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stairs, still mindboggled at Joshua’s change of speech pattern, at the entire tone of the encounter. Unheard of in 1888. What was going on in this house?
     
    * * *
     
    Three days later, Ria returned to the office, another appointed criminal case finished. The client wasn’t thrilled with the plea bargain she’d negotiated. The client’s victim hadn’t been thrilled by the twenty-two stitches closing the gash on his face inflicted by the broken liquor bottle either, so she wasn’t sympathetic. Johnny knocked perfunctorily on her door and came in to sit on her sofa.
    “Took a message for you while you were out,” he said. “You won’t much like it.”
    “I won’t?”
    “Ted Dorry called from the DA’s office. When you weren’t in, he asked for me. Told him you were at the Courthouse, he musta’ missed you.”
    “I guess so. What is it?”
    “Justin Dinardo ’s skipped bail. He’s gone.”
    Ria sat down heavily in her chair.
    “Shit!”
    “He’s just a kid, Ria, he can’t stay out of sight all that long.”
    “Did he take his truck?”
    “Nope. Didn’t take anything. They’ll pick him up.”
    “Don’t bet on it. I figure he’s got a good bit of cash stashed.”
    “Yeah, but he’s not going to stick around, Ria. Too risky. And for sure, too risky for him to try anything on Dennis. And you and I both know, he’s a kid from a good family, first t ime he’s ever been in trouble—”
    “Yeah, but it’s big trouble.”
    “I know, but the Judge wouldn’t have thrown the book at him, Ria. He’d have let him off as light as possible. Fact of life . ” Johnny shrugged. “ Now that he’s skipped bail, if he ever slips up , that sort of alleviates the sympathy factor. You know?”
    “Yeah,” Ria sighed. “I guess.”
    “Well, nothing we can do about Justin. Had lunch?”
    “Not hungry.”
    “I am.”
    “So go eat.”
    “ I’m ‘bout to go grab some thing and bring it back. What do you want? ‘Cause I don’t need a partner who’s anorexic , ” Johnny said .
    “ Very funny . ” Ria’s metabolism had been a running joke since childhood. She could eat any two men of her acquaintance under the table and never gain an ounce.
    “I’ll split a sub with you. The foot-long one. With everything. ”
    “Hell, no! I’ve never in my life eaten half a sub! Get me a whole one!”
     
    * * *
     
    Just when Ria b egan to think her private movie, having moved past Chloe’s death, had played itself out , she woke to the sound of someone crying. No, that wasn’t right, exactly. A ma n was crying. The sobs were rusty, as they so often were when men cried, as thoug h the tears were wrenched from deep within, released under great protest.
    She moved softly to her door . The bedroom she’d viewed the night of their housewarming was t here, not her living room. Paul stood in front of Chloe’s dresser, one of h er negligees lifted to his face, muffling the sounds.
    She walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. Her fingers passed right through the seemingly solid shoulder and he disappeared entirely.
     

 
     
     
    Chapter Nine
     
     
    Enough was enough. She didn’t want to sit home and watch long-ago grief two nights in a row. Ria took herself to the m all. She needed crowds, lights, action. And besides, one of her favorite books had finally succumbed to years of thumbing and turned-down pages and totally disintegrated the other night when she’d picked it up, whole sections of pages parting company with the spine. For convenience, you couldn’t beat an e-reader, but some books you just had to hold in your hands. She’d get a replacement and look over the new crop of novels.
    T hen maybe she’d hit the clothes racks at the fun stores and get a new outfit or two, something bright and fun that didn’t look a bit like a lawyer. Grab dinner in the F ood C ourt. A milkshake on the way out. Exactly what she wanted tonight. Crowds without interaction.
    She stood near the back of the m