Rage (42 page)

“Did
that end the relationship?” said Milo.

“What
relationship he was a tool what ended it was Marty being a loser screwing up a
pitch meeting and coming home early and finding us not that I cared about Marty
it was the way he reacted Daney just scurrying off with his you know what
tucked between his legs.” She flipped her hair. “My motto no wimps no losers no
complications.”

“How’d
Daney react to your breaking it off?”

“Called
me kept calling me finally he gave up.”

I
said, “Why do you think he punctured the condom?”

“You
tell me you’re the psychologist,” said Weider.

“Could
he have wanted to get you pregnant?”

“No
because he didn’t like kids.”

“He
told you that?”

“Sure
more than once he said his wife wanted them she couldn’t have them he said no
way he didn’t want the hassle.”

“He
confided in you.”

“He
talked about everything I couldn’t get him to shut up what’d he do anyway?”

“You
never asked him to explain why he’d tried to puncture the condom?”

“I
told you he gave me that stupid story and I hit him upside the head I didn’t
care what his story was the main thing was do things my way.” Another hair
flip. “I don’t think it was pregnancy per se I think it was sperm.”

“Pardon?”

“S-P-E-R-M
he thought his was the elixir of the gods he’d go off on these long speeches
about his you-know-what and how it was the magic wand of the future you could create
cities countries continents with a teaspoon he’d get like that after he had his
glorious three minutes all he wanted to do afterward was raid my refrigerator
and blab.”

“Magic
sperm,” said Milo.

“He
was really into it really weird obsessive what’s that other word— fixated
that’s a psychological term right that’s what you guys call it fixated.”

I
nodded.

Milo
said, “Daney had a sperm fixation.”

“Want
to know what I think about Daney I think he was a fixation sperm egomaniac
everything about him was so so important he even started thinking he was an
attorney thought he could tell me how to run my case believe me that didn’t
last long I put him in his place.”

I
said, “The Malley case?”

“He
watched too many movies had all these ideas these bad TV movie ideas like
cross-examine the cops until they wore themselves out or shift the blame to the
kid’s father so there’d be reasonable doubt I said shutup this isn’t Perry
Mason the little bastards were caught with the body they admitted they did it
I’ll get the best deal for them but they’re going away and that’s what
happened.”

“Daney
wanted to blame Barnett Malley.”

“He
said I should dig into Malley’s background and find out if Malley and the
mother were getting along and if there was some sort of conflict I could
suggest Malley hated the wife and the kid hired those two little bastards to
kill the kid I said you’re insane that’s the stupidest thing I ever heard of he
said not if Troy backs it up I could talk to Troy Troy trusts me Troy would say
anything I tell him to because we have rapport— ”

“Daney
knew Troy that well?”

“He
knew him from working as a youth worker that’s a laugh a youth leader who
doesn’t like kids he kept trying to convince me with his stupid story finally I
threatened to stop sleeping with him told him what you’re asking me to do is
suborn perjury you idiot the facts are clear the best we can hope for is
extenuating circumstances rough childhood abuse neglect all that if you can
find me some abuse some real abuse I’ll go to the damned judge with that but
otherwise stay out of it— can you take off these cuffs?”

Milo
said, “Going to behave?”

“Haven’t
I?”

“You
haven’t had much choice, Sydney.”

“Even
without cuffs what’s my choice you’re three times my size in your arms I’m a
little girl.”

Hair
flip.

Milo
said, “One screwup and they go back on.”

“Fine
I get it you’re the boss the man you call the shots.”

He
made another trip to the backseat. Sydney Weider said, “Ahh it’s like Joni
Mitchell said you don’t know what you got till it’s gone so why all these
questions about Daney he finally do something real stupid?”

Milo
walked around the car, got in back, and sat next to her. “As opposed to
small-time stupid?”

“Exactly
he was always small-time stupid.”

“How
exactly did you meet him?”

“Another
case,” she said. “Another little psychopath Daney doing his youth work bullshit
he calls offers to help any way he can I figured why not maybe he could put a
letter in the kid’s file for sentencing.”

“Same
thing he did for Troy,” I said.

“That’s
the way it is at the P.D. ninety-five percent of what we did was process guilty
people and angle for the best deal— ”

“Remember
the name of the other little psychopath?”

“Some
Latin junkie he shot some other junkies downtown I got it pled down to
manslaughter Nestor something . . . Almodovar that’s it Nestor
Almodovar.”

Milo
didn’t correct her. “Daney wrote a letter for Nestor.”

“Your
basic character reference Nestor was a good kid rough childhood extenuating
circumstances blah blah blah.”

“And
Daney just happened to be working on another of your cases?”

“No
no no,” said Weider, “Daney called me asked me to defend Troy at first I didn’t
want to do it because believe me I was putting in the hours who needed the
hassle but he kept working on me telling me I was the smartest D.P.D. in the
office which happened to be true then I figured why not it could be
interesting.”

“How
so?” I said.

“Interesting—
” Weider repeated. Then she stared at me, went silent, twisted her mouth
nonstop, as if compensating for the lack of sound.

Milo said,
“Interesting as in high-profile. As in getting your name in the paper.”

Weider
turned toward him. “Why shouldn’t I get some of the good ones you put in the
hours why not get a little coverage?”

“And
a movie deal,” said Milo.

Weider
did the open-shut thing with her mouth again. More panting, more lip
acrobatics. She snapped her head away from Milo and stared out the window.
“That was after the case resolved nothing illegal about that it happens all the
time.”

