Chapter Text
Elsbeth plunked into her couch, wearing her cozy pink PJs and curling up with her phone. Normally she’d curl up with a book, or maybe a hot coco to watch a show or two in the early evenings.
But she was bothered.
Her dinner with Teddy, his boyfriend Roy, and her boyfriend Alec, went well on the surface. But it hadn’t gone well beneath the surface. It was rather turbulent under there. Like a reverse storm, where the ocean waves were gentle, but the current underneath was rocky.
Is that possible?
She had no one to ask.
Scrolling her contacts, she considered calling Kaya, but to be honest, every time she’s done that in the past it was a bad time. Kaya was busy. She had a whole new life going on without Elsbeth.
It didn’t mean their friendship was over. It just meant it was lighter. Not quiet right for a heavy evening conversation anymore. At least not right now.
And poor Captain Wagner. She gave his name a grateful smile on her contact list.
He had put up with her ramblings all day.
For a minute she wondered if he’d give the phone to his wife. Maybe she could be Elsbeth’s new bestie soundboard for advice and casual banter?
She scrolled down, passing up Winnie Crawford. Out of the question. Not even an option.
Detective Edwards didn’t seem the type to curl up with a glass of wine and chit chat on a long phone call. Though she was an interesting detective and Elsbeth wouldn’t mind getting to know her. She had a faint feeling that Edwards would mind the phone call, however.
She scrolled deeper into her contacts. Pausing on Daine Lockhart.
That was an oldie but a goodie.
They’d had a few short phone calls in the past year. Always about a client Elsbeth was referring to Lockhart’s firm. She made appearances in New York, but she and Elsbeth never got together when she did. Diane never told her she was in town.
The last time they saw each other in person was oddly pleasant. Their relationship before hand had been rather tense. That last time at Reddick and…fun glasses, she can’t recall the man’s name, she’ll have to look him up later for a refresh…they were drinking and laughing, and even co-chairs on a case, though that got a little hairy.
Work was work. She tapped the screen.
The other line was ringing.
Had she dialed Diane?
She’d done it without thinking.
It rang twice more and Elsbeth was ready to hang up, thinking it wasn’t a good time, when she heard the line pick up.
Elsebeth put the phone to her ear, “Oh, hello, Diane. I didn’t mean to call you. I mean, I did. But also, it was kind of an accident. But a purposeful accident.”
Diane was curled up on her sofa, Kurt cuddled in beside her while they were getting caught up with ‘Only Murder’s in the Building’ on Hulu.
Her phone rang once before she looked at it. Kurt glanced as she picked it up of the coffee table.
“Work?”
Wordlessly, she showed him the screen as ‘Elsbeth Tascioni’ flashed across it.
His brows rose curiously, and on the third ring, Diane answered.
“Diane Lockhart.”
“Oh,” Elsbeth sounded surprised, “Hello, Diane.”
Elsbeth’s clear surprise at her own action of calling Diane was a clue this wasn’t about a possible client, or work related in any other way.
“This is Elsbeth,” she ended her small explanation with the obvious.
“Yes, I recognized that,” Diane smiled, “To what do I owe this purposefully accidental call?”
She and Kurt exchanged a light hearted glance as he pressed pause on their show.
“I was looking for someone to talk to, and I accidently dialed you when I was considering calling you,” she let herself laugh a little awkwardly.
Diane noticed a hint of need in Elsbeth’s tone that pulled her attention, “Well, I’m here. What was on your mind?”
Elsbeth paused only a short moment, “Do you remember who the other name partner for Reddick is in Chicago?”
“Ri’chard?” Diane asked, carefully.
“Is he the one with the fun glasses?”
“He wore statement glasses, that always matched his suits,” Diane admitted, Kurt watching her with curious amusement. Her brows rose slightly.
“Yes, that’s him,” Elsbeth rocked back against her couch, “Thank you. I couldn’t remember! How is DC?”
Diane knew that wasn’t the reason she was calling. They’d gotten all of that out of the way the first time Elsbeth had phoned about a client, “The same. I miss Chicago. But DC has perks.”
Elsbeth nodded to herself knowingly, “Very political?”
“Only if you involve yourself with the politics. Which Kurt and I try not to bring home with us,” he played with a few strands of her hair, his arm still resting around her shoulders as he waited.
“Smart.”
Diane hummed in gentle agreement, “And, how are things in New York?”
“Work is good,” Elsbeth gave her dog Gonzo a few light strokes on his back as he curled up beside her, “Life is a little lonely right now, I guess. Teddy and I have been disagreeing a lot lately. The distance is driving me crazy, you know?”
