“There’s no burned-up box,” Officer Dayne interjected, but Officer Villarreal waved him off.

“So?”

“So I have a day or two to find Alice. I need to call a cab, because I’m leaving.”

Officer Villarreal cocked his head. “Where are you going?”

Officer Dayne said, “You can’t leave the county.”

“Unless you arrest me, I sure can, and you know it.” Bennie took a pen from the desk and scribbled her phone number and home and office addresses on a statement form. “Here’s where I am. Call me when you find the box.”

“Hold on.” Officer Villarreal blinked, uncertain. “I don’t know about this-”

“Then lock me up right now, and I’ll call a lawyer. I own a law firm, so the price is right. In the end, I’ll win.”

Officers Villarreal and Dayne exchanged glances.

“I thought so.” Bennie opened the door and walked out of the interview room.

Alice was pretending to work in Bennie’s office, with the door closed. She tore open the USABank envelope, skimmed the instructions from Marla, then took out the signature cards. She opened the desk drawer, found Bennie’s checkbook, then set the register on the desk as a handwriting sample. She forged Bennie’s name on the signature card, then did the six others.

She signed the paperwork, scanned it in her desk scanner, and emailed it to Marla at USABank. She found the DHL envelope, put the cards inside, and sealed the envelope. She bent the envelope in half and stuffed it in Bennie’s purse, which was sitting on the floor, in front of the locked drawer that held the money bag. Then she called USABank.

“Marla?” she said, when the call picked up. “It’s Bennie Rosato. How are you today?”

“Just fine. Did you get the signature cards?”

“Yes, thanks, I’m done. I scanned and emailed them to you and put the hard copies in the DHL envelope. I’d like you to wire the money to BSB right away.”

“I will. Wait a minute, I see your scanner copies coming into my email, right now. After I wire the funds, your account will be open at BSB, but you can’t use or withdraw any of the money until tomorrow, when they get the original signatures.”

“Understood. Please make the transfer after we hang up. My sister has already begun impersonating me.” Alice filled her in quickly on the details. “And now I have a restraining order against her. I think it’s prudent to expedite things.”

“Of course, I’ll make the wire transfer as soon as we hang up. Thanks so much for entrusting your business to USABank and its partners, in such a difficult time. You know how much we value our relationship.”

“I do, thanks.” Alice hung up, then pressed information, got the number of the TV station, and waited until the call connected. It was a little risky to call the media, but she had to preempt Bennie, who might go there in desperation. Alice had to keep the upper hand, especially now that Bennie was on the loose.

When the phone was answered, Alice asked, “May I speak to Emily Barry, please? Tell her it’s Bennie Rosato.”

“Yes, please hold.”

Alice didn’t have to wait long.

“Bennie!” Emily said, picking up. “It’s great to hear from you. We haven’t spoken since the Connelly trial.”

“Thanks for taking my call. You did some of the best reporting on that case, so you were my first choice of reporters.” Alice paused for effect. “I’d like to give you some information, but it has to be off the record. You can’t attribute it to me.”

“You have my word.”

“I have reason to believe that Connelly is up to her old tricks.”

“Like what?” Emily sounded excited. “Sleeping with crooked cops, or otherwise whoring it up?”

Jealous, much? “No, impersonating me. We had one incident over the weekend, and I can’t tell how far she’ll go.”

“How can I corroborate? You know I need a second source.”

“We filed a police complaint and just got a restraining order.”

“Perfect. That’s public record.” Emily started taking notes, the keyboard clacking away. “But why are you telling me this? You never leak. I used to have to pull teeth to get you to talk.”

“Honestly, I’m afraid of her.” Alice went to victim mode. “I’m doing everything I can to protect myself from her, just in case she comes to the office and tries something. But I need more help. If you run the story, everybody in the tri-state area will be looking for Alice, and I’ll be a lot safer. After all, she’s not hard to spot. She looks exactly like me.”

“I get it. Very smart.”

“Thanks. Gotta go,” Alice said hastily, because her doorknob was twisting. Someone was coming into her office, and she hung up and put the checkbooks away just as the door opened.

A woman was standing in the threshold, and Alice had no idea if she was another lawyer, a client, or an old friend, so she plastered on a fake Bennie-smile.

“Hello!” Alice said, rising. “Great to see you!”

“Really?” asked the woman, arching an eyebrow.

Mary hurried from the reception area toward Bennie’s office, her heart in her throat. Her parents had surprised her at work with Fiorella, who had wandered off. It never ended well when The Flying DiNunzios came to Rosato & Associates. Her worlds weren’t meant to collide, but to remain separate, maintaining order in her own personal galaxy.

“Stop, no!” Mary reached Bennie’s office just as Fiorella was opening her door.

“DiNunzio?” Bennie said, uncertain, from behind her desk, and Grady emerged from Anne’s office.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh, nothing really.” Mary grabbed Fiorella by the arm. “Fiorella, this is my partner, Bennie Rosato, and her friend, Grady Wells.”

“Nice to meet you, Fiorella.” Grady extended a hand, but Fiorella barely looked at him, keeping a cold eye on Bennie.

“Bennie is a name?”

Bennie shrugged. “It’s Benedetta, but I go by Bennie.”

“Why? Why would you do such a thing?”

“I’m pleased to meet you, too.” Bennie held out a hand, but Fiorella didn’t take it, so she let it drop and turned to Mary. “I didn’t know you had guests, DiNunzio.”

“My parents dropped in to celebrate my making partner and putting an offer on a house. Did I mention that?”

“No. Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” Mary edged backwards with Fiorella, who wouldn’t stop glaring at Bennie. Her forehead knitted, and her mouth set like granite, if granite wore lipstick.

“Hey Mare.” Judy came to the rescue, out of breath. “Bennie, I see you’ve met Fiorella.”

“Benedetta!” Mary’s mother joined them, throwing open her arms and hugging Bennie. “Benedetta, mille grazie, I’m a so hap’ you make Maria the boss.”

“I’m happy to do it,” Bennie said, smiling, and Mary released Fiorella only long enough to pry her mother off, juggling DiNunzios like sharp knives.

“BENNIE! CONGRADULATIONS ON MAKING MY DAUGHTER A PARDNER!”

“My pleasure,” Bennie said, a moment before Mary’s father bear-hugged the breath out of her, and Judy had to step in to peel him off, too.

Grady laughed. “It’s great to see you both. You should be very proud of your daughter.”

“WE ARE, FROM THE DAY SHE CAME OUTTA THE EGG! COME TO LUNCH, ALL A YOUSE!!”

“No, thanks,” Bennie answered. “I have to prepare for a meeting this afternoon.”

“You.” Fiorella fixed a dark gaze on Bennie. “I was drawn to your room, to you. I feel something here, with you. This, I see. This, I know.”

“Pardon me?” Bennie asked, confused, and Fiorella pointed at her with a red-lacquered index finger.

“You are evil, Benedetta.”

Judy gasped, and Mary’s career flashed before her eyes. She grabbed Fiorella’s arm, but the older woman swatted her away.

“You are a woman of great power,” Fiorella said, her words heavy with theatrical portent. “But my power is greater than yours. My power comes from God. Yours comes from the Devil!”