by Davis Bunn
* * *
Veronica Hernandez organized the group like a general marshaling troops. She was a consummate professional, speaking in the quiet tones of someone who expected everyone to obey without question. Chloe jumped rabbit-like every time Veronica addressed her. Veronica started to hand Amber a reflector, then asked Stella, “I should ask if it’s okay, your daughter helping out like this.”
“It’s fine.” She was loving the fresh excitement on her daughter’s face.
“Now that you’re here,” Daniel said to Amber’s mom, “I want to ask permission to pay her.”
“That’s not necessary.”
He hefted a case holding battery packs and cables. “Nicole’s making minimum wage. Seems only fair. But it’s your call.”
Stella pretended not to notice how Amber’s light faded at the prospect of her mother saying no. Again. She forced a smile and said, “I suppose it’s okay.”
As they started off, Veronica asked Daniel, “Where exactly are we?”
“All this used to be Chumash tribal territory.” He pointed north. “San Simeon is about thirty miles that way. The gorges around here were formed by prehistoric rivers. Until this recent storm season, most of the rivers and creeks have been dry for years. Pico Creek is up north, Santa Rosa Creek to the south.”
The trail remained empty as they followed the arroyo through a series of snakelike bends. The hills closed in on either side until the shadows locked them down tight. Every now and then, Veronica noticed an interesting outcrop or crevice or interplay of light and shadow. She took her time adjusting the two reflectors and positioning Chloe for a shot. The third time this happened, Stella leaned against the nearside cliff, resting the weight of her pack on a ledge. She lifted her face to watch an eagle pierce the deep blue sky directly overhead. When Daniel stepped over beside her, she said, “I used to hike. Back before everything. I forgot how beautiful it could be.”
He dropped his case, pulled a bottle from his pack, and poured some into his hand for Goldie to drink. “It wasn’t so nice the last time I came up here. It hadn’t rained in a couple of years. We got caught in a dry storm. The wind shot dust through this gorge like bullets in a funnel. Lightning blasted the ridge. We ran back under a hail of falling rocks.”
She studied him, the dust streaking his features like Indian warpaint. “Why does that make you so sad?”
“It was about six months before the accident.” Daniel stroked the dog’s head, then slowly straightened. “We argued about something, no idea what. All I remember is, the fight was really about our lives being totally out of control. I guess we thought . . .”
Stella could read the unspoken words on his features, as clear as script. “You hoped you could find something up here that would straighten you out.”
Daniel kicked a rock at his feet. “Do you think it’s possible to start over? Leave the past behind and move on?”
Stella had no idea what to say. To open her mouth risked letting out a tumble of thoughts and emotions, all tangled around a desperate yearning to do just what he said.
Then Veronica helped Chloe down from the ledge where she’d been standing and called to them, “Why don’t we go see what’s at the end of this road?”
* * *
Daniel was huffing hard by the time the way broadened and the sun touched the dusty trail. Rocks embedded in the walls became glaring mirrors with the strength to blind him. Which was why as Daniel made the final turning, he collided with Stella. “Oh. Sorry.”
She did not respond.
When Daniel’s eyes adjusted, he found himself in a world transformed.
High cliffs rimmed a bowl perhaps half a mile wide. The waterfall and lake covered about a third of the total surface, over at the valley’s far end. The last time Daniel had been here, the lake had been nothing more than a gray-brown patch, the muddy surface veined with forgotten moisture. The stone walls had trapped the heat, turning the place into an oven.
Today the lake was full to the brim. But that was not what had them crying aloud with wonder.
Before them stretched a riot of colors.
The rainstorms had ended, and the desert had exploded into life. Some of the seeds had lain dormant for years, perhaps decades. A living earthbound rainbow surrounded them. Every ledge and precipice dripped blossoms.
Directly ahead, the waterfall rushed and sang.
Amber squealed and ran into the high grass. She became surrounded by wildflowers of yellow and rose and lavender and sky blue. Veronica lifted her camera and photographed the young girl laughing and spinning and singing her delight.
Nicole, the silent and reserved and uncertain young woman, became infected by the same delirious joy and raced over to join her.
Chloe followed. The three of them paused long enough to weave flowers into each other’s hair. Then they began dancing again.
Daniel turned to Stella and saw what he was himself feeling. A sentiment so strong it hurt to even accept it was real.
He reached for her hand and felt an energy course through his entire being. She jerked, almost pulled away, then stopped and looked down at their fingers intertwined.
Daniel asked softly, “May I have this dance?”
CHAPTER 31
They danced.
Their audience shrieked and gamboled about, three young women and a golden-haired dog, all laughing as they circled the two of them. Their music was a soft breeze that rustled through the tall grass and the wildflowers. The waterfall formed a liquid chorus. Daniel’s arms were strong, his presence warm, his face showing her a gentle smile. Stella thought it was the finest melody she had ever known, one she would carry with her for years to come.
Despite how her fears grew with each step, each breath, every passing second.
Perhaps he could see the dark message in her eyes. Or maybe for him the melody ended. She was terribly sorry when he let her go. But at least she was able to breathe again.
