Los Angeles.
Brandon was immersed in his thoughts.
The scoop Johnson had proposed to him was one of those that happen to you a few times in life. A deep throat, ready to blow up everything about the corruption system in the Municipality of Los Angeles. Stuff that could have been a real judicial earthquake and Johnson had come to him.
He began to tidy up his notes by getting down in a crazy and desperate job. So much so that he didn't even notice that the employees were leaving. It was Betty who gave him an alarm.
"I'm leaving Mr. Walsh. Do you need anything?"
Brandon pulled his face from the laptop.
"Yes Betty, just one thing, get this CV. Remind me tomorrow." He told her by handing her the CV of that Brian.
"It's okay Mr. Walsh. Good evening"
"Betty?" Brandon stopped it before it disappeared "thank you"
She smiled. Brandon realized he had no idea who Betty was. Did SHe have children? Was she married? What kind of person was she?
Since when had he stopped knowing people?
The cell phone rang. The display lit up intermittently.
"Kel"
"Yeah?"
"Good evening Mr. Brandon.. I'm James del Hallowe on Santa Monica B.de. We called you from this lady's cell phone as it is the last call. The lady is unable to drive and does not want to walk away. I don't know if you could come or give us a relative's number or an address to call her a taxi. We wouldn't want to call the police"
"You don't call anyone, I'm on my way."
The Hellowe was a Los Angeles 'in' bar that mattered.
The semi-dark interior did not hide a modern decor... Kelly was at a detled table. At the end of the hall. He held his head with both hands. Brandon took a look at the bartender. A nod of understanding and he approached her.
"Kel?"
She was cheeky. Wonderful unhassed creature.
"Brandon" just pronounced "you too.."
Brandon made an infinite tenderness for that heart that too many times found herself fighting its fragilities.
He tried to lift her up but Kelly didn't want to get up "let me go, you're not different from the others"
Brandon looked around "Kel, Sammy where is he?"
"It's at Janet's. I'm drunk, not stupid" and laughed louder.
"Let's go home, come with me"
"Do you know Dylan is at Brenda's?"
She laughed loudly "oh of course you know.. you know everything.. Brenda told you"
"We can talk about it at home.. Kel?"
She stared at him with bad eyes "everyone goes away"
"It's not true, you know it's not"
"Ah no?" She sobbed "didn't you leave? We had to get married the day before and the day after puff" puffed violently "you disappeared. You never asked me to come with you. Kelly the beauty. Kelly the blonde. Kelly is alone," she took a fierce look.
"What do you staring at?" She shouted at those who were looking at her.
Brandon tried again and managed to get her up.
Oh Kel.. she thought as she leaned her head on his chest and barely walked.
Brandon drove to her house. It was not far from his old neighborhood. A few blocks further. He searched for the keys in her bag. And open the house immersed in the dark.
She hadn't spoken a single word but she wasn't sleeping. She looked out the window. Bran took that ride back in the car when cocaine had become a serious problem but she was no longer the same person. She wasn't Kelly herself.
The house was completely tidy. A nice house with a garden. Exactly as SHe imagined it, as she had told him about it, on the nights together. The porch . The hanging basket. It looked a bit like Walsh's home. It was in the shape of Kelly's wishes.
He looked for her the bedroom.
And he made her sit down and she let herself be touched like a little girl. He took off her shoes while she looked at him seriously.
"Do you want to make love Brandon?"
"No Kelly. I don't want to."
"Why?" She said doing closer.. and trying to unbutton his shirt.
Brandon stopped her hands and approached her ear "because that's not what we deserve. Especially you"
"You never asked me to go with you," she said before falling asleep.
"Yes, I asked you," he replied as she had already fallen asleep exhausted.
Brandon sat in the armchair in the dark watching it.
The next morning, he left the house very early. Janet would bring Sammy back, and take care of her.