River’s End

of Sam’s face. He was desperate for a hit, just one quick hit to clear his head, sharpen his focus. Why didn’t people understand how hard it was to think, for Christ’s sake. “And I bought the Malibu house as an investment.”
    When Tracy snorted, Frank lifted a hand. They’d been partners for six years and had their rhythm down as intimately as lovers. “Give the guy a chance to tell it, Tracy. You keep interrupting, you’ll throw him off. We’re just trying to get all the details, Mr. Tanner.”
    “Okay, okay. I went home.” He rubbed his hands on his thighs, hating the rough feel of the bagging trousers. He was used to good material, expertly cut. By God, he thought as he continued to pick and pluck at his pant legs, he’d earned the best.
    “Why did you go home?”
    “What?” He blinked, shook his head. “Why? I wanted to talk to Julie. I needed to see her. We just needed to straighten things out.”
    “Were you high, Mr. Tanner?” Frank asked it gently, almost friend to friend. “It’d be better if you were up-front about that kind of thing. Recreational use ...” He let his shoulders lift and fall. “We’re not going to push you on that, we just need to know your state of mind.”
    He’d denied it before, denied it right along. It was the kind of thing that could ruin you with the public. People in the business, well, they understood how things were. But cocaine didn’t play well at the box office.
    But a little coke between friends? Hell, that wasn’t a big deal. Not a big fucking deal, as he was forever telling Julie when she nagged him. If she’d just. .. Julie, he thought again, and pressed his fingers to his eyes. Was she really dead?
    “Mr. Tanner?”
    “What?” The eyes that had women all over the world sighing blinked. They were bloodshot, bruised and blank.
    “Were you using when you went to see your wife?” Before he could deny it again, Frank leaned forward. “Before you answer, I’m going to tell you that we searched your car and found your stash. Now we’re not going to give you grief about possession. As long as you’re up-front.”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He scrubbed the back of his hand over his mouth. “Anybody could have put that there. You could’ve planted it, for all I know.”
    “You saying we planted evidence?” Tracy moved fast, a lightning strike of movement. He had Sam by the collar and half out of the chair. “Is that what you’re saying?”
    “Easy, take it easy. Come on now.” Frank lifted both hands. “Mr. Tanner’s just confused. He’s upset. You didn’t mean to say we’d planted drugs in your car, did you?”
    “No, I—”
    “Because that’s serious business, Mr. Tanner. A very serious accusation. It won’t look good for you, especially since we have a number of people who’ll testify you like a little nose candy now and then. Just a social thing,” Frank continued as Tracy let out a snort of disgust and went back to leaning on the wall. “We don’t have to make a big deal out of that. Unless you do. Unless you try saying we planted that coke when we know it was yours. When I can look at you right now and see you could use a little just to smooth the edges a bit.”
    Face earnest, Frank leaned forward. “You’re in a hell of a fix here, Sam. A hell of a fix. I admire your work, I’m a big fan. I’d like to cut you a break, but you’re not helping me or yourself by lying about the drugs. Just makes it worse.”
    Sam worried his wedding ring, turning it around and around on his finger. “Look, maybe I had a couple of hits, but I was in control. I was in control.” He was desperate to believe it. “I’m not an addict or anything, I just took a couple of hits to clear my head before I went home.”
    “To talk to your wife,” Frank prompted. “To straighten things out.”
    “Yeah, that’s right. I needed to make her understand we should get back together, get rid of the lawyers and fix things. I missed her and Livvy. I wanted our life back. Goddamn it, I just wanted our life back.”
    “I don’t blame you for that. Beautiful wife and daughter. A man would be crazy to give it all up easy. You wanted to straighten out your troubles, so you went over there, and talked to her.”
    “That’s right, I—no, I went over and I found her. I found her. Oh, Jesus Christ.” He closed his eyes then, covered his face. “Oh God, Julie. There was blood, blood everywhere, broken glass, the lamp I