Long Lost - James Scott Bell Page 0,67

me?”

“Constabulary? It means ‘cops.’ ”

The detective’s face flushed like a fourth grader who just got reamed by the teacher. “I could hold you as a material witness, you know.”

“That would just make both of us crabby. I prefer that you be crabby and I go home. How’s that?”

“You’ll be hearing from me.”

“Looking forward to it.”

48

On the drive back to Verner, Steve considered whether to tell Johnny about finding Dr. Phillips. His big brother would definitely want to know, but then he’d also want to know what Steve was doing snooping around in the past.

And he’d have to say he didn’t know exactly why. That he had these suspicions taking up residence in his brain. Formless doubts hovering around like the bad smell you get from an alley after the rain. It brings up the trash you might otherwise have missed.

Besides, what he did on his own time was his own business. Yes, he was working for the LaSalles, but he had not signed an exclusivity contract with them. He also didn’t want to get anywhere near “belonging” to them. Like that guy said about the women of Beth-El.

That was more than a little strange.

At four in the afternoon, he drove to Beth-El for a client meeting with the LaSalles. His bread and butter now. Yes, the butter smelled rancid if you were to judge by the past. Maybe his being here was going to be a good thing for Eldon LaSalle. And Johnny. Maybe he’d be able to guide them along a way that was not completely nutty.

And make a nice, tidy ongoing sum.

Yes, it could all work out very nicely. Except that driving into the Beth-El compound reminded Steve of The Godfather movies. The men standing around trying to look attitudinal were just like the mafia soldiers who were always around to protect the don.

Yep, religion was certainly a force for good. At least it was keeping these guys off the streets.

Steve met with Johnny and Eldon LaSalle in another room of the compound. It had the same hunting décor, but was set up like a conference room. The table in the middle looked like the cross section of a giant redwood. Glass was fitted over the top, shaped to fit the natural shape of the cut. Impressive.

And like every other room in the house, this one had a large, active fireplace.

“It looks as if there is not going to be any impediment for your official designation as a church,” Steve said. “The free-exercise clause is a wide protection these days.”

Eldon LaSalle nodded. “In principle,” he said. “But what about views that society deems out of the mainstream? Such as that the Bible teaches racial purity, which it does. What’s to stop the machinery of government sticking its nose in our business?”

“The Supreme Court,” Steve said. “Back in 1993 there was a case involving Santeria. A city in Florida passed an ordinance that targeted a Santeria church because they have this little practice they call animal sacrifice. The court said, No way, Jose. In almost exactly those words. They said this was a sincere religious belief that was targeted by the city. Now, you don’t sacrifice animals, do you?”

Johnny smiled. “Only for food, dude.”

“So,” Steve said, “this practice is protected. It follows that beliefs are even more protected, and expression of those beliefs also gets the benefit of free speech. As long as you’re not inciting violence, you can believe whatever you want, teach it, promulgate it. You can be a church that does this. And the state can’t touch you.”

Eldon LaSalle leaned back in his regal wheelchair and smiled. “Well done.”

Johnny winked at Steve.

Steve felt gratified and sick at the same time. He liked being a lawyer. He didn’t like what Eldon LaSalle was all about.

But he kept reminding himself that this was no different than representing defendants who were guilty. Sienna would have approved.

Sienna.

He wondered what she was doing now. Wondered if she ever gave him a passing thought.

Then told himself not to think about her anymore, which made the thought all the stronger.

Eldon LaSalle backed away from the table a bit and positioned his chair between the fireplace and Steve.

“Son,” Eldon said, “I can’t tell you how gratified I am to have you with us. To have you on our side. To have you working with Johnny.”

“Thank you,” Steve said.

“Do you know what I love about fire?” Eldon said.

Steve waited for the answer.

“It is both an instrument of wrath and an instrument of cleansing. Have you