The Devil's in the Details Read Free Page A

said, “Since you are sitting less than two feet from it, I find that hard to believe.”
    Mrs. Parnell made a conciliatory gesture with her sherry glass. “Perhaps you called while we were on the balcony observing some of our fellow balloonists.”
    Alvin said, “Yeah. I bet that was it.”
    Mrs. Parnell has a panoramic view of the Ottawa River and the Quebec shore on the other side. Even so, I wasn’t falling for the balcony bullshit. Ditto for their innocent looks. “Let’s see if I have this straight: there’s no emergency. Nor was there an emergency at the time you called. Would that be correct?” I used my courtroom manner, usually reserved for cross-examining sleazy witnesses.
    Alvin may be the bane of my work existence, but at least he had the grace to look abashed. That didn’t last long.
    â€œSorry, Camilla. It’s been hard to get your attention lately. You’ve been so preoccupied.”
    â€œReally. That’s because I am up to my ass in alligators. You will remember, Alvin, the name of our enterprise is Justice for Victims. The way to ensure our clients have a hope of seeing justice is to be there when they need us. In court, if they’re facing a vicious cross-examination, such as happened today when you were, I believe you said, under the weather.”
    â€œSheesh, Camilla. You don’t have to get your knickers in a twist.”
    â€œNot only are my knickers in a serious twist, but I am damp and sweaty and mad as hell. That would be because I raced, yes, that’s right, raced, from downtown Ottawa, because I was under the mistaken impression you had an emergency.”
    Alvin, cool and collected in his summer leathers, was prepared to brazen it out.
    Mrs. Parnell, on the other hand, showed her diplomatic side. “It slipped my mind that your troublesome vehicle was in the shop again, Ms. MacPhee. I regret the oversight. We wished to convey that time was of the essence. Muster the troops. Even more urgent, since it took you so long to get here. Young Ferguson and I must be at the field by seventeen hundred hours.”
    â€œIf this was a trick to get me to go on that lunatic balloon ride, you can forget it.”
    â€œYou wound me, Ms. MacPhee. We would never resort to such underhanded behaviour, would we, dear boy? But we do want to discuss something. Please sit down.”
    â€œI don’t feel like sitting down. I feel like taking a shower.”
    Mrs. Parnell picked up the sherry glass again. “Join us in a toast. Here’s to adventure!”
    I didn’t like the sound of that.
    â€œAnd comradeship,” she added. “One for all and all for one!.”
    â€œDepends,” I said.
    Alvin said, sitting back, “We respect the fact that you’re afraid to go up in the balloon.”
    â€œI’m not afraid.”
    â€œWe pass this way but once, Ms. MacPhee. Our days are fleeting. Courage.”
    â€œCourage has nothing to do with it. The balloon experience just doesn’t interest me. And why do you need courage if it’s so safe?”
    â€œWe all have our demons, Ms. MacPhee.”
    â€œI don’t have demons. And if I did, I wouldn’t be doing a goddam thing about them on the Labour Day weekend. I’m spending the next couple of days relaxing, getting the kinks out, and realizing I missed the best of the summer. So norelatives. No forced marches. No balloons.”
    â€œUnderstood. This won’t tie up much of your weekend, Ms. MacPhee.”
    â€œLook, if the two of you want to float hundreds of feet over bodies of water, clinging to a tiny wicker basket held up by an inflated piece of canvas and an open flame, you have my blessing.”
    â€œIf you’d just listen, Camilla,” Alvin said.
    â€œI have been listening.” I sounded more peevish than usual, even to my own ears.
    â€œI understand your concern, Ms. MacPhee, but consider this. Three years ago, I