Character Witness (26 page)

''
Impressive, Kathleen. Very impressive, indeed.'' Gerry smiled but the light of it dimmed, the words were hard for him to get out.

She closed the door gently. Behind her Gerry whispered to himself.

''
Oh Lord.''

''
What's your pleasure? Chinese? Japanese? A burger? Johnny Rocket's?'' Michael ticked off the list. Kathleen sat beside him, her head leaning against the upturned window, the air-conditioning blowing her hair back from her face. ''Are you not hungry, or just not listening?''

''
Michael. I'm sorry. I am hungry. In fact, I'm really, really hungry.'' Kathleen scooted around so that she was cradled between the door and the seat. ''But I can't eat until I have some answers. Would you be up for a little drive?''

''
Mountains, beach, downtown, desert? You name it, I'll head that way.''

''
You're scary, you know that. You're far too obliging. Don't you have any faults?''

''
Stubborn. That's what I am. If I didn't have that fault, I'd be somewhere else making a ton of money, driving a great car. I'd have fabulous babes falling all over me instead of sitting in a ten year old BMW, sticking my tongue out at Tysco managers who've all but forgotten why they hate me, with a. . .''

''
Thirty-year-old lawyer who doesn't quite know what she's doing and talks like she's been breathing helium?''

''
With one fabulous babe,'' he whispered, laying his arm across the back of the seat, making sure his fingers touched the back of her bare neck. She believed him.

''
Thanks for that.''

''
Thanks for giving me something to care about again. I was digging that rut pretty deep at Tysco. I'm glad you fell into it.'' Michael touched her hair. He touched her arm. ''You're cold. Sorry.''

He flipped the switch and the air went from hurricane force to a mechanical version of a breeze. Kathleen crossed her arms and rubbed. Goosebumps marched under her short sleeves, under her bodice and across her chest. Air-conditioning had nothing to do with her goose bumps.

''
Wow,'' she whispered.

''
Yeah. Twelve years on the road and still going strong. I don't know many marriages you can say that about, much less cars.'' Michael readjusted some of the vents then sat back, satisfied. Kathleen took in every nuance of his body, every inflection in his voice and packed them away in her memory so she'd have something to dream about in case he got tired of chasing around with her.

''
You're a really nice man, Michael.''

''
And you are a really nice lady. So I think we'll just assume that we will keep exploring how really nice we can be together.'' He gunned the engine and threw it into gear. The car purred. ''But right now, what is it you want to do?''

''
I want to see Sarah Booker. I want to ask her about this thing at work and get her perspective on it. I want to find out how mad Lionel was at Jules Porter. I've got her address. Is it far?'' She showed it to him, noticing the gold streaks that shot through his hair when he leaned over to look.

''
No problem. I have a general idea where it is. It's the mountains just above Malibu. We'll find it.'' He sat up. ''So, eat first or drive first?''

''
Drive,'' Kathleen said, and he did. He was already in traffic when Kathleen confided, ''I can't do what Gerry wants me to do. I'm not good enough to defend Lionel if I'm not telling the truth. I'm not as good as Gerry thinks I am.''

Michael opened his mouth, but changed his mind about what he was going to say. Instead, he covered Kathleen's hand with his own and said:

''
Let's just talk to Sarah.

CHAPTER
ELEVEN

By the time Michael turned the car around and headed back through the canyon for the third time to begin at the beginning, Kathleen had come to two conclusions. Southern California was an amazing land of contrasts. She'd been impressed by the difference between Banning and Beverly Hills. Marina del Rey and the ocean were fabulous; West Hollywood was more than colorful. Now up the coast from Santa Monica, and inland from the ultra rich Malibu colony, there were mountains full of brush and canyons that looked like fairytale forests. It was also amazing that Sarah Booker seemed to have lost herself.

''
There it is.''

Kathleen peered through the Hansel and Gretel dark. The sun had set an hour ago. Signs that were difficult to read in the light of day were almost impossible in pitch black. There were no lights on the road and the few homes that could be seen at all were hidden by trees and bushes, accessible off small tangential roads. Michael turned the car onto a narrow paved road and Kathleen relaxed. Asphalt: the bread crumbs of the modern age.

