Jonathan Kellerman - Rage

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.”

Milo 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.”