Free Falsely Accused by Robert Tanenbaum

from the spawn of two lawyers? And what did you do today, dear?”
    â€œAmong many other duties, I filed Murray’s suit first thing this morning. The Bloom thing.”
    â€œBloom? I thought the Mayor and the health department were the defendants.”
    â€œLegally, yes. But Bloom is behind it all. Which I will demonstrate. And find out why. Speaking of which, do you remember Phil DeLino?”
    â€œVaguely,” said Marlene. “He worked for you when you had Criminal Courts. He didn’t stay long, did he?”
    â€œNo, 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, he’d tough it out with the defendant. And he’d go to trial too; he had the balls for it. I was sorry to lose him. Anyway, he called me late today. He’s a special assistant in the Mayor’s office.”
    â€œYeah? What did he want?”
    â€œTo talk about the suit. Off the record. The Mayor apparently is not pleased. I’m seeing him tomorrow.”
    Marlene got up and started clearing dishes. “Speaking of former acquaintances, I spent the morning with Carrie Lanin. Did you ever meet her?”
    â€œShe was in that play group, right? Madeleine?”
    â€œMiranda. She was spooked. It seems somebody she went to high school with is stalking her.” She filled Karp in on Lanin’s story while she washed and he dried.
    â€œYou think the guy could be dangerous?” asked Karp as he tossed chop bones to Sweety, who crunched them up like Fritos.
    â€œThat’s what I’m going to try and find out. I got Harry in on it.”
    Karp paused in his wiping as a familiar and unpleasant thought sprang into his consciousness. “Uh, Marlene, this isn’t going to, um, get you into trouble, is it?”
    â€œIt’s too early to tell. And what if it is? You know I—” She stopped talking and grimaced as a spasm of nausea passed.
    â€œWhat’s the matter? Still feeling sick?”
    Marlene groaned. “Yes. They call it morning sickness for a good reason. It’s not supposed to last all fucking day.”
    â€œMaybe it’s different when you’re carrying a first-round NBA draft choice in your womb. Extra male hormones… ?”
    Marlene giggled in spite of herself. “You’re going to be pissed off if it’s a short, neurasthenic poet.”
    â€œThat won’t happen if you do your part, Marlene. You have nine months. Think tall, think moves, think hands.”
    He dropped the dishcloth and moved around behind her, embracing her from in back. She leaned back against him comfortably and said, “Maybe I should consume old sweat socks and jockstraps too, diced.”
    â€œIf you think it will help,” 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. “This thing here, Butch. This is a problem.”
    â€œYes. You mentioned that the Mayor was not pleased.”
    â€œYou 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€œYou mean