28

Late on a Saturday morning, Todd woke up in the bed of Hadley Caviness, for the second night in a row, and realized she was missing. He rubbed his eyes, tried to remember how much he’d drunk, and decided it wasn’t much at all. He felt great and enjoyed the extra hour of sleep. She returned, in nothing but a large T-shirt, with two cups of coffee. They propped up pillows and sat in the darkness.

There was movement in the next room, a rattling sound as if a bed was shaking. Then the muted groans of pleasure.

“Who’s that?” he whispered.

“My roommate. She came in late last night.”

“Who’s her buddy?”

“Don’t know. Probably just some random guy.”

“So she’s into the random stuff as well?”

“Oh yes. We’re sort of having a contest. A numbers game.”

“I like it. Do you count me once or twice?”

Hadley took a sip of coffee, and they listened as things intensified. “I get one point for you, one for your partner.”

“Oh, so Mark’s been here?”

“Nice try. I saw you guys talking in court the other day while you looked me over. I could almost read your lips. Sure enough, you walked in the next day all smiles.”

“I confess. Mark said you’re great in bed.”

“Is that all?”

“Great body, very aggressive. Now I know why. You and your roomie are keeping score.”

“We’re both twenty-six years old, single with no desire to try the monogamy thing, and we’re free and loose in a city with about a million young professional men. It’s become a sport.” The male partner reached the summit as the floor shook, then the bed stopped rattling.

“That was too fast,” Hadley said. Todd cracked up and said, “So you compare notes?”

“Absolutely. We have a ball debriefing, especially after she’s been out of town all week and sleeping with all kinds of men.”

“I don’t want to know my scouting report.”

“I have an idea. There’s a bagel shop just around the corner. Let’s get out of here and find something to eat. I have far better taste in men than she does and I really don’t want to meet her latest stranger.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

“Let’s go.”

They dressed quickly and eased out of her apartment without confronting the other pair. The bagel shop was packed with the weekend crowd. They found a table by the door and wedged themselves into the chairs. As they crunched on toasted bagels, Todd said, “You know, you’re too cute to be sleeping with half the town.”

She looked around. “Not so loud, okay?”

“I’m practically whispering.”

“What, you want to settle down and get married or something?”

“Not quite ready for that. It just seems odd that a knockout like you is so into the random game.”

“That’s chauvinistic. It’s okay for you to hook up every night, but if a cute girl does it then she’s nothing but a slut.”

“I didn’t call you a slut.”

A guy at the next table glanced over. Hadley took a sip of coffee and said, “Let’s talk about something else. I’m intrigued by your little law firm. I’ve met you and Mark Upshaw. Who is Zola Parker?”

“A friend.”

“Okay. Does she hustle the criminal courts like you and Mark?”

“Oh no. She does personal injury.” Todd kept his answers short and wanted to change the topic.

“Does she have a license to practice law?”

Todd chewed on his bagel and studied her beautiful eyes. “Of course.”

“Well, I got curious and checked with the Bar Council. Seems they haven’t heard of you, Mark, or Ms. Parker. You guys need to sign up. And the bar numbers you’re using are not in their data bank.”

“Their records are notoriously sloppy.”

“Oh really. Never heard that.”

“Why are you so curious?”

“My nature. You say you went to law school at Cincinnati. Mark studied at Delaware. I checked with both schools and they’ve never heard of you. Zola claims to have a law degree from Rutgers but somehow she slipped through the cracks of their alumni association.” Hadley was talking with a nasty, know-it-all smile.

Todd managed to eat with an unconcerned air. “You are quite the stalker, aren’t you?”

“Not really. It’s none of my business. Just seems odd.”

Todd smiled while at the same time wanting to slap the smile off her face. “Well, we’re hiring if you ever get tired of the prosecutor’s routine.”

“I’m not sure we’d get much work done around the office. You do have an office, don’t you? I know you have an address, but anybody can claim a street number.”

“What are you getting at?”

“Nothing. Just curious.”

“Have you shared your curiosity with anyone else?”

“No. I doubt if anyone else has noticed. You’ve picked the perfect place to practice, with or without a license. It’s a zoo and no one cares. However, just a bit of advice, I’d stay away from old Witherspoon in Division 7. He’s nosier than most judges.”

“Thanks. Anyone else to avoid?”

“Not really. Just don’t avoid me. Now that I’m onto your little scam, I’ll help when I can.”

“You’re a doll.”

“That’s what they all say.”

MARK WAS SERVING drinks at The Rooster Bar when Todd rolled in at noon. Todd punched the clock, put on his official red apron, and filled a few mugs. At the first opportunity, he pulled his partner aside and said, “Houston, we have a problem.”

“Only one?”

“I was with Miss Hadley again last night.”

“You dog. I was out looking for her.”

“I found her first. Had a little chat this morning over breakfast. She’s onto our scam, knows we’re not licensed, checked with the Bar Council. She knows where we didn’t go to law school.”

“Damn it.”

“My first reaction too. However, she might be cool, says she hasn’t told anyone and likes to keep secrets. Even offered to help when possible.”

“What does she want?”

“More of the same, I think. She and her roommate are really into the random hookup game. It’s all about numbers.”

Mark managed a laugh, but it wasn’t because of anything humorous. “Wonder if they’re busy tonight.”

“I’ll bet they are, with someone else.”

Mark said, “Shit!” and walked away to take an order. Todd was drying beer mugs when he brushed by and said, “This feels like the beginning of the end.”

LATE SUNDAY NIGHT, Ramon Taper was arrested for driving under the influence. He was taken to Central Jail, where he spent the night in the drunk tank. Monday morning, his girlfriend arrived to check on him. As she waited, she met one Darrell Cromley, a friendly lawyer who seemed right at home in the waiting room at Central. In short order, Cromley arranged for Ramon to be released on a recognition bond. Outside the jail, as Darrell was going through his standard routine of explaining what was next, Ramon said, “Say, man, I got a lawyer but he’s trying to dodge me.”

“A lawyer for what?” Darrell said, pouncing.

“I got a big case down in Virginia, medical malpractice. My little baby died at the hospital a couple of years back and I hired this crook named Mark Upshaw. Ever hear of him?”

“No, but there’s a lot of lawyers around here you can’t trust.”

“He ain’t much, I tell you. I need to fire him but I can’t find him. You do medical malpractice?”

“It’s one of my specialties. Tell me about the case.”