Act of God

money?”
    “You shitting me or what? The most, like the absolute excellent most we ever took down was five hundred, split four ways.”
    “So how would Teagle come into a few thousand or more?”
    “I don’t know, and he didn’t say.”
    “When was this?”
    “When was what?”
    “Teagle bragging about getting this new money.”
    “I don’t know, man. He did it all the time, like I—”
    “But when did he start?”
    “Start bragging about it?”
    “Yes.”
    “I don’t know. Maybe a month ago?”
    “A month ago.”
    “Yeah.”
    I thought about it. Roughly the time Darbra broke off with Roger Houle and started in with Rush Teagle. A week or so before Abraham Rivkind died.
    Ling went back to his straw, but it quickly made that tank-empty, sucking sound. “Hey, dude. Okay if I go back in now?”
    “Aren’t you afraid of waking your stepfather?”
    “Yeah, but I gotta study.”
    “Study what?”
    “Accounting, man.”
    “Accounting?”
    Ling threw the empty box over his shoulder onto the black rubber runner. “Yeah. You don’t think I want to live in this shithole forever, do you?”

24

    I stood across the street from value furniture, looking up at the facade andthe roof line with its finials and flagpole that reminded Abraham Rivkind of a place I’d have thought anybody would want to forget. Then I went in through the main entrance and received the standard greeting from Karen, wanting to know if she could help me in any way. I asked her about Finian Quill.
    “Gee, I’m sorry but I don’t think Finian’s here right now. Can someone else help you?”
    I said I’d see Mr. Bernstein instead and already knew the way.
    The grand ballroom staircase to the second floor was empty as I climbed it. Only a smattering of customers browsed among the dining room sets on the second floor and the bedrooms on the third. As I moved through the padded swinging doors on the fourth, Joel Bernstein was just coming out of the men’s room, hitching his suit pants a little against the suspenders. He stopped hitching as soon as he saw me.
    “You’re back?”
    “Afraid so.”
    Bernstein ran a hand through the black clots on his head. “Look, I’m sorry I got kind of hot at you there.”
    “It happens. Forget it.”
    “No, really. I know you’re not trying to rip off Pearl or anything, it’s just that the pressure around here, me trying to do it all... ” He made the harsh, blubbering sound.
    I said, “Can you give me a couple of minutes?”
    “Why not. Take my mind off all the other things I can’t change.”
    I followed him toward the partners’ office, the door just before it open. A Latino woman was sitting behind Darbra’s desk, brisldy sorting through papers.
    I spoke to Bernstein’s back. “Replacement?”
    “What?”
    “The woman in Darbra’s office.”
    “Oh, her.” He sagged into his desk chair, waving me toward one of the captain’s chairs. “Temp. Beverly got her last Friday. Seems to be working out.”
    “Meaning you might take her on full-time?”
    “Yeah, there’s a need for it.” Bernstein tilted his head, the neck so thick there was little or no difference in width between it and his jowls. “You had any luck finding Amelia Earhart?”
    “You think Darbra flew away on her vacation?”
    “Couldn’t drive. At least, she said she couldn’t, one time I asked her to use my car, pick something up for me. Way she said it at first, I thought it was like one of those coffee things, you know?”
    “Sorry?”
    “Like in the old days, you could ask a secretary to get your coffee? Now, it’s like sexual harassment you even suggest they could do something for their salary besides type and file.”
    “But Darbra said she couldn’t use your car because she didn’t know how to drive.”
    “Never learned, she said. Mentioned it a couple times, often enough so you believed her. At least, I did.” Bernstein tilted his head the other way. “So, you didn’t answer my question.”
    “No, I haven’t had much luck finding her.”
    “Goofy broad. Wait a minute, can’t say ‘broad’ nowadays, either.”
    “Mr. Bernstein, when we went through Darbra’s desk, I didn’t see any keys.”
    “Wouldn’t expect you to.”
    “She kept the key to her office in her handbag?”
    “Yeah. Where else would it be?”
    “I was wondering if she kept any spares here in the store.”
    “Spares. You mean like to her house?”
    “Apartment.”
    “Whatever.”
    “Yes. A key to her