“Uh, yes. I mean, bring it!”
“Say no, and say it exactly how I would.”
“No!” DiNunzio shouted, which Bennie overlooked.
“This is an important question. I have to speak with you, right now.” Bennie barged into her own office and took the seat opposite the associate, whose freshly made-up eyes flared with mild alarm. “Get it? See what I’m doing? How I’m acting?”
“Rude?”
“No, in control. Fueled by testosterone.”
DiNunzio snorted. “I forgot my injection.”
“Pretend. Imagine.”
“I can’t. I went to Catholic school.”
Bennie thought a minute. “Then act caffeinated. It’s basically the same thing.”
DiNunzio looked dubious.
“Channel Starbucks, and ask me what you came in to ask me.”
DiNunzio cleared her throat. In a strong voice she asked, “Can I go to Washington for Brandolini?”
“No.”
DiNunzio blinked. “Oh.”
“You just going to take no for an answer?”
“Well, yes. You’re the boss, and I don’t have a choice.”
“Bullshit! You have a good reason to go to D.C., don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve never asked to go on a business trip before, have you?”
“No.”
“In fact, this would be your very first one, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well then, fight for it. Gimme your best argument. Keep it short. People like short.”
DiNunzio squared her shoulders behind the desk. “I have to go to Washington. It’s my job.”
“Not that short.”
DiNunzio inhaled deeply. “It’s the only way I can find out what happened to Amadeo Brandolini. The records of his internment are there, in the War Department files in College Park, Maryland. I requested them under the Freedom of Information Act, but I have to wait four months unless I want to go there and see them for myself. I know it’s a bad time to be leaving the office, but I can’t wait that long, so I have to go.”
“Well done.” Bennie felt a guilty twinge. “But I don’t have the money to send you right now.”
“I’ll pay myself.”
Ouch. “You shouldn’t have to do that.”
“Why not? It’s my client and I can invest in it, same as you.”
Yowza. “I’ll reimburse you. How long will you be gone?”
“Two days.”
“Fine. You have my permission.”
“Who asked you?” DiNunzio shot back, and Bennie hid her smile, just as the telephone started ringing.
It was St. Amien. “Benedetta. I’m sorry to be returning your call so late. I had a minor emergency to deal with. My son.”
“Nothing serious I hope.”
“He needs money, naturellement. For clothes, food, CDs, books. This week here, that week there. You have no children, am I correct?”
“None without fur.”
“Excellent. Keep it that way. Since my wife passed away, Julien has been nothing but trouble. She had a special way with him, which I seem to lack.” St. Amien paused, and Bennie could hear the softest whoosh. He must be smoking his stinky cigarettes. “But enough of that. How are you, and what happened with the police yesterday? Judy called to let me know you were all right and that it was a case of mistaken identity. But what a scene that was! And they have you on TV, all over the news I see!”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Bennie said, but she had already decided to level with him. “My twin sister is back in town, making trouble. But don’t worry about it. I can deal with her.”
“A twin! How wonderful. You are identical?”
“Yes.”
“And she is the black sheep?”
Bennie smiled. A quaint notion. “This flock ain’t that uniform, Robert.”
“I see. In any event, so you’re not going to prison.”
“Not at all. They’ll be some fussing later, but I can clear that up, too,” Bennie answered with a light laugh. Then it occurred to her. Alice could make trouble for St. Amien, as well. “Though, just to be on the safe side, you should know that this twin looks exactly like me and has been running around posing as me. There’s even an outside chance she may approach you-as me-at some point. She’s taken to dressing like me too. We’re completely identical.”
“Ah, so she is lovely too.”
“Picture me with a criminal record,” she said, deflecting the compliment. She flashed on that kiss of the other day. St. Amien was the Pepé Le Pew of clients. “Her name is Alice Connelly and she’s a bold sort, Robert. So if I drop by your office unexpectedly, call here to double-check if it’s really me. I know this sounds awkward, but it needs saying.”
“You’re joking.”
“Wish I were.”
St. Amien blew out some smoke. “Benedetta, if you are in trouble, perhaps I can help you.”
Bennie felt touched, but worried. No client would keep that attitude for long. In three days St. Amien would be looking for a lawyer he didn’t have to help. She channeled reassurance and caffeine. “Robert, I think you have that backward. Thank you for your very kind offer, but I am here to help you. You stay the client and I’ll stay the lawyer, okay?”
“اa va.”
“And that, too.”
“Also, I did have a surprise visitor this morning, though it wasn’t your twin. Herman Mayer came to see me, without an appointment. It was Mayer who told me about you, on the TV. I was dealing with my son and hadn’t turned it on.”
Bennie felt mortified. “Mayer? What did he want?” she asked, but she was already guessing.
“To speak with me about switching lawyers, from you to Mr. Linette.”
Whoa. “Full-court press.”
“What means this?”
“It means they’re really pressuring you.”
“Herman Mayer cannot pressure me to do anything,” St. Amien said, his tone changing on a franc. “His opinions are of no moment to me. He and I have history, as you say.”
“How so?”
“We have been competitors for some time, he and I. I was going to tell you this when we went back to your office, but the police intervened, unfortunately. Mayer and I were both bidding on the Hospcare contract, the one which eventually fell through, as you know. He wanted it very badly, but they awarded it to us.”
Bennie raised an eyebrow, even over the phone. “I didn’t know that.”
“There you have it. I suspect that Herman is increasing his damages estimate in some artificial way, inflating the revenue from the contract I got. There can be no way his damages are greater than mine. None. He has seventy-five employees only and not even ten million in sales, and he didn’t build an entire plant on the strength of certain contracts. Perhaps he is smarter than I.” St. Amien laughed.
“Or maybe he just has less faith.”
“Perhaps. My company is much older than his, founded by my grandfather. Herman and I expanded our European facilities at the same time. He came to the States first, however. Moved here and gained a small foothold on the market two years before I saw the opportunity. As such he feels as if he were my superior, which is not the case, needless to say.”
But it’s cute that you said it anyway. Bennie liked this client. He seemed more human to her than when they had first met. Though the kiss by the elevator bank may have had something to do with it. Everybody needs positive reinforcement.
“So Herman and I had a brief, unpleasant meeting. I told him I was quite pleased with my counsel and wouldn’t switch.”
“Even with me getting arrested? And my wacky sister?”
“Ha! Wait until you meet my wacky brother, then we shall talk again. Ah, he does not work ten hours a week, but for play, his horses, he has much energy. Riding around and around a ring of twenty meters.” St Amien chuckled. “Don’t worry, Bennie. I stay with you, wacky family and all.”