Heart to Heart: Ashton Ford, Psychic Detective by Don Pendleton Page A
Authors: Don Pendleton
Ads: Link
the
face of things. But I've known Paul Stewart too for a long
time.
So I'm giving you that much space. Don't make
me regret it."
That kind of space was like a finger snap in
time. But I had to be grateful, considering the circumstances, for
all small favors received.
And it now appeared that I
had a new deadline—or was it a death line? My ten days to resolution
had shrunk to one.
Chapter Fifteen: The Power
Before he left, Sgt.
Alvarez admitted that he'd known the identity of the victim all
along. Sloane's wallet with everything intact had been found on
the body. His car had been discovered illegally parked on Pacific
Coast Highway just down from the entrance to Pointe House, which
was something of a puzzler unless you wanted to think that (a) he
had returned at some time following the afternoon visit and, for
some reason, had wanted to enter unnoticed; or (b) someone else had
parked the car on the highway, probably after Sloane's
death.
Also I gained a modification of my stay put
order from Alvarez; he agreed that I could travel freely within
Orange County but that I should keep his office informed of my
whereabouts.
I got Hai Tsu on the house phone as soon as
the cops
had cleared out, asked her to come to my
suite. She must have thought I desired valet attentions because she
took one look at the stubble on my face and went to the bathroom
for shaving gear. I needed a shave, sure, so I figured what the
hell and let her go at it.
Always gives me a funny
feeling to have someone else at my face and throat with a blade.
But I tried to relax and enjoy it, thought I could use the shave as
a cover for some pointed conversation. That did not work though.
Every time I tried to frame a word in the mouth, Hai Tsu gently but
quickly shut it off with a finger at my lips as if to say "no
talking during shaving, please." I had no desire to lose chunks of
nose or lip so I took the advice and held my silence until she'd
finished.
Best damned shave I'd ever had. She kept me
under warm towels for a minute or so afterward, then finished off
by massaging a cooling balm into the skin.
"Breakfast now, Shen?" she inquired happily,
as though that would really make her day.
I was hungry, yeah, but it could wait. I
asked her, "Can you read English?"
She jerked her head in an
enthusiastic nod, replied, "Oh yes, read English good. Hai Tsu read
for Shen?"
I handed her the power of attorney and said,
"Hai Tsu read for Hai Tsu."
If indeed she read that paper then she is
the fastest speed-reader I've ever seen at work. She merely glanced
at it and handed it back.
"Yes, Shen?"
"Read it."
"Yes, Shen." As though to say, "How many
times, dummy?"
I asked, "You read it?"'
"Yes, Shen."
"Then tell me about it."
"Is confirmation. Shen is here when not
here."
Wait a minute! I was getting a whole new
slant on that piece of paper!
I said, "It authorizes me
to sign his name on legal documents."
She said, "Yes. And also act, be, do in
every way as though Shen is in your body."
I was getting the Shen now too.
And the full Shen treatment!
"No, wait," I protested lamely, "a power of
attorney is used to..."
After a moment of respectful waiting for me
to finish the thought, Hai Tsu finished it for me in her own way.
"You are Shen."
So I thought, well okay, what the hell, why
not.
"Thanks," I muttered. "I'll, uh, be down in
about ten minutes. Breakfast outside is fine. Two eggs medium,
bacon if you have it."
"English muffins." She twinkled at
me—confirming, not inquiring.
I replied, "Yes, crisp and dripping," but I
knew she already knew that too, somehow.
I let her get to the door before I called
her back and asked her, "How well did you know Sloane?"
“ This Sloane, not know,”
she replied.
"You saw him yesterday for the first
time?"
"First time, yes."
"You knew his father?"
"Yes. Many year."
I looked at that bright, beautiful face and
wondered how it could have known anything at all for "many year"
unless
face of things. But I've known Paul Stewart too for a long
time.
So I'm giving you that much space. Don't make
me regret it."
That kind of space was like a finger snap in
time. But I had to be grateful, considering the circumstances, for
all small favors received.
And it now appeared that I
had a new deadline—or was it a death line? My ten days to resolution
had shrunk to one.
Chapter Fifteen: The Power
Before he left, Sgt.
Alvarez admitted that he'd known the identity of the victim all
along. Sloane's wallet with everything intact had been found on
the body. His car had been discovered illegally parked on Pacific
Coast Highway just down from the entrance to Pointe House, which
was something of a puzzler unless you wanted to think that (a) he
had returned at some time following the afternoon visit and, for
some reason, had wanted to enter unnoticed; or (b) someone else had
parked the car on the highway, probably after Sloane's
death.
Also I gained a modification of my stay put
order from Alvarez; he agreed that I could travel freely within
Orange County but that I should keep his office informed of my
whereabouts.
I got Hai Tsu on the house phone as soon as
the cops
had cleared out, asked her to come to my
suite. She must have thought I desired valet attentions because she
took one look at the stubble on my face and went to the bathroom
for shaving gear. I needed a shave, sure, so I figured what the
hell and let her go at it.
Always gives me a funny
feeling to have someone else at my face and throat with a blade.
But I tried to relax and enjoy it, thought I could use the shave as
a cover for some pointed conversation. That did not work though.
Every time I tried to frame a word in the mouth, Hai Tsu gently but
quickly shut it off with a finger at my lips as if to say "no
talking during shaving, please." I had no desire to lose chunks of
nose or lip so I took the advice and held my silence until she'd
finished.
Best damned shave I'd ever had. She kept me
under warm towels for a minute or so afterward, then finished off
by massaging a cooling balm into the skin.
"Breakfast now, Shen?" she inquired happily,
as though that would really make her day.
I was hungry, yeah, but it could wait. I
asked her, "Can you read English?"
She jerked her head in an
enthusiastic nod, replied, "Oh yes, read English good. Hai Tsu read
for Shen?"
I handed her the power of attorney and said,
"Hai Tsu read for Hai Tsu."
If indeed she read that paper then she is
the fastest speed-reader I've ever seen at work. She merely glanced
at it and handed it back.
"Yes, Shen?"
"Read it."
"Yes, Shen." As though to say, "How many
times, dummy?"
I asked, "You read it?"'
"Yes, Shen."
"Then tell me about it."
"Is confirmation. Shen is here when not
here."
Wait a minute! I was getting a whole new
slant on that piece of paper!
I said, "It authorizes me
to sign his name on legal documents."
She said, "Yes. And also act, be, do in
every way as though Shen is in your body."
I was getting the Shen now too.
And the full Shen treatment!
"No, wait," I protested lamely, "a power of
attorney is used to..."
After a moment of respectful waiting for me
to finish the thought, Hai Tsu finished it for me in her own way.
"You are Shen."
So I thought, well okay, what the hell, why
not.
"Thanks," I muttered. "I'll, uh, be down in
about ten minutes. Breakfast outside is fine. Two eggs medium,
bacon if you have it."
"English muffins." She twinkled at
me—confirming, not inquiring.
I replied, "Yes, crisp and dripping," but I
knew she already knew that too, somehow.
I let her get to the door before I called
her back and asked her, "How well did you know Sloane?"
“ This Sloane, not know,”
she replied.
"You saw him yesterday for the first
time?"
"First time, yes."
"You knew his father?"
"Yes. Many year."
I looked at that bright, beautiful face and
wondered how it could have known anything at all for "many year"
unless
Similar Books
