Dragon’s voice was barely audible. “I was supposed to shoot Gould. I had the gun in my hand, aimed. I thought I was ready, but… Joy swore at me, took the gun. She pulled the trigger. I couldn’t do it…”
“Will you say that in court?”
Dragon hesitated. “What do I get if I do?”
“First degree manslaughter.”
“Second degree.”
“No way, Dragon, first degree, eight years minimum. And only if you blab everything about everything. I’m being kind to you.”
Later, after both Fielding and Dragon were booked, she said to Carlos Light, “Why do I feel like we’ve made a pact with the Devil?”
“Because we did. We couldn’t’ allow both to go free. This way he gets some time, Dr. Joy lots of it.”
“I suppose.”
“How about coffee and a churro, guapa, I’m buying.”
“I do wish you’d quit calling me guapa.”
“How about bellisima?”
He was grinning at her, but the leering, insouciance was gone. He merely teased her now. She thought a little better of him. “I’ve been up all night, I need to go home.”
“You need to relax, then sleep. Trust Dr. Light, he is never wrong.”
He was a good lawyer. He had handled Dragon and Fielding like a pro. She liked that. And he certainly was good-looking. “I–I have to…”
She felt his hand on her elbow, turning her toward the door. Why not? What was wrong with a cup of coffee with a colleague? She pulled her arm away. “I’m sorry, I can’t, I have to go.” She ran from him.
Both set out to spend the day normally. Doreen went to her shop, while he drove the homeless around in the Care Wheels van. He’d even been distracted-some.
In mid-afternoon he picked her up at the shop and drove across town to Van Zant’s office. Neither had anything to say. That was okay, except the silence wasn’t particularly comfortable.
Strange. He could usually read Doreen’s thoughts. Not today-probably because he couldn’t fathom his own. Is this what it’s like to contemplate one’s doom? A morass of disorganized thoughts and silence? Try as he would, he could not think of dying. He didn’t even know how to start, and he’d always been a rather resourceful person. Do you tote up your accomplishments and regrets? List things to do? Plan a fling? Contemplate one’s Maker-and how do you do that?
He glanced at Doreen. What was she thinking? Pondering the joys of widowhood? No, that’s nasty. She was capable and self-reliant with a life of her own. But they sure would miss each other.
Stop it, Byerly. You haven’t even picked out the undertaker yet.
The wait in Van Zant’s office really wasn’t very long, but it seemed eternal. Doreen had brought her knitting- it always did calm her, she said-but her knuckles were white against the needles. A blood vessel throbbed in her temple. He’d never noticed that before.
“The doctor will see you now, Walter.”
The nurse held a door open. Doreen charged through it. Van Zant sat at his desk, looking down at some papers.
“I know you don’t want me here, doctor, but he’s my husband, this is my life and-”
“Of course I want you here, DeeDee.” He smiled at both, motioned to chairs across from his desk.
Byerly sat, Doreen didn’t.
“It’s cancer, isn’t it?” she said.
“Wouldn‘t you rather sit first, DeeDee?”
“Stop pussy-footing around. Tell me the truth.”
“Very well, yes, a carcinoma was found.”
“I knew it, I knew it.” She clasped her hands over her mouth. “Oh God…” She breathed deeply once, twice. “Oh God, how much time do we have?”
Phil Van Zant looked at her, started to laugh, then suppressed it. “Why don’t you have a seat, DeeDee?”
“I don’t want a seat, dammit. How long does Walter have?”
Now he laughed, quite heartily. “How would I know, DeeDee? He could be hit by a car leaving my office. Maybe lightning will strike as we sit here. There are always coronaries and strokes, various contagions that take a man when he least expects it. Shoot, Walter might even die of cancer.”
She gaped at him. “But you said…”
“Walter has prostate cancer, but chances are he’ll die of any or all the aforementioned before his prostate does him in.”
Byerly pulled Doreen down into her chair. “I’m on Doreen’s side, Phil. How can I have cancer, yet-”
Doreen jumped up. “I know, you’re going to operate, take it out, He’ll be okay then, right?”
Byerly pulled her down again. “Please, Doreen, with you talking, who can learn anything?”
She glared at him. ”Maybe you can take cancer in your good ol’ male chauvinist stride, but I’m fighting for my life, my life with you, my…happiness.”
Phil Van Zant laughed again. “You’re doing a good job of it, DeeDee. And I thought I was the bearer of good news.”
“Good news?’
“Yes, DeeDee, Walt’s cancer is of a very slow growing variety. Chances are he’ll die of other causes before it gets him, as I tried to tell you.” Van Zant looked at him. “I thought you’d be more pleased, Walt.”
“I am, I guess. I just don’t understand.” He sighed. “Maybe I don’t like having a foreign growth inside me. Isn’t there some kind of treatment?”
“It’s called watchful waiting. We test you regularly, keep an eye on it. If anything happens, we should have plenty of time to remove it before it becomes a danger to you. You’re going to be fine, Walt, trust me.”
Doreen was having as much trouble believing all this as he was. “Isn’t there something for Walter to do?”
“Of course, keep on doing whatever he has been.”
“You mean, he’s okay?”
“That’s exactly what I mean, DeeDee.” He stood up. “I’ll see you in six months, Walt.”
28: Toasts All Around
She recognized the beautiful face at once. “Why Hyacinth, how good to see you!”
“Do you remember me, DeeDee?”
“How could I forget, but what brings you to my shop?”
“I was walking by, saw your sign and…remembered you…as so…very nice…to me.”
DeeDee put her arm around her. “My dear, you’re crying, what’s the matter?”
“Everything.”
She remembered. “Didn’t your movie work out?”
Hyacinth wailed and shook her head at the same time. “It was horrible. Mr. Dragon sent me to a…porno flick. They wanted me to…and to-”
”You needn’t explain, dear, I can imagine.”
“I wouldn’t do it… I couldn’t. It was too…awful!”
“Of course, you couldn’t.” She hugged her. “I’m so proud of you.”
“You are?”
“Lots of girls wouldn’t have your courage.” She touched her chin. “Hyacinth, I want you to hold your head up and show that beautiful smile. Don’t be discouraged. You’ll get your movie career, if that’s what you want.”
She smiled. “Thank you, DeeDee, you’re-”
“Are you going back to your old job?”
“I can’t, not with Mr. Dragon there.”
