Sunset Express

Truly shrugged and looked apologetic. 'Look, I didn't realize that Lester was Langolier until I saw his picture in the paper, okay? As soon as I knew I notified Jonathan. We called the district attorney's office and filed a brief about it this afternoon.'

Kerris said, 'There's a reason they call it "coincidence."'

I said, 'No secrets?'

Jonathan shook his head. 'I'm sorry that I've left you out of the loop. An effort like this is such a large undertaking.'

'Like the Gulf War.'

'That's right. There are no secrets here.'

I said, 'What about the lies here? You knew Pritzik and Richards were dead when you attacked the police this morning.'

Jonathan frowned as if I were a child he had once thought backward but now stubborn. 'I'm disappointed, Elvis. Clearly, you don't understand a team effort, or my obligations as a defense attorney.'

Truly shook his head. 'What a spoilsport. This case has made you a celebrity.'

I said, 'Spoilsport?'

Kerris said, 'How about "prick?"'

I looked at him, and Kerris shifted away from the wall. Jonathan said, 'No, Stan.'

I smiled at him. 'Kerris, anytime you want to go for it, I'm available.'

Jonathan said, 'No, Stan.'

Kerris settled against the wall again, and still the empty eyes did not move. The black guy was grinning at me. So was the other idiot.

I looked back at Jonathan Green. 'You're right, Jonathan. I don't appreciate it. I quit.'

Jonathan said, 'I'm sorry to hear that, but under the circumstances I understand.'

Kerris said, 'You want I should walk him out?'

I said, 'Kerris, if you walk me out you won't make it to the door.'

Kerris said, 'Oo.'

I walked out of the office and slammed the door and stood in the crowded living room until my pulse slowed and my ears stopped ringing. The room was so crowded and so noisy that no one heard the door slam. Foiled again. I wandered around for twenty minutes before I found Lucy and Tracy Mannos talking by the pool. Willis and the other guy were nowhere in sight. Just as well for Willis. I said, 'Excuse me.' My face felt tight, and obvious. 'Luce, could I see you please?'

Tracy Mannos handed Lucy a card. 'It's been fun, Ms Chenier. Call me when you get the chance.'

Lucy smiled at her, then Tracy Mannos walked away. Lucy said, 'Interesting woman.'

'I'm glad you're having a good time.'

She looked at me. 'What's wrong?'

'I am no longer a member of the Big Green Defense Machine. It would probably be appropriate for us to leave.'

Lucy stared at me. 'What happened?'

'I quit.'

We got the car from the valets and found our way back to Coldwater and climbed the mountain to Mulholland. 'I'm sorry that we have to leave this way. I know you were excited about meeting Jonathan.'

'I don't care about Jonathan. Are you all right?'

I told her about Truly and Lester. I told her again about Mrs Earle, and about Jonathan making the misleading statement about Pritzik and Richards. I said, 'I don't get it. The guy's Jonathan Green. He's an All-World attorney. What does he think he's doing, behaving in this manner?'

She looked at me. 'He probably thinks he's doing his job.'

I shook my head.

'It's his job to attack the prosecution's case. That's how he creates reasonable doubt.'

'Is it his job to lie?'

'No, but you're assuming it's a lie. Reasonable people can disagree and have opposing interpretations of the facts. It's Jonathan's job to present an interpretation that's favorable to his client. It would be malpractice for him to do otherwise.' When she said it she was stiff and testy, and it felt like we were having a confrontation.

I said, 'What's wrong?'

'Nothing's wrong.'

'Are you mad that we had to leave the party?'

'Why are you staying with this? I told you that nothing is wrong.'

'Fine.'

'Fine.'

I turned on k. d. lang. k. d. sang, but I'm not sure either Lucy or I listened. Neither of us spoke.

Peter Alan Nelsen's black Range Rover was parked off the road across from my house, waiting. I said, 'Looks like they're home.'

Lucy still didn't speak.

We parked and went inside. Peter and Ben were on the couch watching a laser disc of When Worlds Collide. The house smelled of popcorn. Peter yelled, 'Hide the babes, Ben! It's the police!' Peter always yells things like that.

Ben said, 'Hi, Mom. You shoulda seen the neat stuff on Peter's set!'

'You can tell me in the morning, sweetie.'

Lucy walked across the living room and into the guest room and shut the door. Ben and Peter looked at me. I said, 'I guess she's tired.'

Peter said, 'Oh, yeah. Looks that way to me.'

I frowned at him, and then I stalked up to the loft.

Another fun evening in Tinsel City.

CHAPTER 20

Sometime before sunrise the cat's door made its sound, then, a few minutes later, made its sound again. Come and gone.

When the eastern sky was lit gold and the great glass steeple opposite my loft with rilled with copper I pulled on gym shorts and slipped down the stairs. The door to the guest room was closed. I went out onto the deck and breathed the cool morning air and did twelve sun salutes from the hatha yoga as the finches and the sparrows and two mockingbirds watched. The canyon was still and quiet and just beginning to fill with light. I did one hundred push-ups and one hundred sit-ups, enjoying the rhythm of the count and the feeling of accomplishment that came with the exertion and the sweat.

The cat climbed onto the deck and watched me from the corner of the house. He didn't look happy.

I worked through the stronger asanas, starting with the half locust, then the full, and then the scorpion and the peacock. The air warmed and the sweat began to flow more freely, and then I saw Ben standing in the glass doors, his face thoughtful. I said, 'You're up early.'

He nodded. Upset about last night, maybe.

'Come on out.'

Ben came out. He was wearing baggy pajama bottoms and a white T-shirt. When he came out the cat lowered his ears and growled. Ben said, 'He doesn't like me.'

'It's not you. He doesn't like anyone.'

'He likes you.'

I nodded. 'Yeah. He likes me and Joe, pretty much, but he doesn't care for other people. I've never known why.'

The low gutter of his growl spiraled up into his war cry and I grew worried he might charge. I'd seen him charge, and it wasn't pretty. I said, 'Knock it off.' Loud.

The growling stopped.

'That's better.'

His ears stayed down, but at least he didn't leave.

Ben crossed the deck to the rail, keeping one eye on the cat, and looked out at the canyon. He put his weight on the rail, then leaned out. He said, 'Hawks.'

Two redtail hawks were gliding low over the canyon. 'They're redtails. They nest up the canyon.'

He bounced on the rail. 'I think I heard coyotes last night. Was that coyotes?'

'Yep. A family lives by the reservoir.'

He bounced faster, then edged along the rail and bounced more. Nervous. I guess he hadn't come out just to look at the hawks. 'Your mom and I are going to work things out, Ben. It's okay.'

The bouncing stopped and he gave me the same eyes that he'd given me when we'd first met, eight-going-on-nine and taking care of his mom. 'She was crying.'

I drew a deep breath. I squinted at the canyon, then looked back at him. 'Is she crying now?'

He shook his head. 'I think she's sleeping.'

'She's upset about something, but I'm not sure what.'

The bouncing was over, but he still looked uncomfortable.

'She say anything?'

He looked down at the deck, and seemed even more uncomfortable.

'She seemed okay until Darlene called.' I watched him. 'After Darlene, she seemed kind of upset.'

Ben looked at the cat. The cat's ears were up now, and he seemed calm. Ben said, 'She's fighting with my dad.' Fighting.