Bobby Lawson's Chocolate Pie

“I knew it was a mistake.”  Bobby Lawson was pacing back and forth in the kitchen of his friend’s apartment just off of 25th Street in Foggy Bottom.  “Why in the hell I ever listen to you, Kincaid, when there are so many other smart people in Washington, I’ll never know.”

“Aw, relax, Bobby.  She’ll get over it.  They both will,” answered Harry Kincaid with his typical ‘devil may care’ attitude.  “Women should understand that they don’t call baseball the ‘national pastime’ for nothing.”  He got up from his chair and walked over to the refrigerator.  He extracted two Pabst Blue Ribbon longnecks and gave one to Bobby.  “Here.  Sit down, will ya?  You’re making me nervous.”

“You know darn well that Annie understands baseball,” Lawson said, taking the beer.  “She’s ticked because she wasn’t with us.  And, by the way, so is Penny.”


“Well, Penny doesn’t understand baseball,” he said.  “The other night when Derek Jeter hit that home run off Martinez, she asked me if it was a hole in one.” 


Bobby couldn’t help but chuckle.  “Well, she still wanted to go.”

“Look, man, it was an afternoon game.  Penny and Annie had to work.”  Harry Kincaid pulled a new bag of Oreo cookies out of his pantry.  He tore them open, took three of them out ot the bag and set it down on the table.  He shoved two of the cookies in his mouth and, chewing, said, “The extra innings… not our fault.”

“I know that,” said Bobby, taking two Oreos for himself, “but don’t try to bring logic into the discussion.”

“We need to do something (chomp, chomp)… you know, to make amends,” said Harry.  He thought a moment, then smiled.  “I’ve got it.”

“What?”


“One of your chocolate pies.  Why don’t you whip up one of your chocolate pies, man?  Have you ever made one for Annie?” Harry asked.


“No, I haven’t.”  Bobby’s mood brightened.  “That’s a good idea, Kincaid.  I’ll run over to the market and get the stuff.”

“Hey, just get one of those store bought pie crusts and we can deliver them tonight,” suggested Harry.

“No way, pal,” said Bobby.  “It’s the homemade pie crust that sets it apart.  Besides, if we took it in one of those made up crusts, they’d never believe we made it.  You can’t rush perfection, Kincaid.”






Harry Kincaid was not one known for his natural understanding of women.  Truth be told, he had more ex-girlfriends than most men will meet in a lifetime.  But his suggestion of offering one of Bobby Lawson’s chocolate pies was pure genius.  When the boys met Annie and Penny at Penny’s Watergate apartment later that night and delivered Bobby Lawson’s Chocolate Pie, all was right with the world.


Read more about these good friends in "Doing Good."  But, don't be fooled.  It's NOT a cookbook.  The story deals with justice and how Harry Kincaid helps achieve it for some pond scum engaged in child-trafficking.  Does your heart good... like Bobby's Chococolate Pie.