Page 27 of Fifty-Fifty

than twenty-five – the lawyer I’d seen with Levy visiting Alexandra’s holding cell some days ago.

The presence of Levy and his team meant there was about to be a whole lot of trouble.

They got to their feet as I approached.

‘Eddie, good to see you again,’ said Levy, in a tone that didn’t even get close to sincerity, and didn’t care either. ‘This is my associate, Scott Helmsley.’

He pointed to the fair-haired kid in the tight suit to his left. I’d seen him in the precinct on the night of the arrest but didn’t get much of a chance to appraise him. He didn’t look old enough to shave and yet he busted out a movie-star smile and extended a hand from a silk, double-cuff shirt.

‘It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,’ said Scott, and he took my hand in the firm grip that some men use. I always thought the hard-handshake guys were compensating for something. The guys who can really crush your knuckles without thinking about it don’t need to prove their strength in the way they say hi.

The woman on his right, Kate, bowed her head and angled the toe of her shoe to the ceiling and moved it around using the heel to pivot. She was dressed in a gray business skirt, white blouse and black jacket. Her hands were clasped in front of her and I could only see the top of her head. She looked up at me.

There was an awkward pause. Not long. Maybe four or five seconds, but long enough for Levy to pretend he’d forgotten about her. He had caught sight of Kate swinging the toe of her shoe, he was simply making sure she and I knew Levy’s pecking order when it came to his staff.

‘Oh, I’m sorry, and this is—’ he said, without turning toward her, just extending a palm in her direction, highlighting the afterthought.

‘Kate Brooks,’ I said, loudly, stepping past Levy and Scott. ‘We met at the precinct. How are you?’

‘I’m fine, thanks, Mr. Flynn.’

‘Call me Eddie,’ I said.

Levy bit his lip. I could smell bullshit office power plays from fifty yards.

‘How’s your client?’ she said.

‘Better. She’s out of the hospital, and out of jail. Yours too, I understand.’

‘Yea—’

‘That’s right,’ said Levy stepping between us, cutting off Kate mid-sentence.

He hitched up his pants, maneuvering them side to side as he hauled them over

his stomach like he was screwing them into place.

‘So how do you want to play it with Dreyer? I say we let him do the talking, take everything out of the room and mull it over. No decisions in the room. Only thing we’re set on is splitting the trial. We must have separate trials – our clients are blaming each other so we don’t have a choice,’ said Levy.

I nodded, said nothing. Over his shoulder Kate stepped back a pace, lowered her head again as Scott sidled up to Levy and nodded along with every word Levy said, like his boss was spilling the gospel. Two seconds ago I was talking to Kate, now the boys had basically trampled over her, taking control of the space and the conversation.

I wondered how small Levy’s dick had to be for him to get this kind of enjoyment from degrading a female employee.

Pretty damn small, I concluded.

Then Herb hollered over from behind the desk, ‘Mr. Dreyer will see you all in the conference room. Go on through, he’s waiting. Nice to see you, Eddie.’

‘You too, Herb,’ I said.

Levy turned toward the double doors just beyond the couches in the reception area, waved a hand over his shoulder as if he was calling his troops to him. Scott trotted alongside him, and Kate followed last, clutching a legal pad. She reached up and took a pen from the knot in her hair. Holding open the conference room

doors, Levy ushered Scott in first, without even looking at him. As Kate passed him, I saw Levy’s eyes fall low to her calves. He watched Kate from behind, his fat lips puckered in a distasteful way that said he liked what he saw.

He let the door go and was about to move inside when I skipped ahead, grabbing the closing door and bumping into him. He rocked back on his feet a

few steps, waving his little arms to regain his balance. Managing to grab a chair, he shot me an angry look. The heat in his gaze fed from his embarrassment. I saw Kate covering her mouth, trying not to laugh.

‘Sorry, Theo, I thought you had the door. My bad,’ I said.