time he
had been with Faith, making hurried love in a Laurel Point motel last week. She had seemed distracted, going through the motions
of lovemaking without her usual ardor, kissing him as though she were tasting a sour peach. He had wondered if she was growing
tired of him or preoccupied with Lucinda’s reelection campaign. Now he wondered if it was because Pete had reentered her life.
He doused the lights. When he fell asleep he dreamed not of Faith or Irina or Velvet but of his mother, calling his name like
a siren from the surf-churned rocks.
10
‘That judge,’ Velvet said to Claudia as they pulled into the Port Leo Best Western’s half-full parking lot. ‘Tell me about him.’
‘What exactly do you want to know?’
‘He said there might be an inquest. He gonna be fair?’
‘Extremely fair,’ Claudia said.
‘He looks like a beach bum not tidied up all the way,’ Velvet said. ‘I directed a movie called
Here Comes the Judge.
I know, bad title, but schlock’s part of the game. I worried that Flip Wilson’s estate would sue. Did great on video. I had a guy who wore nothing under his judge’s robes in one scene, and he did the court reporter and half the jury.’
‘Wow, you really are a film visionary,’ Claudia said, not wanting to hear a synopsis of adult movies. ‘A real Scorsese.’
‘Aren’t you the meow kitty? I guess I shock you,’ Velvet said.
‘You’re trying too hard to shock me.’
‘And why would I do that?’
‘If you don’t think what you do is wrong, and you beat people over the head with it, they’ll probably keep their opinions to themselves.’
‘And what do you know about my profession? You know, most of the people in the adult film business are married. They work it just like a nine-to-fiver, then go home to their families.’
‘I’m sure there are hired killers who have white picket fences. It doesn’t make it respectable.’ Claudia turned to her. ‘I don’t believe in exploiting people.’
‘You ever use an informant in your line of work, Ms High-and-Mighty? Maybe someone who’s fallen on hard times, gotten himself in a little lick of trouble, and wants to stay out of jail? And they can, if they give you names and numbers and know who’s fencing what or where the marijuana’s stashed?’
Claudia stopped the car in front of the lobby doors. Rain slid down the windshield, blurring the world. ‘That’s different. I’m enforcing the law.’
‘You’re taking advantage of their weakness to get what you want. Don’t lecture me about using people, baby. I launch careers, I let lonely guys have some fun in the privacy of their own home, I show shy ladies how to make a man their love slave forever. It’s a public service, if that resonates with you.’
‘I have less than zero interest in debating you, Velvet. But I don’t know of many women who could do what you do and not feel degraded. Tart it up however you like.’
Velvet regarded her with interest. ‘I bet Whit wouldn’t wear anything under his robe, if I asked him.’
Christ, lady, your old one’s barely cold yet,
David wasn’t even dead, only her spanking-new ex, but she couldn’t imagine touching another man right now. ‘Ask him and see what happens.’
‘Well, hello, raw nerve,’ Velvet said. ‘Didn’t mean to trespass.’
‘I’m not in the market, and I’m especially not in the market for Whit Mosley. I’m just being a realist. I know Whit. You’re not his type, and you’re involved in a case he’s adjudicating.’
‘Men are the simplest maps, honey, and no one can unfold one better than me. I just go for the thing pointing true north, and I learn all I need to know. Whit’s no different.’ She paused. ‘He up for reelection, like Lucinda?’
‘Yes.’
‘I’m sure the Hubbles will be riding your ass like the Pony Express to run the investigation the way they want.’
‘They don’t have any influence over me,’ Claudia said.
Velvet watched the
had been with Faith, making hurried love in a Laurel Point motel last week. She had seemed distracted, going through the motions
of lovemaking without her usual ardor, kissing him as though she were tasting a sour peach. He had wondered if she was growing
tired of him or preoccupied with Lucinda’s reelection campaign. Now he wondered if it was because Pete had reentered her life.
He doused the lights. When he fell asleep he dreamed not of Faith or Irina or Velvet but of his mother, calling his name like
a siren from the surf-churned rocks.
10
‘That judge,’ Velvet said to Claudia as they pulled into the Port Leo Best Western’s half-full parking lot. ‘Tell me about him.’
‘What exactly do you want to know?’
‘He said there might be an inquest. He gonna be fair?’
‘Extremely fair,’ Claudia said.
‘He looks like a beach bum not tidied up all the way,’ Velvet said. ‘I directed a movie called
Here Comes the Judge.
I know, bad title, but schlock’s part of the game. I worried that Flip Wilson’s estate would sue. Did great on video. I had a guy who wore nothing under his judge’s robes in one scene, and he did the court reporter and half the jury.’
‘Wow, you really are a film visionary,’ Claudia said, not wanting to hear a synopsis of adult movies. ‘A real Scorsese.’
‘Aren’t you the meow kitty? I guess I shock you,’ Velvet said.
‘You’re trying too hard to shock me.’
‘And why would I do that?’
‘If you don’t think what you do is wrong, and you beat people over the head with it, they’ll probably keep their opinions to themselves.’
‘And what do you know about my profession? You know, most of the people in the adult film business are married. They work it just like a nine-to-fiver, then go home to their families.’
‘I’m sure there are hired killers who have white picket fences. It doesn’t make it respectable.’ Claudia turned to her. ‘I don’t believe in exploiting people.’
‘You ever use an informant in your line of work, Ms High-and-Mighty? Maybe someone who’s fallen on hard times, gotten himself in a little lick of trouble, and wants to stay out of jail? And they can, if they give you names and numbers and know who’s fencing what or where the marijuana’s stashed?’
Claudia stopped the car in front of the lobby doors. Rain slid down the windshield, blurring the world. ‘That’s different. I’m enforcing the law.’
‘You’re taking advantage of their weakness to get what you want. Don’t lecture me about using people, baby. I launch careers, I let lonely guys have some fun in the privacy of their own home, I show shy ladies how to make a man their love slave forever. It’s a public service, if that resonates with you.’
‘I have less than zero interest in debating you, Velvet. But I don’t know of many women who could do what you do and not feel degraded. Tart it up however you like.’
Velvet regarded her with interest. ‘I bet Whit wouldn’t wear anything under his robe, if I asked him.’
Christ, lady, your old one’s barely cold yet,
David wasn’t even dead, only her spanking-new ex, but she couldn’t imagine touching another man right now. ‘Ask him and see what happens.’
‘Well, hello, raw nerve,’ Velvet said. ‘Didn’t mean to trespass.’
‘I’m not in the market, and I’m especially not in the market for Whit Mosley. I’m just being a realist. I know Whit. You’re not his type, and you’re involved in a case he’s adjudicating.’
‘Men are the simplest maps, honey, and no one can unfold one better than me. I just go for the thing pointing true north, and I learn all I need to know. Whit’s no different.’ She paused. ‘He up for reelection, like Lucinda?’
‘Yes.’
‘I’m sure the Hubbles will be riding your ass like the Pony Express to run the investigation the way they want.’
‘They don’t have any influence over me,’ Claudia said.
Velvet watched the
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