Part Five. The Genuine Article

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26

B en and Loving split off from the rest of the group. They had another stop they needed to make before they joined the party back at the senator’s office.

Loving knelt beside the hospital bed in Room 342 at Bethesda. He wasn’t surprised to see that Shalimar was also there, watching over the patient. He placed his hand on the pale blonde’s forehead. “How ya feelin’, sweetheart?”

Beatrice looked up at him, a faint smile on her pale, barely red lips. “Doing okay.”

Loving jerked his thumb toward Ben. “Didn’t I tell you my man would take care of you in the courtroom?”

“Did he ever. Have you heard what they’ve been saying about him on the radio?”

Ben raised an eyebrow. “About me?”

“Everyone’s falling over themselves praising Ben’s defense work. Even Glancy’s political enemies, people who still think he’s guilty, are complimenting him. Did you hear what the governor said?”

Ben’s eyes widened. “The governor?”

“Of Oklahoma, yeah. I don’t remember the exact words. But basically it was, It’s a shame our trusted senator brought us so much embarrassment-but at least we had Ben Kincaid up there to show the world what it really means to be an Oklahoman.”

Ben gaped. He couldn’t believe it.

Beatrice grinned, her lips chapped and cracking. “So yeah, I’d say he did okay.” She pulled Loving’s hand closer and laid it against her cheek. “But you’re my hero.”

“Mine, too,” Shalimar said, jumping in.

Loving turned a bright shade of crimson. “Aw shucks,” he said, sounding for all the world as if he had just stepped out of a Goofy cartoon. “I’m no hero. You’re the one who pulled my fat outta the fire after I got myself caught.”

“After you got yourself caught trying to save my sister’s life. You are a hero, Loving. And I’ll never forget what you did for us.”

“But testifying was so… draining,” Beatrice added. “They’re giving me drugs to ease the withdrawal symptoms, but it’s still… hard. The docs say I have to stay here at least another week so they can monitor my recovery.”

“That’s okay,” Loving said sheepishly. “We’re not going anywhere soon. I’ll keep you company.”

“Would you really?” her eyes brightened immediately. “That would be wonderful!” She squeezed his hand tighter. “I feel so much safer when you’re around.”

“Aw, sweetie, you got nothin’ to worry about now.” Ben noticed that Loving’s eyes were almost as moist as Beatrice’s. “The Sire is locked up. The Inner Circle has been dissolved. Nothing can harm you.”

“I suppose you’re right.” She paused. “Did they ever find the knife that was used on poor Veronica?”

“No,” Loving answered. “I imagine the Sire hid it someplace after he left the Capitol building. Doesn’t matter. What matters is-”

“Wait a minute,” Ben said. All at once, he felt a cold chill race down his spine. “Wait just a minute.”

Loving turned to stare at him. “What’s the problem, Skipper?”

“The knife, that’s the problem. It does matter.” He pounded himself on the forehead. “I thought at the time-but then I got so busy with the rest of the trial-my God. Why didn’t I see it before?”

“See what?”

“Loving, I think I’ve made an incredibly stupid mistake. Incredibly stupid-and incredibly dangerous.”

“Would you slow down a minute and explain what you’re talkin’ about?”

Ben didn’t answer. “Can I borrow your cell phone?”

Loving fished it out of his pocket. “Yeah. But why? Who’re you calling?”

Ben punched in the number from memory. “Marie Glancy.”

“Would you wonderful people mind if I had a few minutes alone with my husband?” Marie said. They were gathered in the lobby of Glancy’s office-Todd, Marie, Christina, Marshall, and Hazel. Marshall had popped the cork on a bottle of champagne and was pouring it into Dixie cups. Amanda had left to procure more bubbly and some snacks.

“Of course not,” Marshall said. “How long have you two been apart now? Five months?” He winked. “Take five minutes. Ten, even.”

Marie took her husband by the hand and led him into his private office, then closed the door behind them.

“Think they’ll be able to patch things up?” Christina asked.

“Of course they will,” Marshall opined. “They’re both professionals. A divorce at this juncture wouldn’t be helpful to the career of either of them.”

“She heard some pretty ugly stuff in that courtroom.”

“Trust me,” Hazel said, “she’s heard it all before. Maybe not in such a public forum. But she knew what her husband was. She knew when she married him.” She shook her head. “This won’t make a damn bit of difference.”

“I hope you’re right,” Marshall said, wheeling himself up and handing them each a cup of bubbly. “I hate to start drinking without them. But there’s no telling how long they may be. And I for one could use a drink. Christina?”

She hesitated. “Well, maybe one. But then I need to start packing up our stuff. No reason to have all this legal garbage cluttering your office.”

“You can take a minute,” Marshall insisted. They hoisted the cups above their heads. “Here’s to Todd Glancy.” They all clinked their cups together.

“What do you think he’ll do now?” Christina asked. “Politics is out.”

“I don’t know. But he’ll think of something. Maybe he’ll teach, maybe he’ll practice law. Maybe he’ll write a book. Who can say?” Marshall glanced over at the closed office door. “He has so many possibilities. There’s no telling what might happen next.”

“Damn!” Ben swore. “Still no answer.”

“She’s probably callin’ all her friends,” Loving said. “Tellin’ ’em the good news.”

“As if there’s anyone in this town who doesn’t already know. It isn’t busy, it just isn’t ringing.” He closed the cell phone with a firm snap. “She probably turned off her phone when she went into the courtroom and hasn’t thought to turn it back on yet. Either that or she’s ignoring me. Either way-” He turned back to Loving. “-you can stay here, but I have to go.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“Where you headin’?”

“Back to the Russell Building. As quickly as humanly possible.”

Why do I always get stuck with the packing? Christina wondered as she loaded the voluminous documents that had been produced into catalog cases and banker’s boxes. It was one thing when she was a legal assistant. Legal assistants expected to get stuck with menial assignments, even when they were three times as bright as their bosses. But she was a lawyer now, and a partner, and-

What was the use? She’d never be able to train Ben to clean up after himself, just as she couldn’t train him to take cases that might actually turn a profit. Just as she couldn’t get him to-oh, what was the use?

She slung a few more piles of documents into the nearest open box. They were tumbling out of order, but what did it matter? In all likelihood, they would never be looked at again and would eventually be tossed out, unless Ben used them to write another book. It would be smarter to concentrate on the supplies and equipment.

She thought she had everything-Post-it notes, perpetual calendar, the stapler shaped like the Eiffel Tower, the legal pads, the laptop-

Wait a minute. The laptop. Where was that, anyway? She’d loaned it to Marshall yesterday so he could review the previous day’s transcript, and she hadn’t seen it since. Where was he now?

The door to Marshall’s office was open, and she was sure he wouldn’t mind if she went inside. After all, Marie had been using it as if it were her own ever since the case began. It wasn’t as if Christina could leave without the laptop-the gizmo cost more than she made in a month. It wasn’t on top of his desk, so she checked the wide middle drawer. No luck. She started with the side drawers, the first, then the second, then…