Bible study, my shorts, Steve thought the next morning.
He’d spent a restless night on the sofa in his office. He knew why. Weirdness did that to you. What he’d seen at Beth-El last night was weirdness on wheels. Literally.
He sat up and flicked the switch on the Mr. Coffee machine he’d set up before trying to sleep. But he knew it would take more than a couple cups of joe to clear the cobwebs of disquiet from his mind.
He had no professional prospects at all, other than the LaSalles. He’d jumped at the money and the chance to start over.
Had he sold his soul?
Metaphorically speaking, of course.
And what would happen to him if he tried to get it back?
He poured himself the first cup of the morning, sat looking out the window of his office. He had a wonderful view of the parking lot.
He felt alone and lost. Like he’d been plucked out of Los Angeles by a huge, cosmic kidnapper and placed here, in an alien world, where his only link to sanity was a brother who was too connected to a certifiable old man.
Or was there another link?
He grabbed his phone and speed dialed Sienna Ciccone.
“Mr. Conroy,” she answered, surprised.
“Is this a bad time? I know it’s early. You’re not in church or anything, are you?”
“Actually, I was just doing some Real Property reading.”
“How exciting. When you get to the doctrine of incorporeal hereditaments let me know.”
“Is there something I can — ”
“Um. Sure. Is there a legal issue you’d — ”
“I’ve got an issue, but it’s not legal.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I have to decide what to do.”
“Can we just talk?” he said.
“About what?”
“About staying here.”
“In Verner?”
“Yeah.”
“But you just got there.”
“Can I tell you what happened last night?”
“Yes, sure.”
“I went to a Bible study.”
“You did?”
“You sound shocked.”
“Surprised, maybe.”
“It was up at Beth-El, the mini fortress where Eldon LaSalle rules his little world. It was bizarre.”
He gave her the whole account, all the way up to the woman forced to her knees in front of the Master.
When he was finished, he asked, “Does that sound like any Christianity you are familiar with?”
Pause. “There is a thin line to be sure. A line between free exercise and criminal activity.”
“How about between free exercise and common decency?”
“What’s not decent in one person’s eyes may be decent in another’s.”
Steve took a deep breath. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Maybe you should walk away.”
“Walk away?”
“Maybe it’s just too close to the edge. You could chalk it up to experience and come back to LA.”
She wanted him to come back.
Or not.
“But there’s Johnny,” Steve said. “If I did that, I’d be leaving him up there. Part of me thinks I’m supposed to get him out.”
“Out?”
“Yeah. Out of that life. I couldn’t save him when I was five. Maybe I can now. Maybe that’s what my whole life is supposed to come down to.”
It was the first time that thought had come to him so clearly.
“That’s a pretty heavy burden to put on yourself,” Sienna said.
“Why don’t you come up for a visit?” Steve said.
“Excuse me?”
“To Verner. Come on up. I’ll show you my new office. I’ll . . .” He paused, looked out at the parking lot that held only one car, his. “I just would like to see you, that’s all.”
After a moment, Sienna said, “Mr. Conroy, I don’t think . . .”
“I know. I just gave it a shot, you know?”
A beep. His call waiting.
“I’ve another call here,” he said. “Sorry I took up your time.”
“No, it’s not that — ”
“Later,” he said, then hit the talk button.
It was Johnny.
“You feeling any better today, my brother?” he said.
Steve said, “Don’t really know yet.”
“Give it time. Remember what I told you. You know what you need? You need some work, to get in the game.”
“Game?”
“You’re a lawyer, right?”
“I used to think so.”
“You know the criminal law, am I right?”
“To a degree that’s kept me in cheap suits.”
“Then I got some work for you to do. Think you can find your way to the county jail?”