Page 46 of Lion & Lamb

LAMB: Just enjoy your snack. I’ll be right out. (A chair creaks. Lupe growls again. The chair creaks again.)

WALSH: (Shouting) Chuck! That asshole private eye is here!

LAMB: Thank you for announcing me.

Transcript of conversation between Cooper Lamb and Charles Castrina, Esq.

CHARLES CASTRINA: What, no cannoli for me? I gotta say, Lamb, you bribed the wrong guy. I don’t even know that guy’s name.

COOPER LAMB: Lucky you. Listen, Chuck, I’ll bring you a whole box of goodies from Termini Brothers if you’ll be straight with me.

CASTRINA: You know I can’t do that, but hey, thanks for stopping in.

LAMB: Fine. I’ll show you all my cards. I’m working for Francine. So are you, apparently.

CASTRINA: See, let me stop and correct you right there. I amnotworking for Ms. Pearl.

LAMB: Interesting omission of her married name. Anyway, I hear you, Counselor. There’s no need for a divorce lawyer when your spouse is dead. Thing is, Chuck, this isexactlywhy Francine needs our help.

CASTRINA: Oh, it’sourhelp now? Are we teaming up? Do continue.

LAMB: They’re trying to railroad Francine and I need to know why.

CASTRINA: I’d love to know too. She’s a goddamn national treasure and I can’t believe anyone would have the nerve to mess with her.

LAMB: So help me out.

CASTRINA: Can’t do it, partner. You call it helping Francine; I call it betraying a client’s sacred trust, and if she wanted me to break that trust, I’m sure she or one of the overpriced attorneys at Kaplan, DePaulo would let me know. As of right now, they haven’t, so I think we’re through here.

LAMB: I’m going to give you round one, Counselor. But that just makes me hungrier. I’m going to find outeverythingyou know. And some things you wish you knew.

CASTRINA: How are you going to do that? Looks like you’re out of cannoli.

Chapter44

4:32 p.m.

FRANCINE PEARLHughes’s arrest early that morning had been met with shock all over Philadelphia; her release from jail after arranging for bail felt like a party.

There were a smattering of protesters, of course, obsessed Birds fans bundled up in Eagles sweatshirts waving posters of outrage. These were the rare Philadelphians who embraced Archie Hughes as the greatest player of all time and yet hated his wife because they blamed her for every time the Eagles stumbled.Ah, he’s distracted by his pop-star trophy wife. Or:She should mind her own business and not distract him so much.

And now the latest variation:Oh yeah, she was jealous of the team’s success so she totally had him killed.

But those “fans” were in the clear minority. Most of the people gathered outside were there to cheer on Francine. And maybe to be part of a historic moment in the city.

The only person neither protesting nor cheering was Cooper Lamb.

Somehow Francine sensed his presence in the crowd. Maybe it was because he was the only human being standing perfectly still. Once they locked eyes, Cooper began to clap. Slowly. Theatrically. As if to say:If you had told me the truth, and all of the truth, you might not be in this position right now.

He watched Francine carefully, and her reaction sort of stunned him.

Francine Pearl had spent most of her life in the public eye. She knew how to smile even when she felt like dying inside. And to be sure, she smiled at Cooper.

But it was only a half smile. A weary admission that it was hard to keep a positive outlook when your entire world was burning down.

Was it possible she’d loved her husband despite it all?

Chapter45

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