She reached for Archer and helped him up. Josie hitched her briefcase and took the first step to the door. She never managed the second step.
"Nobody's dropped the charges, but somebody put up the bail," the young cop said. "Now get his butt out of here."
The door hadn't even closed before Josie turned to Archer. He was pale and shaking. His lips moved once, twice then finally he answered the question she didn't need to ask.
"I don't know, Jo. I really don't."
She tightened her grip on his arm.
"Okay, then. We'll just wait for your guardian angel to come to you. Right now, let's do what the man says and get your butt out of here."
Josie steadied Archer at the elbow. When he walked he walked as tall as he could. The rib wasn't broken, and his breathing was steadying. They picked up his stuff; they walked out the front door. She would have Archer's injuries checked then she would get him home. Josie wanted to talk to John Cooper without Archer listening in. There were a lot of questions. Josie wanted answers and one of the biggest was who had come up with a hundred grand to bail Archer.
Outside Archer put on his sunglasses and took a minute to breathe the air. Josie stood beside him, smelling downtown, listening to the traffic, feeling the proximity of buildings long unused and the oppressive bunker-like structure of the LAPD headquarters behind them. She turned to take Archer's hand but, as she did so, Josie caught sight of two men in her peripheral vision. She turned her head, instinctively moving protectively toward Archer.
They were taking the steps quickly, these two men. The older one walked with his arms by his sides, his bespeckled eyes trained on Archer. The other had a lighter step, his arms swinging freely, his eyes were on Josie as he took the stairs with the grace of an athlete warming up for the big game.
"Josie Baylor-Bates." The younger man greeted her as if they were old friends. He held out his hand. She took it cautiously. "Jude Getts, Getts and Associates. This is my client. He put up the bond for Archer, here. Ms. Bates, Archer, this is Colin Wr-"
If Colin had a last name it was lost in the roar that came from Archer. He lunged at the man in a fury that could only be described as murderous.
CHAPTER 4
"That asshole was Tim's father. For God sake, Jo, I don't want to be on the same planet with that man much less sit across a table from him."
Josie shot a glance at the two men waiting for them at the table. Everyone had calmed down except Archer. After Josie had managed to peel him off Colin Wren – not a difficult task since he wasn't exactly up for an extended cock fight – she had to convince him they at least needed to listen to what these men had to say. Archer pointed out that a hundred thousand dollars in bail didn't come without strings. Josie countered, arguing that any string Colin Wren decided to pull couldn't be worse than the ones that would have tied Archer down to a seat on the bus to the men's prison.
"You'll sit there and you'll listen, Archer. If you don't like what he has to say, fine. But I'm the one who says when we're gone. Don't block a road I may have to walk down just because you don't like this man. I'm calling the shots and you have to know I'm not going to do anything that isn't in your best interest."
"That bastard can't have anything good in mind," Archer muttered. "He left Lexi right after they figured out Tim would never be normal. I'm telling you he's scum, Jo."
Josie leaned back against the wall, never taking her eyes off the coffee shop and their newfound friends. Little Tokyo had been convenient; the New Otani hotel had seemed neutral ground. Josie had never favored the place when she worked downtown but Jude Getts seemed right at home. The guy was slick, his suit was expensive, and every tooth was capped. He reeked of money as did his client. But Colin Wren's money wasn't flashy. His money weighed him down, heavy in pockets that only opened when there was a return to be had. A hundred thousand dollars got Archer out of jail and Colin Wren closer to getting his day in court. Jude Getts' money was lighter than air. Josie was sure it flew out of his pockets as easily as it drifted in. She didn't like the extremes of their benefactors but, practically, there was no choice but to indulge them.
"Okay. Colin Wren is scum. Fill me in," she sighed.
"Nothing. There's nothing I know about him except that he left Lexi to deal with that kid on her own. She worked her butt off, scraped to get him everything he needed. What kind of man does that? What kind of man walks out on a wife and a defective kid?"
