“Right,” Judy chimed in, brightening. “Doesn’t this mean I’m off the hook?”
Bennie looked less certain. “No, you can’t tell it’s not Carrier by this video, and there’s too much give on the time of death. She could react the same way the real killer did, go out the back to avoid detection.”
Mary remained unconvinced. “I would still argue that it does, when we give the cops the tape. We have to give them the tape, don’t we?”
“Lemme think.” Bennie looked at Lou. “Do you think they had it already? What do they say at the massage parlor? Had the police been there?”
“Yes, but I know the cops don’t have the tape. The manager told me that the police came by and asked about cameras, but the manager wasn’t in so nobody would let them in the back. I don’t know if they’re going back, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable sitting on this.” Lou patted Judy’s hand again. “They are not going to let you off the hook until they like somebody better.”
Mary’s thoughts were racing. “But wait, on second thought, that puts me in a difficult ethical position, as Judy’s lawyer. This is our work product, and I don’t have an ethical or legal obligation to turn over work product that would inculpate my client. On the contrary, I have an obligation not to.”
Bennie nodded. “You’re right.”
Lou frowned in disapproval. “Maybe we take our time in turning it over? Can we do that?”
Mary looked at Lou. “Let’s table it for now. Judy’s right, you did a great job. Maybe our guy can get something out of it and we can see more of the face. We also have to check if there are any cameras on the front of the house or the street, because that will show somebody entering.”
Lou pocketed his phone. “I can double-check and maybe it’ll have a better view.”
“Maybe,” Bennie said, hopeful.
*
“Honey, what’s going on?” Mary had finally gotten home, only to find Anthony’s rollerbag in the entrance hall and him standing there, ready to leave, phone in hand.
“I was just about to call you.” Anthony kissed her quickly on the cheek, excited. He was dressed in a sport jacket and jeans, with his fancy raincoat draped over one arm. “I have to go to Boston.”
“Boston, why?”
“You know the professor I told you about, the one in the history department at Harvard? I’ve been trying to get an interview with him for weeks, for my book.”
“Yes, right,” Mary said vaguely, too tired to remember right now.
“He said he could meet with me tomorrow, and there’s a lecture we should attend together, the day after that. So I have to go to Boston for two days. I got a hotel and I’m on the next flight.” Anthony touched her cheek, with a smile. “Do you mind? I think you’ll be okay, won’t you?”
“Sure, I’ll be fine.” Mary smiled, happy to see him so happy. “I just have work, I’ll be fine.”
“Great, thanks. You have to promise me you’ll take it easy, though.” Anthony passed her to the door.
“I’ll take it easy.”
“Don’t be crazy.” Anthony shot her a warning look, opening the door. “Remember what the doctor said.”
“Okay, okay.”
“I love you.” Anthony picked up his rollerbag. “Good-bye.”
“Good-bye, and I love you, too.”
“And I love you, little baby,” Anthony said to Mary’s belly, then he was gone.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission was housed in a generic, modern office building at Eighth and Arch Streets in Center City, with a fa?ade of indeterminate tan stone and slitted windows more common to a prison than a building with a PennDot driver licensing center on the main floor. Upstairs, the agency’s offices were similarly institutional, with nondescript wooden furniture and spare padded chairs throughout. Mary and Roger were shown into a windowless conference room that held a long conference table with chairs, a speakerphone, and some stray pencils. The walls were freshly painted white, and the only decorations were color portraits of Pennsylvania’s governor and lieutenant governor, next to an American flag and the cobalt-blue flag of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, both of which listed to the right, like beech trees in a strong wind.
Mary sat next to Roger, trying not to be nervous as they waited for the case investigator to come in. She had on a fresh white-silk T-shirt underneath a lightweight wool dress, which was her prettiest maternity outfit, an oxymoron. Roger looked like his normal hip self in a tailored gray suit with a patterned gray and white tie, and Mary got a whiff of his aftershave, which smelled like sandalwood and world peace.
“Mary, let me do the talking,” Roger said quietly, looking over.
“That’s why you make the big bucks.”
Roger smiled. “Except that it was your legal strategy.”
“I learned from the master.” Mary smiled back. She’d warmed to Roger since he’d agreed with their plan, but it was nevertheless risky enough to worry her. Theory was one thing and practice another, and Mary had tossed and turned last night. The baby wasn’t kicking yet, so at least one of them was sleeping in.
The door to the conference room opened, and a compact African-American woman entered, who looked in her fifties. Silver strands shone through the short curls of her hair, she had on oversized dark glasses with gold hoops and a navy-blue suit. She entered the room holding a red accordion file and a silvery laptop and shut the door behind her with a warm, broad smile. “Folks, I’m so sorry to keep you waiting. My name is Vanessa Walker and I’m the investigator on this matter. You must be Roger Vitez and Mary DiNunzio.”
“Yes, please call me Roger,” he said, extending a hand, and Mary rose and did the same. They sat down, with Vanessa on the opposite side of the table, setting a file aside and opening her laptop, before she began to speak.
“I’m pleased to meet you both, and thank you for coming in today.” Vanessa regarded them in a professional way, pushing up her glasses with a manicured nail. “Oh, and you have my condolences on the murder of John Foxman.”
“Thank you,” Roger and Mary said, together.
“Let me tell you how I like to do things. You both know that the Human Relations Commission is the state’s body that enforces the antidiscrimination laws in the Commonwealth. As soon as the Complaint is filed, we begin our investigation, and we have fast-tracked this one, since it’s in the news so much lately.”
Roger nodded, and so did Mary, though neither of them interrupted her.
“I like to keep things informal, so we will be interviewing the principals in the firm of Rosato & DiNunzio in the days to come.” Vanessa hit a few keys on her laptop, then turned to Mary with another warm smile. “Congrats on your baby, by the way.”
“Thank you,” Mary said, happily surprised. “She’s quiet this morning. Or he is.”
“Enjoy it while you can,” Vanessa shot back, and they all laughed. “Okay, let’s get to brass tacks. As you know, the Complaint filed by Messrs. Battle, McManus, and Madden alleges that your law firm failed to hire them because of their gender. What I’d like to do is explore with you the decisions not to hire those plaintiffs. I’ll ask you informally, and you can answer equally informally. These proceedings are not under oath, but of course, we expect you to tell the truth. Is there anything you want to say before you begin?”
“Yes,” Mary answered. They had a plan to put into effect, and it started now. “I’m happy to be here today and answer any questions you have. However, I want to state first, so you hear it from me, that we did not discriminate against these plaintiffs on the basis of their gender. We would never do such a thing and we have always stood at the forefront of equality at our firm. And as a factual matter, I didn’t make the decision to hire or not to hire these plaintiffs.”