“Was
the movie your idea or Daney’s?”

“His,”
she said, too quickly. “He used to say look at Marty such a total loser but
he’s driving a Mercedes and lunching at the studio commissary even though with
all that opportunity he still couldn’t produce anything better than grade C
made-for-TV crap.”

“Daney
figured he could do bet— ”

“He
figured if he had Marty’s opportunities he’d own a studio.”

“Delusions
of grandeur,” said Milo.

“Doesn’t
stop anyone else in Hollywood,” said Weider. “I could tell you stories besides
I knew why he was talking himself up like that.”

“Why?”

Smug
smile. “To get himself hard that’s what he’d do when he had problems he’d talk
himself up and put Marty down that’s what it’s all about for men out-dicking
the other guy.”

“Still,”
I said, “you took the movie idea seriously.”

“What
do you mean?”

“Didn’t
you and Daney take meetings?”

“Everyone
takes meetings you stop taking meetings the industry shrivels up like Daney’s
you-know-what when he got nervous.”

“Everyone
takes meetings but so did you.”

“Yeah
I went I took it as seriously as anything else why not what was there to lose
do you guys have anything to drink I’m really thirsty.”

“Sorry,
no,” said Milo.

“Damn
I’m parched that’s why I hate . . .” Her head dropped. Staring
at her legs.

“What
do you hate?”

“Pills
dope poison I refuse to take anything to hell with stupid doctors the best
thing for stress is activity work off the toxins speaking of which I’m starting
to feel really confined could we walk a little take a little stroll— ”

Milo
said, “Who set up the meetings?”

“I
did Daney tagged along thinking he was smooth— ”

“Not
Marty?”

“Marty
gave us some names big deal I already knew them from my father he had a Rolodex
to die for don’t listen to anything Marty tells you he’s nuts— ”

“Do
you have a copy of the treatment?” I said.

“No why
would I?”

“Ever
register it with the Writer’s Guild?”

“No
why would I?”

“Isn’t
that basic procedure?”

“If
you care,” she said. “I lost interest after a couple of meetings you could tell
from the reaction it was going nowhere fast that’s the way it is in the
industry you’re insta-hot or insta-not stupid mistake my one mistake.”

“What
was that?”

“Letting
Daney write it he put in the same old crap he’d wanted me to use with Troy.”

“Blaming
Barnett Malley,” I said.

“Blaming
Barnett Malley but kicking it up to an absurd level now Malley was some kind of
serial killer obsessed with power and control and body parts.”

“Sounds
a bit like Daney himself,” I said.

“Hey,”
she said, merrily. “You must be some kind of shrink.”

M
ilo said, “I’ll take you home, Sydney.”

“I’m
still thirsty could we stop somewhere?”

“If I
pass a place, I’ll get you a Coke.”

“How
about Joya Juice there’s one near my house.”

As we
left the park, she turned silent and fidgety.

I
said, “What was your impression of Cherish Daney?”

“Drew
said she was a real religious type wanted kids a whole bunch of them a brood
was the term he used but she couldn’t have any she was sterile it was an
issue.”

“Not
having kids?”

“Adoption
she finally accepted she couldn’t have her own decided she wanted to adopt was
really obsessed with adopting even a kid from China Bulgaria Bolivia one of
those places he didn’t want it didn’t want the commitment I said what about
foster kids that way she gets to play mama then they leave and you’re off the
hook and you get paid.”

“Drew
like the idea of fostering?”

“He
loved it said brilliant Syd you’re a genius that’s what he called me
Syd
extremely
irritating big burr in the saddle but he kept doing it a real loser when we get
to Joya I’d like something with pineapple in it okay?”

* * *

She
directed him to the juice bar, just north of Sunset, in Palisades Village. He
left her cuffed and went inside.

Women
who looked like Weider were all around. She sank down and lay flat on the rear
seat. I asked her about Barnett Malley but she claimed to know nothing about
him.

“No
impressions?”

“Why
would I he was the other side?”

“Daney’s
theories never got you curious?”

“That
was bullshit.”

“What
about Malley riding the rodeo?”

“What
are you
talking
about?”

* * *

Milo
returned with a giant cup and a straw. She sat up and said, “Take off the cuffs
I need to hold it.” He leaned into the car and held the straw to her mouth. She
said “Oh c’mon,” but drank greedily, cheeks deflating. When she stopped for a
breath, a speck of froth remained on her lower lip. Milo wiped it off.

She
looked up at him with fear. “Please let me hold it.”

“No
more problems?”

“I
promise really.”

“Gonna
avoid issues with the neighbors?”

She
smiled. “What do you care about that you’re a big-issue guy it’s Daney you’re
after obviously he’s done something serious but I don’t even care what.”

“No
curiosity?”

“I
don’t live in the past the past is like a dead body just keeps rotting and
stinking may I have another sip please and can you please take off the damned
cuffs?”

“You
and Drew don’t talk anymore?”

Hoarse
laugh. “Haven’t talked to that loser in seven years what do you think I’m going
to call him tell him you were here that’ll be the day if he ever tried to get
near me I’d cut off his you-know-what.”

“Bet
you would,” said Milo. He freed her hands and handed her the cup. She sipped,
remained docile and silent during the ride back to her house.

When
we got there, Milo helped her out of the car. She stood looking at her front
door as if she’d never seen it before. Milo took her by the elbow and walked
her up the drive. Halfway there, he hung back. She stopped, flipped hair,
flashed teeth, said something that made him smile. Stood on her tiptoes and
pecked his cheek.