Page 43 (1/1)

"What hook, Diana? He’s not on the hook except in your ht and left, what’s it to you?"

Her sht "You say that now, but you’re not done with hiave him credence which has been in short supply of late He’ll co turn of events"

"That’s my lookout, don’t you think?"

"You really don’t believe me, do you?"

"I’ve heard every word I understand why you’re pissed off at him, but I take offense at the wholesale condemnation Give the kid a break You came here to warn me You’ve done that and I thank you I’m on red alert"

That shut her down She withdrew as though I’d slapped her

She snatched up her shoulder bag and took out a business card "Here’s et in touch I’m sorry to have taken up so much of your time"

As she reached the door, she paused "You want to hear the best part?"

I was going to fire off a sue

"Six days after Daddy died, Michael saw the light He became a retractor He disavowed his claims about the sexual abuse He said he realized Marty Osborne had planted all thosewith Have a nice day"

She left the office, banging the door shut behind her

11

I had dinner that night at Rosie’s, the tavern located half a block frohborhood drinking crowd and serves as a ready substitute for my nonexistent social life In the su victories so minor they scarcely warrant colues Froether touch-football tea Prior to the Super Bowl, there are endless noisy debates, argu in ten bucks each and drawing names from an oversized beer stein Rosie keeps behind the bar

Rosie is Hungarian by birth and though she’s been in Santa Teresa ive up her accent or her tortured sentence structure She and Henry’s brother Williao It’s an unlikely ood for both of them

I took a seat in et lass on the table She’d apparently just dyed her hair, which was a deeply saturated shade of red I’d never actually seen on a hu with a screw top and a label pasted on the front, MONGREL WHITE, 1988 She upended the jug and poured the wine, which actually lass

"I know you supposed to sip first and say if you like, but this is all I got Take or leave hi better Is too thin so what I’arian na arian cheese spread you gonna love"

"Fine I can’t wait"

There was no point in arguing with her because she always gets her way I find bossy wo out of your hands Conniving woh Rosie probably does a bit of that as well

She went to the kitchen, order pad in hand, and returned moments later with the proe and set the big bowl of soup in front of me, followed by a basket of napkin-wrapped rolls and a ramekin of cheese spread I placed a hand on the napkin and felt the warm rolls underneath

I ate with a series of oinky little sounds consistent with a voracious appetite and a thorough appreciation of as going downto change intothe paperback ed into my windbreaker and adjusted the collar With the sun down, it would be chilly walking even half a block I zipped up and hoistedacross ers curled around the tag Cheney’d dropped in my palm the day before I pulled it out and studied it, which I hadn’t had a chance to do The plastic disk was encrusted with dirt I crossed the roo, dapper as usual in his dark gray wool serge suit pants, white dress shirt, and tie He’d shed his suit coat and placed it on a coat hanger suspended on a wall hook nearby His only other concessions to his job were the two cones of paper towel he’d secured over his shirt sleeves with rubber bands to keep his cuffs clean