'You'll have your witnesses, we'll have ours.'
They're standing out by the elevator when Gordon says, 'Oh. Just to add a jalapeno to the chili? As to this story about Dr. Ng trying to contact my client and being rebuffed by an attorney — we have a signed statement from Dr. Ng denying that anything of the sort ever happened. So I don't know where Mr. Wade got his information, but you can bet that we'll sure as hell ask him under oath.
'But seeing as how Mr. Wade is a convicted perjurer with a history of planting evidence… well, Mr. Wade, you be thinking now about which you'd rather be, the husband or the wife.'
Gordon starts to get into the elevator but does a dramatic about-face instead.
'Oh, I almost forgot,' he says. 'Mr. Wade is sleeping with Ms. del Rio, who stands to gain insurance benefits if they're denied to my client. We have investigator's photographs of them leaving his condominium together rather early in the morning. Which smacks of collusion to me. We also know how to make prosecutors aware of testimony in a civil trial.
'Fifty million to settle,' Gordon says. 'Over and above, of course, the claim itself. The offer is good for forty- eight hours, gentlemen. Give you some time to get the money together.'
Gordon steps into the elevator. Has to push the Hold button, though, because Nicky Vale stops and puts his arm around Jack's shoulders.
Whispers into Jack's ear, 'You should have learned the last time.'
Which is when Jack realizes he's been set up.
81
Big time.
Is what Jack's thinking as he races back to the Vale house, hoping he's not too late.
The setup. Nicky Vale wasn't happy just to collect on the claim. Nicky wanted the big bucks, the winning ticket to the California Litigation Lottery, so he put out just enough bait to lure you into denying the claim and then snap.
The hook.
And reeled you right in.
You are very stupid, Jack Wade.
He is too late.
They bulldozed it.
Jack pulls up to the house, he can see that the west wing is down.
The only thing standing there in its place is Accidentally Bentley.
With a uniformed deputy.
'Thought you might show up, Jack,' Bentley says.
'When did this happen?'
'This morning,' Bentley says. 'I advised Mr. Vale that the burned portion of the house represented a safety hazard and that he needed to take care of it. You wouldn't want a liability claim, would you, Jack?'
So the evidence is gone, Jack thinks. The holes in the flooring, the splash patterns on the joists.
He says, 'I have two sets of photos and videotape, you asshole.'
'Yeah, you have samples, too,' Bentley says. 'Get out of here, Jack. You're trespassing.'
'Where'd you get your samples?'
'From the house,' Bentley says. 'Before you came.'
'How much is Nicky paying you?'
'Get out, Jack. Before I arrest you.'
'No, what's your cut?' Jack asks. 'How much pension do you get off the dead woman?'
'Walk away now, Jack.'
'You set me up, Brian.'
'You set yourself up,' Bentley says. 'You always do. I tried to tell you, don't dick around with this thing. You just couldn't help yourself, could you?'
'This isn't over.'
'Believe me, Jack. It's over.'
Jack gets back in the 'Stang and drives over to Monarch Bay.
Pulls up to the gate.
'May I help you, sir?'
'Where's Derochik?'
'Guy who usually works this shift?'
'Yeah,' Jack says. 'Do you know where he is?'
'No, do you?' the guard asks. 'He just calls up, says he isn't working anymore. Puts us all in a jam.'
'Do you know where he lives, where I could get hold of him?'
'You find out, you let me know.'
Jack knows he'll try to find out but he also knows that he's not going to find Mike Derochik. Derochik is probably in another state already.
Jack drives over to the Monarch Bay Shopping Plaza, to the drugstore. He already knows what he's going to find.
Or what he's not going to find.
Which is Kelly.
There's another chemist behind the counter.
'Is Kelly here?' Jack asks.
The woman smiles at him. 'Another broken heart. No, Kelly quit. Very suddenly.'
'Do you know where she went? Where I could get hold of her?'
'Yes and no,' the woman says. 'Yes, I know where she went — no, I don't know how you could get hold of her.'
Jack's not in the mood for games.
'What's that supposed to mean?'
'Sorry,' the woman says. 'It's just that I've had my fill of Kellys. If you were smart, so would you. Kelly flew off to Europe last night. Met a 'great guy' who's going to give her the world. So unless you can give her the world, I think you're out of luck, Kelly-wise.'
I don't think luck has anything to do with it, Jack thinks.
They knew every move.
Every move I made.
He drives over to Pacific Coast Mortgage and Finance.
He's not even out of the car when Gary comes bopping out.
'Hey, Nicky came through,' Gary says. 'Paid the balloon early.'
'Is that right?'
'Yeah, dude, we were worried for nothing.'
Yeah, dude.
Like very fresh.
Surf on.
Jack finds Ng at home.
A nice tract house on a cul-de-sac in Laguna Niguel. The house newly painted a pale blue. Basketball hoop bolted to the garage at the end of the driveway.
The medical examiner comes to the door in a T-shirt and pajama pants.
'I was sleeping, Jack,' he says.
'Can I come in?'
'Why not?'
Jack follows him into the house. Ng leads him into a small room that must be the doctor's study. Antique
