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“This looks like the man Lam told me about,” she said. “What do you want with me?”

“I’m looking into the defense of A Free Man,” I said. “And ever since then people been on me. I decided that if I look different maybe I’d get a little deeper without gettin’ shot.”

Miranda took a deep breath and pursed her lips to express her empathy.

“Have a seat, Mr. Oliver,” she said.

There were two padded wicker chairs facing each other right at the veranda door. Between them was a green-glass box that stood in as a table.

I sat and she asked, “Whiskey?”

“Scotch or bourbon?”

“Sour mash,” she said with a pleasing sneer.

“Darling, you have just become the favorite person of my day.”

The laugh didn’t make it as far as her throat, but it was real mirth from a dark place.

From the kitchen she said, “Ice?”

“No, thank you.”

When she sat down across from me I started to think about Aja. My daughter was a beautiful woman with curves and class and a smile that made you happy.

This trick worked. My heart slowed down and I emptied the generous dram of whiskey.

“You want another one?” Miranda asked.

“Yes, I do, but, no, I won’t.”

That smile etched her lips.

“Lam said that he thought you might be all right,” she shared.

“That’s unusual?”

“Every time somebody come talk to him about Manny he calls me from a pay phone and tells me what they look like and when they were there. Lam don’t talk about Manny to just anybody. Especially if that anybody is a cop.”

“Ex-cop,” I corrected.

“Once a cop, always a cop.”

I laughed and felt the whiskey spreading mildly over my brow.

“Okay, Mr. Ex-cop,” Miranda said. “What did you want me to talk about?”

“A Free Man.”

“What do you want to know?”

“I have heard that there was a conspiracy against him and all the Blood Brothers and there are still people working to make sure his story is silenced.”

The beautiful woman looked toward the window.

She turned back to me and said, “Your mustache is comin’ loose. Up on the left side. Not that much right now, but people will be able to tell after a while.”

I touched the side she mentioned and felt the looseness.