Daniel leaned over so Amber could set a flower behind each ear. He laughed with them and said, “Who wants to get wet?”
The five of them formed a happy line. Daniel pointed Goldie to a spot by the lake’s edge and spoke sharply enough to keep her in place. Veronica followed at a distance, hastily changing lenses and shooting constantly. Amber released Daniel’s hand and pulled Stella forward, giving her mother no choice in the matter. Stella smiled as though she was pleased with the shift, which in fact she was. Daniel’s hand was as warm as his embrace.
* * *
Daniel led them around the lake’s southern rim, over to where the cliff reached out one stony arm. A tight ledge extended at waist height, scarcely as wide as his boot. He showed them where some early hikers had carved steps from the rock. “The ledge broadens close to the falls. But it also gets slippery. Everybody remember to get a firm handhold before taking the next step. If you fall, push away from the face. I have no idea how deep the lake is. You may be able to stand on the bottom.” Daniel reached out one hand. “Stella, you want to lead off?”
He helped them climb up, one by one, then followed. Midway around the lake, the path broadened to where they could walk straight ahead. Daniel loudly reminded them to keep a hold on the rock face. Up ahead, the water fell and sang. It was not much as waterfalls went, a slender veil that split and opened. Mist drifted in the hot air. Stella reached the falls and glanced back. Daniel gave her a thumbs-up. “Step through!”
She raised one hand to shield her head, took a step, and vanished.
The girls squealed and followed.
Behind the falls was a shallow indent, scarcely large enough to hold the five of them. The rock formed a baffle that made the falling water thunderous. They huddled together and shouted words no one could understand.
Chloe stepped forward, lifted her arms, and stood in the falls. The water played over her in a teasing rush, the light silver and golden and forming an aura around her. Then Amber joined the older girl, shrieking with an unbridled joy that was all her own.
Nicole followed.
Then it was just the two of them, sheltered in their shallow cave. And it seemed as though the notion came to the two of them at the very same instant.
Daniel thought he had never known anything quite so fine as that kiss, electric and cold and molten, all at the same time.
CHAPTER 32
They returned to Miramar. The same pickup, the same road, the same day. Only now everything was different. The light held a unique sparkle. Everyone was infected by an uncommon merriment, or so it seemed to Daniel. The three girls talked about things that made no sense to him and laughed in odd places. Amber sang half a song about being happy, and the other two joined in, then Goldie refused to be left out and added her own soft bark. Stella pointed out a flitting shadow alongside the road and asked if it was a deer, and the question required a touch to his hand. She invited him to dinner, of course with Nicole and Chloe, and the invitation meant she needed to touch him again. Not actually hold him. Just the same, their connectedness remained long after she turned back to the road.
Daniel wanted to tell her how beautiful she was when she allowed herself to be happy. How the day meant everything to him. How he had not felt this complete in a very long time, perhaps forever. He was still busy making his mental list when he turned down the road leading to Stella’s home.
Which was when everything fell apart.
“Mommy, what are all these police doing here?”
The good times ended with an almost audible snap. Daniel slammed on the brakes and pulled to the curb, well away from the flashing lights.
“Mommy, what—”
“Just a minute, Amber.” Daniel put his hand on the back of Stella’s seat. “Look at me.”
Stella’s face was bone white. “It’s happening, isn’t it.”
“Probably. Look at me, Stella.”
She showed him eyes drenched with fear. “What am I going to do?”
“This is very important. Pay careful attention.” He spaced each word out, trying to drive the message home. “I will handle the outside things. Do you hear what I’m saying?”
“I don’t know how—”
“Your job is to stay intact and go through whatever process they require.”
She turned back to the cops gathered on her front lawn. Two officials in suits stood in her doorway. “Why is my front door open?”
“They probably have a search warrant. Listen to me, Stella. They are going to make you feel powerless.”
“I already feel that.”
“I know. But you need to remember one thing. What is that?” When she simply stared at the horror unfolding at her home, he said, “I will take care of everything outside the process itself.”
“Mommy, what does he mean? What process?”
Daniel turned in his seat and confronted three pairs of utterly round eyes. “Your mother is probably going to be arrested for something she did not do.”
Stella whispered, “What do I do about Amber?”
“She will come stay with me.” Daniel kept his gaze on the terrified young girl. “Is that okay with you?”
“Why do they want to arrest Mommy?”
“They are trying to protect someone who’s done a bad thing. But they’re not going to succeed.” Daniel turned back to Stella. “Because I’m not going to let them.”
“We’re not,” Nicole said.
Daniel wished there was some way he could hit the pause button, just long enough to reassure Stella’s daughter and hug his niece. “Thank you, Nicole.”
Stella whispered, “I don’t even know any lawyers.”
“I do.” He patted a rock-hard shoulder. “Just remember what I’m telling you. You’re not alone.”
