“Ah, these young guys, just can’t take a joke. What’s this about dogs, Vic?”
I gave him a short summary, in between a series of phone calls. His attention was wandering long before I finished. “I’ll look into it for you, Vic, let you know if I learn anything. Good to see you. Just give me advance notice the next time you come, so I can have the cops ready.”
I forced a smile and left for my own office. I spent the afternoon on odd jobs—typing invoices, preparing a presentation for the Schaumburg company I’d seen on Monday, catching up on correspondence.
By the end of the day no word had come from Catherine on my Lexus search. I didn’t have any way to get back in touch with her until she and Freeman started work next week. I left a message on their new office’s answering machine just in case, but it looked as though I would have to drive to Springfield tomorrow.
At six I called Lotty to see if we could swap cars back tonight; with the Trans Am I could probably make the round trip in under five hours. She agreed, but without enthusiasm.
“What’s wrong? You busy?”
She laughed self-consciously. “No. Just feeling sorry for myself. Today was Carol’s last day. I feel—personally bereft. And Max keeps trying to make me be reasonable, which only makes me want to be as unreasonable as I possibly can.”
“Well, I still love you, Lotty. Want me to take you out for dinner? You can scream and shout to your heart’s content.”
At that she gave a more natural laugh. “That’s what the doctor ordered. Yes. Great idea. I’m running behind here. How about seven-thirty at I Popoli?”
I agreed readily and started going through the motions of tidying my office for the night. I was just heading out the door when the phone rang again. Thinking it might be Freeman, I went back to my desk. A smooth-voiced woman asked if I was indeed Ms. Warshawski, then commanded me to hold for Mr. Yarborough.
“Vic, what in hell were you doing poking through our offices this morning?” he demanded without preamble.
“Dick, that question is just loaded with negative pregnants. How on earth do you handle the affairs of your impressive clients when you express yourself so loosely?” I picked up a pen and sketched a row of jagged teeth on an envelope in front of me. Then I added a ball of fire erupting from them.
“You can’t deny you were there. I heard about it from two people.”
“You boys ever do any work in between bouts of gossip? I would like to remind you that my lawyer was a member of your firm until Friday. And if, not knowing either of his resignation or his dramatic expulsion from Paradise, one of his clients happened onto the premises, a judge would probably consider that an honest mistake. Especially since Leigh Wilton thought it was such a big joke.”
“But if that judge learned you’d been told about it and then gone snooping through our private premises against our express orders he might think it was something else, even with Leigh on the stand for you.”
Dick’s voice had tightened to a hiss. I added a snake to the other side of my sketch and drew a couple of arms ending in boxing mitts. “What kind of creepy stuff are you doing that you’re scared I’ll come across?”
“We don’t have anything to hide.” Dick recovered his voice and reverted to petulance. “But knowing that you’ve got a vendetta against one of our associates, I would just as soon you didn’t have a chance to damage any of his files.”
“I know the boy’s scared I’ll break his kneecap, but his wife looks pretty fit and she’s ten years younger than me— tell him I’d be afraid of the revenge she’d take.”
“Vic, I know you like to turn everything I say into a joke just to make me mad. And it works. Every time, or damned near. But I’m calling to warn you to mind your own business. Regard it as a favor, okay?”
I stared at the phone in amazement. “Dick, what on earth are you talking about? I wanted some help from Freeman. I’m entitled to get it without your permission.”
“Not when he’s no longer a member of the firm, you’re not. We tracked you down, unfortunately after you’d gone. Catherine Gentry was keeping her lip buttoned—I won’t miss her smart mouth one minute—but the girl she gave your search request to wasn’t afraid to do her duty.”
“Meaning she was afraid of being fired. And unless you’re breaking the child labor laws I expect it was a woman, not a girl.”
Dick laughed tolerantly. “Woman, if it’ll make you feel better. Be that as it may, you may not use Crawford, Mead’s resources. Period.”
“Aye, aye, captain. Just out of curiosity, why did Freeman have to leave so suddenly?”
“An internal matter of the firm, Vic. None of your damned business. Just keep to the affairs that are your concern. You do a good job with them. Why do you have to mess with mine?”