Misplaced (27 page)

“Ne
v
er mind the lecture, just tell me how much.”

“T
w
ent
y
thousan
d
dollars,
”
h
e
replied
,
a
s
calml
y
a
s
i
f
he
w
as ordering
lunch, “for
e
v
erything
your
friend’s gonna
need. It ain’t open for discussion, neither.”

No
wonder
he
ne
v
er
had
trouble
finding a
law
y
er!
T
w
enty thousand dollars put a new spin on things she
’
d done to help
ou
t
a
client
.
Usuall
y
sh
e
coul
d
consol
e
hersel
f
wit
h
th
e
ide
a
that
the
end
justified
the
means,
but
this
w
as
a
deliberately
criminal act, and she found herself
w
a
v
ering.

“Hey!
”
Murga
t
snapped
,
startlin
g
he
r
fro
m
he
r
thoughts,
“
I
don’
t
ha
v
e
al
l
day
.
Whe
n
you
’
r
e
serious
,
cal
l
me
.
And
remember
,
I’
m
doin
’
thi
s
fo
r
th
e
money
,
missy
;
I
stil
l
don’
t
trust
yo
u
wort
h a
damn
.
Thi
s
transactio
n
put
s
ou
r
relationshi
p
in
something
of
a
different light
now,
doesn’t
it?
Y
ou
remember that. Someday I might need something from you.”

“T
w
ent
y
thousan
d
dollar
s
i
s
considerabl
y
mor
e
tha
n
your
norma
l
askin
g
price
.
M
y
client’
s
goin
g
t
o
nee
d
a
fe
w
day
s
t
o
get
the money together. Once that happens, I
’
ll be in touch.”

“Y
ou’
v
e got a
w
eek, not a minute longer.” His e
y
es mo
v
ed up
and
down
her
body
and
settled
on
her
face.
“I’m
still
trying to figure
you out. Why me?”

“Y
our work is matchless,”
V
ictoria explained, pushing past
hi
m
t
o
ge
t
outside
,
“an
d
I’
v
e
see
n
yo
u
handl
e
yoursel
f
i
n a
courtroom—tha
t
shtic
k
abou
t
ho
w
you
r
artist’
s
sou
l
ca
n
only
b
e
expresse
d
throug
h
th
e
creatio
n
o
f
meticulou
s
credentials.
”
She rolled her e
y
es.

H
e
le
t
ou
t
a
noxiou
s
breat
h
bu
t
sai
d
nothing
.
V
ictori
a
hoped
that her flattery
had worked.

A
t
that
moment,
a
dented
black
car
half-co
v
ered
in
primer,
creake
d
aroun
d
th
e
corne
r
an
d
stopped
.
W
ithou
t
anothe
r
word,
he jumped in.

He
r
breat
h
o
f
relie
f
turne
d
t
o
drea
d
a
s
th
e
car
,
whic
h
ha
d
been driving a
w
ay, backed up. Murgat opened his door.
“How
’
d you get my number, any
w
ay?”

She looked him in the e
y
e without ans
w
ering.

“Seem
s
I’
m
no
t
th
e
onl
y
on
e
who’
s
goo
d
a
t
wha
t
I
do.
”
Murgat
dro
v
e
a
w
ay,
but
not
before
she
noticed
the
ackno
w
ledgment
of
professionalis
m
tha
t
crosse
d
hi
s
face.

Still
hungry,
V
ictoria
returned
to
her
office,
pleased
to
ha
v
e
avoided
a
near
disaster
with
Murgat.
E
v
en
better,
his
w
as
the
kin
d
o
f
discretio
n
sh
e
coul
d
coun
t
on
.
Despit
e
Gracie’
s
w
arning,
there
would
be
no
funeral
any
time
soon.
But
her
gratification
w
a
s
short-li
v
ed—obliterate
d
b
y
th
e
though
t
o
f
t
w
enty-thousan
d
dollars.

Lat
e
tha
t
afternoon
,
sh
e
twirle
d
th
e
b
racelet
s
acros
s
the
desktop;
they
w
ere
all
that
remained
of
Khara’s
extraordinary
life.
V
ictoria
had
checked
her
bank
balances
twice,
hoping
that
somethin
g
ha
d
magicall
y
changed
.
Sh
e
coul
d
sel
l
he
r
ca
r
fo
r
les
s
than
she
o
w
ed
on
it
or,
if
she
w
as
lucky,
take
another
loan
out
o
n
he
r
business
,
whic
h
didn’
t
al
w
ay
s
bil
l
enoug
h
t
o
co
v
e
r
costs
.
A
coupl
e
o
f
payroll
s
w
er
e
alread
y
t
o
blam
e
fo
r
th
e
loft
y
balances
o
n
he
r
credi
t
cards
.
Fac
e
it
;
you
’
r
e
tappe
d
out
,
sh
e
though
t
glumly.
A
s
sh
e
ofte
n
di
d
whe
n
sh
e
neede
d
a
distraction
,
V
ictori
a
left
early to stop at the museum.