Dead Ringer

“I… ca

“Why not? I broke into your house. It’s an outrage. I’m trespassing.”

Mayer was shaking his head. His lips tightened to a line like a rubber band.

“Tell me what happened tonight.” Be

“Tonight?” Mayer swallowed with obvious difficulty. “Well. So. Tonight I had di

Be

“Mine.”

“Why?”

“I wished to talk with Robert about the lawsuit. And to apologize, for today… my conduct in court.”

“And did you?”

“Why do you ask me? Ask your client.”

“Yeah, right.” Be

“I was trying to persuade him to step aside. I wanted him to agree to let me serve as lead plaintiff, but I was unsuccessful.”

“He didn’t tell me anything about this meeting.”

“I know. I asked him not to, and he agreed.”

“Why?”

“This was to be kept between us, as businessmen.”

“But you told Linette.”

“I did not.”

“Oh, please. You’re telling me you didn’t tell Linette? That he didn’t put you up to it?” Be

“It’s the truth. I know you may not agree, but oftentimes lawyers merely complicate the… process.”

Be

“It’s not your concern, but I haven’t. I went to bed with a headache. After di

Be

“Eight o’clock, eight-thirty.”

It jibed with the time of death. “What did you do next?”

“I offered Robert a ride home, but he said it was a beautiful night, and he chose to walk. Really, this is absurd!” Mayer threw up his arms, and his fu

“You did not, Mayer!” It was a beautiful night. Robert loved to walk. Now he was dead. Knifed by this man. Left to bleed in an alley. “You’re lying!”

“I did, I swear it,” Mayer stammered. He edged back toward the wall. “Honestly, call Robert and ask him! Do!”

“You bastard!” Be

“That ca

Be

“Herman?” came another voice, and Be

Oh. So Mayer was gay. It was no biggie to Be

“Go back upstairs!” he shouted at the young man, showing the temper he’d displayed in court. “Go upstairs! Everything here is fine!” The young man turned on his bare heel and padded from the room, his footsteps disappearing in the soft rug. Mayer looked at Be

“Herman, I don’t care if you’re gay. Nobody should have to be afraid of who they are. Some of my best friends are gay. In fact, my best friend is-”

“How dare you! Leave my house this instant!” Mayer flew to his door, his robe billowing behind him. He flung open the door and grabbed Be

“Herman, relax.” Be

“Never come back here!” Mayer shouted, throwing her cell phone onto the pavement, where she heard it clatter, and slamming the front door shut behind her.

Be

Bump bump bump. She was thinking about Robert. Trying to deal with the fact that he was dead. Wondering whether Mayer had in fact done it. Wrapping her mind around the notion that it could have been a foreigner-hater.

And realizing that the road ahead would get even bumpier.

Be

She tossed under the light quilt, feeling a slight grittiness. It told her that her sheets were entering week three. So what. She’d been a little busy lately, and Bear didn’t mind. She threw an arm over the dog, snoring beside her in bed, where a man would usually be. In an alternate reality.

Be

She squeezed her eyes tighter. She had screwed up so much lately, and now everything had gone wrong. She’d have to find Robert’s successor and hope he wanted to continue to press the claim. It was a legal wrong to the corporation, not merely personal to Robert, so it could survive Robert’s death, as a technical matter. But figuring it out could take weeks she didn’t have. In the meantime, Rosato amp; Associates could go completely under. She’d have to let the bank foreclose on the house. She had no idea how she’d get another place, much less start over, with a bankruptcy on her record and her credit already so messed up, thanks to Alice.