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Chapter Sixty-four
Mary wondered how things could be so right and so wrong, in the very same day. She may have won her first motion as a partner, but the only restaurant open for lunch this early was Japanese and her parents never ate anything but Italian. The waiter served their sushi on a sampan, and the DiNunzios recoiled as if it were a garbage barge.
“IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE FISH TO ME, MARE.”
Her mother, still in her topcoat, shrank from the table.
“It is fish. It’s special fish.” Mary didn’t mention the uncooked part. She figured it wouldn’t help her argument.
“Mr. D, try it!” Judy chirped, reaching for her chopsticks. “You’ll love sushi. It’s delicious!”
“Ugh.” Fiorella turned up her Roman nose. “I dislike sushi.”
“Really.” Mary couldn’t hold her tongue another minute. “Well, if we hadn’t had to flee my office, because somebody at the table screamed at my new partner, then we could have waited until noon and had eggplant parm, which we all love.”
Fiorella didn’t reply.
“FIORELLA, SHE’S RIGHT. YOU SHOULD SAY YOU’RE SORRY FOR WHAT YOU DID.”
“Sì,” her mother said softly, and Fiorella turned to Mary.
“I’m sorry. Let’s move on and forget this matter.”
“Not so fast. I understand if you don’t like Be
Her mother nodded, chuckling. “Sì, sì, e vero. I no like Benedetta. She work Maria too hard. Alla time, work, work, work.”
Mary smiled, turning back to Fiorella. “Be
Fiorella sniffed. “You are naïve.”
“You don’t know her. Or me.”
“Perhaps we can agree to disagree.”
“Fine,” Mary said, stiffly, and Judy picked up her water glass.
“Now, for a toast to our girl Mary, who made partner today! Congratulations!”
“CENT ANN’.” Her father raised his glass, and her mother did the same, smiling sweetly at her.
“Cent a
“I love you guys.” Mary raised her glass. She wasn’t about to let Fiorella ruin this day, for any of them. “Thank you all very much, for everything. This wouldn’t have happened without my wonderful family or my best friend.”
“Brava!” Judy said, and they all took a sip.
Mary looked over at her mother, who was shifting uncomfortably in her chair. It was on the small side, and with the bunchy coat, she was wedged inside its arms. “Ma, why don’t you take your coat off?”
“No, is h’okay.”
“You’ll feel better, don’t you think?”
“Sì, Maria, h’okay.” Her mother stood up and shrugged off the coat, surprising all of them. She wasn’t wearing her usual flowered dress or the blue one she wore to Mass. Instead, she had on an obvious knockoff of Fiorella’s sexy black Armani. Unfortunately, she was shaped like a meatball, with breasts. She modeled the dress, flushing red, then sat down.
“Ma!” Mary said, quickly. “Wow! You look so nice! Where did you get that dress?”
“Grazie, Maria, I made.”
“You did a great job!” Mary should have guessed as much. She looked over at her father and flared her eyes meaningfully.
“YOU LOOK SO GOOD, VEET!”
“Mrs. D, you’re awesome!” Judy gri
Nobody but Mary noticed that Fiorella said nothing.
Chapter Sixty-five
Be
“So that’s it,” Be
“He’s correct. We don’t.”
“Do you know Azzic and Holland?”
“No, we’re just humble uniforms.” Officer Mora shifted forward. He was about thirty years old, with large brown eyes, a smooth chin, and a wide nose. His shoulders were broad, pulling at the seams of his summer uniform. “What about our friend the cabbie? That is our jurisdiction.”
“I would have paid him when I got into my house. Do you know anybody on the job in Cambridge County?”
“No, but given the fire, I’m sure the county will make it a priority.”
“It’s a question of their effectiveness, not their will.”
“I never second-guess other departments.” Officer Mora unrolled the statement from the typewriter. “Now, as for the cab driver, you say you can get the money and you’ll also produce proof that it was your house you were breaking into.”
“I have a copy of my deed at the office and I can have it messengered here.” Be
“I’ll do that for you.” Officer Vaz stood up wearily and stretched. He was the older of the two, with a graying mustache, but was trim as a marathoner, with lean limbs and a black ru
Officer Mora nodded. “Don’t count on Mike to bring it to you. He’s back and forth to the can, on those meds again.”
“They ain’t go
“Burgundy Lexus, last year. I don’t know the plate.”
“Be right back.” Officer Vaz left, and Officer Mora handed her the statement, with a Bic ballpoint.
“Your autograph, please.”
“Sure, thanks.” Be
“C’mere a sec, would you, Pete?”
Mora turned. “You a grandpop yet?”
“No, c’mere.”
“Sure.” Officer Mora rose and left, and Be
Officers Mora and Vaz reentered, but something was wrong. Concern crossed Officer Mora’s eyes, and Officer Vaz’s e
“Why don’t you take a seat, Ms. Rosato?” Officer Mora retook his seat with a sheaf of new papers, while Officer Vaz stood in front of the door.
“What’s the matter?” Be
“We have a few more questions.” Officer Mora held the papers in his hand, close to his chest. “Did you call a lawyer named Mary DiNunzio from a hospital in Pellesburg, in Cambridge County?”
“Yes, why. How do you know that I called DiNunzio?”
“Did you identify yourself to her as Be
“Yes, of course, in the message I left for her.” Be
“Ms. DiNunzio has filed a complaint against you, for criminal impersonation.”
“What are you talking about? You must be mistaken.”
“Here’s a copy, filed this morning.” Officer Mora glanced back at Officer Vaz, then handed over the papers, and Be