Highway Song: A Smokey's Roadhouse Novel (36 page)

We
’
ll probably never know who tipped off the Investigator, the most vicious tabloid in a field of rabid dogs. Maybe they even followed us from Phoenix. Around one in the morning, as we pulled off in El Paso for the driver to stretch his legs and get a midnight snack, we suddenly found ourselves face to face with a news camera and reporter.

“
Rex Beck, what do you say to accusations that Amanda Bruno, recently arrested for the vicious murder of a Dallas police officer and reportedly your lover, is actually your stepsister?
”

I
’
d expected the question, blunt as it was. I
’
d rehearsed my answer. But I
’
d never expected it to come here and now, at a truck stop halfway to our next tour stop and in the middle of the night. It caught me off guard, and created a disaster when I stuttered an answer I hadn
’
t intended to make.

“
N-n-no comment.
”

Axel and Cole each took one of my arms and whirled me around to head for the bus again, but our way was blocked by the Investigator
’
s crew. The questions kept coming.

“
What should we tell your fans, who are justifiably upset by your incestuous relationship? Were you aware that Mothers for Morality in Music has called for a nationwide boycott of your music? They
’
re saying you are inappropriate role models for teens. How do you feel about Ms. Bruno being a cop killer?
”

The flagrant lies and unfairness of the attack got below my guard. For the second time, I gave an unrehearsed and foolish answer.
“
For fuck
’
s sake, the relationship isn
’
t incestuous. We aren
’
t related by blood, and we aren
’
t even related by marriage anymore. My mother divorced her father seventeen years ago.
”

The immediate follow-up sent me into a rage I couldn
’
t control.
“
So you admit the murderous Ms. Bruno is your stepsister.
”

“
Get the fuck out of my face. She
’
s not murderous, she
’
s not my stepsister now, and whoever the fuck Mothers for Morality are, they and their whiny brats aren
’
t our audience anyway.
”

A glance at Axel
’
s white face told me I
’
d said too much. I ducked my head and plowed through the crowd that had gathered at the raised voices as Axel and Cole made a lane for me. No one in the bus said a word as we continued our journey. We didn
’
t know what I
’
d done to us until we entered our hotel lobby seven hours later. Cole spotted it first and uttered an uncharacteristic exclamation.
“
What the fuck?
”

There on the front page of USA Today was a picture of my enraged face, and the headline
“
Beck Dismisses Fans, Denies Murder Charge.
”
They
’
d made it look like I
’
d been charged with murder, but even worse was the accusation that I
’
d blown off the fans. Too late, I remembered the PR department
’
s number one rule: never piss off the tabloids. It was eight a.m. in San Antonio. I figured I had about two hours, maybe less, before I heard from them that I was done, and that I
’
d sunk my band
’
s chances, too.

I was too optimistic. The call came an hour later.

I didn
’
t even get the second syllable of
‘
hello
’
out before the yelling started. It was the head of the PR department.

“
Do you know what the fuck you
’
ve done? I
’
ve got Triple M on the phone at four fucking a.m. telling me you essentially told them to go take a flying fuck. I
’
ve got Survivors of Incest on the other phone saying you
’
re a monster for fucking your ten-year-old sister. What the
fuck
is that all about? And your girlfriend
’
s lawyer called an hour later to tell me to muzzle you because the last thing she needs is you fucking up their defense strategy. Are you trying to kill me, or just your own career?
”

I pictured his round face, always red, turning even redder in his fury. The worst part was he was right.

“
Paul, what can I say? I fucked up. They ambushed us in the middle of the night in a truck stop of all places. They caught me off guard.
”
I was still trying to figure out how anyone could have looked at the facts and concluded I
’
d messed with Amy when she was just a little girl. That was the most disgusting thing I
’
d ever heard.

“
Well, you
’
re off the hook now. As of this moment, your tour is canceled. If you don
’
t want us to cut you loose completely, you
’
ll keep your mouth shut and let us deal with this. The bus is heading back to LA as soon as we can get a fresh driver. You guys can be on it or not. At this point I don
’
t fucking care.
”

I started to answer, but the dead air let me know I would have been talking to myself. I called the guys to meet me in the lobby and let them know what had happened. Neither Chad nor Jimmy could bring themselves to look at me, which was better than the hurt in Axel
’
s and Cole
’
s eyes.

