your service.”
“Like I give a rat’s ass what you think.”
“A wise man once told me that people generally behave in the same manner toward everyone. You might want to consider the trails that you’re blazing, Wellstein. You meet the same people on the way down as you met on the way up, if you get my drift.”
Jesse walked over and opened the door.
“Happy trails, pardner,” he said.
—
Rita Fiore on line two,” Molly said.
Jesse picked up the call.
“Rita?”
“We’ll take it,” she said.
Jesse didn’t say anything.
“We want to interview Goodwin as soon as we can. Once that’s done, we’ll file a motion to set bail. If it’s okay with you, my associate and I would like to head up to Paradise now.”
“Okay.”
Rita didn’t say anything.
After a moment, Jesse said, “Why?”
“Why did we take the case?”
“Yes.”
“Obviously we’ll know more once we’ve had a look at the paperwork and conducted some interviews, but let’s just say that we’re intrigued. We also have interest in the climate issue. We appreciate Mr. Goodwin’s concerns about the worldwide water crisis. Regardless of the outcome, Cone, Oakes looks at this case as a means of further advancing the cause for reconsideration of this issue. We expect that the case will generate a fair amount of media attention.”
“Which is why you decided to take it?”
“Partly. Yes.”
“You lawyers are a strange lot.”
“Tell me about it,” she said.
—
The firm of Cone, Oakes, and Baldwin has agreed to handle your case,” Jesse said to William J. Goodwin.
“Why would they do that,” Goodwin said.
“You’ll have to ask them yourself. Rita Fiore is on her way here now.”
“Will she get us out of jail,” Ida Fearnley said.
“After she has a better handle on each of your stories, I believe she’ll seek bail.”
“What do you mean,” Goodwin said.
“I’m a cop, not a lawyer. But it’s my understanding that after she interviews each of you, she’ll petition the court on your behalf.”
“To get us out of here,” Ida said.
“Yes.”
They were all silent for a while.
“I’ve heard of this Rita Fiore,” Goodwin said. “She’s supposedly quite good.”
“You need someone quite good,” Jesse said.
“So I realize,” Goodwin said.
56
It’s Rita,” Molly said.
Jesse picked up the call.
“They made bail,” Rita said.
“So they’ll be getting out?”
“As soon as possible. Can I ask a dumb question?”
“Will it be a hard dumb question?”
“He’s strange, isn’t he?”
“Why would you say that?”
“He was surprisingly evasive. I told him we’d need access to his financial records. Also we’d need to interview the officials at state who refused to speak with him.”
“And?”
“Maybe it’s just me, but he seemed peeved.”
Jesse didn’t say anything.
“It’s probably just me. In any event, they’re getting out. He ponied up bail for the three of them. I’ve made an appointment with him for tomorrow. In the meantime, I’ve got my associate and my investigator swarming all over it. We’ll see what they uncover.”
Jesse didn’t say anything.
“I’ve got goose bumps, Jesse,” Rita said.
“Goose bumps?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I’m hoping it’s not because someone’s walking on my grave,” she said.
—
You ever been to Daisy’s,” Jesse said.
He pulled his cruiser into traffic and headed west. Courtney was sitting beside him.
“What’s Daisy’s?”
“Only the finest diner in all the land.”
“Yeah, right,” Courtney said.
“You’ll see.”
They were silent until Jesse pulled into Daisy’s lot and parked.
“Voila,” he said.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because it’s time for lunch.”
“What if I don’t want lunch?”
“You don’t really have a choice.”
She looked at Jesse.
He got out of the cruiser. After a moment, Courtney got out as well. They went inside.
Daisy showed them to a booth and offered them menus, but Jesse waved her off.
“Two turkey burgers with cheese, sweet-potato fries, and at least one vanilla shake. Courtney, this is Daisy. Daisy, Courtney.”
“Hi, Courtney,” Daisy said.
“Hi.”
“You gonna join the big guy and accessorize your burger with one of my famous shakes, guaranteed to clog your arteries and do serious damage to your heart?”
Courtney smiled.
“Does it come in chocolate?”
“Does the Pope wear a cassock,” Daisy said.
“Chocolate.”
Daisy smiled at them.
“Two health-food specials,” she called out to the chef.
