and said, “This is Randy Scheffer. I’ve been doing a lot of work for him this summer.”
“We’ve been threatening these fucking credit reporting agencies with a massive lawsuit all summer. It’s great. I’d love nothing better than to drive them under.” Randy laughed again, looking at me. “Forgive my French, I’ve probably had too much wine already.” He winked at us and smiled. A man walked by and handed Randy a full glass on his way past.
“So what do you do, my young Oliver?” Randy asked.
“Liz and I go to school together.”
“Oh God!” Randy exclaimed, never losing his wide smile. “You poor straight bastard. And you looked like you had so much more sense than that.” He shook his head and bowed it slightly. “Tragic. Just tragic.”
“Ollie’s spending the summer at Kohlberg & Crowley,” Liz interjected.
“Oh, that’s unfortunate.” Randy smiled and slapped my shoulder. “You must really like to torture yourself.”
“Oh, hey,” Liz exclaimed, “Randy is the guy I was telling you who went to school with that one lawyer who defended your guy.” I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head.
“You know. The guy who defended your client. What was his name?”
“Oh!” I finally made the connection. “Oh yeah, Garrett Andersen.”
“Oooh, Garrett Andersen.” Randy smiled. “Yeah, I know him. Not well, I mean I went to school with him. I see him around, too. If you know what I mean.” Randy raised his eyebrows and stared at both of us. We did not know what he meant. “Have you met him?”
“No,” I said, “I’ve never even seen him.”
“Well, I saw him at a fundraiser just a few weeks ago. That man is as hot as ever. It’s too bad he’s such an arrogant prick.” Randy leaned in a little closer. “Still, he’s a hottie. I only wish I’d had gone out with him in law school when I had the chance.”
I must have had a strange look on my face because Randy smiled. “You didn’t know he was gay?”
“No.”
“Well, let me tell you, he may come off straight, but that man is as queer as a Mormon at Mardi Gras.” Randy patted me on the shoulder again, nodded at Liz, and said, as he walked away, “I’m only eating seven more of those chicken wings and then I’m cutting myself off.”
“Wow,” I looked at Liz, “the wings aren’t so great, but the gossip’s top notch.”
“That’s so funny.”
“I know.” I watched Randy from across the room. “I wonder what else he knows.” I put another wing in my mouth and went to find out.
An hour later, when I finally managed to corner Randy and ask him, all I got was, “He loves anagrams” and “He’s smart as hell. Supreme Court clerk, you know. But beyond that, he really is an outstanding lawyer.” Join the fucking chorus, I thought.
We lingered outside on the deck where a fire burned in a small adobe kiln, casting more light than heat and serving mostly to add atmosphere. There were lemons and oranges hanging from the trees. I stared up into the night. The sky was dark and clear but starless, the rest of the universe obscured by the smoke and dust and lights of Los Angeles. Liz leaned against me. There, beneath the night sky, on a bluff above the Pacific Ocean, I could feel her breathing. A soft breeze came in off the water and I imagined for a second that there were ghosts tied to strings walking among us.
13
I was weeks into the summer and both the case and my life were adrift. Sliding sideways, if not backward. I had to focus. I had to shake the tree a little harder, to borrow one of Jendrek’s lines, and I figured the best place to start was with the biggest tree of all. So I got up early and drove to the prison.
The mere fact that I’d come to see him again seemed to encourage Steele. He took a seat across from me at the same drab metal table we’d sat at before and grinned. He seemed hopeful, and his desire for good news really made me wish I had some.
“I’ve got to be honest with you,” I began. “I’ve spoken to just about everyone, and we don’t have much to go on.”
He didn’t seem surprised, but his hope was not diminished. “You’ve spoken to Matt’s mother? His sister?”
“It was the same old story. Nothing new.” I flipped through my notepad. I suddenly regretted coming. The room remained damp and cold and Steele