LITMIR.BIZ

      5

      The group had begun the cool-down portion of the workout when Mike Ness heard his name over the loudspeaker. Towel wrapped around his neck, tank top soaked with perspiration, he told his ladies to “keep it moving” while he answered the page. The afternoon high-impact aerobics class was held in the Jazzarena, its back wall a giant mural of famous musicians. The room’s phone was embedded between Dizzy Gillespie’s eyes. Ness picked up the receiver.

      “Mike, I just want to warn you. The police are here, poking around.”

      Ness couldn’t answer. He felt his heart race.

      “Apparently something happened to Lilah last night—”

      “What!”

      “She was attacked, Mike.”

      Ness felt his knees buckle. Why did everything he touch turn to shit? “Wha … what happened, Kell?”

      “I only know that she’s in the hospital. I don’t even know which one. I’m going to do some calling around. You don’t know anything about this, do you?”

      “Of course not!”

      Kelley paused. “Please. Just act normal. If the detective asks you where you were last night, say you were sleeping in your room, okay?”

      “I was sleeping in my room. What the hell are you saying?”

      Kelley sighed. “I’m nervous, Mike. I mean, the detective—she’s a woman by the way—she was professional but pushy. All of us should just stay calm and cool, all right?”

      “I am calm and cool.”

      “Well, bully for you.”

      “That was mature, Kell.”

      Kelley paused again. “Michael, I’m scared!”

      “Have you spoken to Davida?”

      “She’s not in. I don’t even know if she knows about it. The detective didn’t want me talking to her but screw that! I can’t get hold of Freddy, either. I don’t know what to do, Mike.”

      “There’s nothing to do, Kell. What are you worried about?”

      “I just didn’t like her attitude. She was too inquisitive.”

      “Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t detectives supposed to be inquisitive?”

      “No, it was more. She was like accusing everyone.”

      Ness felt the phone slipping out of his hand. He wiped his sweaty palm on his gym shorts. “Accusing who?”

      “She wants a list of all the men who work here.”

      “Was Lilah raped?” Ness whispered into the phone.

      “I don’t know.”

      Ness took a deep breath. “Give her what she wants. I’ve got to button up this class—”

      “The detective will want to talk to you.”

      “So?”

      “So … is that okay?”

      “Yes, it’s okay!”

      “I’m sorry, Mike, I’m just so nervous!”

      Ness sighed. Little Kelley always did have a nervous tummy, always throwing up before finals. “Calm down, sis. Do some deep breathing.”

      “It’s just that this job is so important to me—”

      “Kell, I’ve got to go. We’ll talk later.”

      Ness hung up, clapped his hands, jogged to the front of the room. Its mirrored wall was bisected horizontally by a ballet barre.

      “Nice job, ladies. Real nice job. Now that you’ve burned off approximately two hundred and fifty calories and sweated off your weight in salts, you should immediately be thinking about what?”

      A middle-aged woman in striped leotards yelled out, “Electrolytes!”

      “Exactly,” Ness said. “Your electrolytes are sorely in need of rebalancing, so we have for your dining pleasure our famous potassium-rich broth and organic veggies grown in Lilah Brecht’s own garden. These comestibles are being served in the lobby from three-fifteen to three-forty-five. Be sure to partake of the feast and your body will say thank you. I’ll see you all at four for yoga.”

      Wiping his face and neck, Ness waited in the rear as the women filed out. After the ladies left, he walked over to the video-camera stand, peered into the camera’s lens, and stuck out his tongue. Then he turned off the machine.

      No sense worrying about fuckups when they’re out of your control.

      He removed the camcorder from the stand. It was one of those tiny buggers—fitted snugly in the palm of his hand. Perfect for shooting on the sly. He’d check the tape later, see if it picked up all his body exercises, how he moved to the beat. He enjoyed watching his tapes, liked seeing his lithe body move and sweat, liked the defined muscles of his arms and legs. He knew he’d never be Schwarzenegger—he wasn’t the buffed-up type—but at least now he felt good about the way he looked. You had to look good always or it was all over with the ladies …

      Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a chickadoodle approaching him. Just what he needed—another sex-starved teenybopper. She was built, and not shy about showing it off. Her smile was too white to be natural.

      “Hi, I’m Aurora,” she said.

      “Hi.” Ness shifted his weight and folded his arms across his chest. “Have a good workout?”

      “Great.”

      “Good to hear, Aurora.”

      “Really gets the endorphins going, ya know?”

      “It can, that’s true.”

      “I can feel it.”

      “Good.” Ness started backing away. “Keep it up.”

      “Can I ask you a question?”

      Ness looked at his watch, then at the chick. She seemed nervous, waiting for him to make his move. She was going to wait for a long time. “What’s up?”

      “Umm … I wanted to know if we should be taking salt pills?”

      A good fake, Ness thought. What she really wanted to know was if he was available for fucking.

      “Not necessarily, Aurora,” Ness said. “Our consommé is a perfectly balanced electrolye replenisher—sodium as well as potassium.” He strolled toward the door. “That’s why it’s so important that you take your broth break. The liquid contains everything your body needs. We sell it at our health-food store. Be sure to buy some when you leave the spa. After your home workout, your salts will be depleted same as here. If you have our broth, you won’t have to worry a bit about your electrolytes.” He stopped talking

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