by Sue Grafton
“I have a police pal and I’m hoping he can help.”
25
By the time I left Nord’s it was close to 5:00. There was no point returning to the office so I headed for home. I let myself into my place and tossed my bag on a chair. Cheney had left two cranky messages wanting to know where the hell Reba was as she’d missed her 1:00 appointment with Vince and her 4:00 meeting with the FBI. I called Cheney’s pager, punched in my number, and waited for the phone to ring, which it did ten minutes later.
“You called?”
“I need a favor. Can you check a phone number in Reno and get me an address?”
“Who for?”
“A friend of a friend.”
“Is this about Reba?”
“Who else?”
He thought about it briefly. “She’s already in more trouble than she knows. If she’s up there, the best thing for all of us is to have Reno PD pick her up.”
“That’s one approach,” I said. “On the other hand, you still need her cooperation. I’m thinking about driving up to Reno and talking her into coming back—assuming I can find her.”
“Does Holloway know she’s gone?”
“I doubt it, but Reba doesn’t see her until Monday, which means we have five days before she’ll be missed. I’d hate to do anything behind Priscilla’s back so you can tell her if you like. Or…”
“Or what?”
“You can run it by your IRS buddies and see what they have to say. Maybe her value to them takes precedence and they can square it with her PO. There’s plenty of time to tell Priscilla once Reba’s been debriefed.”
“Give me the number in Reno and I’ll get back to you.”
“Why don’t you talk to Vince first and then I’ll give you the number. We can work it out from there.”
“You don’t trust me?”
“Of course I trust you. He’s the one I’m worried about.”
“What about tonight? You want to meet me at Rosie’s? I’ve got a couple of reports to write, but it shouldn’t take me long.”
“Sounds good.”
“I’ll be there in a bit.”
I left my front door ajar and crossed the patio to Henry’s. His kitchen door was open and I knocked on the frame. “Henry? It’s me.”
“Come on in. I’ll be right there,” he said.
He had a pot of homemade soup simmering on a back burner and I took that as a good sign. Henry seldom cooks or bakes when he’s feeling down. His glass of Black Jack over ice was sitting on the kitchen table, the newspaper neatly folded and waiting in his rocking chair. A newly opened bottle of Chardonnay was sitting in a cooler on the counter. He appeared from the hallway with a stack of clean towels. “You should have poured yourself some wine. I opened that for you. Something I want to talk to you about. You have a few minutes?” He put the towels in a kitchen drawer and took a wineglass out of the kitchen cabinet and filled it halfway.
“Thanks. I have all the time you need. I’ve been feeling out of touch. How are you?”
“I’m fine, thanks. What about you?” He resumed his seat in the rocking chair and took a sip of his drink.
“I’m good,” I said. “Now that we’ve cleared that pithy matter, you want to tell me what’s on your mind?”
He smiled. “Here’s what I’ve been considering. I don’t think there’s any remedy for my relationship with Mattie. At the moment, she’s calling the shots and I don’t feel I can impose if she’s not interested. That’s the way of the world. We didn’t know each other long and there are all kinds of reasons it couldn’t work—age, geography—the particulars aren’t relevant. What I realize is I enjoyed having someone in my life. It put a spring in my step, even at the age of eighty-seven. So I’ve been thinking it wouldn’t be such a terrible idea to make a phone call or two. There were several women on the cruise who seemed lively and nice. Mattie may be one of a kind, but that’s beside the point.” He paused. “That’s as far as I got, but I’d be interested in your thoughts on the matter.”
“I think it sounds great. I remember after you got home, you had all kinds of women leaving messages on your machine.”
“Embarrassed me.”
“Why?”
“I’m old-fashioned. I was taught men should be the pursuers, not the other way around.”
“Times have changed.”
“For the better?”
“Perhaps. You meet someone you like, why not make an effort? There’s nothing wrong with that. If it works, it works, and if it doesn’t, oh well.”
“That’s what I’ve been thinking. There’s a woman named Isabelle, who lives here in town. She’s eighty, which is a little closer to my age. She loves to dance, which I haven’t done for ages. And another woman, Charlotte. She’s seventy-eight and still active in real estate. She lives in Olvidado, close enough,” he said. “You think one at a time might be good?”
“Nothing wrong with both. Get your feet wet. The more the merrier.”
“Good. Then that’s what I’ll do.” He clicked his glass against mine. “Wish me luck.”
“All the luck in the world.” I leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
I sat in my favorite booth in Rosie’s, the one in the rear where I can sip a glass of wine while I keep a close eye on the place. I’ve been a regular at the tavern for seven years and I still can’t tell you the names of the day-drinkers or the other steady customers like me. Rosie’s the only common thread, and I suspect if the other patrons and I compared notes, we all have the same complaint. We’d grouse at how she bullies us, but we’d all feel smug, seeing her mistreatment as a sign of just how special we are to her. William was working behind the bar. I’d stopped off on the way in and picked up the wine he poured when he saw me enter. He was busy, otherwise, I was certain, he’d have given me the latest in his medical reports.
