of the Lord.”
“Why don’t we start with me just being your lawyer?” Steve said.
“Sure, Steve,” Johnny said. “We want you to set us up as a church under the laws of the State of California. I want to do it up right. I’ve decided to go into the ministry.”
“He’s got the anointing,” Neal said.
“The what?” Steve said.
“God has set me apart,” Johnny said. “That’s the way he used to do it. Anointing with oil. Making people holy. Now it’s done by the Holy Ghost. I didn’t ask for it, Steve. It just happened.”
“In prison?”
“That’s right. Best thing that ever happened to me. Do you know the story of Joseph in the Bible?”
“Jesus’ dad?”
“No, way back. Joseph, son of Jacob. Jacob favored him and Joseph’s brothers got bent about that, faked his death, sold him into slavery.”
“Okay.”
“Joseph ends up in prison, but God is with him, right? God eventually makes it so Joseph is head dude in Egypt, right behind Pharaoh. There’s a famine, Joseph got Egypt to save up food, then Joseph’s brothers come down there looking for food, and that’s how God gets Jacob’s family down to Egypt and saves them. See, Joseph says it was all God’s plan.”
“Prison was God’s plan? I should use that with my clients.”
Neal laughed.
“So what do you say, Steve? You can be part of God’s plan, too.”
Steve wasn’t sure about that. “Setting up a church shouldn’t be too hard. The law is pretty liberal when it comes to religious organizations.”
“That’s your job, then. Make us legit. Neal’s got another five thousand for you. And there will be more, Steve. I can see you being like an in-house counsel. What would you say to that?”
“You making an offer?”
“Suppose I did? Suppose it meant a steady income?”
Steve cleared his throat and looked at Ezekiel the dog. He was staring at Steve like he wanted to get to know him. Or his ankle.
“First,” Steve said, “I have a question. Last night a couple of feds came to see me at my apartment. They knew we were talking at Wendy’s. Maybe they had me or you under surveillance. I’m guessing you, because you’re the one who would be easy to watch on parole.”
Johnny said, “Isn’t that what I’ve been saying?”
“What exactly is it about?” Steve said.
“They just don’t leave you alone! They don’t think a guy can change. A guy does his time, and they’re waiting when he gets out! Can you do anything about this, Steve?”
“I have to know what it’s about first.”
“It’s nothing but a fishing expedition. They’ve been in our face for years. I just want serve the Lord, and this is what they give me. Steve, can you do anything to stop the harassment?”
“Well, your parole status is High Services. That’s a break.” In California, a parolee with a record like Johnny’s would usually be classified as High Control, which has the most restrictions. Johnny must have been a model prisoner.
“You do have a search condition,” Steve said. “They can work with the local departments and search you or drug test you without probable cause.”
“This is worse than North Korea!”
“What is the local situation here? You have run-ins with the sheriff or anything?”
Johnny and Neal exchanged looks. “Mott? He’s been around forever. He doesn’t hassle us. No need. We keep to ourselves.”
“As long as you’re not doing anything wrong—”
“Who says we’re doing anything wrong?” Johnny said.
“Nobody,” Steve said.
“Then don’t put it that way.”
Silence. A little wind blew threw the pines. Johnny put on an easy smile.
“Do what you can to get me legitimized,” he said. “I’m going to have a ministry and we’re going to need a good lawyer. There’s guys in the flock who still have some legal troubles. Maybe you can help them too. And as an organization, I’ll need somebody I can trust, really trust. That’s why I’ve come to you, Steve. God has given you to me.”
Ezekiel barked. Loud. Startling Steve. Someone was coming out the back door.
19
He was someone out of the biker outlaw hall of fame.
He had a hacksaw face and arms forged in a prison yard. If he wanted to advertise his ex-felon status, Steve thought he couldn’t have done it any better. A lot of exes, who could no longer vote and knew they’d never get very far in society, let it be known they didn’t give a rip. This guy was one of them, from his T-shirt with no sleeves to the jeans and boots.
Johnny didn’t seem all that happy to see him.
“This your