“That’s right, tomorrow afternoon. After two. Look, buddy, the part just got here, and the boy’s only got two hands.” She rolled sharp green eyes—the same shade as her son’s—at Parker while she chugged from a bottle of Dr Pepper. “Do you want it fast or do you want it right? He told you it’d take a day once the part showed up. I heard him myself. Maybe you oughta buy American. If it’s ready sooner, I’ll call you. Best I can do. Yeah, you have a real good day. Dickhead,” she added when she’d hung up.

“Everybody thinks the world revolves around them,” she said to Parker. “Everybody’s the center of the freaking universe.”

Then she sighed, then she smiled—a singularly sweet smile. “You look real fresh and pretty.”

“Thank you. I’m meeting a client.”

“I got your bill right here. Got it together and printed it out after you called. I’m getting the hang of this damn computer.”

Parker remembered their first meeting and Mrs. Kavanaugh’s frustration. “They do save time once you figure out the program.”

“Well, it’s only taking me half again as long as it would to just write it out rather than three times that like it used to. Here you go.”

“Great.” Parker stepped up to look it over.

“I knew your ma a little.”

“Oh?”

“You got the look of her some, now that I put it together. She was a real lady. The kind that doesn’t have to act snooty to be one.”

“She’d have appreciated that exact description.” Satisfied with the bill, Parker took out her credit card. “I think you know Maureen Grady, too. She’s run the house, and us, as long as I remember.”

“Yeah, I know her some. I guess if you’re around Greenwich long enough, you know most everybody. My boy plays poker with your brother.”

“He does,” Parker agreed, and signed the credit slip. “In fact, Del dropped me off. He said to tell Malcolm he’d see him on poker night.”There, she thought, duty discharged.

“You can tell him yourself,” she said as Malcolm walked in from the side garage door, wiping his hands on a red bandanna.

“Ma, I need you to ...” He paused, slowly smiled. “Hey. Nice.”

“Ms. Brown here’s just picking up her car.” His mother took the keys, and to Parker’s dismay tossed them to Malcolm, who caught them one-handed. “Walk her on out there.”

“It’s not necessary. I just—”

“Part of the service.” Mal walked to the front door of the office, held it open.

“Thanks, Mrs. Kavanaugh. It was nice to see you again.”

“Come back anytime.”

“Really,” Parker began once they were outside, “I’m in kind of a hurry, so—”

“Got a date?”

“A meeting.”

“Shame to waste that dress on business, but we’ll get you there.”