"I don't know. But maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt." Her eyes cut toward Archer. "Don't forget. Somebody thinks you killed that defective kid. What kind of man would that make you?"
"It's not the same. I didn't kill Tim but that bastard did take a hike. There's a little bit of a difference."
"Okay," Josie said. "I just wanted to point out that perception is a crazy thing. Let's not speculate. Let's have him spell out what he wants. To get him to do that I want you to sit with the man, try to keep your mouth shut and listen. That's all I want you to do, Archer."
Archer pushed away from the wall.
"He's got ten minutes to convince me I shouldn't take his head off."
"Fine. Ten minutes."
Josie ran a hand through her short hair. She wanted a shower, needed to clean off that odd feeling that she'd left Parker Center marked. Instead, she touched Archer's elbow, a sign for him to move to her step. She went ahead. He followed. They didn't waste any time when they sat down.
"Okay, we're all ears." Josie looked from Jude to Colin.
"You want something to drink? Archer, you must be parched . . ." Jude offered with a conciliatory grin.
"I'm pissed. They don't have a drink for that," Archer growled.
"Can we just get to it, Jude," Colin prompted.
"I realize this must be a harrowing experience. " Jude stopped short. The grin was let go as easily as a balloon on a windy day. His audience wasn't interested in a prelude.
"Bottom line," he went on amicably, directing his comments to Archer, "I'm representing Mr. Wren in a civil action against Pacific Park in the wrongful death of Timothy Wren and your arrest has screwed us up royally."
Jude sat back and opened his hands, offering the floor to anyone who wanted to dance.
"That's rich," Archer scoffed.
Archer crossed his arms on the table in front of him. Josie could just imagine what he looked like full face with his puffed-up lip making it difficult to talk, his purple eye half closed from the bruising. His short nose and close set eyes almost lost in the swelling. He looked bad enough in profile – the Irish boxer beaten to a pulp. Jude Getts didn't mind but Colin Wren seemed absolutely rigid with fear – or loathing – or both.
"First off, last I heard you could only sue for loss of love and affection in a civil action. You could throw in lost wages for someone as young as Tim, but Tim couldn't work because he'd always be a five year old," Archer said to Jude. He swung his head Colin's way. "And, for the record, I didn't see a whole lot of love and affection coming from you when Tim was alive so how do you think you're going to collect now that he's dead?"
Archer sat back, slumped in his chair. He didn't wait for answers.
"Second off, there's a statute of limitations on filing a civil suit. It's been two years since Tim died. So it doesn't look as if it matters one way or the other what happens to me. You're already screwed."
"Almost two years to the day," Jude pointed out. "But that's not a consideration, Archer. We're clear on the statute because we filed early enough. And the reason Mr. Wren didn't think to come to me sooner for help is because he was unaware that his son had died."
"Give me a break. Lexi took care of it even though she was sick as a dog herself."
Archer shot forward again, half out of his chair, planting his hands on the table as if he had to hold himself down. His voice was curdled by the disgust he felt for this man. But Colin Wren had his own take on the facts.
"I never got a letter," Colin
said evenly. "I didn't know that Tim had died until I saw a news story about the other boy who died. They made a point of talking about the other fatality. Two deaths in two years. They talked about Tim by name. I don't think you can imagine the shock of finding out your son – your only child – was not only gone, but killed in such a gruesome manner."
"I'm sure your heart bled." Archer drawled. "You couldn't find two seconds or two cents for your kid while he was alive and now you're going to line your pockets with a nice fat settlement. That is so damn rich."
"I don't have to listen to this. I've made a terrible mistake trying to help you. . ." Colin pushed back his chair. Jude's hand went to his arm. Colin protested to Jude. "I told you. My wife would not let me see my son. I tried. . ."
"An interesting position, Mr. Wren," Josie said quietly. "To blame a dead woman for keeping you from your son. It's the perfect argument, a brilliant way to slip around the problem the loss of love and affection that an absentee father would pose. Was that your idea, Mr. Getts?"
