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lawyer to lose over something as silly as totally justified feelings of betrayal.
    “All right. You know my usual retainer,” he said.
    I already had his money stuffed in an envelope and put that on the desk.
    “I have to ask the obvious question here. You’re certain that she didn’t know this man?”
    “She said the cops claimed to have evidence that they knew each other. That they were sleeping together.”
    “Were they?”
    “Of course not.”
    “You’re certain?”
    “I know her.”
    “You can know someone and not know someone. You of all people should know that.”
    “Believe me, I can spot a phony from a mile off. Mina is exactly what she appears to be. Once you meet her, you’ll understand.”
    He took the envelope off the desk and put it in the top drawer. He didn’t bother counting it, such was the trust between us. “On that subject, I should go meet my new client. You included money for her bail?”
    “There’s no bail. I guess because it’s a murder.”
    Dan shook his head. “It might be high, but there should still be a number. Is this her first offense?”
    I nodded. “I mean, it wouldn’t shock me if there was something on her record, like getting arrested at a demonstration or something.”
    He waved that off. “She’s never been arrested for any felonies?”
    She could still vote. Somewhere else that might have meant no felonies, but in California, as long as you weren’t actually in prison or on parole, you were good to go. Since most politicians are criminals, it cuts down a bit on the hypocrisy of the whole affair. I knew she could vote because she treated it like an important thing and had been horrified when she found out I didn’t. I tried to tell her that it didn’t matter who was actually in office, since it wasn’t like there were term limits for Secret Masters. She made certain to note that men who didn’t vote had much less sex than men who did, and after that I boldly cast a write-in vote for C. Montgomery Burns in the next election. I figured if I was going to be ruled by a terrifying plutocrat, it might as well be the most terrifying one of all.
    She probably would have mentioned if she had been arrested for any felonies. Or had a parole officer. Or time spent in the joint. She didn’t have any tattoos, let alone a badass spiderweb on her elbow. Mina wasn’t the felonious type. “Never.”
    “That is a little odd. You’re certain she hasn’t angered the Reptilians?”
    The Guardian Servitors of the Anorectic Praxis, sure. Possibly the Kosher Nostra, Freemasons, and the Knights Templar, but... “Nope.”
    Dan began the geologic process of getting to his feet.
    “Wait, Dan. I want to see her first, and it’s probably best if we go separately, you know? Can you give me like an hour’s head start here?”
    “Certainly. I should look into things a bit before I head over anyway.”
    I stood up, still holding my plate, which, by now, was as clean as I was going to make it. “Thanks.” I took his hand, and knew I would be smelling his cologne on it for the rest of the day.
    He smiled at me. “Don’t worry. I’ve gotten guilty men out of murder raps. An innocent woman should be cake.”
    “Famous last words, Danny. Thanks for the chicken.”
     I went out the door, where the teenaged girl was staring at me in concern. “You’re not his cousin, are you?” I asked her.
    She jumped a little. “Uh, no. Niece.”
    “Okay, good. Stay in school.”
    The two men at the grill ignored me. They were probably used to the drill, knowing the kinds of people Dan brought into the restaurant. Kind of made me proud, that I was the riffraff here. I almost wished one of them would adopt a ’50s Dad voice and tell me to “Get out of here, you hooligan.” That’s right. I’m teaching your town to dance, old man, and I’m romancing your daughter while I’m at it. And we’re going to save the community center, defeat the bullies, and help that friendly alien make it