Time Bomb

cover it, know what’s going on in terms of every part of it. And when I see changes I don’t like- erosion- I step in.”

He paused for dramatic effect, a dime-store Cicero.

Dobbs said, “Sam-”

“Hold on a minute, Lance. I want the doctor here to know… where I’m coming from.” Another big smile. “How’s that for your contemporary lingo? Where I’m coming from. And where I’m coming from is a posture of professional responsibility for my district, wanting… needing to know if standards are being compromised, the boundaries loosened up any further. Wanting to know exactly who’s in charge.”

“In charge of what?”

“Systems. Systems of influence. Educational systems. Psychiatric treatment systems. Anything that influences impressionable young minds.”

Dobbs smiled and said, “Dr. Delaware, given what the children have been through, we obviously need to make sure they’re being given optimal treatment.”

“We?”

“We,” said Massengil. “My team.”

“Dr. Dobbs is part of your team?”

Another flash of ocular Morse code.

“He’s on the team,” said Massengil, boasting but sounding oddly defensive. “Along with lots of other good people.”

Dobbs said, “I’ve worked extensively with the Assemblyman’s staff- management seminars.”

“You bet,” said Massengil, too quickly. “Top-notch stuff.” He ticked off on his fingers. “Foundations of Character. Pathways to Leadership. Spiritual Growth in Service of the Soul.”

Dobbs smiled, but seemed wary, a drama coach watching the performance of an unreliable ingenue.

Massengil said, “We’ve all of us benefited from Dr. Dobbs’s input- the whole staff has. So you see, we’re not opposed to your line of work per se, as far as it goes. But we just need to know who’s doing it. Lance is someone we know and trust, because he understands the real world, the realities of the district. Real life and its spiritual underpinnings. That’s why he was asked to treat those kids after the earthquake, why he’s exceptionally qualified to treat these youngsters.” Wide smile. “Now, all of a sudden you’re involved, which is fine as far as it’s gone- we appreciate your enthusiasm and we thank you kindly. But we don’t know who you are, what your background is.”

I gave him my academic credentials, using the long form.

He half-listened and stroked the bell jar. “Sounds fine, sir. But you still haven’t answered the main, important question.”

I said, “Am I gay? No, I’m not. But Detective Sturgis is my friend- do you think I’m in danger of catching it?”

The creases around his eyes tightened into paper cuts and his fingers curled on the desk top. Clawing the glass, whitening the horny nails. But he kept smiling, showed those brown teeth. “No telling what can be caught nowadays, right? Bottom line, we’re all after the same thing, aren’t we?”

“What’s that?”

“Cleaning up the mess. Doing right by those youngsters. Seeing to it that they become good citizens. I’m sure you want that just as much as we do, now don’t you, Doctor?”

“Right now,” I said, “I’m less interested in teaching them civics than in helping them sleep through the night.”

His smile faded.

Dobbs said, “All Assemblyman Massengil is saying is that values are crucial when working with these children- any children. Maintaining an order.”

“What kind of order?”

“A system of values. Being overt and aboveboard with one’s personal value system is a necessity in clinical work- one that’s too olden neglected. Children need that kind of security. The knowledge that their significant others believe in something. Surely you wouldn’t disagree.”

Massengil said, “Let’s get down to brass tacks, Doc. We greatly appreciate everything you’ve done. I’m sure you’ve made a great start, psychology-wise. From now on, though, Lance’s people are gonna take over. The way it was supposed to be in the first place.”

I said, “I can’t agree to that, Assemblyman. Breaking off and starting with someone new would only confuse the children further- weaken whatever sense of security they’ve rebuilt.”

He gave his head a choppy wave. “Don’t you worry about that. I’m sure Lance will be able to remedy that.”

“Absolutely,” said Dobbs. “If you’re using a standard crisis-intervention mode, it should be no problem to transfer from one attachment figure to-”

I said, “Come on, Doctor. The last thing the children need is more unnecessary change.”

Before he could answer I stood and looked down at Massengil. “Assemblyman, if you’re really interested in their welfare, keep your politics out of their lives and let me do my job.”

Massengil put his hands on the arms of his chair, sucked in his breath, and rounded his shoulders as if preparing to himself up. But he stayed in place, all the tension rising to his face, compressing and darkening it, like meat turned to pemmican in the sun.

“Politics, eh? Like that’s some sort of dirty word? Like it’s somehow criminal to want to serve God and country? I’ve got news for you, young man. People don’t want to hear that kind of libertine guff anymore. They respect competence, experience, know who their leaders are, where the bedrock lies.” He shook a finger at me. “If it’s politics you find so objectionable, let me tell you something. Your homasexual friend got his promotion ’cause of politics. He called you in ’cause of politics. And this whole mess started in the first place ’cause of politics-those kids and the agitators behind them are making a deliberate choice to bring politics into their lives every morning they get on that bus from Boyle Heights and head west! So if you want to talk about politics, let’s talk about the whole damned picture!”

I said, “I’m not concerned with any of that. All I care about is helping them deal with being shot at.”

“Wasn’t them. Me! I was the target. Because of what I stood for. Put in the cross- hairs by some vicious radical punk trying to erode the boundaries!”

“Is that what you told ATD?”

He hesitated for a moment, looked at Dobbs, then back at me. “What I know is my business. Preservation and erosion. Fact is, it’s about time someone took charge of that school, set things right. Place is nothing but an open sore on the face of the district, social experimentation at the expense of stability. I try to talk straight about it and nearly get gunned down in cold blood. There’s your being shot at!”

He was breathing hard and his fingers had left wet marks on the glass.

Dobbs said, “Sam. Assemblyman.” He made a faint wiggling motion with one hand, then lowered it, like a magician de-levitating an assistant. Massengil settled back down and let out breath.

“All right, Doctor,” said Dobbs. “Let’s emphasize cooperation, not confrontation. Work together. I’d be happy to integrate you into my program.”

All smiles.

I remembered what Linda had told me about his earthquake “program” and shook my head. “That would be pointless, Dr. Dobbs. I’m well into my treatment; the children are responding well. There’s simply no reason to complicate things.”

The smile lingered but turned condescending. “Are you sure that isn’t ego talking, Doctor?”

“Not ego,” I said. “Just good common sense.”

“A contradiction in terms, if there ever was one, Dr. Delaware. If good sense was common, we’d both be out of business, wouldn’t we? Same goes for good values.”

“Values,” I said. “Like truth in advertising?”

He pursed his lips. Before he could get them in gear, I turned to Massengil and said, “Yesterday, at the school, I met one of Dr. Dobbs’s staff, handing out cassette tapes. Misrepresenting herself as a psychologist and claiming a doctorate she didn’t have. Two violations of the state business code, Assemblyman. How’s that for