Sinner's Ball Read Free Page A

agency, walked off with top honors for a campaign for fly-front adult diapers.”
    â€œFills a need, I guess,” DeeDee said. “Who wants to see grown men with wet blotches all over the front of their pants?”
    â€œI think you’re missing the point, kiddo,” I said.
    â€œOut of the mouths of babes,” Allie said. “It’s target marketing at its best. Zipper. Button. And Velcro. An incontinent’s dream.” She shook her head. “To top it all off, he’s maybe thirteen, and doesn’t even shave.”
    â€œWhy do you put yourself through this?” I said.
    She looked over at the winner posing with his caricature as cameras flashed.
    â€œLook at him. Besides being totally bereft of talent, there’s no sign he’s hit puberty yet! I lost to a brainless fly-front-adult-diaper schlockmeister child.”
    â€œWhy do you care what these imbeciles think?” DeeDee said. “Besides, he looks retarded.”
    She did have a mouth on her.
    â€œGood question. Maybe, it’s a Rift Valley–size masochistic streak. Or maybe, it’s a yearning for the occasional pat on the back for writing ads that make the cash register ring. Do you know what it’s like to write copy and then have it turned into a rag by clients, account schmucks, researchers, lawyers, and other assorted
experts
who turn to Hallmark for help in saying happy birthday?”
    She plucked a pencil-thin breadstick from the breadbasket and inserted the tip between her teeth. For Allie this was lunch.
    â€œIt must suck,” DeeDee said.
    â€œYou think? Imagine wildebeest at a lion buffet.” Allie threw up her hands. “What’s the use?” She shook her head and tried for a smile. “How’s your day going, Steeg? Battling the forces of evil and keeping the world safe from itself?”
    This wasn’t going to be pretty. My brother wasn’t exactly on Allie’s fave list.
    â€œIn a manner of speaking. Dave has a … situation, and needs my help.”
    Carefully placing the breadstick with the barely nibbled tip on her plate, she took the news without expression. “You’re going to work for your brother,” she said.
    After a too-long pause punctuated by a really deep sigh, she continued. “Why?”
    â€œHate the sin, love the sinner,” I said, using one of the many stock lines I had developed over the years to deflect that specific question.
    â€œThat’s too pat by half, Steeg. Look, because he’s your brother I tolerate him. But he has this little problem that I find a tad vexing.”
    â€œAnd that is?”
    â€œHis vocation is killing people.”
    â€œNo one’s perfect,” DeeDee said, rising to my brother’s defense. “Besides, he’s always been nice to me.”
    I could have kissed her! For DeeDee it was all about family—and Dave was family.
    â€œWonderful! Look, it’d be bad enough if he just killed his own kind. But the bomb that was meant for Dave nearly cost Steeg his life.” She turned to me. “So I ask again, why?”
    Not a bad point. I was outside of Feeney’s when the explosion ripped it apart.
    â€œTwo reasons.”
    I told her about the fire.
    â€œI have a really serious problem when justice is asymmetrical.”
    â€œWhat does that mean?”
    â€œWhen the DA decides to pin someone to his personal butterfly collection board—especially an easy target like my brother—things like guilt or innocence go out the window.”
    â€œMaybe the DA is balancing the scales for the other crimes your brother’s gotten away with.”
    â€œNot supposed to work that way. Besides, if it were Dave’s handiwork, there wouldn’t be any bodies to find.”
    â€œGood point, Steeg,” DeeDee said.
    â€œDear God!” Allie said, shaking her head.
    â€œYou wanted honesty.”
    â€œAnd the other