terrified. He knew he’d really
messed up.” Jade shook her head. “Somehow the old woman managed to untie
herself and called the police, who got there just in time to arrest Richard’s
friends. Naturally, they rolled over on him and daddy just about had a heart
attack. I’d never seen him that mad. I don’t think it was so much what Richard
had done; they didn’t hurt the lady, just scared her half to death, but rather
the fact he was so damned stupid. The prosecutors took this very seriously and
he was lucky to only get two years in Youth Camp. There was talk of trying him
as an adult, which would have been disastrous. Nonetheless, when he got out, he
was different. He never talked about it, but I could see it in his eyes. He
went back to school and even did pretty well for a while; he’s far from dumb.
As we got older we started going out together on the weekends. I went to USC
and took pre-law but after graduating from high school, Richard didn’t do much,
just waited for life to come to him.”
“I suppose that’s when he got interested in
knives.”
Jade thought for a moment. “Actually, that was
earlier. Cicero used to always say
that a knife was a great equalizer. Richard apparently took that to heart.”
“Apparently.” She looked at me quizzically, but I
didn’t comment further.
“Part of the reason I prolonged my relationship
with Ron was because I thought he might be good for Richard. They seemed to
like each other and I thought Ron was a pretty stable, normal guy. The truth is
I was grasping at straws. I’ve been doing that for a long time with Richard.”
“Jade, unfortunately Ron is a little too normal.
He said no when Richard wanted him to say yes.”
“That’s Ron,” she replied ruefully, “just an
average guy.” She brightened momentarily. “You know, he’s really a very good
actor. I don’t know about the movies, but he’s excellent on the stage. I saw
him last fall in a local production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, put on by a
Culver City theater workshop. He played the alcoholic husband, the character
Paul Newman played in the movie version. He got a standing ovation.”
Her cell phone rang and she looked at the screen.
“I have to take this.”
I smiled, ‘sure.’
“Hello, James…yes, he’s right here.”
She handed me the phone. I could smell her perfume
on it and wondered if, just for a moment, if this was as close as I was ever
going to get to her lips. The thought evaporated when I heard his voice.
“Nick,” barked Halladay in what is best described as hard, authoritative. “I
need to talk to you right away at my office. Something’s come up that you
should know about.”
“I can be there in 30.”
“Sooner if you can. You know where we are and
don’t say anything to Jade.”
I stood up and walked away out of earshot, passing
in front of the homeless guy. Perhaps disturbed by my presence, he pulled his
head down out of the clouds, watching me vaguely as if there were an invisible
film between us.
“About what?”
“Her father. I assume you’ve figured it out by
this point.”
“Correct.”
“We’ll tell her, of course, but before we do, we
need to be sure what the fuck we’re talking about.”
I couldn’t argue with that. “Agreed.”
“Tell her to lay low and be careful. She’s kind of
like a daughter to me and it would kill me if anything happened to her.”
“On my way.” I handed her the phone. “Jade, you
have to stay alert. I’ll see you
after work in the lobby at Waldrop & Hemsley, and we’ll decide what to do.”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s a very good chance we’re being followed
right now.”
Her eyes widened and I saw the fear in them.
I flicked my eyes toward the homeless guy who had
been contemplating his naval. She looked at him and frowned. He stood up, gave
us a quizzical look, and wandered off across the garden.
Jade’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh shit, that’s Officer Koncak.”
We
messed up.” Jade shook her head. “Somehow the old woman managed to untie
herself and called the police, who got there just in time to arrest Richard’s
friends. Naturally, they rolled over on him and daddy just about had a heart
attack. I’d never seen him that mad. I don’t think it was so much what Richard
had done; they didn’t hurt the lady, just scared her half to death, but rather
the fact he was so damned stupid. The prosecutors took this very seriously and
he was lucky to only get two years in Youth Camp. There was talk of trying him
as an adult, which would have been disastrous. Nonetheless, when he got out, he
was different. He never talked about it, but I could see it in his eyes. He
went back to school and even did pretty well for a while; he’s far from dumb.
As we got older we started going out together on the weekends. I went to USC
and took pre-law but after graduating from high school, Richard didn’t do much,
just waited for life to come to him.”
“I suppose that’s when he got interested in
knives.”
Jade thought for a moment. “Actually, that was
earlier. Cicero used to always say
that a knife was a great equalizer. Richard apparently took that to heart.”
“Apparently.” She looked at me quizzically, but I
didn’t comment further.
“Part of the reason I prolonged my relationship
with Ron was because I thought he might be good for Richard. They seemed to
like each other and I thought Ron was a pretty stable, normal guy. The truth is
I was grasping at straws. I’ve been doing that for a long time with Richard.”
“Jade, unfortunately Ron is a little too normal.
He said no when Richard wanted him to say yes.”
“That’s Ron,” she replied ruefully, “just an
average guy.” She brightened momentarily. “You know, he’s really a very good
actor. I don’t know about the movies, but he’s excellent on the stage. I saw
him last fall in a local production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, put on by a
Culver City theater workshop. He played the alcoholic husband, the character
Paul Newman played in the movie version. He got a standing ovation.”
Her cell phone rang and she looked at the screen.
“I have to take this.”
I smiled, ‘sure.’
“Hello, James…yes, he’s right here.”
She handed me the phone. I could smell her perfume
on it and wondered if, just for a moment, if this was as close as I was ever
going to get to her lips. The thought evaporated when I heard his voice.
“Nick,” barked Halladay in what is best described as hard, authoritative. “I
need to talk to you right away at my office. Something’s come up that you
should know about.”
“I can be there in 30.”
“Sooner if you can. You know where we are and
don’t say anything to Jade.”
I stood up and walked away out of earshot, passing
in front of the homeless guy. Perhaps disturbed by my presence, he pulled his
head down out of the clouds, watching me vaguely as if there were an invisible
film between us.
“About what?”
“Her father. I assume you’ve figured it out by
this point.”
“Correct.”
“We’ll tell her, of course, but before we do, we
need to be sure what the fuck we’re talking about.”
I couldn’t argue with that. “Agreed.”
“Tell her to lay low and be careful. She’s kind of
like a daughter to me and it would kill me if anything happened to her.”
“On my way.” I handed her the phone. “Jade, you
have to stay alert. I’ll see you
after work in the lobby at Waldrop & Hemsley, and we’ll decide what to do.”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s a very good chance we’re being followed
right now.”
Her eyes widened and I saw the fear in them.
I flicked my eyes toward the homeless guy who had
been contemplating his naval. She looked at him and frowned. He stood up, gave
us a quizzical look, and wandered off across the garden.
Jade’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh shit, that’s Officer Koncak.”
We
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