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Herschel seemed startled at the sight of him. “Jesus, you look like shit.”
Walker said, “Herschel Rhodes, of all people. I didn’t expect to see you.”
“Hello, Walker. Carolyn asked me to stop by.”
“As an attorney or a friend?”
Herschel’s expression was bland. “We’re hardly friends.”
“Nicely put. If you must know, I’m in the doghouse with her, piece of shit that I am. I can’t believe she’s taking pity on me.”
Herschel smiled slightly. “She figured it was in her best interests. You go down, she goes down with you. None of us wants to see that.”
“Oh, god no,” Walker said. “Have a seat.”
“This is fine. I can’t stay long. I hope you know the kind of trouble you’re in.”
“Why don’t you spell it out for me? I’m not sure if anyone’s mentioned it, but the past four or five days are completely blank as far as I’m concerned.”
“Not surprising. You came into the ER with a blood alcohol of 0.24-three times the legal limit.”
“Says who?”
“They drew blood.”
“I had a concussion. I was out.”
Herschel shrugged.
“They drew blood when I was out? What horseshit. Can they do that?”
“Sure, under the implied consent law. When you apply for and receive a driver’s license, you consent to a chemical test on request. Even if you’d been conscious, you wouldn’t have had much choice. If you’d refused, or tried to, you’d have been charged with a refusal and they’d have taken the blood anyway pursuant to Schmerber Versus California-a U.S. Supreme Court case about the need to preserve evidence that’s dissipating.”
“Shit. I love it. Schmerber Versus California. Is that all? Give me the rest of it. You’re bound to have more.”
“You’ll be charged with Penal Code 191.5-gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. That carries four, six, or ten years, unless you have a prior, in which case it’s fifteen years to life.”
“Fuck.”
“When did you get a DUI?”
“Two years ago. Look it up. The date escapes me.”
“You’ll also be charged with VC-20001, subsection C-felony hit-and-run after a fatal DUI accident-”
“What are you talking about? What hit-and-run?”
“Yours. You left the scene. The cops found you half a mile away, trudging down the pass all by your lonesome. One shoe off and one shoe on. Remember the nursery rhyme? ‘Diddle diddle dumplin’, my son John, went to bed with his trousers on; one shoe off and the other shoe on…’ ”
Walker said, “Quit already. I know the one you mean.” He would have denied it, but he suffered a quick flash of himself stepping on a rock. He’d cussed and hopped on one foot, laughing at the pain.
Herschel continued in the same mild tone, his gaze fixed on Walker ’s. Walker wondered if it was malevolence he was seeing in his eyes, Herschel Rhodes’s long-awaited and oh-so-delicious revenge for past slights.
“You’ll also be charged with VC- 23153 A and B-DUI causing injury. If you’ve been convicted of a DUI within the past ten years, you could be charged with second-degree murder under the Watson case-”
“Shit on you, Herschel. I just got done telling you I have a fucking prior so why don’t you stick VC-23153 up your ass?”
“Have you talked to anyone else about this?”
“Just you and my wife. Believe me, that’s more than enough.”
Herschel leaned closer. “Because I have one piece of advice for you, pal: Keep your mouth shut. Don’t discuss this with anyone. If the subject comes up, you button your lip. You’re a deaf-mute. You no speaka da language. Are you hearing me?”
“Yes.”
“Good. The doctor’s talking about releasing you tomorrow morning-”
“So soon?”
“They need the bed. I’ll see if I can talk the cops into waiting until you’re home to take you into custody. Otherwise, they’ll arrest you right here, handcuff you to the rail, and post a cop outside the door. Whichever way it goes, remember these two words. Shut. Up.”
Walker shook his head, saying “Shit” under his breath.
“In the meantime, you’d be smart to put yourself in rehab, at least make a show of cleaning up your act.”
“I can’t go into rehab. I have a family to support.”
“AA, then. Three meetings a week minimum, daily if it comes down to it. I want you to look like a guy renouncing his sins and repenting his evil ways.”
“Are you going to get me out of this mess?”
“Probably not, but I’m the best hope you have,” Herschel said. “If it’s any comfort, you won’t go to trial for another three to six months. Speaking of which, I need a check.”
“How much?”
“Twenty grand for starters. Once we get to court, we’re talking twenty-five hundred dollars a day, plus the cost of expert witnesses.”
Walker kept his expression neutral, not wanting to give Herschel the satisfaction of seeing his dismay. “I’ll have to move money over from savings. I don’t keep cash like that in my checking account. Can it wait until I get out?”
“Have Carolyn take care of it. Nice seeing you.”
13
Peephole, California, is essentially two blocks long and ten blocks wide, a stone’s throw from the Pacific Ocean. A Southern Pacific Railroad track runs parallel to the 101, separating the town from the beach. A tu
I activated my left-turn signal and slowed, eyes pi
I turned onto Zarina Avenue, checked the house number, and found myself peering at a one-story shingle-and-adobe house with a crudely constructed chimney piercing the roof on one end. A flaking white-painted picket fence staggered around the property, enclosing a length of gravel driveway bordered by patches of overgrown grass. A chicken-wire fence surrounded the vestiges of a garden planted in winter vegetables. A shaggy-coated yellow mongrel roused himself from a nap and sauntered in my direction, wagging his tail. The mop of hair hanging over his face made it look like he was watching me from behind a bush. This was the third dog I’d encountered in the past week, and I could feel my resistance fading. The dogs I’d met were a good-natured crew, and as long as none of them barked, snarled, snapped, bit, jumped on me, humped my leg, or slobbered o’ermuch, I was happy to make their acquaintance. This one followed me to the front door and watched expectantly as I knocked on the frame of the screen. He studied the door as I did, glancing at me now and then to show he was attentive to the plan and supportive of my aims.