Chapter 33

It was Wednesday evening, the 2nd of October 1991, and my buzzer was buzzing. I answered the door.

“Horace!” I croaked.

“Yes, yes, got a lot to talk tell you about. I mean if you’re not too busy,” he said.

“Uh, sure,” I said. The visitor entered. “Drink?”

“Whatever you’re having,” he said. I nodded and went to get him what I was having: a martini. I refreshed mine and built his. I was back in the room in a minute and a half—my relatively accurate estimate.

“So?” I said, setting his drink down in front of him. I carried mine to my seat.

“I’m engaged,” he said. I stared; then, I looked first to my right and then to my left. I didn’t know what to say; so, I said the obvious.

“Huh?” He smirked and then laughed.

“Yes, yes, I know. It’s a surprise. It was a surprise to me too. I’ve been waiting since high school to meet the right one. I finally did, and like I said; it was a surprise to me, a helluva surprise,” he said. I was nodding.

“Okay, well, congratulations. And who is this no doubt wonderful lady?” I said. He looked down.

“Horace?”

“It’s Parker Goldman,” he said. I slid back in my seat and stared once again.

“Wow!” I said, meaning it. “I know she’s had her operations; I mean the plastic surgery.”

“Yes, and they were successful. She’s very pretty if there was any doubt that such would have been the case,” he said.

“No, no, I knew Rodney would see to her getting the best around,” I said.

“Yes, and he did,” said Horace. “She and I will be hitched soon. Oh, and you are the first to know. I’m a bit older than she is, but she has agreed to have mercy on me.”

“Like I said, man, congrats.”

“And, well, there is one more thing if you will,” he said.

“Of course, what is it?”

“I’d like you to be best man,” he said. Once again, I was staring.

“Okay, sure.”

“Rodney can give away the bride. I mean if he wants; I haven’t asked him yet, but I don’t think he’ll turn me down.”

“No, I don’t imagine so.” Horace was nodding.

“Wow, I mean, when you have news it’s usually big news and this sure as heck is no exception to that truth.”

“One more thing,” he said.

“Okay.”

“I am working on introducing you to a woman who might be the perfect match for you if you will allow.”

“Huh? What?” I said. “Now, Horace, I mean you know my situation. I’m not sure...”

“No, no, I do know your situation. I assure you that if my effort looks to be good, you will be more than glad that I made that effort. Please trust me on this one, old bud,” he said. I was nodding, but it was very doubtful nodding and he realized that.

“Okay, but please, bear in mind that any woman that hooks up with me or even considers it, must not only know my situation, but must also be ultimately trustworthy—I mean Riley and Willa did not meet that requirement,” I said. And, yes, my bitterness and determination to get what I needed if I ever did get me a woman was showing through.

We’d be meeting soon to talk about his wedding if not my own future possibility of having the same.

Leah wasn’t the kid she had once been back before I went inside. I think she’d been twenty-three back then but now she was a serious adult woman. She was to all intents and purposes Widmark’s assistant manager now. She was still a looker and a very good bartendress. She still treated me with respect, and her tips reflected that great truth. I really liked the girl. She was married now I knew, some soldier boy, a captain in the army: his station, Leah’d told me, was here in Phoenix; he usually ran the main recruiting office downtown. But, for the next while he was overseas; where was a question, one without an answer; it was ever thus, so I was told.

I had my JD double sitting in front of me on my two person table in the pool room. I was the only one in the room for the moment: well, it was hot, it was Saturday, and it was mid-day; read slow time at the bar. Leah had just brought me the requested refill. I really needed my Jack D. After talking to my used-to-be lawyer a day gone I was feeling down. I wondered if he had someone in mind for me to meet already, or if he was just on the hunt. I was not sanguine about his chances of finding me some gal who’d fit my requirements. I was not going to be real receptive to anything less. He knew it. But, I also knew he’d be trying.

Riley had screwed me over like I had never been screwed over not even in prison. The cons were cruel, evil, even murderous; but none of them could scorch a man’s soul like a woman could, like Riley had mine. And then there was Willa. Willa I could forgive. She had a point. I couldn’t get over Riley, not completely, at least not completely enough; and that made our relationship a ‘not happening’ enterprise. And, my brother, now there was a kicker.

I wondered what they were doing right at this moment, the two of them, Riley and Rodney. It was Saturday, he’d be home. It was noonish, Cassandra’d be cooking up something nice for the both of them. Me? I had my friend Jack D; it was arguable which of the three of us was the most satisfied with our respective lots.

“You doin’ okay,” said Leah, coming in carrying a damp cloth to shine up the tables.

“Yeah, just peachy,” I said. “Slow today.”

“Yeah, it’s still hot; almost a hundred. Kinda unseasonable. Well, but that’s the desert for yuh,” she said.

“Yeah, I guess,” I said. “But, I figure you’ll be able to make the rent off of me. So just hang in there.” She laughed.

“Okay, I will do so,” she said.

She started wiping down the empty tables. I figured the place would pick up steam around four or five; it’d be cooling off by then.

She came back inside, waved to me and disappeared into the main barroom. There were still a few guys in there nursing their taps.

Horace Hollins pulled up in front of the apartment building and headed for apartment 12C. He was greeted warmly by the resident who was home for the day.

“So, you and Parker. That’s wonderful!” said Emma.

“Yes, thank you; and I’m as surprised as you are—still,” said Horace. His hearer laughed.

“I can imagine,” she said.

“Emma, I have a proposition to make to you. Okay?”

“Sure. Whaddya need?”

“I would like to posit the idea of you being willing to consider being Adam’s significant other,” said Horace. The look on the face of Emma Sorensen was unreadable. She went not exactly comatose, but close.

“Huh?”

“He needs a woman and a woman that knows his situation and—this is from him—is absolutely trustworthy. And as he puts it, the trustworthy thing is not negotiable. I know he considers you one of the few people on planet Earth that is without question trustworthy.”

“Horace, you know my situation. My job would be in potential jeopardy if I hooked up with a convicted murderer. And make no mistake, I consider Adam a good man. I know the rudiments of his case. His judgement back on that bad day as he calls it was not good, but...”

“But if he were not a murderer?” he said. “I mean and if your job were not in jeopardy?”

“It wouldn’t be a problem for me then. I would jump at the chance to be with him, and yes I do mean in that way.”

“Okay then. Emma, I am about to do the undoable and break lawyer-client privilege. I have to in order to get things corrected and maybe to solve a whole bunch of problems. And once you hear me out, you may not repeat or even think about what I am going to tell you until after I tell Adam that you are in the know. And then, only if he agrees to the hook up of the two of you. He’s still going to be skittish about any woman being willing to be his because of his lack among other things. So, agreed?” She stared at him for a short minute, but nodded in the affirmative.