"As a matter of fact it was. I find the truth is often quite effective in a courtroom. And the truth is. . ."
"I don't want to hear it," Archer insisted. "Jo, you said we could walk if this guy pulled anything."
Jude put a hand out, not to stop Archer by force, but to beg him to listen.
"Please, don't leave. We want you to know what we know, that's all. I've got information that will help you and believe me; you're going to need it. I've already been around the block with Pacific Park. They're not going to make it easy for you. I think we can help each other."
He looked at each of them in turn – his client, his client's adversary and finally at the other lawyer, the one who would get it. Josie's eyes met his and he saw that he had won. Distasteful as Colin Wren was, swooping in to feast on Tim Wren's carcass, they needed to listen. Jude lowered himself slowly to his chair and filled them in on the rest of the story.
"We filed three months ago in Superior Court. We're still waiting for substantial discovery documents on this case. Pacific Park has blocked me at every turn. They've been hemming and hawing about their inability to locate the information we want. Judge Bellows cited them for willful indifference and they were sanctioned by the court. I figured they had something big to hide – some mechanical problem with the ride that would make it a slam-dunk for us. Then I heard about your arrest," he nodded at Archer, "and it all made sense. It's a brilliant move. Somehow they convinced the DA that there was a possibility that Tim was killed and that Archer did it. If Tim's death was brought about by murder, then there's no liability on the part of the park. Archer's conviction exonerates them of any wrongdoing – ergo, no payday for my client."
"I told you not to talk like that," Colin snapped. His directive was so quiet that Josie barely heard him; he sat so still she wasn't even sure he had been engaged in the conversation. Jude didn't blink an eye as he corrected himself.
"There will be no settlement for my client. If Archer is responsible for Tim's death we can file a civil suit against him but – and I mean no offense – I doubt the settlement would make up for Colin's loss of both Tim and the bail money he put up."
Jude smiled apologetically as if sorry to have to point out Archer's financial failings with such brutal honesty. Archer, however, didn't seem to mind. He had heard a lot in his day as a beat cop and then a detective. He had mastered the poker-face; he just hadn't mastered it well enough to keep Josie from knowing exactly what he was thinking. She hoped he wasn't going to share those thoughts with the rest of table.
"You must be expecting a helluva settlement if you're willing to write off a hundred grand for me. I can't imagine anyone being so greedy," Archer said quietly, exhaustion getting the best of him. His hand was on his side, his eyes went to Jude. "You're telling me that I'm just an alternative? That Pacific Park would like to see me convicted in order to protect their reputation and their bottom line?" His gaze rested on Colin Wren. "You are telling me that the finest woman I've ever known willfully kept you from your son? You'd like me to believe that you would have bent over backwards to be a good father to that boy if only Lexi had given you the nod?"
"God, you are both so sick. I quit the force so I wouldn't have to listen to crap like this anymore and now, here it is, on my own back step. This all stinks so bad I can barely breathe."
Archer pushed his chair back. He stood up, swallowed some pain, turned around and walked out the door without another word. Josie started to follow but Jude was quick. One hand was on her arm; in the other hand was his card.
"You know this thing is going forward. Come see me. I've got some documentation that will help you get a head start if they go to a preliminary hearing instead of the grand jury," he said.
"So you think he's innocent?" Josie asked, desperately wanting an ally who believed. She wasn't going to find it in Jude.
"I don't care if he isn't. I just want to get on with my business. To do that, I need you to do yours fast and right. It's as simple as that."
Jude's fingers tightened, squeezing Josie's arm as if they had reached some agreement that brought them closer, made them somehow intimate. She shook him off. Josie smiled ruefully. She had been a lawyer like Jude. Thank God she'd come to her senses. Luckily, she hadn't lost them completely. Josie took the card.
"I'll follow you. I can pick up whatever you have now."
