The phone rang before I could leave; I hovered in the doorway while Mary Louise answered. Her expression became wooden.

“Warshawski Investigations … No, this is Detective Neely. Ms. Warshawski is leaving for a meeting. I’ll see if she can take your call… . Speaking of the devil,” she added to me, her finger on the HOLD button.

I came back to the desk.

“Vic, I’m disappointed that you won’t take the job for me,” Alex said in lieu of a greeting. “I’d like you to think it over—for your sake as well as Lacey’s—before I take your no as final.”

“I’ve thought it over, Sandy—Alex, I mean. Thought it over, talked it over with my advisers. We all agree it’s not the right assignment for me. But I know the house detective at the Trianon; you can trust him to look after Lacey for you.”

“You talked to Lacey after I expressly asked you not to?” Her tone was as sharp as a slap in the face.

“You’re piquing me, Sandy. What would Lacey tell me that you’d rather I didn’t hear?”

“My name is Alex now. I wish you’d make an effort to remember. Teddy Trant really wants you to take this job. He asked me personally to offer it to you.”

So maybe Abigail was putting a finger in my pie. “I’m excited. I didn’t think the big guy knew I was on the planet. Unless BB Baladine told him?”

That made her huffy. “He knows about you because I recommended you. After Murray gave you a glowing buildup, I might add.”

“I’m grateful to both of you, but the answer is still no.”

“Then you’re making a big mistake. Think it—”

“That almost sounds like a threat, Sandy. Alex, that is.”

“Friendly advice. Although why I bother I don’t know. Think it over, think it better. I’ll leave the offer open until noon tomorrow.” She broke the connection with a snap.

“Murray can do better for himself than that” was Mary Louise’s only comment when I repeated the conversation before taking off.

My presentation went well; the lawyers gave me a small job with the prospect of bigger ones to follow. When I got back at four, Mary Louise had completed her calls and typed up a neat report for me to send over to Continental United in the morning. Altogether a more productive day than I’d had lately.

I finished my share of the report and went over to Lotty’s. We try to get together once a week, but tonight was our first chance for a relaxed conversation in over a month.