Bloodlines

“Type B? So another person was wounded or perhaps killed there?”

“It’s a possibility, although there is much less of the type B. We can’t say that all the stains are of the same age.”

“But no third body? Human body, I should say?”

“You think Woolsey might claim the dog was type B?”

“I wasn’t trying to be fu

“He could be living next door to you, for all I know.”

“Lefebvre, there’s something else you should know about that farm.” I told him about the bootlegging story.

He was silent.

“Sorry, I should have mentioned that earlier.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

I waited. Eventually he said, “I may have to tell your friend the construction supervisor that more excavations are needed because you mentioned this bootlegging theory.”

“Bullshit,” I said. “You were already pla

He laughed and told me it served me right for not continuing our spirit of ope

“Am I invited to be there when you dig?” I asked.

“I’ll let you know. It will be sometime tomorrow, I think.”

I told him I was going to think about things and would call him back. He told me he was always interested in my theories. I tried hard to detect any possible amusement in his voice when he said that, but either he was serious or I was fooled.

“Are you dating Max Ducane?” he asked.

I was surprised by the question. “No, I’m not.”

That was met with silence.

“I don’t have anything against Max,” I said. “It’s just that I’m still hung up on someone I was interested in back in Bakersfield. Which is so stupid, because we never really dated, just spent time around each other on the job. And besides, someone called me a few weeks ago to tell me he’s seeing someone else.”

“He’s a cop.”

“How on earth-did you check up on my life in Bakersfield, for God’s sake?”

“Not at all. The other day at Woolsey’s office, the things you knew, the way you spoke and reacted-I don’t know, gut feeling, I suppose. I found myself thinking that you had dated a cop.”

“Well, I hadn’t. Dated, I mean. And it doesn’t matter, anyway.”

“No. And it’s not my business.”

“No, it’s not!” I said with indignation.

He didn’t hide his amusement at that.

42

H.G. GAVE ME PERMISSION TO BORROW A CONFERENCE ROOM FOR A couple of hours. I gathered some colored scrap paper, scissors, and tape together, then left a note for O’Co

“Come in,” I said, “I’m trying to figure something out.”

“What grade are you in?”

“Very fu

He started looking over the layout on the table. I’ll admit it looked like a poor imitation of a Playskool village that had met up with a steamroller.

“It’s the first Friday in January 1958,” I said.

I pointed out the locations first. White sheets of paper I had labeled cabin, marina, farm, Linworth mansion, in-laws’ mansion, Katy’s house, Warren’s location, and unknown.

Next, I showed him my blue, golden rod, and lavender paper dolls. The blues ones were labeled Rose, Jack, Katy, Todd, Thelma, and Barrett. A smaller one was labeled Baby-I hadn’t been able to make myself write “Max” on it. I finished the paper dog and put him with Katy.

“Victims in blue?” O’Co

“Yes-i

“God, do those colors look horrid together,” O’Co

“You want to be an art critic, we’ll put you in charge of the fu

“Some days, I think they make more sense than the front page. Are you going to tell me what you’re doing?”

“Wait-I’m almost done.” I cut out eight green rectangles. I labeled six of them Buick, Imperial, Ducanes’ car, Katy’s car, Bel Air, and Sea Dreamer. I put question marks on the seventh and eighth.

I surveyed my handiwork and said, “I’ve been hearing about what went on that weekend, but I haven’t been able to work out the logistics or get an overall picture.”

He frowned, then moved all of the people except the baby, Gus, Boss, Rose, and the question marks to the Linworth mansion. Good. He was going to play.

“Don’t forget their cars,” I said. He moved the Bel Air and both Ducane cars over to the Linworths’ as well.

I put Rose, the baby, and Gus in the Ducane house and parked the Imperial nearby.

“Let’s start with Jack,” I said. “I think his being taken from the party was one of the first things to happen.” I put Jack, Betty, Lew, and Bo in the Bel Air. “We don’t know where they took him for round one of the beating, or how long that went on, but eventually they drove out of town and left him on the farm.”

I drove it along the tabletop, past the marsh and out to the farm, resisting the temptation to make car sounds. “What time did you say he was taken from the party?” I asked.

“No one noted the exact time. Between eleven and midnight.”

“Just before Katy and Todd left the party with Todd’s parents, right?”

“Right.”

“Okay-so probably before Jack is dumped out of the car at the farm, the Ducane party is on its way to the boat.”

“Yes, that sounds right,” O’Co

“Yes. Katy and her in-laws were in separate cars,” I said, putting Katy, Todd, and the dog in the paper roadster. “We know they stopped by her in-laws’ mansion, because Katy’s car was found there and Thelma and Barrett’s car was found at the marina.”

I moved Katy’s roadster to the paper marked in-laws’ mansion, and brought Thelma and Barrett’s car there, too.

“Did Katy and Todd ever get any farther than the mansion, though?” O’Co

“I don’t know. Someone was waiting for them, either at the in-laws’ place or at the marina. The marina is more likely.”

“Why?”

O’Co

“So let’s say they all get into the in-laws’ car, and Thelma or Barrett drives.” I left Katy’s roadster at the in-laws’ mansion. I moved all four people, the dog, and the elder Ducanes’ car to the marina. I put a couple of the question-mark figures there, along with the Buick and the Sea Dreamer. I frowned.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just trying to picture the seating arrangement in the Buick. I talked to Lefebvre.” I told him what Lefebvre had said about where the bloodstains were.

He got a distant look in his eyes, as if he was trying to picture the car and occupants. “You don’t really need the bloodstains to see it. A man working alone wouldn’t leave Todd and Katy together in the backseat. They might attack, or try to escape. The killer forced Katy or Todd to drive, and rode in the backseat with the other hostage.”

“And the other man took Thelma and Barrett out to sea?”

“Yes.”

“How did he get back ashore?” I asked. I picked up a piece of paper and started shaping it with the scissors.

“You’re making a second boat?”

“There had to be one, and someone else to operate it while the killer was aboard the Sea Dreamer. They left the Sea Dreamer adrift and returned to shore in the smaller boat.”

“No-too many people. They wouldn’t involve so many.”

“Are you kidding? They used three people to beat up Jack.”