The Green Line by E. C. Diskin Read Free Book Online Page B

escort.”
    “Yes, but of course I’ll feel like a criminal,” she added lightly, envisioning herself getting into the back of a police car in front of her office.
    “Well, Ms. Donovan, there has been a crime. We need your cooperation.”
    “Of course.”
    “Why don’t I come to your office tomorrow at noon and bring you in? I’ll give you a lift back to the office afterward.”
    “Okay, that would be great.” She wondered if that was standard procedure.
    After lunch, Abby stared at the Dalcon Laboratories interrogatories for about two hours. She read the inquiries, drafted responses, stared at the computer screen, lost her thought, and tried again. It happened over and over. She decided to put it off and turn to her correspondence. The same thing kept happening. Her mind was wandering. She couldn’t get Ali and his new problems out of her head. She dialed David at work twice, but hung up both times.
    ABBY was staring out the window when Sarah popped her head into Abby’s office.
    “Hey, you ready?” Her lips were a fresh coat of dark purple that matched the burgundy knit sweater clinging to her shape. She looked ready for a night on the town.
    “For what?”
    “Where is your head these days, girlfriend? We’ve got the associates’ dinner tonight.”
    “Oh yes, of course. Is it time to go?”
    “Yeah, let’s just freshen you up for the brown-nose fest.”
    Abby laughed. She always looked like she’d been rolling around on the ground by the end of the work day. She habitually played with her hair and rubbed her eyes while researching, ruining her make-up. Her hair was now in a loose bun, held up by a pencil.
    “Okay.” She grabbed her purse and pulled a small mirror out of the drawer. “Oh, jeez, look at me!”
    Sarah came around behind her like a hairdresser and pulled the pencil from her hair, allowing it to fall to her shoulders. “Relax. Just brush those gorgeous auburn locks of yours and here, have some lipstick.” She offered her burgundy color.
    “Uh, not so much,” Abby laughed, pushing it away.
    “Okay, so maybe it doesn’t go with your hair. Here,” she pulled another from her bag, “a beautiful nude for the natural beauty.”
    It was perfect. “Thanks.”
    “I heard Peter say he’d be coming.”
    “Ugh. Whatever happened to ‘associates only’?” Abby dreaded seeing him. If she ignored him, it would probably be bad, and if she tried to make conversation, it would be terrible.
    “Who the hell knows? I’ve seen at least three partners today who plan to attend. The Neils will be tripping over themselves. We should bring a wet nap for their shit-laden noses.”
    Abby laughed. They had made Neil a description of all the up-and-coming, hundred-hour-billing, born-to-schmooze go-getters. “Well, if nothing else, free cocktails and a three course meal,” Abby offered as she turned off her computer and grabbed her coat.
    Sarah did a final lipstick check. “Damn straight. I’m ready for some good vodka. What do you think, cosmos?”
    “No, ma’am.” Abby stuck to white wine and wouldn’t dream of having more than a couple of drinks for fear of letting loose in front of the wrong people. Sarah did not share her burden and always relished getting tipsy and telling people what she really thought—about Republicans, religion, the firm, lawyers. It was entertaining to watch.
    They took a cab to Bistro Margot on Wells, where they were ushered upstairs for cocktails. Abby scanned the room for anyone with whom she’d care to catch up. There had once been several associates Abby would have considered friends. When they joined the firm after law school, it was like a group of pledges, all green, starting out together. But as the years had passed, most of her class had left, either for other firms, career changes, or family issues. She and about four others from her class remained. They each worked eighty- to one hundred-hour weeks and, other than the chit-chat at dinner in the