Substantial Justice by Daniel Ben-Horin

Author:Daniel Ben-Horin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rare Bird Books
Published: 2020-05-08T00:02:23+00:00

Chapter 17

New York, Tuesday, July 2, to Thursday, July 4

It seemed odd to Siobhan to seek counsel from someone ten years her junior, but Isabel possessed a huge supply of both savoir faire and sangfroid, qualities which Siobhan felt were sadly lacking in herself. She thought this was a function of Isabel growing up in the East Bronx and Siobhan in Kingman, Arizona. Isabel agreed that she was a much better judge of just about everything and did not hesitate to ladle out advice.

“Mel is not your problem,” she told Siobhan.

They were eating gyros from a pushcart vendor near their office. The gyro filling oozed from the opening at the top like a melting ice cream cone. Siobhan licked away the yogurt and tabouli, trying hard not to drip.

Isabel took big bites, magically balancing the gyro so the ooze stayed in the pita. “Spider is your problem,” Isabel said.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Siobhan said. “I like Spider. Could be love, even.”

“Exactly,” Isabel said. “And that’s your problem.”

When Siobhan looked blank, Isabel said in a voice suitable for a slow child, “You’ve got one more shot at the dream. Don’t blow it for some sensory stimulation.”

Siobhan had always assumed she would be a mother several times over, and a good one. Now, she was almost thirty-six and making money and could hardly fall asleep from the clamor of the ticking clock. Many women her age were in the same predicament. There was a certain bitterness toward men, or “worm boys” as they were derisively called, forever unable to commit.

“Spider,” Isabel said. “Adorable in a kind of hunky, spectral way, but dad material? Think about it.” Siobhan knew Isabel was upwardly mobile, and probably didn’t think lawyers should mate with mechanics, but she might have a point. What had that ten years off been all about anyway? She had visited him as a lark, then came the murder, and now they were heading down the track like a runaway freight train. It occurred to Siobhan that she might be responding less to Spider and more to her own sense of desperation.

The truly odd thing was that when she thought about it, he seemed like perfect dad material—competent, steadfast, slow to anger, funny, at ease with himself. Plus, he woke up in a good mood most of the time. “He’s got a lot of aplomb,” Siobhan said. “That’s a good dad trait, don’t you think?”

“Aplomb!” Isabel said. She made it sound like a disease. “Look, girlfriend,” she said. “You’re done with Mel, you’re clearing out some room, and you remember this nice hunky guy who was fun in bed. Why not? Some R and R. And then his friend gets drilled, and now you’re co-starring in Bonded by Tragedy. I’m sorry, it’s a bad movie. If the guy doesn’t get killed, you’re back home, ashes hauled, not giving old Spidey a second thought. Look, he gave you up for ten years; that ain’t true love. Whew. I’ve said it.”

“Yes, you have,” Siobhan said.

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