“They’re the best lawyers in L.A.,” said Paul quickly. “They’ll get him out in no time.”

Iris looked at him bleakly.

“What happened?” I asked, sitting down beside her on the bench. “How did it happen?”

“I wasn’t with him.” She shook her head several times as though to dispel a profound daydream. “He called me and I called you. They are the best, Paul?”

“I can vouch that....”

“Did he kill anybody?”

“We ... we don’t know yet. He hit an old man and went on driving. I don’t know why; I mean why he didn’t stop. He just went on and the police car caught him. The man’s in the hospital now. They say it’s bad; he’s unconscious, an old man ...”

“Any reporters here?” asked Paul. “Anybody else know besides us?”

“Nobody. You’re the only person I called.”

“This could wreck everything.” Paul was frightened.