Part 16 (2/2)

”But who?”

”It doesn't matter. Maybe it's someone who wants to hurt them. Maybe it's them, seeing if you're smart enough to let it go.”

Miles exhaled. He looked at Chance.

”Tell him about Sammy Klein.”

”Sammy Klein,” Chance repeated.

He shook his head.

”Sammy was a nice guy,” Chance said to me. ”A really good guy. He got interested in the V and D. It happens. The secrecy. The lore. People are drawn to conspiracies, puzzles. Just because I publish bulls.h.i.+t doesn't mean I'm stupid. Something about them rubbed Sammy the wrong way. He wouldn't give it up. He got a lot farther than I ever did. G.o.d only knows what he knew. He was going to show them.”

”I knew him,” Miles said. ”He was in my dorm, freshman year. Quiet. Always polite to people.”

”They found him on the beach,” Chance said. ”His wallet was gone. Someone stabbed him seven times. The police called it a mugging and closed the case.”

”Maybe it was just a mugging--”

”Jeremy,” Miles said. He actually put his hand on my arm. ”Take the Incompletes. Get straight A's next semester. You're going to be okay.”

I sat there for a long time. They watched me.

Then I spoke.

”Did you Shepardize Creighton v. Worley?”

”What?”

”Jeremy,” Miles said cautiously.

”Shepardize. That's where you take a case and see all the later cases that cite it. Did you?”

”No,” Chance said slowly.

”Jeremy,” Miles said again.

”How do you do that?” Chance said.

I told him. We went to the computer and pulled up the case. I showed him how to Shepardize it. Miles was watching us quietly from the corner; he didn't stop us, but I could see he wasn't done. A few citations came up on the screen, but nothing that stood out on first glance. It felt wrong.

I shook my head. ”They wouldn't use the computer. Too many eyes. They'd use the books.”

”That's ridiculous,” Miles said. ”If it's in the books it's on the computer.”

”Not if someone changed just our book,” I said.

That shut everyone up for a moment.

Chance stole a guilty glance at Miles, then looked at me. His eyes had a new life in them.

”Where?” he asked.

Miles looked at me, shook his head.

”The law library,” I said.

Chance started tapping his fingers again. He started laughing. ”Seven months with the math nerds, I didn't ask a f.u.c.king lawyer.” He shook his head. He reached for the joint, sparked it back to life. He took a long drag. After a while, he closed his eyes.

His breathing slowed. Color came back to his face.

He laughed nervously.

”Forget it,” he said. ”Forget it.”

He took another long drag, then said to himself, ”Remember Sammy Klein.”

Miles stood up. He was so ma.s.sive, in that realm between fat and muscle; the room bowed under the authority of his size.

”Then we're done,” Miles said. He put his hand on my back and I stood.

”Thank you, Chance. I know it's not easy dragging all this up. You did a good thing tonight. Jeremy doesn't know it yet, but he's grateful.”

”I know.” He nodded. ”You keep me sane.”

Miles laughed and gave him a Russian bear hug, all ma.s.s and hard claps on the back.

Miles and I started walking. We were out the door quickly. Chance called after us. ”Your article,” he said. He was holding the obituary in his hand. I'd left it on the table.

As I stepped back in to get it, he caught my eye and mouthed: ”One hour.”

18.

Miles grilled me until he was satisfied I'd gotten the message.

I thanked him and left to run an errand. Something had been bugging me ever since my failed induction into the V&D.

I retraced my steps on the paths winding across campus. It was quiet now, except for the occasional thumping of a party from an open window above me. Here and there, couples made out in the shadows; small groups sat in the gra.s.s, talking quietly or strumming guitars.

I followed the route we'd walked to her house, after the moonlight confession. I pa.s.sed the site where the oranges had spilled. I pa.s.sed the retaining wall where we sat on the ground and talked. I remembered her smile, the quiet tears.

The house looked the same. It was a brownstone; a half-flight of steps led up to the front door. I found S. CASEY on the names by the buzzer.

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