and started upstairs.
Haggerty watched her body move. Special creature, he decided. A genuine stunner but didn ’ t seem conceited. He tugged at his coat, doing what he could with the wrinkles, then headed toward the large office at the end of the hall.
The placid man was gone. The Ike Lorber waiting inside looked physically like the earlier version. But whereas the former occupant was quiet, reasoned, calm, this one now jumped around, talked nervously, as if there were dashes around everything.
“ —Frank—Frank, Christ, good to see you, how ’ s Frank Jr? ”
“ —fine sir. Lives out west now, Washington, good job with Boeing, doing well… ” Haggerty stopped then when he realized the doctor wasn ’ t paying the least attention. Ike walked around his desk, sometimes pausing briefly at the window, staring out at the small garden in the rear.
“ —You met Karen?- ”
“ Yes. Lovely. ”
“ —the inside is better than the outside, believe me—gonna make a great analyst—genuine feel for people—brilliant insights —popular at Bryn Mawr—not just a bookworm—adjusted, considerate, I ’ m crazy about her- ”
“ She sounds wonderful. ”
Now Ike Lorber whirled, stared at Haggerty. “ —she ’ s a twin, Frank—she ’ s got a twin brother—and it ’ s him, it ’ s my son that ’ s killing me— ”
“ Drugs? ”
“ —if only it was— ” He stopped abruptly, sat heavily into his desk chair. “ —Can you believe that?—a father saying such a thing about a son?—about a beloved son?—terrible—terrible— ”
“ What ’ s the boy done? ”
“ —what has Eric done?—you catch their names?—Karen is Karen Homey Lorber, Eric ’ s middle name is Fromm—great figures in our field—Frank, from the start this whole Foundation was theirs—God gave us these incredible children, these glories, these fraternal twins were handed down from on high—well adjusted, kind—I stress that because it ain ’ t easy having shrinks for parents, most of our shrink friends, their kids are more fucked up than their patients—but as g o od as Karen ’ s doing at Bryn Mawr, Eric ’ s that way at Swarthmore—they ’ ll be seniors next year and already med schools want them — ”
“ But he ’ s changed his mind. ”
“ —right—he told me—yesterday—man to man—I didn ’ t sleep —how could a man sleep?—his mother will die—I ’ m calm in comparison— ”
“ What does he want to be? ”
Ike Lorber shook and shook his head. “ A gumshoe, ” he said finally. “ A shoulder tapper. My glorious son has decided to be a policeman. ”
Haggerty thought it best to say nothing.
The doctor sat back in his chair, sighing.
“ A passing fancy, ” Haggerty said.
“ Eric doesn ’ t have such things. He ruminates at length before decisions. ” He looked at Haggerty now. “ Will you talk to the boy? ”
“ Of course. ”
“ Explain things to him—explain what a horrible mistake it would be— ”
“ —but I love the life—I wouldn ’ t be anything else— ”
“ —Frank—Frank Jesus—do I have to tell you the way I feel about the police? How many hundreds of hours do I donate each year? But this is a special kid. ”
“ If he can be a great doctor, that ’ s what he must be, ” Haggerty said. “ I saw what you did for my son. ”
“ Then you ’ ll help me. ”
“ Just tell me how. ”
“ I ’ ve thought exactly how—some night when it ’ s convenient, I want you to meet Eric, talk to him honestly, take him around with you, show him the reality. ”
“ Done. ”
“ Plus one more thing. ”
“ Name it. ”
“ I want you to scare the shit out of him … ”
***
“ Will we really see a crime? ” Eric asked.
Haggerty slowly piloted his car along Broadway; he saw a place up on 138th Street, so he pulled in to park. It was the first Saturday in July, three in the morning, steaming hot, and from a rooftop up ahead some guy
Haggerty watched her body move. Special creature, he decided. A genuine stunner but didn ’ t seem conceited. He tugged at his coat, doing what he could with the wrinkles, then headed toward the large office at the end of the hall.
The placid man was gone. The Ike Lorber waiting inside looked physically like the earlier version. But whereas the former occupant was quiet, reasoned, calm, this one now jumped around, talked nervously, as if there were dashes around everything.
“ —Frank—Frank, Christ, good to see you, how ’ s Frank Jr? ”
“ —fine sir. Lives out west now, Washington, good job with Boeing, doing well… ” Haggerty stopped then when he realized the doctor wasn ’ t paying the least attention. Ike walked around his desk, sometimes pausing briefly at the window, staring out at the small garden in the rear.
“ —You met Karen?- ”
“ Yes. Lovely. ”
“ —the inside is better than the outside, believe me—gonna make a great analyst—genuine feel for people—brilliant insights —popular at Bryn Mawr—not just a bookworm—adjusted, considerate, I ’ m crazy about her- ”
“ She sounds wonderful. ”
Now Ike Lorber whirled, stared at Haggerty. “ —she ’ s a twin, Frank—she ’ s got a twin brother—and it ’ s him, it ’ s my son that ’ s killing me— ”
“ Drugs? ”
“ —if only it was— ” He stopped abruptly, sat heavily into his desk chair. “ —Can you believe that?—a father saying such a thing about a son?—about a beloved son?—terrible—terrible— ”
“ What ’ s the boy done? ”
“ —what has Eric done?—you catch their names?—Karen is Karen Homey Lorber, Eric ’ s middle name is Fromm—great figures in our field—Frank, from the start this whole Foundation was theirs—God gave us these incredible children, these glories, these fraternal twins were handed down from on high—well adjusted, kind—I stress that because it ain ’ t easy having shrinks for parents, most of our shrink friends, their kids are more fucked up than their patients—but as g o od as Karen ’ s doing at Bryn Mawr, Eric ’ s that way at Swarthmore—they ’ ll be seniors next year and already med schools want them — ”
“ But he ’ s changed his mind. ”
“ —right—he told me—yesterday—man to man—I didn ’ t sleep —how could a man sleep?—his mother will die—I ’ m calm in comparison— ”
“ What does he want to be? ”
Ike Lorber shook and shook his head. “ A gumshoe, ” he said finally. “ A shoulder tapper. My glorious son has decided to be a policeman. ”
Haggerty thought it best to say nothing.
The doctor sat back in his chair, sighing.
“ A passing fancy, ” Haggerty said.
“ Eric doesn ’ t have such things. He ruminates at length before decisions. ” He looked at Haggerty now. “ Will you talk to the boy? ”
“ Of course. ”
“ Explain things to him—explain what a horrible mistake it would be— ”
“ —but I love the life—I wouldn ’ t be anything else— ”
“ —Frank—Frank Jesus—do I have to tell you the way I feel about the police? How many hundreds of hours do I donate each year? But this is a special kid. ”
“ If he can be a great doctor, that ’ s what he must be, ” Haggerty said. “ I saw what you did for my son. ”
“ Then you ’ ll help me. ”
“ Just tell me how. ”
“ I ’ ve thought exactly how—some night when it ’ s convenient, I want you to meet Eric, talk to him honestly, take him around with you, show him the reality. ”
“ Done. ”
“ Plus one more thing. ”
“ Name it. ”
“ I want you to scare the shit out of him … ”
***
“ Will we really see a crime? ” Eric asked.
Haggerty slowly piloted his car along Broadway; he saw a place up on 138th Street, so he pulled in to park. It was the first Saturday in July, three in the morning, steaming hot, and from a rooftop up ahead some guy
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