* * *
The arrest and house search were both predictably awful. The chief of Miramar’s police was a bearish man named Porter Wright with a voice to match his build, deep and rugged. Daniel thought he detected a distinct note of compassion to the man and his actions. He had experienced more than his share of run-ins with local law enforcement. Many officers involved in nonviolent seizures either showed cold ambivalence or dark humor. Porter was different. He allowed a terrified Amber to clutch at her mother. He asked no questions that sought to trap Stella in an incriminating response. When the time came, he gently turned the child away from her mother and did not use the handcuffs until Amber was well removed from the scene.
As soon as Porter led Stella away, Daniel pulled Chloe to one side and said, “One of us needs to call your mother. It really should be you.”
Chloe was too shaken up by events to object. “I’ll do it.”
“Keep it calm and to the point. Tell her not to rush. I’ll stay here through the process and follow them to the jail.”
“Mom will want to take Amber.”
“That’s for the child to decide. Tell Ricki that. We need to let Amber feel like we’re all respecting her voice and her desires.” He stepped over to where Nicole remained by the pickup. “You okay?”
“It’s just like on television.” She kept a tight, two-armed grip on her middle. “Only a lot more awful.”
“I know.”
“Everything was so wonderful—you know, before.”
Daniel had no response to that, so he looked up the number of Sol Feinnes, an attorney based in San Luis Obispo, the nearest town to Miramar of any size. Daniel had used him both on the purchase of their home and in wrapping up his ex-fiancée’s affairs. The secretary remembered him and put him straight through. When Feinnes came on the line, Daniel asked, “Do you handle white-collar crime?”
“We’re your typical small-town practice. We take on pretty much everything that comes our way.”
Daniel gave a quick summary of events. He tried to keep it calm, straight, to the point. But by the time he finished, he was boiling mad. “I want you to get her out of jail, and then I want you to defend me when I go to city hall and tear some heads off.”
“It would be inappropriate for me to advise you on any felony you might be considering,” Feinnes replied. “But if what you have implied is true . . .”
“I didn’t imply. The figures speak for themselves, Sol. Loud and clear.”
“Well, in that case, we should have no trouble freeing our defendant.” He hesitated, then said, “Forgive me for addressing the mundane matter of fees . . .”
“I’ll cover them.”
“Do I need to lay out the firm’s fee structure?”
Daniel watched the police chief settle Stella into the rear seat, behind the wire-mesh caging. Amber’s tear-streaked face reflected the late-afternoon light. “Later.”
“Very well. Hold on just one moment; let me check on something.”
As he waited, Daniel glanced at Nicole. She wiped tears from her own face and told him, “This is so awful.”
Daniel reached for her hand just as Ricki’s car raced around the corner and pulled up behind his pickup. She sprang out, hugged her daughter, then rushed over to where Amber reached out empty arms. Ricki clasped the girl as tight as she could manage. Together they watched as Stella was driven away in the chief’s car.
Then Sol came back on the line, his tone brisk. “I have a mediation this evening. One of my associates will represent Ms. Dalton today. I’ll take over the case starting at tomorrow’s hearing. My associate’s name is Megan Pierce. She’s leaving now.”
* * *
Despite the circumstances surrounding their first encounter, Daniel liked Megan Pierce on the spot. She was an athletic, raven-haired beauty in her early thirties and carried herself with air of brisk competence. She could not stop the process, but she made sure everything proceeded as smoothly as possible.
While Stella was being processed, Megan asked if Daniel wanted to step away from the others. “I thought now might be a good time for us to review the information you gave Sol.”
“I agree.” He remained where he was, seated on the Miramar police station’s hard front-office bench. Nicole was seated to one sid
e, Ricki and Amber on the other. Chloe had gone with her father to pick up a takeaway meal that no one particularly wanted. “They are all a part of this.”
Megan appeared ready to argue but, in the end, walked over to the officer on reception duty. They spoke softly, then Megan stepped to an empty desk and drew over an office chair. “Okay. Let’s hear it.”
“You want an overview, or all the nuts and bolts?”
“Start with the short version,” Megan replied. “We can unpack this back at the office.”
In response, Daniel turned to Ricki. “How long ago did Stella begin to get worried?”
“Three months, maybe a little longer.”
Megan asked, “You’re involved in this too?”
Ricki nodded. “I used to serve on the town council. And I’m Stella’s friend. I’m the only one she told before Daniel got involved.”
Amber asked, “Are they going to arrest you too?”
Ricki strengthened her hold on the young girl. “One step at a time, okay?”
Megan nodded to Daniel. Go on.
“Ricki asked if I would take a look at Miramar’s accounts.”
“And she did this because . . .”
“I trained as a forensic accountant. This was back before . . .” Daniel struggled with how to abbreviate the journey that had brought him here.
Nicole finished for him, “Before he got famous.”
Megan nodded. “I knew I had seen you before. MSNBC, right?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. So you inspected the city’s accounts. Which I assume are confidential. Which means anything you might have uncovered is not evidence we can use in court.”
Daniel nodded. He had been thinking the same thing. “On the surface, everything follows a careful pattern that skirts the boundary of legality.”
“And beneath that?”
“Someone, or some group, has been siphoning off funds from the town’s emergency funds and the employee pension funds.”
“You think or you know?”
“Call it ninety-nine-point-nine percent certain.”
