Ben was almost certain Mike was Joey’s father. He had considered telling Mike a million times, but before he took that major step he wanted to be certain, and he couldn’t be certain until he had tracked Julia down and gotten her to confirm his suspicions.
“Give him a hug for me, okay?” Mike said.
“I will,” Ben answered as he walked outside. The sudden glare of sunlight made him squint.
I’ll give him a hug, he thought. But when will Joey hug back?
Chapter 13
T HE INSTANT BEN OPENED his apartment door, he was assaulted by the distinctive and unusual smell of seafood. Ben hated seafood. It made him break out in hives.
“Hi, Joni,” Ben said as he laid his briefcase on the kitchen table. Joey was in his playpen fiddling with a busy box. “Thanks for picking Joey up at school.”
“No problemo.”
“I had to run down some information on a possible new case—”
“I know. The mayor. Wowzah! ”
“It’s not that big a deal.”
“Oh, right. Mayor Barrett assembles his own dream team, and you’re it. No biggie.”
“It’s really not—”
“I always tell my sister, Jami—I say, you underestimate our Benjamin. He might make something of himself one day.”
“Well, how nice.”
“Granted, he is a lawyer, and he does spend a lot of time hanging out with cops, but still, give him a chance—”
“I get the drift. By the way, I haven’t seen Jami lately. How is she?”
“Oh, very slack.”
Ben blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“Well, maybe I never noticed so much before I became a responsible caregiver, but she’s not exactly making a difference in our society. She’s been very gloom-ridden since she lost her job at The Body Shop. Can’t get those discounts on exotic herb shampoo anymore. She mostly sits around on the sofa in the same skanky clothes and channel-surfs. She’s become a mistress of time suckage.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Thanks again for picking up the kid.”
“I was glad to do it. Gave me a great excuse to borrow the family wheels. I had a few errands to run.”
Ben’s head tilted a tiny degree. “Errands?”
“Right.”
“And you took Joey along?”
“Right.”
“Uh … Joni …” He loosened his tie. “You wouldn’t take Joey anywhere … inappropriate, would you?”
“Inappropriate? What did you have in mind? An adult book store? An opium den? A biker bar?”
“Joni, be serious. You know I’m responsible for him.”
“Boy, you can say that again.” She dropped her spoon and turned the heat up. “Exhale, Ben. What do you think I am, some tweaked-out bimbo? We went to Bud’s for groceries.”
Relief washed across his face. “What’d you get?”
“Paprika. For the shrimp tarragon.”
Ben leaned over her shoulder and stared into the pot. “I suppose that has … shrimp in it?”
She smiled. “There’s that keen analytical mind of yours again, Ben. Sometimes it’s scary.”
“Ha-ha.” He inhaled the aroma emanating from the stove. Yup, definitely seafood.
“Dinner will be on in five minutes. I can’t wait to see what you think. I’ve never tried anything like this before.”
“Really.”
“I hope it’s good. I mean, I’ll be so disappointed … But I don’t want to apply any pressure. I want an honest appraisal.”
“You know, Booker might be a better judge …”
“He’s working all night. And Mrs. Marmelstein has a cold. Nope, you’re my man, Ben.”
“Oh, gee.” He decided to change the subject. “How’s Joey?”
“His usual quiet self. I do have some concerns about him, though.”
Ben felt a tiny clutching at his heart. “What, has he been unhappy?”
“Not that I’ve noticed.”
“Doesn’t seem to fit in? Doesn’t follow instructions?”
Joni turned away from the stove. “Ben, what’s wrong with you?”
“Then it isn’t—”
“The only concern I have is about Joey’s clothes.”
“Oh.” Ben plopped down in a chair. “What about them? We just bought him several
“Give him a hug for me, okay?” Mike said.
“I will,” Ben answered as he walked outside. The sudden glare of sunlight made him squint.
I’ll give him a hug, he thought. But when will Joey hug back?
Chapter 13
T HE INSTANT BEN OPENED his apartment door, he was assaulted by the distinctive and unusual smell of seafood. Ben hated seafood. It made him break out in hives.
“Hi, Joni,” Ben said as he laid his briefcase on the kitchen table. Joey was in his playpen fiddling with a busy box. “Thanks for picking Joey up at school.”
“No problemo.”
“I had to run down some information on a possible new case—”
“I know. The mayor. Wowzah! ”
“It’s not that big a deal.”
“Oh, right. Mayor Barrett assembles his own dream team, and you’re it. No biggie.”
“It’s really not—”
“I always tell my sister, Jami—I say, you underestimate our Benjamin. He might make something of himself one day.”
“Well, how nice.”
“Granted, he is a lawyer, and he does spend a lot of time hanging out with cops, but still, give him a chance—”
“I get the drift. By the way, I haven’t seen Jami lately. How is she?”
“Oh, very slack.”
Ben blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“Well, maybe I never noticed so much before I became a responsible caregiver, but she’s not exactly making a difference in our society. She’s been very gloom-ridden since she lost her job at The Body Shop. Can’t get those discounts on exotic herb shampoo anymore. She mostly sits around on the sofa in the same skanky clothes and channel-surfs. She’s become a mistress of time suckage.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Thanks again for picking up the kid.”
“I was glad to do it. Gave me a great excuse to borrow the family wheels. I had a few errands to run.”
Ben’s head tilted a tiny degree. “Errands?”
“Right.”
“And you took Joey along?”
“Right.”
“Uh … Joni …” He loosened his tie. “You wouldn’t take Joey anywhere … inappropriate, would you?”
“Inappropriate? What did you have in mind? An adult book store? An opium den? A biker bar?”
“Joni, be serious. You know I’m responsible for him.”
“Boy, you can say that again.” She dropped her spoon and turned the heat up. “Exhale, Ben. What do you think I am, some tweaked-out bimbo? We went to Bud’s for groceries.”
Relief washed across his face. “What’d you get?”
“Paprika. For the shrimp tarragon.”
Ben leaned over her shoulder and stared into the pot. “I suppose that has … shrimp in it?”
She smiled. “There’s that keen analytical mind of yours again, Ben. Sometimes it’s scary.”
“Ha-ha.” He inhaled the aroma emanating from the stove. Yup, definitely seafood.
“Dinner will be on in five minutes. I can’t wait to see what you think. I’ve never tried anything like this before.”
“Really.”
“I hope it’s good. I mean, I’ll be so disappointed … But I don’t want to apply any pressure. I want an honest appraisal.”
“You know, Booker might be a better judge …”
“He’s working all night. And Mrs. Marmelstein has a cold. Nope, you’re my man, Ben.”
“Oh, gee.” He decided to change the subject. “How’s Joey?”
“His usual quiet self. I do have some concerns about him, though.”
Ben felt a tiny clutching at his heart. “What, has he been unhappy?”
“Not that I’ve noticed.”
“Doesn’t seem to fit in? Doesn’t follow instructions?”
Joni turned away from the stove. “Ben, what’s wrong with you?”
“Then it isn’t—”
“The only concern I have is about Joey’s clothes.”
“Oh.” Ben plopped down in a chair. “What about them? We just bought him several
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