“No no no,” said Weider, “Daney called me asked me to defend Troy at first I didn’t want to do it because believe me I was putting in the hours who needed the hassle but he kept working on me telling me I was the smartest D.P.D. in the office which happened to be true then I figured why not it could be interesting.”

“How so?” I said.

“Interesting— ” Weider repeated. Then she stared at me, went silent, twisted her mouth nonstop, as if compensating for the lack of sound.

Milo said, “Interesting as in high-profile. As in getting your name in the paper.”

Weider turned toward him. “Why shouldn’t I get some of the good ones you put in the hours why not get a little coverage?”

“And a movie deal,” said Milo.

Weider did the open-shut thing with her mouth again. More panting, more lip acrobatics. She snapped her head away from Milo and stared out the window. “That was after the case resolved nothing illegal about that it happens all the time.”

“Was the movie your idea or Daney’s?”

“His,” she said, too quickly. “He used to say look at Marty such a total loser but he’s driving a Mercedes and lunching at the studio commissary even though with all that opportunity he still couldn’t produce anything better than grade C made-for-TV crap.”

“Daney figured he could do bet— ”

“He figured if he had Marty’s opportunities he’d own a studio.”

“Delusions of grandeur,” said Milo.

“Doesn’t stop anyone else in Hollywood,” said Weider. “I could tell you stories besides I knew why he was talking himself up like that.”

“Why?”

Smug smile. “To get himself hard that’s what he’d do when he had problems he’d talk himself up and put Marty down that’s what it’s all about for men out-dicking the other guy.”

“Still,” I said, “you took the movie idea seriously.”

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you and Daney take meetings?”

“Everyone takes meetings you stop taking meetings the industry shrivels up like Daney’s you-know-what when he got nervous.”

“Everyone takes meetings but so did you.”

“Yeah I went I took it as seriously as anything else why not what was there to lose do you guys have anything to drink I’m really thirsty.”

“Sorry, no,” said Milo.

“Damn I’m parched that’s why I hate . . .” Her head dropped. Staring at her legs.

“What do you hate?”

“Pills dope poison I refuse to take anything to hell with stupid doctors the best thing for stress is activity work off the toxins speaking of which I’m starting to feel really confined could we walk a little take a little stroll— ”

Milo said, “Who set up the meetings?”

“I did Daney tagged along thinking he was smooth— ”

“Not Marty?”