Page 51 of Fade Out

“Absolutely. And they often are.”

“I’m going to talk to the parents tonight. Gloria Silver is taking me to a black-tie dinner.”

“Somebody’s going to have an unpleasant evening.” I wasn’t entirely sure whether he meant them or me.

“Rita’s accomplice is named Mike Mazur, also known as Possum. He was in Bill Appleton’s wedding, but later raped a friend of his wife’s.”

“Charming.”

“I think he may be the one who actually killed Hillary.”

“Makes sense.”

“There weren’t any indications of rape, were there? Can you call the medical examiner and ask?”

“No, I can’t call Padma. I got an earful for going around the ASA. I’ll have to call Tony Stork.”

“Can you reach him on Saturday?”

“Of course, I have his home number.”

“Do you?”

“You have a filthy mind. Anyway—I’ve been making calls. Steven Head has been a snitch before, which is perfect. A jury might believe he heard one jailhouse confession but not two.”

“Especially if you crush him like a bug on the stand.”

“I won’t be doing the cross-exam,” he said. Of course, I knew that. The firm he worked for wouldn’t put him in front of a jury. He was too gay. It was very likely they’d hold that against him. Someone else from his firm would lead at trial. Someone less, well, less Owen.

He went on. “I’ll also remind Tony that Rita is not the only one who knows his secrets.”

“You’re going to blackmail him? Isn’t that unethical?”

“Darling, if my sensibilities werethatdelicate all my clients would be in prison and no one would ever pay me.”

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, so I said, “I have to get ready.”

“Call me tomorrow and tell me everything,” he said, as though we were just two gossipy friends and not a lawyer and his client.

* * *

When I gotout of the shower, all clean and carefully shaved, I heard someone in the apartment. Wearing a towel, I came out of the bathroom and said, “Hello.”

“Hi,” Brian said.

Something in that tiny word made me ask, “What’s going on?”

He shook his head. “I’ve been with Ross, that’s all. They gave him a lot of drugs. It helps with the breathing tube, but he’s not very aware—”

“That doesn’t sound like a bad thing.”

“You need to see him.”

“I know. It’s just—”

“You’re in a lot of trouble,” Brian said. “I’ve told him, so I think he knows why you’re not there. But still—”

“I’ll get over there tomorrow.”