“I suppose I can imagine. What’s the issue?”
“It’s kind of a long story. I hate to bother you.”
Diane gave Kurt a nod, pulling herself up from the sofa, “Give me a briefing.”
“Um, well, I’m seeing someone,” Elsbeth started.
“Lovely,” Diane prompted lightly as she made her way to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine.
“But my son doesn’t like him.”
“Interesting. Why not?”
“He thinks Alec can’t be trusted.”
Grabbing a wine glass out of the cabinet, she next went for her wine cooler in the pantry, “Did Alec give Teddy a reason not to trust him?”
“I think it’s more instinctual,” Elsbeth admitted, getting up to go to her kitchen and grab herself a drink.
“That would make a lot of sense for your kid,” Diane poured a red wine, “And what do your instincts say?”
“That’s the thing. I think because I really like Alec, I may not be seeing the whole picture clearly,” Elsbeth went through the same steps, with a few different paces.
Rose wine, and a smaller glass.
“At the very least you’re using good self-awareness.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Elsbeth eventually sat back down in the living room with her wine.
Diane sat down on a bar stool at her kitchen counter with her own.
“See,” Elsbeth said, trying to collect her thoughts to cast them aloud, “I had them all over for dinner tonight, and it was going really great, but then, I caught Alec in a lie.”
“Oh,” Diane leaned into her wine glass, “What sort of lie?”
“A silly one, really. The night before he told me he’d never seen the movie E.T. But then over dinner, he told Teddy it’s his favorite movie.”
“E.T. came up in both conversations?” Diane could not recall the last time she had a conversation about the movie E.T. if ever there was one.
“Yep,” Elsbeth stated, as if that wasn’t as odd a coincidence for her.
Diane sipped her wine, giving herself a second to process this information, “That’s pretty innocent lying, though, isn’t it? I mean he could have been just trying to appeal to your son.”
“So, you think he really hasn’t seen E.T.?”
“I’m having harder time thinking of a reason for him to lie about not seeing it.”
“Well, that’s what he lied about,” Elsbeth nearly spilled her wine as she gestured the glass forward, “Because Teddy had made a reference to the film’s ending, and Alec got the reference.”
“He didn’t pass a reference test,” Diane noted.
“And unexpected reference test,” Elsbeth pointed out.
“Have you caught him in lies before this one?”
“Well, he’s a politician, and…”
“Wait,” Diane cut her off, “You should have led with that. Elsebeth, politicians lie all the time. It must have become a subconscious tick for him. He might not be lying on purpose. At least not to you.”
Elsbeth still grimaced, “If he can lie about something as small as a movie, do you think he’d lie about bigger things?”
“Absolutely. But is he lying about the big things to you?”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s what we need to find out.”
“We?” Elsbeth asked, a slight smile creeping up.
“Is he there with you now?”
Elsbeth looked around her empty living room, “No, I had told him to go home tonight. And I should tell you, Teddy’s already investigating his past. Alec Bloom is the subject of an article he wrote. It caused a little upset in the campaign.”
“I bet it did. Bloom?” Diane recalled the name, leaning on her countertop, “Marissa works for him. He’s running for Mayor.”
“That right! Do you know much about him?”
“No, but I am sure it shouldn’t be hard for me to find something.”
Elsbeth cautioned, “If there’s something to find.”
“I didn’t mean to imply what I find would be negative,” Diane glanced over as Kurt leaning on the kitchen’s wooden archway. She smiled at him, “Elsbeth, Kurt’s waiting for me to finish our show.”
“What show?” Elsbeth asked with excitement.
“Only Murder’s in the Building.”
Elsbeth gasped, with more excitement, “I’m loving that. How caught up are you?”
“Not enough to discuss it without being worried about spoilers,” Diane’s tone leaned on warning, which Elsbeth heeded.
“Understood,” her seriousness was short lived, before her excitement was back, “Oh, but you have to tell me when your caught up so we can talk about it.”
Diane had a light airy laugh to offer her, “Okay, I promise to do that.”
“Okay,” Elsbeth was grinning. She felt better just having voiced her concerns with someone impartial. “Well, thank you Diane. It was nice to talk.”
“It really was,” Diane agreed, taking her wine into the living room with Kurt, “We’ll talk again soon.”
“Great, I look forward to it,” Elsbeth hung up, glad she’d misdialed.
“Me too,” Diane said it as she placed her phone back down on the coffee table.
She rested back into Kurts’ arm, “She alright?”
“She has a boyfriend.”
“I have a feeling you’ll be hearing from her again soon,” he pressed play.
“Yeah,” she rested her head on his shoulder, “I don’t mind.”