“
That
’
s fucked up, man,
”
Cole said.

“
Yeah, it is, guys. I can
’
t tell you how sorry I am. You guys go on back to LA. Maybe the label can find something for you if I
’
m out of the way. Hopefully I
’
ll see you on the other side.
”

Even Axel and Cole had to admit there wasn
’
t much else they could do. I was determined to go to Dallas and be there for Amy like I said I would. Based on what I
’
d heard, her lawyer wouldn
’
t welcome me with open arms, so we certainly didn
’
t all need to be there. As I saw them off, I wondered if OSC would ever be a band again.

I caught a Greyhound to Dallas and found a cheap motel room in a bad part of town. Without knowing whether I was still on the payroll, I couldn
’
t afford to spend much money. First thing the next morning, I took a taxi to the offices of the attorney I
’
d hired for Amy. There I found my screw-up had even worse consequences for her.

“
Mr. Beck, I
’
ll need a fifty-thousand dollar advance against Ms. Bruno
’
s legal expenses. How would you like to take care of that?
”

I gulped.
“
I, uh, I don
’
t know. I
’
ll have to check with my label.
”

“
Am I to understand you can
’
t pay?
”
he asked, the frost in his tone chilling me to the bone.

“
No, uh, I
’
ll figure it out. I just need some time.
”

“
I
’
m sorry. I can
’
t extend credit. You
’
ll have to find other representation for Ms. Bruno.
”

A feeling of dread came over me. What had I done to Amy? She now faced a trial with no one but a public defender between her and a potential death penalty. I grabbed for the wastebasket just in time. It was the final blow to my dignity to be throwing up in some snooty lawyer
’
s office, with my woman
’
s life on the line. I had to do something.

TWENTY-FIVE

Rex
 

E
very adult in the US who had any interest in high-publicity or celebrity murder trials knew the name T. Booker Jameson. His dramatic courtroom antics had confused more than one jury into acquitting a client everyone else thought was guilty. My only hope
—
Amy
’
s only hope
—
was to attract his interest. I said as much to the public defender who caught her case.

“
What makes you think Mr. Jameson would have any interest in Ms. Bruno?
”
he asked.

I countered with a question of my own.
“
Are you at all interested in justice for Amy, or is this just a paycheck for you?
”

“
That
’
s insulting, Mr. Beck.
”

“
Look. I love Amy. She
’
s facing the death penalty. I
’
ll insult you or anyone else who gets in my way, if it will save her. I
’
d insult the fucking President of the United States. Or the Pope. Answer my fucking question.
”

“
Of course I
’
m interested in justice for her. I didn
’
t accept this job for the paycheck.
”
He didn
’
t sound mollified, but he did sound sincere.

“
Then you
’
ll work with Jameson if I can get him?
”

“
Of course.
”

I searched for and found Jameson
’
s office number, and waited half an hour on the phone for a live person to speak to, then asked for the man himself.

“
I
’
m sorry, that won
’
t be possible. Mr. Jameson is too busy to take calls. If you can tell me what it
’
s about, I
’
ll have one of his assistants return the call.
”

Desperate, I considered what I could say to make him take an interest.
“
Tell him a cop-killer case in Texas needs him. An innocent woman
’
s life hangs in the balance.
”

“
Your name?
”

I couldn
’
t believe what I
’
d said got such a standard response.
“
Did you hear me at all?
”
I demanded.

“
Yes, sir. If you
’
d like a return call, I need your name and phone number. One of Attorney Jameson
’
s assistants will return your call as soon as possible.
”

With no hope left, I gave my name and number in a flat voice and then ended the call. I
’
d fucked up my career, the careers of my two best friends, and sealed Amy
’
s fate, all with the same fucked up, unconsidered words to a heartless media machine. If Amy was convicted, I might as well be dead.