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connection you have with Howard Wordley. I’m Ms. Harris’s lawyer.”
    â€œTo what purpose?”
    â€œWhy do most people hire lawyers, Victor? To sue the living shit out of someone, right? Maybe that’s the purpose, maybe not. What business is it of yours?”
    Even his chuckle was arrogant. “Charley, the bitch is a hustler, a cheap lying hustler. You never used to represent hookers. How come?”
    â€œI represent this one, whatever she is. You called me, remember, what’s on your mind?”
    â€œI want the woman to drop the charges against my client.”
    â€œWho wouldn’t? Sexual criminal conduct or rape, it’s still something that doesn’t look too good on the old résuméd. Wordley damn near killed her, you know that? Nothing’s going to get dropped, Victor.”
    â€œAre you thinking about a civil action?”
    â€œMaybe. Why?”
    â€œShe’s lying and we can prove it, but rather than drag my client through that, we might come to an agreement.”
    â€œVictor, are you into obstruction of justice now? Everybody says that, but I never believed it. Shame, Victor, shame.”
    He laughed, but it had a nasty sound. “Look, Charley, we are two lawyers discussing ways to solve a legal problem. We aren’t buying her off. Nothing like that. This is strictly a legal matter, that’s all it is.”
    â€œAs far as I know, Victor, she isn’t interested in money.”
    He snorted. “Hey, she’s a woman, right? That’s all they’re interested in, when you cut away all the bullshit.”
    â€œHappily married, are you, Victor?”
    â€œEcstatic,” he snapped. “Look, I’m not trying to do anything illegal here. Discuss this with her. If she plans to sue, we may settle just to get rid of this thing.”
    â€œAnd the criminal charge?”
    â€œThere’d be no point in it, would there, not if she’s settled everything for money. Talk to her, Charley. If she’s reasonable we might be able to do something.”
    â€œDefine reasonable.”
    He snickered. It was an ugly sound. “Call me after you talk to her, Charley. Maybe we can work on a definition.”
    He hung up and all I had was the dial tone. No more music. I felt like I needed a bath.
    If she asked for money now it would be extortion, and Trembly knew that. It would be a perfect defense to both a criminal and civil action. I was insulted that he thought I was stupid enough to dance right into his obvious little net.
    I needed a drink.
    It was nice to have the AA meeting to go to.
    There, everybody needed a drink.

4
    On Monday, as promised, I picked Mickey Monk up in front of his office building. He eased his bulk into the front seat and looked around. “Jesus, Charley, this is nice but it isn’t exactly your old Rolls, is it?” I pulled out into the slow-moving traffic and headed for the expressway. “Like everything else, my not-so-old Rolls got sucked up. Booze and my exwives were the vacuum cleaners.”
    He grunted. “I got lucky with my first wife. She was humping the doctor she finally married. She wanted the divorce worse than I did. She didn’t ask for a cent. This one, the second Mrs. Monk, has the soul of a pirate. But that’s what keeps me married. If I gave her the chance for divorce she’d take everything but my balls and get a mortgage on them. Hey, you do know where we’re going, right?”
    â€œJust past Ann Arbor. You’re the one who gave me the directions.”
    â€œIt’s about an hour, depending on how fast you drive.” He sighed. “This is a treat for me. I can sit back and watch the scenery.”
    I could sniff the alcohol on his breath. Things were bottoming out for Mickey. People who needed a drink in the morning, to start the heart, or whatever excuse they used, were in serious trouble.
    I could speak from experience.
    For the first part