Page 27 of Pro Bono

He examined them, read the labels out loud, made some notes on his notebook, and then used his phone to take a picture of each label, and unscrewed the tops to look inside, then handed them back. He looked at her and then at Warren. He watched Warren as he said, “Would you be willing to take a blood test?”

Warren said, “That isn’t something you have to do.”

“I suppose not, but shouldn’t I? In case there’s something wrong with the pills?” She looked at McHargue. Where do I go for that?”

“There’s a phlebotomist on call for alcohol and drug tests. He’d come to you.” He looked at Warren.

Warren said, “Mrs. Ellis isn’t exhibiting any symptoms now, and it’s been at least twenty-four hours. The drugs are probably out of her system.” He said, “Mrs. Ellis, it’s up to you.”

“Let’s do it,” she said.

All three got up. Warren and Mrs. Ellis followed McHargue out and a female police officer went with her to have the test. Warren and McHargue went back to sit in the hard plastic chairs by the table, which was empty except for her purse. Warren was more aware than ever that the cameras high in the corners of the room werestill running, recording nothing but a lawyer and a cop sitting in uncomfortable chairs.

About fifteen minutes later Vesper Ellis was returned to the interview room. Warren could see she wasn’t irritated, scared, or sick, but she was clearly getting tired, and that was not a condition he wanted her in during a police interview. He said, “Detective McHargue, if you don’t have any more questions for Mrs. Ellis that need to be answered tonight, I’d like to take her home.”

McHargue said, “I think that’s probably a good idea. Thank you for your cooperation, Mrs. Ellis.” He stood and walked to the door to hold it open for them to leave.

They left the building and walked to the visitors’ lot, and then got into his rental car. He started the engine and she looked in his direction. He held his index finger over his lips and immediately said, “You did a very good job of letting the police department know what really happened. I was a little worried that you might not feel well enough after your ordeal, but it was fine.”

At first, she looked at him as though she thought he might be deranged, but then she seemed to realize he was talking to an unseen microphone that might not exist. He went on, “I know some of the details are still vague, and that there are periods that you don’t remember well. But I’ve read that sometimes memories return and can sharpen and come into focus over time. If anything like that happens, you should let me or Detective McHargue know right away. Even if it’s a small detail.”

“I will,” she said.

After a few minutes on the Hollywood Freeway he said, “I’m hungry. You must be too.”

“Starving. You know what I’d really like? A hamburger.”

They took the Ventura Boulevard exit and pulled into the driveway of In-N-Out and drove away with a big bag of food.

He drove her to her house, walked her inside, and went through the house to be sure it was still empty and safe. Then they went outside onto the patio and sat at one of the long tables to eat their hamburgers. He said, “Are you all right?”

“I’m tired,” she said. “I figured they’d want to test my blood, so I took a quarter pill of each kind. It should be just enough for traces to show up.”

“Are you sure that was a good idea?”

“I’m pretty sure it wasn’t, but it’s done. I assume what you were saying was because you were afraid your car was bugged?”

“Right. Sometimes when there’s a kidnapping, they bug the phone that they think will get the ransom call. I don’t think they bugged my rented car or your house, but they clearly bugged my cell phone. When they believe they’re trying to save somebody’s life, and they’ve got a bunch of warrants for searches and electronic surveillance, they might have bugged anything.”

“Isn’t what we say to each other under attorney-client privilege?”

“Yes. All it means is that it can’t be used to prosecute you. But at this time, I think what they really want must be to be sure what’s going on. That’s what we want too. If they understand that you’re not in danger, and you’re not doing anything illegal or unethical, they’ll leave us alone until we need them.”

“Good. I’m exhausted, with everything that happened and the interview and the medicine. The food was great, but now things are catching up with me. I just hope I can calm down enough to sleep.”

“If you’d like, I can stay until you wake up in the morning and you’re sure the medicine is all out of your system.”

“That’s sweet of you, but—”

“It’s the least I can do, after what you’ve done in the past day or so to clear things up.”

She said, “You know, I think I’ll take you up on that. There’s a guest room upstairs near mine.”

“I know,” he said. “I was here when they searched your house.”

“Come on, then.”

As they were climbing the stairs to the bedrooms, she said, “The bed in the one on the right has the best mattress.”

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