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With nightfall, the breeze became a blustery wind, warm and parched It blew a few dry leaves at the the pavement
Travis knew they were too conspicuous even without the trailer and truck The neighbors would be telling the police to look for a olden retriever-not thein the death of Ted Hockney, so the search for theht quickly
He had no friends hoe After Paula died, he had withdrawn from his few friends, and he hadn’t ents who had once worked for him Nora had no friends, either, thanks to Violet Devon
The houses they passed, hts in the s, seemed to mock them with unattainable sanctuary
8
Garrison Dilworth lived on the border between Santa Barbara and Montecito, on a lushly landscaped half acre, in a stately Tudor home that did not mesh ith the California flora but which perfectly comple black loafers, gray slacks, a navy-blue sports jacket, a white knit shirt, and half-lens tortoiseshell reading glasses over which he peered at them in surprise but, fortunately, not with displeasure "Well, hello there, needs!"
"Are you alone?" Travis asked as he and Nora and Einstein stepped into a large foyer floored with marble
"Alone? Yes"
On the way over, Nora had told Travis that the attorney’s wife had passed away three years ago and that he was now looked after by a housekeeper named Gladys Murphy
"Mrs Murphy?" Travis asked
"She’s gone ho the door behind the?"
"We need help," Nora said
"But," Travis warned, "anyone who helps ushimself in jeopardy with the law"
Garrison raised his eyebrows "What have you done? Judging by the solemn look of you-I’d say you’ve kidnapped the president"
"We’ve done nothing wrong," Nora assured hireed "And we’re still doing it-we’re harboring the dog"
Puzzled, Garrison frowned down at the retriever
Einstein whined, looking suitably miserable and lovable
"And there’s a dead aze shifted fro to Travis "Dead man?"
"Travis didn’t kill hiain
"Neither did the dog," Travis said "But I’ll be wanted as alike that, sure as hell"
"Met this straightened out?"
He led the a short hallway, into a den with rich teak paneling and a copper ceiling The maroon leather armchairs and couch looked expensive and comfortable The polished teak desk was massive, and a detailed ed, stood on one corner Nautical items-a ship’s wheel, a brass sextant, a carved bullock’s horn filled with tallow that held what appeared to be sail- needles, six types of ship lanterns, a helmsman’s bell, and sea charts-were used as decoration Travis saw photographs of a man and woman on various sailboats, and the lass of Scotch were on a small table beside one of the ar here when they had rung the doorbell Now, he offered them a drink, and they both said they would have whatever he was having
Leaving the couch for Travis and Nora, Einstein took the second ar up, as if prepared to participate in the discussion to coal on the rocks in two glasses Although Nora was unaccusto her drink in two long ss and asking for another He decided that she had the right idea, so he followed suit and took his e Nora’s
"I’d like to tell you everything and have your help," Travis said, "but you reallyside of the law"
Recapping the Chivas, Garrison said, "You’re talking as a layman now As an attorney, I assure you the law isn’t a line engraved in h the centuries Ratherthe law is like a string, fixed at both ends but with a great deal of play in it-very loose, the line of the law-so you can stretch it this way or that, rearrange the arc of it so you are nearly always-short of blatant theft or cold-bloodedto realize but true I’ve no fear that anything you tell me could land my bottom in a prison cell, Travis"
Half an hour later, Travis and Nora had told hi about Einstein For a man only a couple of months shy of his seventy-first birthday, the silver-haired attorney had a quick and open iven a ten-minute demonstration of Einstein’s uncanny abilities, he did not protest that it was all mere trickery and flummery; he accepted what he saw, and he readjusted his ideas of as norility and flexibility thanEinstein on his lap in the big leather ar’s ears, Garrison said, "If you go to thewide open, then we ht be able to sue in court to allow you to keep custody of the dog"
"Do you really think that would work?" Nora asked
"At best," Garrison admitted, "it’s a fifty-fifty chance" Travis shook his head "No We won’t risk it"
"What have you in mind to do?" Garrison asked
"Run," Travis said "Stay on the move"
"And ill that acco woofed in agreeot up and paced, too agitated to sit still any longer "They won’t stop looking," he admitted "Not for a few years"
"Not ever," the attorney said
"All right, it’s going to be tough, but it’s the only thing we can do Damned if we’ll let them have hiht me back to life-"
"And he saved ether," Travis said
"Changed our lives"
"Radically changed us Now he’s as much a part of us as our own child Would be," Travis said He felt a lurateful gaze "We fight for hiht for us We’re fa the retriever, Garrison said, "It won’t only be the people fro for you And not only the police"
"The other thing," Travis said, nodding