''
There are people in the desert who live like this. Way out, away from everyone. Most of them are crazy.'' The sound of her voice added another dimension to the comfort of the asphalt.

''
You spent time with Sarah Booker,'' Michael reminded her. ''Do you think she's crazy?''

''
I wasn't thinking about Sarah. I was worried about breaking down before we find her. I don't want to ask to use the phone at one of these places.'' Kathleen lifted her chin to indicate a house nestled behind a stand of eucalyptus. Three pick ups defined the perimeter, two were on blocks. A Confederate flag covered the front window and an ax leaned leisurely near the front door. They were past it before Michael could look, even if he had the inclination.

''
Keep the map handy, but I think we're just about there. If this is the access road, the Booker house should be just up at the top. Boy,'' he mumbled, focusing on his task, ''Lionel must have had to start at five in the morning to get to work on time.''

''
Not my idea of fun,'' Kathleen replied before they fell silent.

The map was open on Kathleen's lap but she didn't bother to look at it. Her eyes roamed the forest as if it were an alien landscape. It all seemed blacker than black, yet the moon was full and there was enough light to see that there was nothing to see but shadows and shapes and imagined spooks. This was the kind of place where people disappeared. This was the kind of place where hikers happened upon bodies in shallow graves.

''
Here we go.''

He slowed, pointing the headlights at a free-standing, bright-blue mailbox . A gray whale had been lovingly painted on the side, its huge mouth opening to gobble up whatever the postman brought.

''
This is the place,'' Kathleen laughed quietly. ''Lionel drove Louise crazy with the whale thing.'' The map crackled as she shifted her weight. Sitting straighter she strained to get a better look at where they were going.

''
Doesn't she sound special? I don't think I've ever met anyone who hates whales.'' Michael took his foot off the brake. He maneuvered up the long drive which was really nothing more than a wide clearing through the forest. Michael stretched his right arm. His shoulder popped. ''You did tell her we were coming, didn't you?''

Kathleen shook her head. ''I was afraid we'd scare her off if I called.''

Anxious, she leaned forward. Images of Sarah Booker came at her fast and furious, all jumbled up with Louise's pronouncements and her own observations. It was Louise's assessment of the lady that won out. Sarah Booker was a mouse, small enough to skitter through an opening where Kathleen certainly couldn't follow. A phone call would have been wrong, Kathleen was sure.

''
What if she's not home?''

Michael pulled to a stop, stretched his arm across the seat and put his hands against Kathleen's neck as they sat in the dark. She trembled when he did. She wanted to throw herself into his arms. Lust was the last thing on her mind, the need to hide from - something - was the first. A specter in the night had skittered over the hood of the car and poked its pallid puss through the windshield.

''
She'll be home,'' Kathleen said firmly.

These were only trees. She was used to the desert. This was a canyon and down was not her favorite direction. She was anxious because she'd made a decision on her own without asking anyone's permission, to intrude upon this person. She still wasn't used to that - making decisions or intruding. Nor did she like the claustrophobic feeling of the night here. But those same trees, this same dark, probably made Sarah feel safe.

''
I wouldn't bet on that.'' Michael draped both arms over the steering wheel as he studied the well kept cottage in the partial illumination of the headlights. Every window was dark.

''
Maybe she goes to bed early. The car is here.'' Kathleen pointed. Michael looked. The nose of a Volkswagen peeked out of the shed to their right.

''
You want to wake her up?'' Michael's eyes were on her, blacker than the night and, to her credit, Kathleen was able to look right into them without any thought but to do what they'd come for. The sooner they did that, the sooner they'd be out of here and looking at each other over a glass of wine. Then she would have very different thoughts.

Kathleen's touched the door handle. ''After everything it took to get here, I'll camp out before we drive back again.''

