“Very convenient,” drawled Brendan Shea. Milly had hunted him down at Albany police headquarters. “Your party screws up, the papers nail your man to the wall, and bang goes the election. But no, Ms Troie – ”

“Call me Milly.”

“No, Milly, ‘cause quick like a bunny you announce the results of an investigation, and lo, it appears that the delivery guys left a bottle of pills where the rats got at them.”

“I said no such thing.”

“Don’t skirt the subject. You know and I know you’re waving a magic wand over this PR disaster, and you want me to find something that leaves Brull in the clear.”

“All I said was there’s a rumour these two guys set it up.”

“I know what you said, and I know what I said, and I know what these two guys will say, and I know somebody planted something for some dumb detective like me to find. And you know what, Milly Troie?”

“What?”

“A hundred bucks says when I arrest the guys the story will make the TV news before we get to the station. And I’m too close to my pension to care.” Brendan hung up.

“Nuts to you, too,” said Milly to herself, at about the exact moment Arthur was finishing lunch with Ed Findarston at the Maltese Cross on 5th Street.

“You’ll do it,” Arthur said.

“Whatever you ask,” replied Ed. “We’re a growing law firm. We’ll sue the pants off these slime, who have poisoned the honest working people of New York. For political motives no less.”

“Making it worse.”

“Of course. And in exchange for these frivolous cases you’ll pass us more gravy when you take office.”

“Naturally.”

“Our firm has just the right lawyers for you. They have tact, energy…”

“No scruples.”

“Arthur, you wound me. These are lawyers. One or two years out of law school, okay, but still they passed the bar. They have ethics.”

“They know where their bread is buttered.”

“I should hope so.”

“The claims about the pills, Ed. What’s your take on the shape, the approach of the law suits?”

“We’ll sue the Republican National Committee and prominent Republicans in the northeast – but no Congressmen or Senators, they draw too much water – anyway, Republicans and those poor schmucks who drove the truck. The group of them sabotaged the pill deliveries because of greed and party motives or sheer incompetence. We’ll leak the story to the papers. The press will have a picnic. And don’t worry, no connection to you.”

Arthur looked for the waiter to order a brandy for his good friend Ed.