nonetheless quit the bench and resigned from the Bar in disgrace. That had to be it, Steve thought.
Lost and found. My old man found religion to make up for what he's lost.
Career and status, gone. Wife—Steve's mother, Eleanor—dead of a vicious cancer. Daughter Janice in and out of jail and drug rehab. A touchy relationship with Steve.
Herbert picked up a hammer and a handful of nails and grabbed a two-by-four. "Gotta get to work, son."
"On what?"
"Gonna make a scale model of the Temple of Solomon," Herbert said.
"You got a building permit for that?"
"Got the blueprints. How long's a cubit, anyway?"
Steve doubted his father could drive a nail straight. When Steve was Bobby's age, Herbert couldn't glue the wings of a balsa airplane to the fuselage.
"Robert, the temple is where King Solomon kept the Ark of the Covenant," Herbert said, "the very tablets the Lord gave to Moses."
"I know, Gramps. I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark. "
Enough was enough. "Bobby, I need to talk to your grandfather for a few minutes," Steve said.
"So?"
"There are fresh mangoes on the counter. Go make yourself a smoothie."
"You can't order me around. I'm descended from King Solomon." Bobby squeezed his eyes shut. "King Solomon. SOLO GIN MONK."
"Fine, kiddo. Now, give us a few minutes."
"Okay, okay." The boy got to his feet and slouched toward the kitchen door.
"I've got a problem, Dad. I need advice."
"Then you damn well came to the right place," Herbert Solomon said.
* * *
Just as he had done with Victoria, Steve told his father everything. How he learned Kreeger's philosophy by reading his monograph on rational murder. How he uncovered Beshears' death, then sold Kreeger out in the murder trial by tipping off Pincher. How he found the marlin on his door and the gaff in his office, symbols of Kreeger's homicidal fishing trip. And how upset Victoria became when he confessed his lawyerly sins. When he was finished, Herbert exhaled a long, low whistle. "Jesus and Magdalene, David and Bathsheba."
"I don't think those two couples are equivalent," Steve said.
"Then you didn't read The Da Vinci Code. Son, when you stroll through the cow pasture, you best not be wearing your wingtips."
"What the hell's that mean?"
"You stepped in deep shit. So what is it you want? Girlfriend advice or Florida Bar advice? 'Cause if it's girlfriend advice, ah'd say it's high time that shiksa converts. A dip in the Mikvah, the gateway to purity. Miriam's well in the desert."
"Jeez, Dad. Can you focus? I'm telling you this guy's coming after me."
"You mean to do you harm?"
"No, to wish me happy Chanukah. Don't you get it? Kreeger killed two people. I was supposed to defend him, and I double-crossed him. He's out of prison and he's pissed. It's a Cape Fear deal."
"Cape Fear, cape schmere. Ah heard him on the radio today. Talking about what a shitty lawyer you were. Some of it was damn funny."
"Glad you enjoyed it."
"He was riding you hard, sure. But it didn't sound mean. More like joshing."
"So what's the message he's sending?"
"The way Ah figure, he's saying he knows what you did. Confirming you were right about him being a killer. Boasting about it. Thinking maybe you would appreciate the artistry of it."
"Why would I appreciate him killing two people?"
"From what you say, he admires men who break the rules. That's you, son."
"But not by killing. Not like him."
"Dr. Bill probably considers you just a step or two up that slippery slope from where he stands."
"And what do you think he wants from me?"
"Take the man at his word. He said he wanted you to come on his show. Maybe he thinks he's Johnny Carson and you're his Ed McMahon. His sidekick. Ah don't believe Kreeger wants to kill you, Stephen. Ah believe he wants to be your pal."
"That's crazy."
"Just listen to the man flap his gums. He's a talker.
But who's he gonna talk to about killing those people? You, son. In his head, you're the only one who understands."
"I don't want to
Lost and found. My old man found religion to make up for what he's lost.
Career and status, gone. Wife—Steve's mother, Eleanor—dead of a vicious cancer. Daughter Janice in and out of jail and drug rehab. A touchy relationship with Steve.
Herbert picked up a hammer and a handful of nails and grabbed a two-by-four. "Gotta get to work, son."
"On what?"
"Gonna make a scale model of the Temple of Solomon," Herbert said.
"You got a building permit for that?"
"Got the blueprints. How long's a cubit, anyway?"
Steve doubted his father could drive a nail straight. When Steve was Bobby's age, Herbert couldn't glue the wings of a balsa airplane to the fuselage.
"Robert, the temple is where King Solomon kept the Ark of the Covenant," Herbert said, "the very tablets the Lord gave to Moses."
"I know, Gramps. I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark. "
Enough was enough. "Bobby, I need to talk to your grandfather for a few minutes," Steve said.
"So?"
"There are fresh mangoes on the counter. Go make yourself a smoothie."
"You can't order me around. I'm descended from King Solomon." Bobby squeezed his eyes shut. "King Solomon. SOLO GIN MONK."
"Fine, kiddo. Now, give us a few minutes."
"Okay, okay." The boy got to his feet and slouched toward the kitchen door.
"I've got a problem, Dad. I need advice."
"Then you damn well came to the right place," Herbert Solomon said.
* * *
Just as he had done with Victoria, Steve told his father everything. How he learned Kreeger's philosophy by reading his monograph on rational murder. How he uncovered Beshears' death, then sold Kreeger out in the murder trial by tipping off Pincher. How he found the marlin on his door and the gaff in his office, symbols of Kreeger's homicidal fishing trip. And how upset Victoria became when he confessed his lawyerly sins. When he was finished, Herbert exhaled a long, low whistle. "Jesus and Magdalene, David and Bathsheba."
"I don't think those two couples are equivalent," Steve said.
"Then you didn't read The Da Vinci Code. Son, when you stroll through the cow pasture, you best not be wearing your wingtips."
"What the hell's that mean?"
"You stepped in deep shit. So what is it you want? Girlfriend advice or Florida Bar advice? 'Cause if it's girlfriend advice, ah'd say it's high time that shiksa converts. A dip in the Mikvah, the gateway to purity. Miriam's well in the desert."
"Jeez, Dad. Can you focus? I'm telling you this guy's coming after me."
"You mean to do you harm?"
"No, to wish me happy Chanukah. Don't you get it? Kreeger killed two people. I was supposed to defend him, and I double-crossed him. He's out of prison and he's pissed. It's a Cape Fear deal."
"Cape Fear, cape schmere. Ah heard him on the radio today. Talking about what a shitty lawyer you were. Some of it was damn funny."
"Glad you enjoyed it."
"He was riding you hard, sure. But it didn't sound mean. More like joshing."
"So what's the message he's sending?"
"The way Ah figure, he's saying he knows what you did. Confirming you were right about him being a killer. Boasting about it. Thinking maybe you would appreciate the artistry of it."
"Why would I appreciate him killing two people?"
"From what you say, he admires men who break the rules. That's you, son."
"But not by killing. Not like him."
"Dr. Bill probably considers you just a step or two up that slippery slope from where he stands."
"And what do you think he wants from me?"
"Take the man at his word. He said he wanted you to come on his show. Maybe he thinks he's Johnny Carson and you're his Ed McMahon. His sidekick. Ah don't believe Kreeger wants to kill you, Stephen. Ah believe he wants to be your pal."
"That's crazy."
"Just listen to the man flap his gums. He's a talker.
But who's he gonna talk to about killing those people? You, son. In his head, you're the only one who understands."
"I don't want to
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