Hidden Law by Michael Nava

Author:Michael Nava [Nava, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mystery, courtroom, gay
ISBN: 1555837786
Google: miEGtEr-WBQC
Amazon: 1555837786
Publisher: Alyson Books
Published: 2003-10-01T07:26:56+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

The next day was Thursday, one week from the day that Gus Peña had been killed. The story had slipped from the front page of the first section of the Times to the front page of the Metro section. It had become as much about politics as it was about a murder investigation. One group of Latino leaders castigated the cops for not moving swiftly enough to find Peña’s killer while another group deplored the continuing sweeps of the gangs in East Los Angeles. As far as the investigation itself went, a new phrase had slipped into the police communiques: a “potential suspect” had been identified. On my way into work, I dropped in at SafeHouse to talk to Edith Rosen. I found her at her cluttered desk, poring over the same story that I’d read at breakfast.

“I gather that Michael is their potential suspect,” I said. “Any word?”

She folded the paper and set it down. “His parents have stopped talking to me,” she said.

“Why?”

“After the police told them Michael had threatened Gus, his mother called and demanded to know why I hadn’t told them sooner. I tried to explain that I couldn’t, but she wasn’t interested. She said if Michael’s in trouble, I’m to blame.”

“From what you told me earlier about them, I wouldn’t have thought they’d care one way or the other.”

“You’d have to meet her to understand,” she replied. She lifted a mug from the comer of her desk and drank from it. “You want a cup?”

“No thanks. I want to finish our conversation about Michael and Gus.”

“What do you mean?” She set the cup down on a folder.

“If it turns out that Michael did kill Gus, I want to know the chances of constructing some kind of psychological defense. You said they hated each other the way people in families can come to hate each other. What makes you think that?”

She rubbed her eyes wearily. By the looks of it, she hadn’t had much sleep. “Do you really think it’s going to help him?”

“I won’t know until you tell me.”

“You have to start with Gus,” she said. “A self-made man who came up from a very hard childhood. His own father was an alcoholic and violent. Gus was the oldest son, so he took the brunt of it. You know he could’ve just as easily become a gang member himself and ended up with a criminal record and zero prospects.’’

“He was smart,” I said. “That’s what made him different.”

She nodded absently. “Smart and angry. Even that’s not always enough. To tell you the truth. Henry, I don’t know what it is with someone like Gus. All the statistics were against him, but look what he made of himself.”

I hazarded a guess from my own experience. “Maybe he looked around and saw what was possible. Maybe he imagined becoming someone.”

“Yes, but how and when, that’s the mystery. Wherever his ambition came from, it was ferocious. And unforgiving. Of him and others.”

“This must be where Michael Ruiz comes in,” I said.

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