Lousiana Hotshot

about one every three seconds.
    “I was under the impression she is your only investigator.”
    He allowed himself a chuckle. “Well now, I guess you’ve got me there, ma’am. Tell me, what exactly did Ms. Wallis say that Cassandra found so offensive?”
    He heard her draw in a breath. He could almost hear what she was thinking:
If I’d been able to leave a message, this conversation wouldn’t be happening.
    “It wasn’t what she said, it was her manner.”
    “And what was that, ma’am? Was she belligerent?”
    “I’m not sure I’d…”
    He didn’t let her finish. “Was she threatening?”
    “She just wouldn’t let up.”
    “Ah. She was persistent.”
    “You can call it what you like, Mr. Valentino. My daughter’s been in tears ever since her visit.”
    That he could believe. “I want to thank you for tellin’ me about this. I’m gon’ make a note to give Ms. Wallis a talkin’ to.”
    “You do that, Mr. Valentino.”
    “I enjoyed meetin’ your lovely daughter. I wonder if I could tell her so myself?”
    “I think she’s been upset quite enough.”
    “Well, I enjoyed meetin’ you too, Ms. Scott. Let me know if I can do anything else for ya.”
    “I think that, under the circumstances, you ought to return the retainer.”
    He’d known that one was coming. People like Aziza Scott didn’t cut you an inch of slack. “I don’t know, Ms. Scott. We put in a lot of work on this. Maybe we could negotiate something in between.”
    “If a check for the entire amount is not on my desk before the end of the week, you will be hearing from my lawyer.”
    Once again, she’d lost her contractions.
    “Well, like I said, it’s been real nice workin’ for ya.” He figured even she would see through the sarcasm, but he didn’t have it in him to excise it.
    * * *
    Eileen was at lunch when Talba arrived, but the minute her foot crossed the threshold, Eddie’s voice boomed out, “Ms. Wallis, get in here.”
    She almost wished she’d stayed out the whole day. She was in no mood for Eddie’s blustering. Something about her face must have made that clear. She’d gotten only as far as his door when he said, “Good God, what is it? I give ya the morning off, and ya come in looking like ya haven’t slept.”
    “Not to be rude, but that’s a perfect description of you.”
    “Touché, Ms. Wallis. Touché.” He shook his head and his eye bags jiggled. They looked to be developing cellulite. “Sit down, why don’t ya? Now tell me what’s wrong.”
    “It’s nothing. I mean, it’s nothing to do with the case. I just… you know, a female thing.”
    It was all she could do to suppress a giggle when, on cue, Eddie’s color deepened. She didn’t know all that much about white men, but one thing she knew well— any mention of menstruation, no matter how oblique, and they were on the next train out of town. She truly treasured this about them; it afforded her the one foolproof form of manipulation she had. She wished she could remember to use it more often.
    She shrugged, as if in apology. “Sorry. You asked.”
    “Hey, I got a wife and daughter. Hell, Eileen too. Misses three days every month. You gonna do that?”
    She even loved the way they got defensive about it. “Uh-uh. I’m going to give you worse things to worry about.”
    “I got a little taste of that first thing this morning. Client called and fired us.”
    Nice segué,
she thought.
Just when we were playing so nicely.
“I’m not surprised,” she said. “I got the feeling she’s rethought the whole situation.”
    “How so?”
    “I don’t think she really wants to find the guy. I think she’s thrown money at it and assuaged her conscience. End of story.”
    “That sounds a little self-servin’, don’t ya think?”
    Alarm bells went off. “I don’t understand.”
    “She complained about ya, Ms. Wallis. Said you’re unprofessional, and she’s hiring another detective.”
    “I see. And what was the nature of her complaint?”
    “I think you know.”
    Frantically, Talba flipped back through her encounters with the Scotts. Nothing came up. “I’m not getting anything. I wonder if it had something to do with what happened at the Bergerons’.”
    “Said ya made the kid cry.”
    “Oh. She didn’t cry while I was there. She was damn surly, though.”
    “Did ya reprimand her?”
    “That’s not my place.”
    “Did ya cuss her?”
    She was outraged. “No! Did Aziza Scott say I did?”
    He chuckled. “Take it