The book begins in the 1960s with a christening party for Frances Keating, the baby daughter of Fix and Beverly Keating. Their Los Angeles home is filled with guests, many of them police officers just like Fix. However, when Albert Cousins arrives, it’s clear that Fix is not happy with his arrival. “Bert” (Albert’s preferred nickname) is a district attorney, and although Fix doesn’t know him well, he assumes that Bert is like the other DAs who are condescending to police officers. Still, Fix invites Bert, who has brought a bottle of gin, inside to join the party.

Beverly tells Fix that they are out of ice, so Fix goes to the store with his brother. When they return home, they find that the party has shifted directions as people are starting to drink Bert’s bottle of gin. The kitchen is no longer full of women but is now mostly full of men, including Bert, who are helping Beverly to juice oranges to make gin and orange juice cocktails. People have gathered fresh oranges for the juice from the Keating’s backyard, and neighbors have gone to their backyards to gather their oranges as well as any

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