from the spawn of two lawyers? And what did you do today, dear?â
âAmong many other duties, I filed Murrayâs suit first thing this morning. The Bloom thing.â
âBloom? I thought the Mayor and the health department were the defendants.â
âLegally, yes. But Bloom is behind it all. Which I will demonstrate. And find out why. Speaking of which, do you remember Phil DeLino?â
âVaguely,â said Marlene. âHe worked for you when you had Criminal Courts. He didnât stay long, did he?â
âNo, he was one of those guys who zip through to punch their ticket. But a good guy. A great deal maker. Even if he had a losing hand, heâd tough it out with the defendant. And heâd go to trial too; he had the balls for it. I was sorry to lose him. Anyway, he called me late today. Heâs a special assistant in the Mayorâs office.â
âYeah? What did he want?â
âTo talk about the suit. Off the record. The Mayor apparently is not pleased. Iâm seeing him tomorrow.â
Marlene got up and started clearing dishes. âSpeaking of former acquaintances, I spent the morning with Carrie Lanin. Did you ever meet her?â
âShe was in that play group, right? Madeleine?â
âMiranda. She was spooked. It seems somebody she went to high school with is stalking her.â She filled Karp in on Laninâs story while she washed and he dried.
âYou think the guy could be dangerous?â asked Karp as he tossed chop bones to Sweety, who crunched them up like Fritos.
âThatâs what Iâm going to try and find out. I got Harry in on it.â
Karp paused in his wiping as a familiar and unpleasant thought sprang into his consciousness. âUh, Marlene, this isnât going to, um, get you into trouble, is it?â
âItâs too early to tell. And what if it is? You know Iââ She stopped talking and grimaced as a spasm of nausea passed.
âWhatâs the matter? Still feeling sick?â
Marlene groaned. âYes. They call it morning sickness for a good reason. Itâs not supposed to last all fucking day.â
âMaybe itâs different when youâre carrying a first-round NBA draft choice in your womb. Extra male hormones⦠?â
Marlene giggled in spite of herself. âYouâre going to be pissed off if itâs a short, neurasthenic poet.â
âThat wonât happen if you do your part, Marlene. You have nine months. Think tall, think moves, think hands.â
He dropped the dishcloth and moved around behind her, embracing her from in back. She leaned back against him comfortably and said, âMaybe I should consume old sweat socks and jockstraps too, diced.â
âIf you think it will help,â said Karp lovingly into her ear.
FOUR
Phil DeLino was a big, open-faced man with dark, humorous eyes. He wore a nice gray double-breasted three-piece suit that was working hard to cover the weight he had put on since he played tight end for Fordham. His greeting to Karp in his office was warm and seemed sincere.
The small office in City Hall was suitably elegant. It had a window, the appointments were made of wood or leather, and there was a genuine oil painting of a minor nineteenth-century civic luminary on the wall, looking smug and well grafted. Seated, they passed the time in obligatory catching up and discussing the prospects of the various New York teams.
When this pleasant diversion had gone on for ten minutes or so, there was a pause, and DeLino picked up a blue-bound legal notice from his desk and tapped it a few times. âThis thing here, Butch. This is a problem.â
âYes. You mentioned that the Mayor was not pleased.â
âYou could say that. He called Josh Gottkind as soon as he found out, and I think they had to replace the phone wires; they were fried. Our corporation counsel is not in favor this fine day.â
âYou mean