Page 46 (2/2)

He shook his head “Just thinking about the apartment,” he said

“Me, too”

“And that parking spot Why does it have to be a lottery? And why do you only get it for a year?”

“I don’t know Those are the rules, I guess”

“We have the biggest apart And we pay the et precedence,” he said

Three weeks later, when Annalisa and Paul Rice had closed on the aparthton’s lawyer called Billy Litchfield and asked to see him in his office

Mrs Houghton ht have chosen an attorney froal affairs, but instead had retained Johnnie Toochin, a tall, pugnacious felloho had grown up in the Bronx Louise had “discovered” Johnnie at a dinner party where he was holding court as the city’s brightest up-and-coovern Johnnie had won, and his future was doubly assured when Mrs Houghton hired him on retainer “There are as hettos,” Mrs Houghton was fond of saying “Never forget that it’s easy for a ood clothes”

Happily for Mrs Houghton, Johnnie Toochin had never been well dressed, but after exposure to money and superior company, he had definitely become establishment His office was nearly atwo Eames chairs, a sharkskin coffee table, and on the walls, a Klee, a DeKooning, and a David Salle

“We should see each other more often,” Johnnie said to Billy froh The e used to at parties My wife keeps telling o out more But soh”

“Not asthe conversation It was the same conversation he seemed to have often now, every ties and likely wouldn’t in the future

“Ah, we’re all getting old,” Johnnie said “I’ll be sixty this year”

“Best not to talk about it,” Billy said

“You still live in the same place?” Johnnie asked

“Lower Fifth,” Billy said, wishing Johnnie would get on hatever it was that had caused hi

Johnnie nodded “You lived close to Mrs Houghton Well, she adored you, you know She left you soive it to you in person Hence the visit to my office”