Free The Rooster Bar by John Grisham

stupid to realize it.”
    “We are not doing the blame game, damn it,” Todd said.
    “Well, you can bet your ass Brenda will point fingers and I’ll be the target. I lied to her all afternoon. I should’ve told her the truth and let her deal with him.”
    “We did what we could. It’s not our fault he cracked up.”
    “It’s all my fault!” Zola shrieked. “All of this.”
    “Stop it, Zola!” Todd snapped.
    A cop with a flashlight motioned for them to move, and Todd eased off the grass and onto a westbound lane. They moved slowly over the bridge. Three patrol cars were parked bumper to bumper in the outside lane. A group of cops huddled on the sidewalk, near the spot where Gordy jumped.
    “Where are we going?” Mark asked.
    “I don’t know.”
    They crossed the river, turned south onto the GW Parkway, and got off on Columbia Island. Todd parked in an empty lot at the LBJ Memorial Grove, with a marina in front of them and hundreds of boats rocking gently at the docks. They stared into the darkness as the car’s heater strained and heaved. Mark’s phone began vibrating in his pocket.
    “Are you going to call her?”
    Mark looked at his phone and said, “I don’t have to. She’s calling me.” He opened a rear door, got out, and started walking toward the dock. He put the phone to his ear and said, “Brenda, something terrible has happened.”

8
    T hey took Zola to her apartment and laid her on the sofa. Mark covered her with a quilt and sat at the end, holding her feet. Todd made a pot of coffee and as it brewed he sat on the floor with his back to the sofa. Zola placed a hand on his shoulder. For a long time nothing was said; the only sound was that of the coffeepot rattling and hissing.
    Mark’s phone vibrated and he pulled it out. “It’s Brenda’s father again.” He tapped the screen, put the call on speaker, and said, “Yes, Dr. Karvey.”
    “Mark, we’re driving over now, should be there in about an hour. We’ll check in at the Marriott in Pentagon City. Can you meet us around seven?” The voice was calm and assured.
    “Sure, Dr. Karvey. I’ll be there.”
    “Thanks. I made contact with Detective Swayze and he has my number.”
    “Good. See you at seven.”
    Mark ended the call and said, “That’s exactly what I want to do. Deal with a hysterical woman.”
    “I’ll go with you but we’re not going to be abused,” Todd said.
    “We will definitely be abused. She’s already screamed at me twice. It’s all our fault because I lied to her, because we let him get away, because we didn’t call the family, because we didn’t take him to the doctor, because of everything.”
    “It’s all my fault,” Zola mumbled without opening her eyes.
    “It’s not your fault and your name has not been mentioned,” Mark said. “Let’s keep it that way.”
    Todd said, “If she starts yelling I’m walking out. I feel rotten enough without a lot of drama from Brenda and the families.”
    Mark said, “When we were driving away from the city pound yesterday Gordy threatened to kill me if I called her. I mean, it wasn’t a serious threat, I think, but that was his frame of mind. He didn’t want her to know. And he refused to talk about going to the doctor. What were we supposed to do?”
    “We’ve hashed this out already, Mark,” Todd said. He got up and poured three cups of coffee. It was almost 4:00 a.m. and they were physically and emotionally exhausted. Zola sat up on the sofa, took her cup, and tried to smile. Her eyes were red and swollen; she seemed on the verge of another breakdown at any moment. She said, “I don’t think I’ll go with you guys.”
    “No, you need to stay here and rest,” Mark said.
    “Good idea,” Todd added. “You really shouldn’t be around Brenda.”
    “I met her once. She thinks we’re all just good friends. Gordy said she didn’t have a clue about us.”
    “I’m sure she didn’t, but she could still be jealous,” Mark said. “She didn’t