Chapter 87

“It can be me or it can be a higher power, Mindy. Luke has legal options beyond being beaten down.”

This startles her into silence. That the moving sidewalk we jump on won’t actually move contributes to the pall. We closely space our steps, suspicious it will suddenly chug into overdrive and catapult us into a Wolfgang Puck kiosk. Everyone else on this treadmill thinks so, too, resulting in a very strange procession.

Mindy suddenly snaps her fingers. “For ignoring our three-zillion frantic calls, right now, surrender your cell.”

“I lost it,” Luke says.

I remind her, “You took it.”

Mindy gives me the first of what will be many bewildered looks. “Someone’s misinformed.”

I ask about the sexual computer images.

“Are you talking about the gay stuff? That was a year ago. The Geek Squad found it when we took in the computer because of a virus.”

“A year ago?” I turn to Luke, pounding the non-moving handrail as he walks.