"Nice as that sounds, I have a dinner engagement." Jude looked at his watch. His smile was mega-watt and flashed the signal that it was time for him to play. "We'll have to make it in the morning since the day is almost gone."
"Almost gone?" Josie breathed. "Oh, my God, Hannah!"
CHAPTER 5
Josie didn't bother with the garage. The tires of her Jeep Wrangler squealed as she turned into the driveway, threw it into park and jogged around the corner praying that Hannah was safely inside the house. Part of her was frantic with worry because she hadn't been able to reach the girl, the other part was angry that Hannah had forgotten to turn her cell phone back on after school, and all of Josie was awash with shame that this day – of all days – she had forgotten Hannah.
Josie's step slowed, her fear abating when she saw Billy Zuni sitting on the low wall that surrounded her side patio. One of his long legs hung over the side and the other was bent so that he could lean his chin on his knee. His blond hair fell across his perpetually tan brow and Max the Dog sat on the patio, head cocking with each snap of Billy's fingers. Max sensed Josie before Billy did, but as soon as the old dog struggled up and put his front paws on the low wall; Billy looked Josie's way, too.
His grin was as bright as seashells polished by the sand, his eyes sparkled with leftover specks of the mid-summer sun and Josie wondered how his mother could care more about her booze and boyfriends than she did about this kid of the beach. Not that Billy didn't have folks to look after him. Josie looked after him when he ran afoul of the local law; Archer liked him despite the façade that he only tolerated the boy. The ocean loved Billy and he loved the ocean back.
"Hey." Billy slid off the wall, leaned his hip against it and ruffled Max's ears, waiting for Josie to come to him.
"Hey, Billy." Josie lifted her chin. "Is she in there?"
He nodded. His skinny shoulders shifting as his free hand combed through his long hair.
"Yeah. Hannah was really ticked off when she got home, Ms. B."
"I don't doubt it." Josie stopped and mirrored Billy. Her hip went against the wall, her hand went to Max's other ear. "Were you in school today?"
"Yeah, but I kind of skipped sixth period." he admitted with no apology. He pulled his lips tight and screwed them up to one side as if it was his distasteful duty to point out that Josie had made a big mistake. "Hannah didn't have a way home. You could have told me. I'd have brought her home if you wanted."
"I thought I was going to be there to get her," Josie sighed. "I should have been there to get her. It was her first day."
&n
bsp; "Don't beat yourself up. That's what my mom always says. Don't beat yourself up for things you can't help." Josie closed her eyes and prayed for patience at the mention of Billy's mother. She'd like to ring that woman's neck for making Billy believe he didn't deserve any better out of life. Luckily, he couldn't see her eyes behind her dark glasses so he just kept talking. "Yeah, well I was hanging with Carl and we saw her coming and she looked really ticked." Billy's hand left Max's head and he flipped his fingers like he'd just touched something hot. "She was so mad I thought she might, you know, hurt herself. So I followed her and then I stayed to watch. Just to make sure she was okay."
Josie looked at the house. It was shut down tight and all the blinds were drawn. Hannah could have sliced herself into lunchmeat and Billy wouldn't have a clue. Still, he'd done his best.
"How did Max get out?" she asked.
"I knocked on the door to see if Hannah was okay. When she opened it Max came out. Then she threw the leash out, too, so I took him down to the pier and came back. I've just been here. You know, kind of watching." Billy took a deep breath; his shoulders rose but his concave chest barely registered the breath.
"You're a good kid, Billy."
"Thanks Ms. B. I figured whatever kept you had to be bad. I tried to tell Hannah that, but she didn't want to hear it."
"It was bad, Billy." Gently Josie pushed Max down and let herself through the little gate. She thought for a second and then decided there was no upside in keeping quiet about what had happened. She turned back to Billy. "Archer was arrested this afternoon. They're charging him with murder."
"Dude," Billy breathed, his face registering such disbelief that Josie almost put her arms around him.
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