He didn’t say anything for a minute and I knew he was trying not to cry. “LeVonne, he didn’t call me in. He wanted to save my life, Rita.”
“Dad, wait. You don’t know that.”
He turned and his watery gaze pierced into mine. “I know that boy. He didn’t call me in the front for a reason.”
“But what could you have done if he called you?”
His mouth opened slightly, his lips dry. It seemed to confound him. “I coulda done something. I coulda been there.”
“It’s all right, Dad.”
He raked a hand over his bald head and the IV tube rustled. He looked confused suddenly. Disoriented. “I couldn’t do anything for him. I wanted to help him. The blood. I couldn’t.”
“Nobody could, Dad. Nobody could save him.”
“I tried. I couldn’t do a goddamn thing. I got to him, I made it to him. Know what he called me, Rita?”
“What?”
His hand was atop his head like a madman. His eyes filled with tears. “Dad,” he said, his voice cracking. “He called me ‘Dad.’”
Then his sobs broke free.
16
I got out of the shower and answered the telephone dripping wet, because I was worried it was the hospital calling. It wasn’t.
“It’s Jake,” said the voice.
“Who?”
“Tobin? Remember? Your partner?”
“Oh, yeah. The ponytail.”
He laughed. “I hear you need me.”
“Why? I got my own ponytail.”
“You’re walking into a preliminary hearing, aren’t you?”
Christ. The furthest thing from my mind. I patted my face with a corner of my towel. “I guess.”
“Criminal homicide ring a bell?”
“Sounds familiar.”
“Murder of the first degree? Intentionally causing the death of another human being? And a total fox at that?”
“Like that makes a difference?”
“Not to you maybe. The newspapers are calling you a superlawyer. An experienced criminal advocate. They know something I don’t?”
“I memorized the Crimes Code in the hospital.”
“You studied? For a murder case?”
It could happen. “What are you calling for, Tobin? I’ve got things to do.” I dripped onto the rug, but I’d be damned if I’d tell him I was wearing a washcloth.
“The preliminary hearing is Friday,” he said.
“What? That’s tomorrow! I thought I had ten days!”
“No, the hearing is held between three and ten days. They’re pressing this one, they must think their case is strong. With the media howling, the pressure is on-”
“Wait a minute. How do you know when the hearing is?”
“The notice.”
“A notice came to you?”
There was a pause on the other end of the line, except for a slight crunching noise. “Mack asked me to watch your desk, okay? He said you might need a hand.”
“You read my mail?”
“I was trying to help.”
“I don’t need help. And don’t open my mail for me. That’s what my secretary is for.”
“Oh, is that it? I was wondering.” There was a crunching sound again.
“What are you doing?”
“Eating breakfast.”
“Well, it’s rude.”
“Bear with me. I got Snickers, a cup of coffee, and a box of Goobers, but only if I’m good. And I’m good. That’s why you need me.”
“I’m sure. I have to go.” I dripped onto my answering machine and noticed its green light flashing. If I had played the messages I probably would have found out about the hearing, but I had been too tired to listen to them when I got home from the hospital.
“Ask me anything. You must have questions.”
“Tobin, look, I have a lot to deal with right now. My father is just out of the woods.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, between nougat and caramel. “Look, if you have to be with your father, I’ll take the preliminary hearing for you. Spell you. You’d stay lead counsel.”
“No. I’ll postpone the hearing.”
“You don’t want to do that.”
“Why not?”
“It gives them time. Time to rehearse the witness, time to get the lab results.”
“Lab results?” My head was full of blood cultures from the hospital.
“They test for blood, hair, fiber samples. They’ll be doing all of that right now. A burg like Radnor, they’re not like Philly, they don’t have their own lab. They can do some fingerprint comparisons locally, but they have to send the other stuff out.”
“Since when do you know so much?”
“Me? I’ve returned hundreds of sociopaths to a peace-loving society.”
“I’ve been before a jury, too, Tobin. I win money. Lots of it.”
“I know, superlawyer. You work too hard.”
“Hold the lecture.”
“I wasn’t going to lecture you. I admire it, in fact.”
“You make up this bullshit as you go along?”
“I mean it. I know how tough it is to try as many cases as you do. I give you credit.”
It sounded almost convincing. “You trying to make nice after you opened my mail?”
“Can’t fool you, can I? By the way, I heard about that stunt you pulled in court last week.” He laughed. “I could tell you stories.”
Maybe he could, but I’d be the last to admit it. I heard the sound of crinkling cellophane over the phone. “What are we eating now?”
“I’m eating Goobers, I don’t know what you’re eating. Why do you talk like a schoolteacher?”
“Because you act like a child. I have to go now.”
“You want me to come to the hearing? I’ll sit second chair. Subordinate to you, so you won’t feel threatened.”
“I don’t feel threatened.”
“Sure you do.”
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
He laughed. “It’s your funeral. My only advice is to hammer the witness. She couldn’t have seen anything all that clearly. You could fit a fucking football field from the main house to the carriage house.”
“I know that. How do you?”
“I scoped it out. Just the outside, I couldn’t get in. Something about CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS. They had a guard posted, he watched me the whole time. What a pain in the ass they are out there, nothing else to do-”
“Why’d you go to the carriage house?”
“I’m a helpful guy. You want my advice, the trick is to just listen at the hearing. The standard is low for the Commonwealth, so there’s no way you’re gonna win.”
“You call this helpful?”
“Pay attention and take notes. Anything you learn, cross-examine, but don’t try to score. Just let ’em know you’re there. That you’re comin’ at them.”
“Now who sounds like a teacher?”
“You can be a real bitch, you know that?”
“So I hear.”
He laughed. “Women. Fear them.”
“What?”
“Have it your way. Come back when you grow up, girl. In the meantime, DNFU.”
“What does that mean?”
“DNFU? It’s a term of art in criminal law. You must’ve heard it now that you’re trying murder cases.”
“Enlighten me.”
“Do not fuck up.”
Christ. I hung up the phone.
Later, standing in front of my closet in my robe, I realized I didn’t need to put on a suit today. It left me with almost nothing to wear.
You work too hard.
Tobin had said it with approval, but my father hadn’t. And neither had Paul, who had lectured me about it more times than I cared to remember. I found myself staring at Paul’s side of the closet, which used to be full of sports coats and hanging shirts. It was empty. He had taken everything, evidently planning a long stay. Good. I slapped one of his empty hangers, sending it rocking back and forth, screeching.