‘Are you going to get this arranged or not?’

‘It’s not something that I can just do on such little notice.’

‘You brought me here today knowing full well that there could be a demonstration –’

‘I told you the other day there was a danger of a rolling demonstration at any of the clinics in LA,’ Elise said.

‘But they were clearly here before we arrived. Why didn’t you –’

‘Because I had heard nothing from anyone in this clinic. I can only assume that they were overwhelmed today when that human chain arrived –’

‘Overwhelmed? Overwhelmed! What happened to me – what you allowed me to be put through –’

‘She didn’t allow this,’ I heard myself saying. ‘It just happened.’

‘Who the fuck are you to butt in, Uber Man?’

‘We’re having none of that,’ Elise said. ‘You have no right –’

‘I have every fucking right –’

‘Drive,’ Elise said to me.

I did just that, getting us out of there. Taking us to a shopping mall on the USC campus. Pulling up just in front of a Trader Joe’s where all these well-heeled kids driving Minis and Audis and Beamers were cruising into the underground parking lot. Where everyone seemed blonde or Chinese. As soon as I parked Elise was out of the car with her phone, walking a few paces away, talking rapidly, the stress of the last hour everywhere on her face and in the way she seemed to be stabbing the air with her index finger. I so wanted to fire up a cigarette, but I still had memories of that smoking incident at UCLA. So I just continued to breathe deeply, trying not to think, for the moment anyway, about how I was going to pay for the car repairs and how long it might be off the road and how it would mess up what little cash flow I had left. Elise came back.

‘We need to go to a clinic way out of town in Santa Clarita,’ she said.

Santa Clarita. Todor’s old parish. Jesus …

‘I can get another Uber if you want to get the hell away from us,’ Elise said. ‘I won’t blame you if you choose to do that.’

‘No need to get another Uber,’ I said.

‘Are you sure?’

I nodded. Elise said:

‘That woman on the car … she knew you.’

‘She’s my wife’s best friend.’

‘Oh my.’

‘And my wife is a member of the same anti-abortion group as her friend … who happens to be the ringleader.’

‘I feel terrible,’ Elise said.

‘Why? I chose to drive you. Not just today. But those other days. I chose to take you to those clinics. Just as I am choosing to take you to the one in Santa Clarita now.’

‘Bless you,’ she said.

My phone binged. I looked down at the screen. I then held it up, letting Elise read the message.

Brendan – you need to contact me ASAP.

‘Bad news?’ she asked.