Shallow Graves

partnership.“
    “The rest of you voted him out.“
    Dani’s lips did another dance. “The rest of them. I didn’t have anything to do with it.“
    “They voted you in but him out?“
    “Law is a business, Mr. Cuddy. Charlie was... is a competent technician, but not a rain-maker. He brought it on himself, never developing any portables he could—“
    “Portables?“
    “Clients he could take with him to another firm. If you develop clients who come to think of you as their ‘real’ attorney, they’ll follow you to a new firm. Since those clients would follow you, your current firm would never let you go, would want you to stay, leveraging associates and paralegals on your matters to maintain a given level of billings.“
    “And Charlie didn’t do that?“
    “No.“
    “And you did.“
    “To the extent currendy expected of me.“
    “Like through your brother’s mall development company.“
    “Among others.“
    “But his as the first among equals?“
    Dani’s lips tightened. “I don’t suppose that’s really any of your business, is it?“
    I decided to take a different tack, hopefully without sinking Rita Knox. “Tell me, Mr. Dani, did Mau Tim call you the week she died?“
    The lips seemed almost to fold inward, a man not wearing his false teeth. “About what?“
    “About your making partner here.“
    “No.“
    “How come?“
    “Because I called her.“
    “You did.“
    “Yes.“
    “From where?“
    Dani’s lips danced a third time. A lot of people don’t know that the telephone company keeps track of all local calls, but I was willing to bet that Vincent Dani did.
    He said, “I’m not sure.“
    “Not sure where you were when you called your niece about making partner here?“
    “That’s correct.“
    “Okay. When did you call her?“
    “I don’t recall the exact day.“
    “Was it the same day you were voted the partnership?“
    Something inside Dani seemed to stop for a moment, a robot who’d just had his power switched off by remote control.
    Then he said, “I believe I’ve given you all the time I can spare today.“ He pushed a button on the telephone complex and spoke toward it. “Rita, could you show Mr. Cuddy back to the elevators?“

- 21 -

    I’ve had some rough experiences with veterinary hospitals over the years. This one was sparkling clean and very busy. Two women in yellow smocks careened around behind a large reception counter, the benches in the reception area arranged obliquely, presumably to minimize the warfare between pets of different species and temperaments. The area was full, a lot of yelping and mewling and chirping in the air as I spoke to the closest woman behind the counter.
    She said, “What?“
    “I’m here to pick up a cat.“
    The woman moved to a flattened card file. “What name?“
    She sounded like the impatient voice on the telephone. I said, “The owner’s name is Meagher, Nancy.“
    “No. I need the cat’s name.“
    “Oh. Meagher, Renfield NMI.“
    “NMI?“
    “No Middle Initial.“
    I got a look like somebody put vinegar in the ice cream.
    “Here he is. Just a minute.“ The woman picked up a phone and hit two numbers. “Donny? Julie. I need cage number seventy-three, cat, gray tiger... Yes, in a carry-box... Right.“
    Julie put down the phone and slapped a carboned invoice on top of the counter. “The total’s at the bottom.“
    I looked at the bottom and said, “God in heaven.“
    The woman said, “What’s the matter?“
    “The amount of the bill.“
    “The cat had bilateral knee displacements.“
    “But this is more than the Bears spent on Gale Sayers.“
    When she said, “Who?,“ I said never mind and took out my checkbook.
    Julie had just given me the pink copy of the invoice when a scuzzy-looking kid I took to be Donny appeared from behind a door. He was carrying a cardboard container that resembled a Dunkin’ Donuts Munchkins box magnified five times. There were airholes an inch in diameter on the short ends of the box, and one clawless gray forepaw coming through one of the airholes, trying to bend it back.
    I said, “That’s him, all right.“
    At the sound of my voice, Renfield cried a little from inside the container. I began to think that my picking him up might not have been such a hot idea.
    Donny reached behind the reception counter and handed me a little plastic lampshade and a strip of gauze bandage.
    “What’s this for?“
    The kid said, “When you get home, you put it over the cat’s