Flesh And Blood

Long silence. “So now you’ve got a new bad guy.”

“Big bucks at stake – an executive type – would fit with the professional hit scenario. As well as leaving the bodies to be found. Warning off others. It would also explain the theft of Lauren’s computer records. In addition to Anita’s money, Irving’s got a top job at Duke Enterprises, and he’s part of a group that’s developing Paradise Cove. Lots at stake. Any way to find out if his name comes up in Gretchen’s case file?”

“And Dr. Dugger? No more sexy secrets?”

“I’m not abandoning him,” I said. “Just suggesting an alternative. And even if Dugger wasn’t directly involved in the murders, he could’ve set everything into motion, without intending to. By trying to get something going with Lauren – bringing her to the Duke estate. She and Irving came face-to-face – talk about a blast from the past – and she started leaning on Irving. That could explain Dugger’s strong reaction when we told him about Lauren’s death. He was surprised. But he’s also aware of his role in it – however unintentional. Suspects Irving. He can’t say a thing, because he doesn’t want to expose his family. So he claims i

“All this from cyberspace… And where does Shawna Yeager figure into this grand production?”

“That I don’t know. Unless Irving had something going with her too.”

“This guy gets around.”

“Maybe I’m totally off base,” I said, “but wouldn’t a look at the Gretchen files be a place to start?”

“The Gretchen files,” he said, “are a problem. The feds took over from the locals, they’re the ones who prosecuted her, they orchestrated the plea bargain. Throughout the whole thing, no customers’ names were ever exposed and, believe me, the papers tried to get hold of Gretchen’s files. That was the whole point of the deal. Protecting johns in high places. Gretchen kept her mouth shut in return for a short sentence. I’ll call the U.S. attorney, but don’t get your hopes up. First, though, I need to find Andy Salander. His rabbit really bugs me…”

“When did he leave?”

“Middle of the night, no notice, a month’s rent due, packed all his clothes, left the furniture behind. The landlord is not pleased and neither am I. Salander was the last person to see Lauren alive. With all due respect to your creative mind, wouldn’t it be a peach if this comes down to a stinking little roommate thing?”

“You really see Salander overpowering, trussing, and shooting Lauren in the head, then dumping her in the trash?” I said. “Doing the same to Michelle and Lance and burning their bodies?”

“Alex, I’ve been doing this too long to be surprised by anything. For all we know Michelle and Lance were shot because of something totally unrelated to Lauren.”

“And Jane?”

“Mel Abbot shot Jane, friend. That’s the way it’s going down, and I have nothing to say it shouldn’t. What I do have is Salander cutting out after he gave his word that he wouldn’t. I was just by The Cloisters. The manager said Salander didn’t show up for work yesterday or today, didn’t phone, which is a switch – he’s always been reliable. Something’s definitely not right.”

“Maybe he’s scared,” I said. “Knows something he shouldn’t. Jane Abbot’s death just hit the news. Maybe Salander figured he could find himself in the same situation and panicked. Because he knows what Jane knew.”

“What – Lauren has this big valuable secret and she tells everyone?”

“Lauren was a loner. And lonely. Salander made a point of telling me what a good listener he was. And perhaps Lauren didn’t tell him everything, merely hinted around, or gave him a partial story. Now that people are dying, he’s worried that’s enough.”

“Fine,” he said. “Maybe. But if he knows something, that’s all the more reason for me to go after him ASAP. The manager at the bar says he had an on-again, off-again boyfriend, and that’s the lead I’m chasing.”

“Could be on-again,” I said. “The first time I met Salander, he was waiting for someone to show up, implied it was a former flame, some sort of reconciliation. Who’s the boyfriend?”

“Some film agent who works for one of the big outfits. Manager thinks Andy said William Morris. He dropped in at The Cloisters infrequently, drank Singapore slings, schmoozed with Andy, not too friendly with anyone else. Last time was months ago, but I’ve got a description – forties, dark hair, slim, tiny little eyeglasses, Armani suits – and maybe a name. Manager thinks he heard Andy call this guy Jason or Justin. I’m heading over to Morris right now. Maybe they’ll buy my screenplay.”

“Didn’t know you had one.”

“Throw cash at me and I can write one in a couple of days, win an Oscar – have you seen the crap that gets on-screen?”

“What, cop against the odds?”

“Charming genius cop as sensitive soul and savior of the world.”

I laughed. “If you dead-end in Beverly Hills, you might try Salander’s parents. He had a snapshot of them in his room, taken in-”

“Yeah – Bloomington, Indiana. Called this morning. Salander’s mother hasn’t spoken with him in nearly a year. Seems Andy Senior has troubles with his only child’s lifestyle, Junior left home a year shy of high school graduation, never returned to the Old Homestead. He sends Mommy a Christmas card and she mails him money that she saves from the grocery stash. When I hung up she was crying – I love my job. Anyway, thanks for the Irving info. Feel free to call with additional inspiration.”

“Actually…”

“What?”

“Try to stay calm,” I said.

“If I could get calm, I could stay calm. What?”

“I’ve been traveling through more than cyberspace.” I told him about my day at Paradise Cove, the time with Cheryl Duke, meeting Anita and Irving, catching sight of Black Suit in te

“So you actually met the guy.”

“Just for a few minutes.”

Long silence.

“Kayaking?”

“It’s good exercise.”

“Alex,” he said. Then he trailed off. More dead air. Finally: “Mr. Schmatte wears linen and the goombah plays te

“He’s built more like a power lifter.”

“Fine, fine, but lobbing balls across the net makes him even less likely to be some hoodoo hit man. If he was, they wouldn’t put him up on home turf. Alex, I can’t believe you actually took out a goddamn boat and did marine surveillance.”

“No law against enjoying the great outdoors,” I said. “Lucky I was there. The boy might’ve drowned.”

An exaggerated sigh hissed through the receiver. “Myyyy heeero – so now Mommy’s bonded with you. You going to date her?”

“Very fu

“You took her number.”

“What was my choice?”

“How about self-righteous indignation? You might’ve told me at the outset that you knew Irving from more than the Internet-”

“I was waiting for the right moment.”

He laughed. “What’s the use? Okay, so is there a reason, other than the garment link, that Irving twangs your ante

“He kowtows to his wife but likes to come across in charge. Styled hair, dresses like reruns of Miami Vice, tough-guy swagger – he impressed me as someone who wants to be seen as a player.”

“If bad taste and phoniness were felonies, L.A. would be one big penitentiary,” he said. “Okay, he’s got poor fashion sense, that’s why he bombed in the garment game. Give me something else – something ominous that I can work with before I go chasing around town.”

“Can’t,” I admitted. “I’m just trying to co