The Murder Book

I shifted into art-speak and presented myself as a collector of old masters drawings who'd run out of the sunlight-free space such treasures demanded and was considering switching to oils.

"Old masters oils?" said the young woman.

"A bit beyond my budget," I said. "But I have been impressed by some of the contemporary realism that's managed to assert itself among all the performance pieces. Nicholas Hansen, for example."

"Oh, Nicholas's wonderful."

"He's certainly not daunted by tradition," I said. "Could you tell me more about his background- is it rigidly academic?"

"Well," she said, "he did go to Yale. But we've always felt Nicholas transcends academic painting. There's something about his sensibilities. And the way he uses light."

"Yes. Quite. I like his sense of composition."

"That, too. He's simply first-rate. Unfortunately, we have no paintings by him in stock, at this time. If you could give me your name-"

"I always research an artist before I take the plunge. Would you happen to have some biographical information on Hansen that you could fax me?"

"Yes, of course," she said. "I'll get that right out to you. And about the academic aspect… Nicholas is well schooled, but please don't hold that against him. Despite his meticulousness and his way with paint as matter, there's a certain primal energy to his consciousness. You'd need to see the pictures in person to really appreciate that."

"No doubt," I said. "There's nothing like in person."

Five minutes later, my fax machine buzzed, disgorging Nicholas Hansen's curriculum vitae. Education, awards, group and individual exhibitions, corporate collections, museum shows.

The man had accomplished plenty in two decades, and unlike his old pal Garvey Cossack he hadn't recounted any of it in a pumped-up biography. No mention of high school at all; Nicholas Hansen's account of his education began with college: Columbia University, where he'd received a B.A. in anthropology, summers filled with painting fellowships, a Masters of Fine Arts at Yale, and two years of postgraduate work at an atelier in Florence, Italy, learning classical painting technique. Among his museum shows were group spots at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Prominent names figured among those who collected his work.

An accomplished man. A polished man. Hard to fit that with Vance Coury's garage or the Cossacks' vulgar lifestyle. A gang-rape murder.

I went over the dates on Hansen's résumé. Saw something else that didn't fit.

Milo still wasn't answering any of his phones, so I tried to dispel my restlessness with a beer, then another. I carried the bottle down to the pond, thought about kicking back, decided to net leaves instead. For the next hour or so I pruned, raked, busied myself with mindless chores. I was just about to allow myself a moment of repose when the phone rang up in the house.

Robin? I ran up the stairs, grabbed the kitchen extension, heard Dr. Bert Harris's voice. "Alex?"

"Bert. What's up?"

"It was nice to see you," he said. "After all this time. Just checking to see how you're doing."

"Did I look that bad?"

"Oh, no, not bad, Alex. Perhaps a bit preoccupied. So…"

"Everything's rolling along."

"Rolling along."

"No, that's a lie, Bert. I screwed up with Robin."

Silence.

I said, "I should've followed your advice. Instead, I brought up the past."

More dead air. "I see…"

"She reacted just as you'd imagine. Maybe I wanted her to."

"You're saying…"

"I really don't know what I'm saying, Bert. Listen, I appreciate your calling, but things are kind of… I don't feel like talking about it."

"Forgive me," he said.

Apologizing again.

"Nothing to forgive," I said. "You gave me good advice, I screwed up."

"You made a mistake, son. Mistakes can be remedied."

"Some."

"Robin's a flexible woman."

He'd met Robin twice. I said, "Is that your natural optimism speaking?"

"No, it's an old man's intuition. Alex, I've made my share of mistakes, but after a few years one does get a sense for people. I'd hate to see you misled."

"About Robin?"

"About anything," he said. "Another reason I'm calling is that I'm pla

"Sounds great, Bert."

"I didn't want you to try to reach me and not find me here."

"I appreciate that." Had I come across that needy?

"That sounds presumptuous, doesn't it?" he said. "To think you'd call. But… just in case."

"I appreciate your telling me, Bert."

"Yes… well, then, good luck."

"When are you leaving?" I said.

"Soon. As soon as final arrangements are complete."

"Bon voyage," I said. "When you get back, give a call. I'd love to hear about the trip."

"Yes… may I offer one bit of advice, son?"

Please don't. "Sure."

"Try to season each day with a new perspective."

"Okay," I said.

"Bye, now, Alex."

I placed the receiver back in its cradle. What had that been about? The more I thought about the conversation, the more it sounded like good-bye.

Bert going somewhere… he'd sounded sad. Those comments he'd made about senility. All the apologies.

Bert was a first-rate therapist, wise enough to know I hadn't wanted advice. But he offered a parting shot, anyway.

Try to season each day with a fresh perspective. Last words from an old friend facing deterioration? Taking a trip… a final journey?

There I was again, off on some worst-case tangent.

Keep it simple: The old man had always traveled, loved to travel. No reason to think his destination was anywhere but Southeast Asia…

The phone rang again. I switched it to speaker and Milo 's voice, distant and flecked with static, filled the kitchen. "Any new insights?"

"How about an actual fact?" I said. "Nicholas Hansen couldn't have been involved in Janie's murder. Early in June he was finishing up his last year at Columbia. After he graduated, he went to Amsterdam and spent the summer at a life-drawing course at the Rijksmuseum."

"That assumes he didn't come home for the weekend."

" New York to L.A. for the weekend?"

"These were rich kids," he said.

"Anything's possible, but I just don't see it. Hansen's different from the other King's Men. His life took a whole different turn, and unless you can uncover some present-day dealings with Coury and the Cossacks and Brad Larner, my bet is he distanced himself from the group and maintained that distance."

"So he's no use to us."

"On the contrary. He might be able to provide insights."

"We just drop in and say we want to chat about his old pals the sex-killers?"

"Any other promising leads at the moment?" I said.

He didn't answer.

I said, "So what'd you do today?"

"Nosed around about Coury, Junior. His daddy was the nasty piece of work the papers made him out to be. Used gang-bangers to collect the rent. And looks like Junior's continued the relationship. The dubious citizens working his parking lots have that homeboy thing going on."

"Fu

"Chopping the Seville as a cover story?" he said. "Did it ever occur to you Coury didn't want to do the job 'cause he wasn't buying your story? Jesus, Alex-"

"Why wouldn't he buy it?" I said.

"Because maybe someone in the enemy camp knows we've been snooping around the Ingalls case. You got the goddamned murder book in the first place because someone knew we worked together. Alex, that was goddamned stupid."

"Coury wasn't suspicious, just apathetic," I said, with more confidence than I felt. "My take is that he doesn't need the money."