Payback by Nancy Allen

Author:Nancy Allen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2023-05-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 28

Conditions in my studio apartment had grown crowded. After Mom booted us out of her house in New Jersey, Steven had returned to his bachelor accommodations at the shelter. But Millie was still at loose ends due to my inability to get Rod out of Rikers. She went into a deep funk after the court hearing. Mad at the judge, mad at the world—kinda mad at me, too. Part of the burden the defense attorney bears, I was learning.

But she couldn’t live alone, not right now. So I still had a roommate. And because I had a roommate, I had a frequent visitor.

Millie sat on the sofa with my brother Leo close beside her. They were huddled together over my laptop, watching old episodes of a TV comedy—Friends, from the sound of it. Leo was laughing uproariously at the dialogue, but Millie looked subdued. Worrying about Rod, I suspected.

A pizza box lay on the coffee table because Leo had surprised us by delivering dinner. Two big slices still remained in the box. I hoped they’d go uneaten because I had designs on them. Cold pizza was a breakfast delicacy at my place.

As I eyed the box, wondering whether it was too soon to snatch it up and take it into the kitchen, Leo glanced up at me. “You want to watch with us, Kate? There’s plenty of room for you.”

He scooted on the couch, edging closer to Millie, as he patted the spot beside him on my battered sofa. She didn’t appear to notice, just remained focused on the screen.

I was fairly certain that I knew what the draw was for Leo, what had brought him to my apartment in Morningside Heights. He’d visited daily since he and Mom had walked in on us in my mother’s living room. Whether Millie had caught on, I didn’t know. I hoped not. She hadn’t said anything.

Leo and I needed to have a talk, but we couldn’t do it in my one-room space. I resolved to call him the very next day, to nip his crush in the bud. Millie had a boyfriend, one who could flatten Leo without exerting himself. And Rod wouldn’t remain in Rikers much longer, not if I could help it.

I wanted to take Rod’s case up with Rubenstein. After I’d filed my written suggestions with Judge Robertson, I’d cc’ed them to Rubenstein with a long email describing the outcome of the hearing, but I was waiting to hear back from him. If he didn’t respond, I planned to hit him up when the advisory committee met. I’d received notice that there would be a formal gathering on Friday outside the Oculus. It would be a showy press affair with a cocktail reception following. Rubenstein was a hard man to run down, but the reception should provide the opportunity I needed.

I looked at Leo, sitting shoulder to shoulder on the couch with Millie. He was gone on that girl, totally smitten. “I’m not interested in the show, thanks, Leo.

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