need a shower. I feel disgusting.”
“You look disgusting.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be my friend?”
“I am being your friend. I’m telling you the truth. It’s good for the soul.”
“Yeah? Well, it sucks for the self-esteem.”
You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
eight
I felt much better in my Lilly Pulitzer Jai dress. It was one of my most impressive finds. The poor thing had a tiny tear at the seam, so I’d scored it at a wonderful 40 percent discount. It was sleeveless with a faux wrap bodice in a pattern called Hotty Pink Scorpion Bowl. Very flattering and very functional, since the November temperatures promised to hit a near record mideighties. Still, knowing that Florida is not the Sunshine State but rather the over-air-conditioned state, I grabbed a white cardigan with tiny pearl accents to keep from freezing. I wore a pair of sand-colored patent wedges—also Lilly—with a cute peep toe that allowed my OPI pedicure to shine.
I’d already gotten the Letters of Administration for the Lawson estate, which was pretty much all I could do for at least weeks until the accounts were transferred, so I headed to the office just before eleven.
Sour-faced Margaret gave me her usual surly look as I asked for messages, then went to my office. It was a disaster area. I had law books piled up like paperbergs, mocking me because I still had four abstracts to write.
Apparently Margaret had sounded the alarm because within five minutes, Tony was standing in my doorway. Unlike Ellen and Vain Dane, he was just as comfortable coming to me as he was asking me to venture to the fourth floor. What I didn’t know was whether he was there to ream me again. I didn’t like the tension strung between us.
“Still mad at me, I see?” I said with a smile, hoping to clear the air.
“I’m still mad,” he assured me with a grin. “But I’ll get over it.”
“I’m sorry, but I haven’t quite finished the Travis Johnson research. Give me about an hour and a half and I’ll send everything up.”
“That’s fine. I just need you to be available after lunch. Liam’s being released from the hospital, so we’re going back to the station to finish the interview.”
I was relieved that Liam was being discharged, but I didn’t relish the notion of going back to see Wells and Metcalf. “Okay.”
“Heard you slept here last night. Do we need to get you a sofa for your office?”
“Hopefully it won’t be a regular thing.”
“One thirty at the station.”
“Okay.”
“And bring your little tape recorder. That was a nice touch.”
“Thanks.”
I felt better after he left. His anger seemed to have dissipated for the most part, and thanks probably to Becky, he’d heard of my devoted night at my desk. I was reveling in the glow of a compliment when my intercom buzzed.
“Line two for you,” Margaret said. She could have at least told me who was calling, but no, she had to be a snot.
“Finley Tanner.”
“So you’re finally reachable.”
Reveling officially over. My mother’s tone dripped disapproval. “Good morning, Mom.”
“What if the story about your seedy date goes national?” she asked without preamble.
“Liam isn’t seedy and he was a victim in the case, not the perpetrator.”
“But they called him a person of interest on the news. What if your sister’s new family gets wind of this?”
“It’s not a problem, Mom.”
“Everything with you is a problem, Finley.”
“Sorry to be such a disappointment.”
“Did I say that?” she asked in a huff. “I’m simply pointing out that unlike your sister, you seem intent on bringing attention to yourself. Negative attention.”
“Then we have a lot in common.”
“That was uncalled for. I’m only thinking of your best interests.”
Yeah, right. Sometimes it is better to surrender than to fight on. I
“You look disgusting.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be my friend?”
“I am being your friend. I’m telling you the truth. It’s good for the soul.”
“Yeah? Well, it sucks for the self-esteem.”
You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
eight
I felt much better in my Lilly Pulitzer Jai dress. It was one of my most impressive finds. The poor thing had a tiny tear at the seam, so I’d scored it at a wonderful 40 percent discount. It was sleeveless with a faux wrap bodice in a pattern called Hotty Pink Scorpion Bowl. Very flattering and very functional, since the November temperatures promised to hit a near record mideighties. Still, knowing that Florida is not the Sunshine State but rather the over-air-conditioned state, I grabbed a white cardigan with tiny pearl accents to keep from freezing. I wore a pair of sand-colored patent wedges—also Lilly—with a cute peep toe that allowed my OPI pedicure to shine.
I’d already gotten the Letters of Administration for the Lawson estate, which was pretty much all I could do for at least weeks until the accounts were transferred, so I headed to the office just before eleven.
Sour-faced Margaret gave me her usual surly look as I asked for messages, then went to my office. It was a disaster area. I had law books piled up like paperbergs, mocking me because I still had four abstracts to write.
Apparently Margaret had sounded the alarm because within five minutes, Tony was standing in my doorway. Unlike Ellen and Vain Dane, he was just as comfortable coming to me as he was asking me to venture to the fourth floor. What I didn’t know was whether he was there to ream me again. I didn’t like the tension strung between us.
“Still mad at me, I see?” I said with a smile, hoping to clear the air.
“I’m still mad,” he assured me with a grin. “But I’ll get over it.”
“I’m sorry, but I haven’t quite finished the Travis Johnson research. Give me about an hour and a half and I’ll send everything up.”
“That’s fine. I just need you to be available after lunch. Liam’s being released from the hospital, so we’re going back to the station to finish the interview.”
I was relieved that Liam was being discharged, but I didn’t relish the notion of going back to see Wells and Metcalf. “Okay.”
“Heard you slept here last night. Do we need to get you a sofa for your office?”
“Hopefully it won’t be a regular thing.”
“One thirty at the station.”
“Okay.”
“And bring your little tape recorder. That was a nice touch.”
“Thanks.”
I felt better after he left. His anger seemed to have dissipated for the most part, and thanks probably to Becky, he’d heard of my devoted night at my desk. I was reveling in the glow of a compliment when my intercom buzzed.
“Line two for you,” Margaret said. She could have at least told me who was calling, but no, she had to be a snot.
“Finley Tanner.”
“So you’re finally reachable.”
Reveling officially over. My mother’s tone dripped disapproval. “Good morning, Mom.”
“What if the story about your seedy date goes national?” she asked without preamble.
“Liam isn’t seedy and he was a victim in the case, not the perpetrator.”
“But they called him a person of interest on the news. What if your sister’s new family gets wind of this?”
“It’s not a problem, Mom.”
“Everything with you is a problem, Finley.”
“Sorry to be such a disappointment.”
“Did I say that?” she asked in a huff. “I’m simply pointing out that unlike your sister, you seem intent on bringing attention to yourself. Negative attention.”
“Then we have a lot in common.”
“That was uncalled for. I’m only thinking of your best interests.”
Yeah, right. Sometimes it is better to surrender than to fight on. I
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