"Ooh, boy. I'll let you tell him. If he yells at someone, it should be you." She was only half-kidding.
"Fine," I said.
She lowered her voice and whispered, "Client is on her way to the front door. He'll be with you in a jiffy."
"Thanks, Mary."
She put me on hold before I could tell her not to. Muzak seeped out of the phone. It was a butchered version of the Beatles' "Tomorrow." I'd have rather listened to static. Mercifully, Bert came on the line and saved me.
"Anita, what time can you come in today?"
"I can't."
"Can't what?"
"Can't come in today."
"At all?" His voice had risen an octave.
"You got it."
"Why the hell not?" Cursing at me already, a bad sign.
"I got beeped by the police after my morning meeting. I haven't even been to bed yet."
"You can sleep in, don't worry about meeting new clients in the afternoon. Just come in for your appointments tonight."
He was being generous, understanding. Something was wrong.
"I can't make the appointments tonight, either."
"Anita, we're overbooked here. You have five clients tonight. Five!"
"Divide them up among the other animators," I said.
"Everybody is already maxed."
"Listen, Bert, you're the one who said yes to the police. You're the one who put me on retainer to them. You thought it would be great publicity."
"It has been great publicity," he said.
"Yeah, but it's like working two full-time jobs sometimes. I can't do both."
"Then drop the retainer. I had no idea it'd take up this much of your time."
"It's a murder investigation, Bert. I can't drop it."
"Let the police do their own dirty work," he said.
He was a fine one to talk about that. Him with his squeaky-clean fingernails and nice safe office. "They need my expertise and my contacts. Most of the monsters won't talk to the police."
He was quiet on the other end of the phone. His breathing came harsh and angry. "You can't do this to me. We've taken money, signed contracts."
"I asked you to hire extra help months ago."
"I hired John Burke. He's been handling some of your vampire slayings, as well as raising the dead."
"Yeah, John's a big help, but we need more. In fact, I bet he could take at least one of my zombies tonight."