Once settled, I took a sip of white wine so close to vinegar it was almost enough to make me swear off the stuff. Cheney had called back within minutes to tell me Vince was favoring the personal approach. He offered his blessings as long as he was given the contact number as well. I gave Cheney the number I’d picked up from Nord’s telephone bill. I assumed Vince Turner would keep the information to himself, but I worried the FBI would get wind of what was going on and make trouble.
I put in another call to Nord to tell him I’d be taking off in the morning. He’d offered to underwrite the trip and I’d accepted, any charitable impulse quickly overridden by the need to pay my bills. I’d brought along a pocket atlas and I was flipping back and forth between Southern California and the western border of Nevada, considering my route. The obvious choice was to take Highway 101 to the 126, travel east as far as Highway 5, and then north to Sacramento, where I’d connect to the 80 on a north-to-east trajectory that would take me straight into Reno. If Cheney couldn’t manage to get me Misty’s address, I’d revert to the old-fashioned method—check the public library for the criss-cross directory where phone numbers are listed in numerical order and matched with the corresponding address.
Before I hit the road, I’d make a stop at the auto club and get a proper series of strip maps. I really didn’t need them, but I like the white spiral binding and that arrow penned in orange that marches up the page. Makes me feel like I’m getting my money’s worth for the cost of my annual membership. I moved on, making a mental list of clothing and toiletries I’d need to pack. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up with a smile, anticipating Cheney.
Beck slid into the booth across from me. “You seem happy to see me.”
“I thought you were someone else.” I took in the sight of him: chinos, dress shirt, with a windbreaker over it.
He laughed, thinking I was making a joke. Casually I closed the atlas and laid it on the seat beside me, then leaned to the right as though scanning the entrance. “Reba’s not with you?”
“Not at all. That’s why I stopped in. I’m trying to track her down.” His eyes strayed to
the atlas. “Are you taking a trip?”
“Just indulging in fantasy. I’ve got too much work piled up to go anywhere.”
“Oh, that’s right. You’re a private detective. What are you working on?”
I knew he couldn’t care less about my caseload unless it involved him. I figured he was fishing, wondering if I was part of the government conspiracy to reel him in. I said, “The usual. A skip-trace, a couple of employee background checks for the Bank of Santa Teresa. Stuff like that.” I droned on for a bit, making it up as I went along. I could see his eyes glaze over and I hoped sincerely that I was boring him to death.
I looked up in time to see Rosie appear through the swinging kitchen doors. Her eyes lighted on Beck like a terrier spotting a rat. She made a beeline for the booth, barely able to suppress her happiness. Beck collected himself and rose to his feet. He extended a hand to her, then leaned forward and bussed her on the cheek. “Rosie, you look beautiful. You’ve had your hair done.”
“I did myself. Is home permanent,” she said.
As far as I could see, her hair looked the way it always did—badly dyed, badly cut.
She dropped her gaze modestly. “I’m remember what you want. Scotch. Double wit ice and water back. The twenty-fours year, not the twelve.”
“Very good. No wonder your customers are loyal.”
I thought she’d see through the flattery, but she lapped it up, nearly dropping a little curtsy before she scurried off to get his drink. He sat down again, watching her departure with a fond smile as though he really gave a shit. His gaze drifted back to mine. He was a cold, cold man. The missing twenty-five thousand had put him on red alert. He was out hunting to see who his enemies were.
I crossed my arms and leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table. There was something restful about being in the company of someone I disliked so much. I didn’t have to worry about impressing him, which allowed me to focus on the game at hand. “How was Panama City?”
“Fine. Good. The problems started as soon as I came home. A little birdie tells me you and Reba got into trouble while I was gone.”
“Me? Well, dang. What’d I do now?”
“You don’t know what I’m referring to?”
“We went shopping at the mall if that counts for anything.”
“The pow-wow with Marty. What was that about?”
I blinked at him twice as though drawing a blank and then allowed the light to dawn. “Friday night? We ran into him at the mall. Once the stores closed down, we stopped in at Dale’s and ordered a couple of bowls of that chili guaranteed to give you the runs. Geez, Louise. Have you ever eaten that crap? Completely gross—”
“Enough already. Just get on with it.”
“Sorry. So anyway, about that time Marty came in. He was happy to see Reba. She introduced us and we chatted for a bit. End of story.”
He seemed to watch me from a distance, not yet satisfied. “What’d you chat about?”
“Nothing in particular. I meet the guy. I’m nice. That’s all it amounted to. Why do you care?”
