Page 73 of Precise Justice

“An invitation to come on your show. How about Monday, live?” Marc said.

“About what?” Gabriella asked.

“You’ll know by then and you won’t be disappointed,” Marc said.

The call went silent between them for a moment, then Gabriella yelled at him. “Whatever it is, and it’s hot, you gave it first to that snake at the Strib, Philo Anson, didn’t you? Didn’t you? Well, answer me!”

“Ah, well ah, you’ll see. It’s um, now, don’t be that way,” Marc replied trying to placate her. “Besides, I was following a client’s instructions.”

“That’s it. I’m calling Maddy. She’ll tell me what it is,” Gabriella said.

“Is she in town? Ask her to call me. Tell her I’m sorry and I miss her terribly,” Marc said.

“Why? What did you do this time?”

“Why do women always assume the man is the one who did something?”

“Well, duh! Because it’s true.”

“No, it isn’t and what do you mean, this time?”

While he was talking to Gabriella about this, Marc was using his personal phone to call Maddy.

“What time do you want me there on Monday?” Marc asked before dialing Maddy.

“Three o’clock and this better be good. I’m calling Maddy and she’ll tell me,” Gabriella said.

Marc pushed the button on his phone to dial Maddy while he said, “See you Monday, darling. Bye.”

Maddy answered Marc’s call on the first ring.

“Did you have your phone in your hand?” Marc asked.

“In fact, yes, I did. What’s up?”

“Gabriella is going to call you. I’m going on her show Monday, Philo’s article is in the Sunday paper, Section A page one. Please do not tell her what it’s about.”

“Okay, no problem,” Maddy said.

“Seriously, no problem?”

“Yes. You asked me to keep quiet, so I will. Why?”

“At the last meeting of the stupid things men do committee, we agreed women tell each other everything.”

“Wait, you have meetings and a committee for the stupid things you do?”

“Didn’t you know that? You think we come up with these things by ourselves?”

“Everything about men is finally starting to make sense,” Maddy said.

“Love you, baby. I’ll pick up take out Chinese for supper.”

“Love you, too. Gabriella’s calling. Wait until I tell her about your committee.”

By ten o’clock Sunday morning, there were over a thousand people in downtown Minneapolis. Even though it was a Sunday, they gathered around the Government Center along Fifth Street. The sidewalk along Fifth across from the Government Center at City Hall, was full. All of them were protesting the alarming treatment of trans girl rapes. Philo’s article had kicked a hornet’s nest.

By noon, thanks to the local TV news mobile units broadcasting the story live, the number of protestors had swollen to over ten thousand. On a sunny, pleasant spring day, the Government Center plaza being in close proximity to the University of Minnesota, the college kids were arriving en mass.