Three Fates

room.
    “Good afternoon, Morningside residence.”
    “This is Ms. Gaye. Haven’t I told you Stipes or Fitzhugh is to answer the telephone?”
    “Yes, Ms. Gaye. I’m sorry, Ms. Gaye. But both Mr. Stipes and Mrs. Fitzhugh are with the police.”
    “What do you mean, with the police?”
    “The police are here, ma’am. They brought a search warrant.”
    “Have you lost your mind?”
    “Yes, ma’am. No, ma’am. I heard them say something about an insurance claim, and some items from Morningside.” The excitement in the girl’s voice was palpable. Anita couldn’t know the internal war being waged between admitting to listening at the door and risking being fired, or passing on the information.
    “What are they doing? Where are they?”
    “In the library, ma’am. They went into your safe and they found things. Things that were supposed to be stolen from the store.”
    “That’s ridiculous. That’s impossible. That’s . . .” And the pieces began to fall, to shuffle into place. “The son of a bitch. The son of a bitch!” She tossed the phone aside and, with trembling fingers, unlocked the briefcase.
    Inside were three puppets. Even through the haze of fury, she recognized Moe, Larry and Curly.
     
     
    “SHE WON’T APPRECIATE the full irony of the Three Stooges.”
    Gideon reached over and stole the slice of pizza out of Cleo’s hand. “It’s a pie in the face. That point’s clear enough, even to her.”
    “I never understood the humor. I’m sorry,” Tia said when all three men stared at her. “All that eye-poking and head bashing.”
    “It’s a guy thing,” Jack told her. “They should have her downtown by now,” he added, checking his watch. “Her lawyers can dance till they drop, but they’re not going to tap their way around the insurance fraud.”
    “And Mikey?”
    Jack looked back at Cleo. “Jasper gave them chapter and verse. The courts may look dubiously on a guy with his sheet, but the phone records will back up the connection. Start welding those links together, you’ve got a hell of a chain to wrap around her neck. She’s accessory before and after the fact. She’ll pay for Mikey. She’ll pay for it all.”
    “Thinking of her in that really ugly orange jumpsuit—nasty color with her hair—brightens my day.” Cleo lifted her beer. “Here’s to us.”
    “It was a hell of a party.” Gideon rose, rolled his shoulders. “I’ve got to go out.”
    “Where are we going?”
    “You’re not invited.” He leaned down to tap Cleo’s nose. “I’m taking Mal and Ma so I can have both male and female advice on a proper ring.”
    “You’re getting me a ring? Aw, you traditional sap.” She leaped to her feet to kiss him. “Then I’m going, too. I should pick it out since I’m the one who’s going to wear it.”
    “You’re not going, and I’m picking it out, as I’m the one giving it to you.”
    “That’s pretty strict, but I think I can live with it.”
    “We’ll walk down with you.” Jack took Rebecca’s hand. “We’ll head downtown, see what we can wheedle out of Bob on the status. He might be able to resist me, but he won’t be able to resist Irish face-to-face.”
    “A fine idea.” Rebecca snagged her jacket. “When we’re done, we’ll make reservations at some hideously expensive restaurant. We’ll have the mother of all celebration dinners. We’ll just help Tia clean this mess up.”
    “No, that’s all right. I’d rather know what’s going on quicker. And I want to see Cleo’s ring.”
    “Me, too.” Cleo stretched on the sofa. “Enough that I’ll help clean up. Don’t be afraid to go for gaudy,” she told Gideon. “I can live with it.”
    When she was alone with Tia, Cleo rolled over on her stomach, crossed her legs in the air. “Sit down a minute. Those pizza boxes aren’t in a hurry.”
    “If I keep busy it won’t seem like so long before everyone’s back. You know, I’ve eaten more pizza in the past month than I have in my whole life.”
    “Stick with me and you’ll discover all the joys of fast food.”
    “I never thought I’d enjoy having crowds of people in my apartment. But I do. It never seems quite right when they’re not around.”
    “I was just wondering if you and Mal were going to go for it, too.”
    “Go for what?” She looked at the Three Fates, even now standing among empty bottles and pizza boxes. “We’ve already gone for it, haven’t we?”
    “No, I mean, you know, ‘till death do us