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Maddy warily parked the Corvette on the street in front of the restaurant. She was meeting Friedman’s former receptionist/administrative assistant.

The restaurant was on Lyndale and Twenty-Ninth a few blocks from Marc’s office. Not long ago this was a delightful neighborhood known as Uptown. It was now seeing bad times. Formerly safe, and a place to go, especially in the summer, since the riots, it was drying up and crime had skyrocketed,

The restaurant, a local place with a variety of dishes, was struggling. For the lunch hour at the place, the number of customers was barely worth the trouble of being open.

“Hi, you must be Caitlin,” Maddy said to the younger woman who had waved to her.

“And you must be Maddy Rivers,” Caitlin answered.

They shook hands and Maddy slid onto the booth’s bench seat across from her.

“How’s the food?” Maddy asked.

“Mediocre, but it’s local so I come here a couple times a week. They’re struggling like most places around here.

“I own a small house a block or so from here. I’m trying to sell but so is just about everyone. Good luck finding a buyer.”

“That’s too bad,” Maddy said. “I think it will come back to the nice neighborhood it once was.”

“Even the cops don’t think so. What do you want to know about Phillip Friedman? That he was a sick pervert who paid well? I was lucky. He didn’t seem interested in straight, nontrans women.”

That statement broke the ice and got the interview rolling.

An hour later, it ended with Caitlin saying, “Everyone in the building knew what he was really like. He had a thing for trans girls. I know he even had after hours relations with at least three.

“No, I can’t give you their names,” Caitlin said when she sensed Maddy was going to ask. “I called them and asked for their permission. They’re all pretty embarrassed about it. They each emphatically said no. ”

Caitlin left through the back door and Maddy the front. Outside she found four older teens circling around the Corvette. Being Maddy, she tried to walk right through them.

“Hey, Momma, this your ride?” one of them asked acting as if he expected Maddy to swoon over him.

“Yeah, genius, this is my car. Now move so I can leave.”

“Hey, bitch, why the attitude? Me and you could have a good time,” he said for the benefit of his ego and friends.

They were on the sidewalk toward the rear of the Corvette. Maddy had looped the strap of her purse over her head and around her neck. It was also open and her right hand was in it.

Maddy turned to walk away. Her would be suitor grabbed her left arm and tried pulling it.

“Hey, bitch. Don’t be turnin’ your back on…”

In less than two seconds, Maddy spun around and drove her left palm into his nose, cracking the cartilage and causing the blood to burst forth. She then spun around again pivoting on her left foot while driving her right foot into his chest.

He dropped on his back and hit his head on the sidewalk. Worse, when he landed, he found Maddy standing over him. She had a grim look on her face and a Lady Colt .45 in her right hand. The barrel of the gun pointed right at his forehead.

Without turning her head, Maddy said to the subdued foursome, “Attacking a white woman who has a carry license. I could pop all four of you morons and I wouldn’t even stand trial.”

Still looking down at their mouthy leader, Maddy asked, “How about it, genius, still think we could have a good time?”

Maddy took a step back and said, “Let this be a lesson to you. You never know what you’ll be getting into when you act like street punk assholes.”

At the same time, a plain, unmarked car pulled up and stopped alongside the Corvette. Two plain clothes detectives got out and walked behind the three terrified kids still standing, open mouthed at Maddy and their subdued bro.

“Is this woman picking on you guys?” one of the detectives asked.

“Maddy,” his partner said, “put the gun away, please.”

“Oh, yeah, Bob, sorry,” she said.

“You okay?” Bob asked .

“No, goddamnit, the bitch broke my nose,” the one still lying on the sidewalk said.

“I wasn’t talking to you, shithead. I was talking to her.”

“I’m fine, Bob, thanks.”

“All right you guys, pick him up and get out of here,” Bob’s partner said.

When they were gone, Bob looked at Maddy and said, “Another day in the life of Maddy Rivers.”

Maddy knocked twice on Marc’s door and went in. He was on the phone.

“Sure, we’ll cover your expenses, no problem,” Marc said. He covered the mouth of the phone to say hi to Maddy.

“We’ll even pay you a per diem for your time,” he said.

“That won’t be necessary,” Camille Bethany replied. “I think it will help my credibility when the prosecution tries to make me look like a hired gun.”

“That’s true. When’s a good time for me to come to Chicago to go over this with you?”

“Any time, really. I’m not taking a vacation until this summer. Got a white water rafting and camping trip planned,” Camille said.

“Sounds like fun, for crazy people,” Marc said.

“It helps, yeah.”

“Is Tony with you?”

“Yes, here he is.”

“Yeah?” Carvelli asked.

“When are you coming back?”

“I’ll be back at five-fifteen.”

“You need a ride?”

“Nope, I left the Caddy in the long-term parking. Hey, I’ll be back in time to have dinner at your place with your little woman.”

“I’ll tell her you called her that. Call when you get in. Hey, maybe you could come for supper,” Marc said.

“Good idea, thanks.”

“Guess who Tony talked to? ”

“Paxton. She called me. She wants me to help patch things up between them,” Maddy answered.

“And you had enough sense to say no, right?” Marc asked.

“Well, um, not, well, entirely. It’s a girl thing. We help each other. Don’t men?”

“We, yeah. In our way. We stay out of it. That way we’re not to blame for anything.

“You know, our trial strategy is starting to take shape.”

“Come in,” Maddy said answering a knock on Marc’s door.

Jennifer Moore, formerly a trial lawyer with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, came in. Jennifer left that rock solid employment for the risk of private practice.

“Hey, Jenny. Come in,” Maddy said.

“I’m not interrupting anything am I?”

“No, not at all,” Marc said.

She sat down next to Maddy. “I’ve heard,” she said then tilted her head and shifted her eyes toward Maddy, “from a reputable source that you could use some help on your trans homicide case.”

Marc looked at Maddy while asking, “Who might this reputable source be?”

Maddy tried looking away but the game was up.

“I don’t reveal my sources,” Jennifer said.

“Actually, Jenny. I’ve been thinking about asking you. I tried to commandeer Kellie but she has the bar exam coming up. You want in?”

“Yes! Thanks, Maddy,” Jennifer said.

“Carvelli’s on his way back. Do you have plans for this evening?” Marc asked.

“No, why?”

“Maddy would love it if you would join us for dinner,” Marc said.

“She would?” Jennifer asked, turning to Maddy.

“Yes, she would,” Maddy replied.