Kelly and I baked bread. We watched old episodes of Family Guy. The place was warm. We made some Chinese soup. We loved to make Chinese soup. I tried not to remember that it was four days til the preliminary hearing.
We laughed. We ate. We joked.
The investigation could wait. Who was I fooling, anyway? I was no investigator. I was a dad. The little shit probably did it anyway.
My cell phone rang. It was Dorita.
Where the hell are you? she asked.
Home.
Still? Jesus. I should have known. I’m coming over.
I’m not sure…
See you in a few.
Damn.
Dorita’s coming over, I said to Kelly.
Okay, she said.
You’re sure? I asked.
Sure I’m sure, she said. Why not? She can have some soup.
I couldn’t read her.
By the time Dorita got there we were working on the sorbet. Chocolate walnut.
We’d kept some soup warmed on the stove.
Dorita didn’t look to be in a soup and sorbet mood.
I’ve got it, she said.
You’ve got it, I replied. Great. Have some soup.
You’re kidding. Didn’t you hear me? I said I’ve got it. I’ve got the last piece of the puzzle.
Okay, okay. What is it?
Here’s the scoop. It took me awhile, but I tracked her down.
The girlfriend?
Sarah.
Sarah. Right. And?
Quite a number.
I think you said that last time.
I may have. Anyway, it still applies. And I got something, darling. Something good.
You’ve outdone yourself.
More than I can say for your day’s work.
I can’t deny it. You win this round.
Just wait. I think I won the whole damn war.
I’ll gracefully concede.
You’d better. Or I’ll…
She looked at Kelly.
Okay, said Kelly. You can stop there. I’m going to Peter’s.
Sorry, I said.
Don’t worry about it, Dad, she said, heading for the door.
I wasn’t entirely sure what she meant.
All right, I said to Dorita. Can we get to the bloody point?
The point is, said Dorita, that it had nothing to do with poker.
Meaning?
Larry supposedly went to Jules’s place to collect on a poker debt. You remember that, don’t you, lunkhead?
I love you too. Yes, I remember it. Haven’t managed to verify that there even was a game, though.
That’s probably because there wasn’t one. Poker had nothing to do with it.
Nothing?
Nothing.
Now that is interesting. What did it have to do with?
Larry knew something.
Yes?
Sarah didn’t know what. But whatever it was, Larry thought it was going to make him rich.
A shakedown? Precisely.
Yet more interesting. What did he know, exactly?
You’re not listening. She didn’t know. He didn’t tell her. But it was something big. Something really big.
Well. I’m not sure that you’ve exactly busted the case wide open here, darling. I’m not even sure you’re right about the poker thing.
What do you mean?
So Larry had something on Jules. Why couldn’t it be something to do with poker? Some scam they pulled?
You really know how to keep your eye on the ball, don’t you.
Okay. Right. Doesn’t matter, does it. Whatever it was, it does throw a new light on things.
Whoa. Slow down. Let me catch up with you.
Oh, shut up. Have some sorbet.
She had some sorbet.
Okay, I said. Larry knew something. Who can tell us what Larry knew?
Jules, for sure.
He wouldn’t even tell me the truth about the poker game, the telephone calls. I don’t think. He’s either hiding something, or he’s built himself a very thick wall.
The twins?
Maybe. But we still don’t have anything concrete to connect them to Larry Silver.
Lisa?
Lisa. Yes. How could she not know?
It explains her protectiveness.
Well, it’s not clear that needs explanation. But yes. And, she’s definitely a weak link.
Maybe the only one we’ve got left.
Let’s go for it.
We’ve got to get to her away from Jules this time, though.
Yes.
I’ll take care of that.
I knew you would.