-count husband.
“I usually skip lunch, but thanks.” Her lips attempted to turn upwards into a smile, then suddenly stayed the course.
“Can I bring you back a soda or something?” I asked.
“No. But thanks for asking.” She pulled out her leather chair and sat down.
Her face looked grim, no doubt enhanced by the fact that she wore no makeup, not even lipstick. Her short hair was unstyled and needed a trim. I was certain I saw her hands tremble.
Just as
I considered everything he was telling me without responding.
“I had more than one reason for putting the two of you together on this case,” he continued. He was no longer lecturing me. He was talking to me like an ally. “She needs a friend–badly. When you work together day and night on a murder case, the day-to-day pressures of litigation force you to bond. She’s hurting and I think you can help her.”
“She doesn’t seem to want any help.”
“That’s only because she’s not used to asking for it. She’s pushed everybody away who’s tried to help her, including me. And all her family’s back in Chicago. You’re a lot like her. You’re both smart, strong women. You’ll be able to penetrate the walls she’s put up to protect herself.”
Of course, there was no way I could bail out after that sappy appeal. I got up to leave.
“Hey,” he said, as I opened the door, “keep this stuff to yourself. I wouldn’t want anybody else to know I actually have a heart.”
CHAPTER 9
O ’Reilly’s revelations about Neddy forced me to look at her in a far more sympathetic light. I understood now why my remark about making a baby when we were going at it outside Tina Montgomery’s house the other day stopped her in her tracks. And I felt pretty bad about it.
My guilt did nothing, however, to help me deal with my own little mama drama. I would just have to pray that the cops found a suspect other than Tina Montgomery and that my eggs could outrun my hubby’s sperm in the interim.
I could still smell O’Reilly’s sandwich and it made me hungry. I pulled ten bucks from my purse and headed for the Subway shop in the lobby of our building. Before I reached the elevator, I had a kind thought. I did an about-face and made my way past my office, down the hall to Neddy’s.
Since it looked like I was going to be stuck on this case, Neddy and I had to mend our working relationship. If O’Reilly was right and there was a decent human being hiding under her mean-spirited exterior, her alter ego had to make an appearance sooner or later. I was still pissed at the way she had attacked me outside Tina’s house, but I decided to suck it up for the sake of the case. Somebody had to extend the olive branch and that somebody was going to be me. Maybe we could start this whole bonding thing over lunch.
When I reached her doorway, I saw Neddy standing near the window. She was on the telephone, her back facing me.
“I don’t give a damn about that spousal support order!” she hissed into the telephone. Her voice was low and controlled but at the same time filled with rage. “I’ll kill you before I give you a dime.” She turned and slammed down the phone just as I took a step backward, out of her line of vision.
My timing sucked. I wanted to flee, but I wasn’t sure whether she had seen me. I counted to five, then knocked on her open door.
Her palms were planted flat on her desk and her head hung low. When she saw me standing in the doorway, she composed herself.
“Do you have lunch plans?” I asked hurriedly. “I was going to run downstairs and pick up a sandwich. Want to join me?”
Neddy stared at me, but not in an annoyed way. There was a contemplative look on her face. She was probably trying to figure out how much of her conversation I had overhead. I assumed she was talking to her no-count husband.
“I usually skip lunch, but thanks.” Her lips attempted to turn upwards into a smile, then suddenly stayed the course.
“Can I bring you back a soda or something?” I asked.
“No. But thanks for asking.” She pulled out her leather chair and sat down.
Her face looked grim, no doubt enhanced by the fact that she wore no makeup, not even lipstick. Her short hair was unstyled and needed a trim. I was certain I saw her hands tremble.
Just as
Similar Books
