they’re left-handed or because they smell guilty. We’ll need evidence. Hard evidence. A fingerprint. Bloodstains. Skin traces under the nails.”
“How about a witness?”
“A witness would be good. Have you got one?”
Leo opened his mouth to speak, but Paula cut him off.
“I know. You’re not saying anything.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
Monty lifted his head from between Paula’s parted legs. He gauged the level of ecstasy in her glazed-over eyes, decided he could do better, and began to use his teeth. Her back began to arch, and she grabbed his head roughly with her hands, pushed his face deeper into her. She cried out, and Monty knew that he had succeeded.
Later, he lit a cigarette for each of them and put the ashtray on his chest for her to use.
“Adam asked me to talk to you about Leo.”
“Leo’s harmless. I’m just giving the dog a bone.”
“Adam seems nervous.”
“You want Leo gone? He’s gone. Believe me, I have him on a very short leash. I was just letting him play lawyer, for old times’ sake. You have no idea how embarrassing it is to see him groveling. Pathetic.”
“No, let him play. I don’t care.”
“You don’t?”
“No. Adam’s not acting right. He’s changed somehow. Frankly, I’d like to know what he’s been up to. I mean, I don’t think he had anything to do with Rachel’s death, but I would be very interested to know what kind of trash Leo can dig up. I wouldn’t mind knowing for myself who he was with that weekend.”
“Your wish is my command.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
“You want to drag your brother into it, that’s fine by me. I’ll be just as happy to talk to him. But I gotta tell you, it’s just gonna make you look that much more suspicious.”
“Suspicious? I’ve done nothing wrong! You know that.”
“Look, we can play it any way you want to, Mr. Lee, I’m just trying to give you a break.”
“Harassing me at my office is your idea of giving me a break? This is turning into a nightmare and you are the bogeyman.”
“Look, I said from the beginning I was gonna have to talk to her. You assured me it wouldn’t be a problem. It was gonna just be between us. Well, it’s been two weeks since your wife died and still no Violet Perkins.”
“I don’t know why she hasn’t contacted you. She assured me she would.”
“Why don’t you give me her number? I’ll call her.”
“I told you, she calls me. She doesn’t have a phone.”
“Look, I think we both know Violet Perkins doesn’t exist. At least that’s the way it’s starting to look. I’ve located four Violet Perkinses in the metro area, and I’ve talked to all of them except one. Two of them were grade school students, another was living in a nursing home, and the last one has been dead for seven months. The Hendrix Institute denies any knowledge of her. In fact, only one person can claim to have seen her—you.”
Adam pushed back his chair, stood, and looked out his office window. After a minute, he turned back around to look at Leo. “She exists. Look, Leo, I admit I’ve been lying. I haven’t had contact with her since that weekend. We more or less ended the affair. That weekend was the coup de grâce. Don’t you think I want to find her just as much as you do? It’s my name, my reputation on the line.”
Adam faced away from Leo, turned back to the window. Leo smiled. The mouse trembles, and the cat licks beads of blood from its whiskers.
When the desk nurse didn’t look up from her charting, Leo cleared his throat a little louder. She looked up, mildly annoyed at being interrupted.
“Hi, my name is Leo Hewitt. I’m with the district attorney’s office. I was wondering if you could help me. I’m looking for a Violet Perkins. I’ve already been to administration twice, but I thought I could check down here, too, just in case.”
“Oh, yeah. There was a guy in here the other day. Looking for the same girl. I remember ’cause of the name. Violet. I told him I been
“How about a witness?”
“A witness would be good. Have you got one?”
Leo opened his mouth to speak, but Paula cut him off.
“I know. You’re not saying anything.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
Monty lifted his head from between Paula’s parted legs. He gauged the level of ecstasy in her glazed-over eyes, decided he could do better, and began to use his teeth. Her back began to arch, and she grabbed his head roughly with her hands, pushed his face deeper into her. She cried out, and Monty knew that he had succeeded.
Later, he lit a cigarette for each of them and put the ashtray on his chest for her to use.
“Adam asked me to talk to you about Leo.”
“Leo’s harmless. I’m just giving the dog a bone.”
“Adam seems nervous.”
“You want Leo gone? He’s gone. Believe me, I have him on a very short leash. I was just letting him play lawyer, for old times’ sake. You have no idea how embarrassing it is to see him groveling. Pathetic.”
“No, let him play. I don’t care.”
“You don’t?”
“No. Adam’s not acting right. He’s changed somehow. Frankly, I’d like to know what he’s been up to. I mean, I don’t think he had anything to do with Rachel’s death, but I would be very interested to know what kind of trash Leo can dig up. I wouldn’t mind knowing for myself who he was with that weekend.”
“Your wish is my command.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
“You want to drag your brother into it, that’s fine by me. I’ll be just as happy to talk to him. But I gotta tell you, it’s just gonna make you look that much more suspicious.”
“Suspicious? I’ve done nothing wrong! You know that.”
“Look, we can play it any way you want to, Mr. Lee, I’m just trying to give you a break.”
“Harassing me at my office is your idea of giving me a break? This is turning into a nightmare and you are the bogeyman.”
“Look, I said from the beginning I was gonna have to talk to her. You assured me it wouldn’t be a problem. It was gonna just be between us. Well, it’s been two weeks since your wife died and still no Violet Perkins.”
“I don’t know why she hasn’t contacted you. She assured me she would.”
“Why don’t you give me her number? I’ll call her.”
“I told you, she calls me. She doesn’t have a phone.”
“Look, I think we both know Violet Perkins doesn’t exist. At least that’s the way it’s starting to look. I’ve located four Violet Perkinses in the metro area, and I’ve talked to all of them except one. Two of them were grade school students, another was living in a nursing home, and the last one has been dead for seven months. The Hendrix Institute denies any knowledge of her. In fact, only one person can claim to have seen her—you.”
Adam pushed back his chair, stood, and looked out his office window. After a minute, he turned back around to look at Leo. “She exists. Look, Leo, I admit I’ve been lying. I haven’t had contact with her since that weekend. We more or less ended the affair. That weekend was the coup de grâce. Don’t you think I want to find her just as much as you do? It’s my name, my reputation on the line.”
Adam faced away from Leo, turned back to the window. Leo smiled. The mouse trembles, and the cat licks beads of blood from its whiskers.
When the desk nurse didn’t look up from her charting, Leo cleared his throat a little louder. She looked up, mildly annoyed at being interrupted.
“Hi, my name is Leo Hewitt. I’m with the district attorney’s office. I was wondering if you could help me. I’m looking for a Violet Perkins. I’ve already been to administration twice, but I thought I could check down here, too, just in case.”
“Oh, yeah. There was a guy in here the other day. Looking for the same girl. I remember ’cause of the name. Violet. I told him I been
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