After all the charges were reduced to misdemeanors, pleas were entered and fines were assessed. Cody called the computer company to find out that Nick had already finished loading all Bozinsky's personal effects and left. He figured Nick would probably be waiting for them at the airport, so he and his client got into the rental car and headed that way.
Turned out Mr. Bozinsky didn't own any personal transportation. He said he spent most of his time at the office and took the bus back and forth whenever he needed to get to his apartment. Personally, Cody couldn't imagine living in California without a car, but then Murray Bozinsky wasn't a normal guy. Cody had to admit that he found the simple way Bozinsky looked at the world kind of sweet. Things were right or wrong, black or white, without a lot of gray. A little like Don Quixote. It was nice to know there were still people like him out there. And the little guy was lucky to have someone like Nick in his corner to help with all the real-life crap that occasionally went with those windmills.
"Mr. Allen, I can't thank you enough for helping me today. I know you only came because of Nick, but I wanted to personally thank you as well."
"You're welcome. And yeah, I came because Nick asked me…but I'm your lawyer. At least for today."
Bozinsky winced slightly, "I don't know what your rate is, but it'll probably take me a while to pay you. I don't have a lot of cash on hand, and now I've got to pay these fines."
Cody had come to Bozinsky's aid because of Nick and hadn't really been thinking about his fee. "I thought you made a ton of money for your games and inventions."
Bozinsky shrugged slightly, "I'm good with computers and tinkering, but not so good at investments. I lost it all on the stock market."
A vague memory of that flashed through his mind. Maybe that's when he'd first heard Bozinsky's name. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay. My fault. Money never mattered much to me anyway. As long as I have what I need to create and invent and work on my computers, I'm happy. That's what Dynagame was supposed to do: provide equipment and supplies, and then they would get to market what I created if it had any use. But then they went and changed everything without even asking me. It's like telling an artist, 'Don't you think those apples would look better if they were red? The painting would certainly sell better.' So now all I've got is the equipment I've been able to buy or build…and no job. No steady paycheck."
"Have you got any money coming in?"
"A little. I have some royalties from other stuff I've done. A little cash, but that'll probably go to pay the fines. Gonna be tight until I find another job. Of course, I could move anywhere. There's nothing keeping me in Santa Barbara now. It's just a matter of finding another position."
Cody glanced over at the glum features of his passenger. He understood being unmoored like that. Kind of like getting divorced. Just drifting without a compass or any wind at your back. "You know…I know we don't know each other that well, but— My house in L.A. is going up for sale with my divorce, so I don't know how long I'll be there, but you can bunk in my spare room till you find a job or I get it sold."
Bozinsky stared back, stunned. "Really? I mean, really? You'd let me just…stay with you?"
Cody got faintly alarmed. Bozinsky made it sound kind of permanent. "For a while anyway. Until you decide what you're gonna do. Or until I sell my house."
Bozinsky's smile erupted, "Thanks. I mean, really, that's just boss! And bodacious!"
Cody couldn't help but smile, "Boss and bodacious. That'll be tough to beat. I'm Cody."
Bozinsky nodded decisively, "Murray. Or Boz."
By then, they had arrived at the airport, and Cody followed the signs to the helicopters. The Screaming Mimi stood out like a sore thumb. Cody shuddered again just looking at it.
"Is that Nick's chopper? Oh, wow! Look at it! That's so boss!"
Cody could think of words other than 'boss', but he didn't say anything as Murray hopped out of the car and ran up to the contraption.
Nick jumped out of the cargo door, looking anxious. "Well? How'd it go?"
"Everything's fine, Nick. Cody got it all worked out. I don't even have to go back to court. They've refunded your bail money and everything."
Nick waved off Murray's assurance about the cash as inconsequential. "And you're okay?"
The answering grin was about two feet wide. "I'm fine. I'm better than fine."
Always suspicious, Nick glanced over at Cody for confirmation, "Really?"
Cody nodded, "Yeah. It's all taken care of."
"And I'm moving to Los Angeles! So we'll get to see a lot more of each other, right?"
Nick's confused face turned back to Bozinsky, "You're moving to L.A.? What brought this on?"
"Well, I don't have a job keeping me here anymore. And Cody said I could use his spare room. Till he sells his house."
Nick's shocked face shot back to Cody. "Is he serious?"
Cody was already feeling a little overwhelmed by the prospect, but… "Yeah."
Nick looked full of misgivings as he walked over and turned Cody's back to Murray so they could have a little privacy. "You don't have to do this. He's my friend. If he needs a place to live, he can stay with me."
"Nick, I've got way more room than you do; it's no problem."
"It's Murray. It's always a problem. C'mon, man, you've done too much already. You got outta bed in the middle of the night and flew up here. You took off work and spent the whole day helping my friend…just 'cause I asked you to. I'll never be able to repay you for this."
Cody shifted to look straight in Nick's face. "What is this repay garbage? Geez, Nick, you're my best friend. This is just one day, man. Doing what I do. I think the ledger's still heavy on your side, Ned."
"Ah, c'mon. I didn't—"
"Do anything? I see it differently." Cody gazed back at Murray who was going through the equipment in the helicopter. "Besides…I like him. Why can't he be my friend, too?"
Nick shook his head slightly, but Cody could tell he was wavering. He turned Nick back toward the Mimi and slung an arm across his shoulders. "Besides, we still have to get the stuff from his apartment. Are you gonna have room for all that? And is that an orange vacuum cleaner rolling around behind him?"
Nick looked uneasy as they watched Murray trip over himself while climbing into the cargo hold.
A few things changed over the next couple of months.
The first one of any consequence was that Murray started getting consulting jobs from all over country, generally free-lance programming of all kinds. Anything from computer games to difficult problem-solving issues. He leased a rundown storefront a few blocks from the beach in King Harbor and set up a desk and a ton of phone lines for all his equipment which included an orange robot that didn't look anything like R2-D2 or C-3P0. Once it became known that Murray Bozinsky was available, people managed to find him.
The second slightly bigger-than-normal event was that after one more client, Nick asked Cody if he needed Ned Newton anymore. Not that Nick had a problem playing the role…it was more that he didn't want anything to screw up Cody's cases. When he thought about it, he realized he didn't want anything to happen to Cody or any of Cody's clients…certainly not because Nick liked playing the big shot. Thankfully, Cody didn't get upset and admitted he'd probably been using Nick as a crutch for a while. The case with the slimebags and then Murray's situation had proven that he could still do it on his own.
The third big deal was that Cody's divorce was finalized. Despite knowing it was coming—and actually looking forward to it somewhat, even if only to have it behind him—Cody was still devastated and shut himself in his room. Thankfully, Boz was at home. Since Murray'd moved in, Nick had been dropping by most evenings after work, and the three of them spent most of their down time together. The day the divorce papers came, Boz called Nick at the airfield. Nick quickly arranged for a few days off and then organized a quick camping trip out to one of the Channel Islands. A couple hours later, he was pounding on Cody's bedroom door, threatening to break it down. Not listening to any objections from the blond third of their trio, the other two dragged him out to a quiet beach where he could yell out his anger and roar out his grief…at the fish. He could splash the water, break the wood, and kick the sand to his heart's content. And when he got done, his two friends were waiting with a warm fish filet and a shoulder to lean on. And in a few days' time, he was ready to finally be done with Janet Ingram Allen. The only thing left between them was the house…and they worked that so that whenever it sold, for whatever price, Cody would just send her half the proceeds after paying off the mortgage. And truthfully, Nick was thrilled with the decision because at least Cody could now move on, once and for all.