only I knew where she’d been.”
“And what good would that have done?”
Scott hung his head. “I couldn’t recognize her. Her face had been pulverized and looked like raw chop meat. How could a person do that to another human being? And that was all that was visible to me. God only knows what else he did to her.”
“Terrible way to go.”
“I begged her to go into rehab!” Scott slammed his hand on the table nearly upsetting their drinks. Heads close by turned in their direction.
“Sorry,” Scott muttered.
Frank nodded gravely. “No need to be, son.” Frank stood. “Look, I’m going upstairs to see if there’s any news about Marnie.”
Scott thoughts rushed to Marnie. Knowing that she might be fighting for her life chilled him. What if she lost that battle? He felt a sudden hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach. “Do they know who shot her,” he asked.
“The husband of her client. Marnie had been worried he might be violent. Now I wish I’d taken her concerns more seriously.” Frank said, angrily.
“Don’t second guess yourself. What happened today is far from the norm.”
“I still want to kick myself, Scott.”
“Did they get the guy?”
“Apprehended him as he tried to flee.”
“I’d like a shot at prosecuting that scumbag,” Scott said his eyes as hard as stones.
“I wonder if the wife survived? I didn’t see them wheel her in,” Frank mused.
As they were about to leave the cafeteria, Frank’s attention was distracted by the news on one of the televisions sets in the room suspended from the ceiling. “Scott, wait a minute. There seems to be some coverage on Marnie’s shooting.”
Both men walked closer to the television so they could hear what the news reporter was saying.
“…Did not survive the heinous attack. The other woman, her lawyer, Marnie Davis, is in critical condition. The perpetrator, John Kalb, the dead woman’s husband, is in custody. In other news…”
“There’s your answer,” Scott said, crushing his empty bottle. “I really want to prosecute the case.”
“Beware of the desire for revenge. It can cloud your judgment.”
Scott wrapped his arms around himself as if he’d become suddenly chilled. “I hate all this infernal waiting.”
“It’s always the worst part,” Frank admitted. “Want to head back?”
“I guess.”
Frank couldn’t but help notice Scott’s reaction to Marnie’s shooting. Perhaps he still truly cared about her. It was time to ask what had happened between them. Meddling be damned.
The waiting room was half-filled with people. Two small boys were chasing each other, ignoring the reprimand of their mother. Frank led Scott toward the back corner where there were two seats together, not too far from a sleeping elderly woman.
Frank finally gave in to his curiosity and asked, “What happened between you and Marnie? I really thought you two had hit it off.”
Scott raked his hands through his hair. “We did. I was supposed to have dinner with her. At the last minute, Angel arrived on my doorstep really messed up. I’d told Marnie I’d meet her at the restaurant, but lost track of the time. When Marnie called from the restaurant and heard Angel carrying on in the background, it queered everything.”
“That’s a bad break.”
“Yes, it was, but Marnie wouldn’t listen to a word of explanation. She wouldn’t even take my calls.”
“Sounds like her. Our girl tends to be stubborn at times and has more than a healthy dose of righteous anger for others who stray,” Frank said, but with affection. “Things might still work out between you, two yet.”
“I can’t imagine how.” Scott said.
“Perhaps you have too little faith, son.”
The wait soon became excruciating to both men. As the hours passed, they exhausted every topic they could think of and then some.
“How’s the job, Scott? Ready to switch sides yet?”
Scott chuckled. “No, though you wish. Actually I rather like the Old Man.
“And what good would that have done?”
Scott hung his head. “I couldn’t recognize her. Her face had been pulverized and looked like raw chop meat. How could a person do that to another human being? And that was all that was visible to me. God only knows what else he did to her.”
“Terrible way to go.”
“I begged her to go into rehab!” Scott slammed his hand on the table nearly upsetting their drinks. Heads close by turned in their direction.
“Sorry,” Scott muttered.
Frank nodded gravely. “No need to be, son.” Frank stood. “Look, I’m going upstairs to see if there’s any news about Marnie.”
Scott thoughts rushed to Marnie. Knowing that she might be fighting for her life chilled him. What if she lost that battle? He felt a sudden hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach. “Do they know who shot her,” he asked.
“The husband of her client. Marnie had been worried he might be violent. Now I wish I’d taken her concerns more seriously.” Frank said, angrily.
“Don’t second guess yourself. What happened today is far from the norm.”
“I still want to kick myself, Scott.”
“Did they get the guy?”
“Apprehended him as he tried to flee.”
“I’d like a shot at prosecuting that scumbag,” Scott said his eyes as hard as stones.
“I wonder if the wife survived? I didn’t see them wheel her in,” Frank mused.
As they were about to leave the cafeteria, Frank’s attention was distracted by the news on one of the televisions sets in the room suspended from the ceiling. “Scott, wait a minute. There seems to be some coverage on Marnie’s shooting.”
Both men walked closer to the television so they could hear what the news reporter was saying.
“…Did not survive the heinous attack. The other woman, her lawyer, Marnie Davis, is in critical condition. The perpetrator, John Kalb, the dead woman’s husband, is in custody. In other news…”
“There’s your answer,” Scott said, crushing his empty bottle. “I really want to prosecute the case.”
“Beware of the desire for revenge. It can cloud your judgment.”
Scott wrapped his arms around himself as if he’d become suddenly chilled. “I hate all this infernal waiting.”
“It’s always the worst part,” Frank admitted. “Want to head back?”
“I guess.”
Frank couldn’t but help notice Scott’s reaction to Marnie’s shooting. Perhaps he still truly cared about her. It was time to ask what had happened between them. Meddling be damned.
The waiting room was half-filled with people. Two small boys were chasing each other, ignoring the reprimand of their mother. Frank led Scott toward the back corner where there were two seats together, not too far from a sleeping elderly woman.
Frank finally gave in to his curiosity and asked, “What happened between you and Marnie? I really thought you two had hit it off.”
Scott raked his hands through his hair. “We did. I was supposed to have dinner with her. At the last minute, Angel arrived on my doorstep really messed up. I’d told Marnie I’d meet her at the restaurant, but lost track of the time. When Marnie called from the restaurant and heard Angel carrying on in the background, it queered everything.”
“That’s a bad break.”
“Yes, it was, but Marnie wouldn’t listen to a word of explanation. She wouldn’t even take my calls.”
“Sounds like her. Our girl tends to be stubborn at times and has more than a healthy dose of righteous anger for others who stray,” Frank said, but with affection. “Things might still work out between you, two yet.”
“I can’t imagine how.” Scott said.
“Perhaps you have too little faith, son.”
The wait soon became excruciating to both men. As the hours passed, they exhausted every topic they could think of and then some.
“How’s the job, Scott? Ready to switch sides yet?”
Scott chuckled. “No, though you wish. Actually I rather like the Old Man.
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