Long Lost - James Scott Bell Page 0,30

brother?” the guy said.

“What are you doing here Rennie?” Johnny said.

“I gotta have a reason to come over?”

Rennie met Steve’s eyes with a cold, steel gaze. For a long moment he looked Steve up and down. If he was a member in good standing of Johnny’s “church,” Steve was going to have to say something about the social customs being taught.

“Hey, Rennie,” Johnny said, “this is Steve.”

“Hi,” Steve said.

A simple nod from Rennie. Then he looked at Neal with an expression Steve couldn’t quite read, but didn’t fall on the friendly side of the ledger. There were tense crosscurrents all over the place. Ezekiel watched, coiled, like he’d spring any second, like he expected something to happen. Fresh meat.

Rennie said nothing more, then turned and walked over to the dog. The dog started jumping around. Rennie knelt and put the dog’s head in his hands. The dog started licking Rennie’s face.

“Friendly sort,” Steve said, quietly so Rennie wouldn’t hear.

“Rennie’s a work in progress,” Johnny said.

Rennie got up and walked back into the house, the dog barking.

“Zeke!” Johnny shouted. “Shut up!”

The chastened dog did as he was told. Johnny, who seemed to have unchallenged authority over people, apparently had the same over the animal world.

Johnny said, “God. He’s just amazing. You’re here. We’re together. This is just awesome. Now I got a question for you, little bro.”

Steve waited.

“What happened to you after I got kidnapped? I mean, what was your life like?”

“Not a real smooth ride,” Steve said.

“Can you tell me about it?”

“I don’t know. Our dad killed himself. Did you know about that?”

Johnny nodded slowly. “You remember much about him?”

Steve shook his head. “Mom didn’t talk about him much. Once she said something about his being no good and I was better off. But I don’t think she ever got over thinking you were dead. She died when I was ten. Cancer. Did you know about that?”

Johnny shook his head. “Must have been tough on you. What happened to you after that?”

“Went into the foster care system. Woo-hoo.”

“No relatives?”

“Back east, Mom had a sister.”

“I never knew that.”

“Aunt Kate was her name. Not one of the good people. She didn’t want me. I went through a couple of foster homes, ended up with a couple named Rust. They were good to me, but by that time I was . . .”

“Go ahead.”

“Nah,” I said.

“Drugs?”

Steve shrugged. “I got through school. I was pretty good at it, despite all the other stuff.”

“You got through law school,” Johnny said. “That’s something.”

“It wasn’t the best school. Not your Ivy League. But yeah, I got through and passed the bar and everything, and did okay. Worked for the DA’s office for a couple of years before I had my problem.”

“The coke thing?”

Steve nodded.

“Marriage trouble?” Johnny asked.

“Oh, that’s another great mark on my record. My divorce is almost final.”

“Tell me about her.”

“A lawyer. Like me. Met her in law school as a matter of fact.” Steve paused to catch a glimpse of the memories flashing around in his head.

Johnny said, “Whose idea was it? The divorce I mean.”

“I drove her to it, no doubt about that.”

“Kids?”

“No. Probably a good thing.”

Johnny put his hand on Steve’s arm. “Then this is a new start, Steve. Your new family. You and me. It’s God’s plan.”

Steve didn’t know whose plan it was, but it did feel like Johnny was extending the thinnest of reeds. If Steve grabbed it, it could keep him from being carried downriver, toward the falls.

Steve grabbed. “I want to get to know you again,” he said.

“Same here, bro. And now we have all the time in the world.”

20

“Good news,” Steve said on the phone as he drove through Verner. “I’ve got a client.”

“And?” Sienna Ciccone said.

“A paying client.”

“Is it Mr. LaSalle?”

“The same. And here is something that will interest you. He wants to form a church.”

Pause. “What kind of church?”

“A Christian church of some kind. That’s why I’m calling you. I figure you can help me figure out all that religious stuff.”

“Stuff?”

“Yeah. My brother wants to be a minister. He’s a convicted felon. I don’t know anything about people going into the ministry, if there’s a license requirement and all that. You seem to be an expert on these matters.”

“Hardly.”

“So when can we start?”

“I have classes today.”

“Tomorrow then. Noon. My office. We’ll do lunch.”

“Do lunch? Are you a lawyer or a movie producer?”

Steve didn’t care at this point. All he knew was he wanted to see her again.

That she was religious didn’t seem to be an obstacle.