''
You'd be sleeping on the ground alone,'' Michael chuckled. Simultaneously they got out of the car and closed the doors behind them, leaving the headlights on. Standing side-by-side they considered the house.

''
This is a neat place, isn't it?'' Kathleen whispered. Gone were the creepy crawlies of a few minutes ago. ''It looks just like I thought it would. Sarah and Lionel were probably very happy here.'' Relaxing, Kathleen put her hands on her hips and breathed in the clean still air. ''I'm glad I came. Seeing this makes me realize that there is no way Lionel Booker committed suicide. He wouldn't have wanted to leave this.''

Kathleen took a step toward the house. Night dust danced in the twin beams that burned two holes through darkness.

''
And the drugs?''

''
There's got to be some explanation for that. It just doesn't add up. Oh look, a raised garden. . .''

Kathleen's heels crunched on the gravel that transitioned the drive to the area around the cottage. Michael reached for her arm, his mouth open to warn her about the uneven lay of the ground. Kathleen turned her head. She was smiling. His fingers brushed her arm. That's when it happened.

The wooded silence erupted with a deafening explosion. A bright light flashed to their left. Then it flared again and disappeared like ball lightening. Kathleen wasn't sure if another explosion came the second time since her ears were still ringing from the first horrendous noise. The ground around them seemed to implode but it was only the kick of buckshot slamming into it that made it shudder and sputtered beneath their feet.

Kathleen screamed at the same moment Michael hurled her to the ground. Her head hit hard, her shoulder was on fire with pain. Before she knew what was happening, Michael rolled atop her, driving the air out of her from the bottom up like a toothpaste tube.

Another shot. She bucked and screamed again. Michael barked an order Kathleen didn't understand, but she figured he wanted her to be quietly hysterical She whimpered and took flash-card comfort from the fact that she wasn't alone. She didn't have long to linger over the thought. They were moving. Turtle-like Michael rose slightly and flipped her over, ordering her to high-tail it to the raised garden, the only protection within twenty yards. Breathing hard, they threw themselves toward it, rolling on their backs behind the wooden forms. No more than a foot high, there was at least enough cover to afford them a moment to think.

''
Okay. Okay.''

Michael whispered as he squeezed Kathleen's hand tight. Hers shook so hard her bones seemed to rattle. His were steady, dry and strong. His breathing was even, hers came in ragged bursts. Michael's heart beat tight and fast in his chest, the proper controlled combat reaction. He could only imagine what Kathleen's heart felt like if his was thundering in his body. He rolled his head her way. The ground was hard packed and well kept. No loose dirt to blind them, only a few stones to cut them. These were good things, he would tell her that when she calmed down. She wasn't about to listen now with her cheek pressed down hard as if she could squash herself into the earth. Her eyes were covered by her hair. With his free hand Michael brushed it away.

''
We're fine. We're fine. Kathleen, I need you to open your eyes.'' He put his fingers on the side of her throat, leaving them there until he could feel her breath coming in deeper gulps. The panic left her reluctantly. ''Okay, honey. Okay. That's it.''

He was careful to keep his voice lower than low. The enemy was about and every sense he had was reaching out to the world around him trying to figure out where that enemy was. When he was sure Kathleen was breathing almost normally, Michael lifted his head slowly. In another moment his eyes would just clear the wooden forms. In another second. . .

''
Sarah! Sarah! Call the police!''

Michael cool under fire, jumped out of his skin and flattened himself again. Rolling over Kathleen, he clapped his hand over her mouth and slapped his cheek against hers so hard their jaw bones ground painfully against one another.

''
Shut up. Kathleen, shut up, for God's sake,'' he hissed, but either she wasn't listening or couldn't respond. Kathleen's mouth worked against his fingers. ''Quiet.'' His hand tightened until he could press no harder. Her eyes flew open, big and bright, blue and horrified. ''Quiet. Okay?'' He pushed once more for emphasis. This was no game and she'd hurt a lot more if she couldn't figure out how to play it now. Whoever was out there with the gun wanted them dead. Those were shots that missed their mark, not a warning to stay away.