“This is your memo?”
“Well, the memo is the first three pages. The rest is my presentation.”
He threw the pile of papers onto the table in front of him. “Lawyers and their damn paperwork,” he said with disgust.
She joined him at the podium. “Cops who fly by the seat of their pants,” she said and rolled her eyes.
When the laughter died down, they began the real presentation, focusing on how to make the relationship between the two halves of the criminal justice system more productive. They were a hit, mostly because they talked about what worked well and emphasized how to effect change in their own organizations. And the introduction making light of the stereotypes of each of their professions had entertained everyone.
At the end of the session, after an extended round of applause, they were about to leave when a woman approached and put her arms out to Margo for a hug.
“Margo Keyes! Who knew you were such a good actress?”
Margo returned the gesture. “Beth Dahl. I thought that was you in the back of the room. It’s been ages.” She started to introduce her co-presenter, but was interrupted.
“Hey, Beth,” Tony said. “How do you two know each other?”
“Law school,” the two women said at once.
“And how do you know each other?” Margo asked.
“DA’s office,” Tony and Beth said in unison.
Tony looked across the room. “You two have a mini-Berkeley reunion . I see someone I want to say hi to before I leave. Walk you back to your hotel, Margo?”
“Sure. Just give me five minutes.” She watched him walk across the room then turned her attention back to her classmate. “How long have you been in the DA’s office here?”
“Two years. Been a great experience for a kid from Kansas.”
“I imagine.” She looked over Beth’s shoulder at Tony, deep in conversation with two uniformed police officers. “Have you heard from anyone … ?”
Beth interrupted. “Margo, do you know about the Blue Flu?”
Surprised at the change of topic, Margo looked quizzically at her classmate. “You mean cops calling in sick when they want to protest?”
“We have another disease here. The Alessandro Virus. It infects women exposed to Tony. It’s practically epidemic. Or is it endemic? Pandemic? Whatever, it looks like you have a bad case of it.”
Margo protested, “We’re just old friends.”
“Not from what I’m seeing. You look at him like he’s some chocolate dessert and you haven’t had sweets since the beginning of Lent.”
“Really, just long-time friends. Honestly.” Margo wondered if her nose was growing.
“Do long-time friends have insights into why a straight, gorgeous, smart cop who has no problems working with women doesn’t ever get personally involved with one?”
“Maybe Nicole burned him worse than I heard.” She hastened to explain. “She’s the ex-fiancée who left him for another guy.”