Irresistible Impulse by Robert K. Tanenbaum Page B

room and then work them over so that they looked just exactly like the Polaroids. But he thought it would slow her down, at least. He was thinking of Lucy.
    Karp had expected Roland Hrcany to blow up when he told him that he, not Roland, would do the Rohbling case, and he was not disappointed. Crying, “Why!” Roland sprang from his chair and slammed his hands down on Karp’s desk, beetling his brows, rolling his mighty shoulders, bulging his seventeen-inch neck, tightening his jaw, exhibiting, in fact, the full repertoire of anthropoid male aggression, and causing him to resemble a blond gorilla even more than he normally did.
    “Sit down, Roland,” said Karp in a calming voice. He had seen the display before.
    “What, did I screw something up? What?” “You did fine, Roland. Sit down and I’ll explain.” Roland glared and then flung himself back into his seat, making it creak dangerously.
    Karp said, “The reason is, this is the biggest and most politically important case we’ll get this year. I planned to take at least one, and this one is going to be it.”
    “Oh, it’s too important for me , is what you’re saying,” said Roland in a tone that approached petulance.
    “And since I’m taking the case,” continued Karp, ignoring the comment, “I need someone to watch the bureau, which has to be you. You’re the most experienced guy on the staff, and the best.”
    “Next to you,” Roland growled.
    Roland glared when he said this and rolled his jaw. Something must have happened to my testosterone, thought Karp, reflecting that a couple of years ago he would’ve snarled right back and the two of them would have been screaming and throwing things at each other. Now, however, Roland just looked silly, like Zak when he wanted a toy. Maybe, he thought, it was the result of having two male babies in the house. The real thing spoiled you for the imitations.
    Pitching his voice low, he said, “Actually, Roland, to be frank, yes, in this case , which is what we’re talking about. And I’ll give you two reasons: one, an insanity defense is highly likely here, a serious insanity defense, and as it happens, I’ve tried three major cases where that defense was offered and you haven’t tried any. Okay, they’re rare, but there it is. I’m familiar, you’re not, and going against Waley we need all the edge we can get.”
    “I’m not afraid of Waley,” snapped Roland.
    “You’re not? Mazeltov , Roland. But he scares Jack Keegan, and anyone who scares Jack Keegan scares the shit out of me . You want the second reason? This case is dripping with racial politics, white defendant, black vies. I don’t like it, but I have to deal with it.
    Jack has to deal with it. You are not the first person I would pick for a situation like that.”
    “What, now I’m a fucking racist? ” Roland’s neck grew dangerously crimson.
    “No, Roland, of course you aren’t, but the prosecutor in this case is going to be under a microscope, and you got a mouth on you. You are free with racial expletives—”
    “What, you mean nigger? ”
    “… and you spend much of your time with white cops, cracking the kind of jokes that if a black juror heard about them, they would be less than well disposed toward the People—”
    “For crying out loud, Butch, you been down the jail recently? The fucking niggers call each other nigger .”
    “I rest my case,” said Karp.
    Roland opened his mouth; it stayed open for a couple of beats, and then he let out most of his air and said, “This is fucked, you know that? I was pumped for this case.”
    “Great, then I’m sure your prep and notes are in terrific order. We’ll do the grand jury together and then you’ll phase out. Could you let me have them as soon as possible?”
    Roland stood, snarling. “Yeah, boss, and fuck you very much!”
    “Thank you for your support,” said Karp genially as Roland slammed out.
    The phone rang. It was V. T. Newbury returning Karp’s call.
    “I