I was silent. ”And?“ Quirk said.
”And I don’t know what else, yet. I need a little time.“
”I don’t have any to give you,“ Quirk said. ”I got lawyers from Zenith Meridien and the TV network and the governor’s office and the Jill Joyce fan club camped outside my office. The D.A. wants my badge.“
”Marty,“ I said, ”he molested her as a child. She saw him killed.“
The silence on the line was broken only by the faint crackle of the system.
”You got her up there with you?“
”Yeah.“
”What kind of shape she in?“
”The worst,“ I said.
”Susan seen her?“
”Not yet.“
More crackle on the line. Behind me Jill watching the fire move among the logs.
”You can’t keep her up there forever,“ Quirk said.
”I know.“
”What are you going to do?“
”I don’t know,“ I said. ”I don’t have a long-range plan. Right now I’m figuring out lunch.“
”How long you need?“
”I don’t know.“
”You know how Zabriskie got killed?“ Quirk said.
”Yes.“
”You planning on sharing that with me?“
”Only off the record.“
”Gee, I love being a homicide cop,“ Quirk said. ”Get to ask people lots of questions and they have no answer.“
”It’s L.A.’s problem,“ I said.
”True,“ Quirk said.
Again we were silent, listening to the murmur of the phone system.
”I’ll do what I can,“ Quirk said.
”Me too,“ I said.
We hung up.
Susan Silverman showed up at noon. She came in along the driveway too fast, like she always did, in her white sports car, only this time there were three mongrel dogs in it with her. They came out as she held the door for them, gingerly, sniffing carefully, the two junior dogs watching the alpha dog. After a moment of sniffing, they apparently established it as appropriate territory because they began to tear around, noses to the ground, investigating squirrel scent and bird tracks. Susan had brought with her a trunkful of groceries, and she was starting to unload them when I came out of the house.
”Time for that in a moment,“ I said and put my arms around her. She smelled of lilacs and milled soap and fresh air. She hugged me and we kissed and then we carried in the bags.
Susan smiled at fill when she went in, and said, ”Hi.“ Jill gazed at her without reaction. We went to the kitchen end of the cabin to put the groceries away.
”She talk yet?“ Susan said.
”No.“
”What’s she been doing?“ I told her. Susan nodded. ”What do I do with her,“ I said.
”You can’t help her,“ Susan said. ”If you’re right about her life she needs more than you can ever give her.“
”I know.“
”But you may be able to help get her to a point where she can be helped,“ Susan said.
”By giving her time?“
”Yes, and space, and quiet. Try to get her healthy. Eat more, drink less, some exercise. But don’t push it. All of her addictions are probably symptoms, not causes, and will yield better to treatment when the source of her anguish is dealt with.“
”Thanks, doctor,“ I said. ”Care to shtup me?“
”How could I resist, you glib devil, you?“
”Can you wait until evening?“
”Anxiously,“ Susan said.
