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Wool worth s like my shirts, and who left a wad of semen in some condoms in a
house where a very famous lady he knew was murdered, even though he wasn t a
real prince for being there at the time because it woulda made some other nice
lady who liked him a lot very unhappy? You know anybody like that?
Cause, jeez, if you do, a dumb cop like me could sure use your help.
I didn t think anything could have made me laugh when we had walked into the
club half an hour earlier, but Mike s imitation of Columbo was perfect and
refreshing, causing Jed to storm out of the library and down the staircase as
we pressed for the elevator to take us back I to the lobby.
I dare you, blondie. The only thing you can do to beat the way you got us
into the club tonight is if we both take all our clothes off in the elevator
right now and just walk out of the building stark naked. Game?
Nah, Mikey. It would be my luck to run into Anderson Warmack on his way out
of here, and it might just give him too much pleasure to see my bare ass. I ll
take a pass.
We were down and out without incident, through the lobby, which was quiet as a
mausoleum, and back in my driveway ten minutes later.
I opened the car door, said good night to Mike, and started to get out.
Talk about role reversal, we ve really come full circle, he remarked to me.
Remember those lectures you used to give me during the Quentiss trial?
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Go directly home no gin mills, no drinking all night with the guys, no
dropping in on flight attendants who are here on a turn-around. Go home and go
to bed cause you re gonna get pounded on cross tomorrow.
Remember the perky young prosecutor trying her first high-profile case,
reading me the riot act whenever I had to be in court the next day?
Well, same goes for you, Coop. Get upstairs, go directly to bed, don t drink
anything alcoholic, screen your calls in case that weasel tries to worm his
way back into your affection, stay clearheaded for the morning. Understood?
Yeah, boss.
Alex, can I leave you alone, really? I mean, if you want company or you re,
well, you know&
Thanks, Mike. I m really okay. This whole thing since the first phone call
about Isabella s murder last week has taken on a life of its own. I just feel
like I m being dragged along in a vicious riptide.
I ve sort of stopped fighting it now. I think I ll just try to ride it out and
see where I land.
Hang tough, blondie. The most important lesson for tonight is to think
Aretha. No Tammy Wynette. No Stand by Your Man. I m talking Respect all
capital letters.
You tell the doormen not to let Jed in if he shows up, and not to take his
calls. We know he s a liar and I know you don t want to admit this to yourself
but he may be more dangerous than that.
The message light was flashing on my phone when I got into my bedroom and
started to undress. One solicitation to change phone companies and reach out
to friends all over the U.S.A. for pennies less than whichever system I was
using, one hang-up getting to be a bit too commonplace lately and two terse
messages from Jed that had come in during the last ten minutes. The first was
short and angry in tone, berating me for creating that ridiculous scene with
my pet cop ; the second was short and conciliatory in tone, urging me to meet
with him alone tomorrow, and to believe in him. The Easter bunny, the tooth
fairy, Santa Claus, and Jed Segal - I had believed in each of them and they
had proven to be among life s great disappointments. Jed would never get the
honor of rising to the level of those others.
I toyed with the idea of ringing David s doorbell and asking his advice, but I
was afraid to find out that he, too, would admit some previously
unacknowledged connection to Isabella. Instead, I climbed into bed and picked
up the phone to call Nina Baum. Not even eleven o clock in Los Angeles yet, so
I knew I wasn t likely to find her at home.
We can t come to the phone now& the message droned leon, so I waited for the
beep and left her an update. I vented on all my pain about Jed s
faithlessness, and concluded with t 0 Mike s concern that Jed was actually a
suspect in the as murder. A best friend was better than a shrink any day, in
my book. I knew Nina would call back first thing tomorrow, the suggesting ways
to put these events in perspective with the rest of my life and loves. her I
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