“You didn’t talk about me?”
“You? Not at all. Your name never came up.”
“Then what?”
“What do you mean, ‘Then what’?”
“Where’d you go from there?”
I shrugged. “The office. Marty was bragging about the new digs and said he’d show us around, so we ended up doing a quick tour. He said you’d be pissed if you heard. Is that what this is about?”
“I don’t believe you’ve finished. Isn’t there something else?”
“Well, let’s see now. Oh. Now this is earth shattering. I left my purse on the roof and we had to pop back the next day and go in search of it. What a pain in the ass that was.”
Rosie approached with Beck’s scotch on a tray. We dropped the topic of conversation and smiled at her blandly while she set down a ceremonial doily and put his drink on it. Beck murmured his thanks without engaging her in further conversation.
She hesitated, hoping for another round of fawning and compliments, but he was intent on me. I was wishing she’d sit down and talk to us the rest of the night. Instead she flicked me a look, suspicious that this was romance a-brewing. Little did she know I was sitting there frantically assessing the situation, trying to guess how much Beck knew and how he’d acquired the information. If he’d seen security tapes, I had to make sure I accounted for all our comings and goings. I was aware my being a wiseass was getting on his nerves, but I couldn’t help myself. Rosie manufactured a bit of small talk and then departed. I looked at Beck, waiting for his next move.
He picked up his scotch and took a sip, watching me over the rim of his glass. “Clever. You explain it all so nicely, but somehow I’d swear you’re lying through your pearly whites.”
“My reputation must precede me. I’m good at lying,” I said.
He set his drink on the table, making a circular pattern with the moisture from the bottom of the glass. “So where is she?”
“Reba? Beats me. We’re not joined at the hip.”
“Really. You’ve been with her constantly and now suddenly you have no idea? She must have said something.”
“Beck, I think you’ve gotten the wrong impression. We’re not friends. Her father paid me to go get her. That’s the kind of pal I am. I took her to the parole office and the DMV. She was lonesome. We had dinner—”
“Don’t forget Bubbles.”
“Big deal. We went to Bubbles. I was feeling sorry for her. She doesn’t have any friends, except Onni, who treats her like a piece of shit.”
He thought about that briefly and shifted gears. “What’s she told you about me?”
I tried to make the big eyes like Reba did when she was feigning innocence. “About you? Well, gosh now. She told me you screwed her brains out in the car the other night. She was going to give me all the nitty-gritty details about the size of your dick, but I begged off. No offense, but I don’t find you nearly as fascinating as she does. Except for the current conversation. What are you fishing for?”
“Nothing. Maybe I misjudged you.”
“Well, I doubt that, but so what? Sounds like you’re the one in trouble and projecting it on us.” I might have pushed the line too far because I wasn’t that crazy about the look he turned on me.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because you’re laying out all this bullshit and I don’t have a clue what you want. You’ve peppered me with questions from the minute you sat down.”
He was dead silent for about fifteen seconds—a long time in the middle of a conversation of this type. Then he said, “I believe she stole money from me when she was in the office that night.”
“Ah. Got it. That’s a serious accusation.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Why not turn the matter over to the cops?”
“I can’t prove she did it.”
I shook my head. “Doesn’t sound right to me. I was with her when we toured the office and she never touched a thing. Me neither, for that matter. I hope you don’t think I’m involved, because I swear I’m not.”
“It’s not you I’m worried about. It’s her.”
“You’re worried?”
“I think she’s in trouble. I’d hate to see her hurt.”
“Why didn’t you just say so up front?”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I went about this all wrong and I apologize. Truce?”
“We don’t need a truce. I’m worried about her, too. She’s back to smoking a pack a day and god knows what else. This morning, she was talking about booze and poker parlors. Scared the crap out of me.”
“I didn’t realize you’d seen her.”
“Oh sure. I thought I mentioned that.”
“You didn’t, but that’s good. I haven’t heard a word from her since I got back. She’s usually on the phone first thing, tugging at my sleeve. You know Reeb. She tends to cling.”
“I’ll say. Look, she ta
lked about us having lunch tomorrow. Why don’t I tell her to give you a call?”
He smiled tentatively, wanting to believe me. At the same time, I could sense his scrutiny, testing my comments for any false notes. Happily, since I’m a thoroughly accomplished liar, I could pass a polygraph, disavowing murder with blood still dripping from my fingers. He reached out and tapped my hand, something I’d seen him do with her. I wondered what the gesture meant, a sort of tag…you’re it. “I hope I wasn’t out of line. You’re a good egg,” he said.
“Thanks. You are, too.” I reached out and tapped his hand in return.
He pushed up from the booth. “Better to let you go. I’ve taken up enough of your time as it is. Sorry if I was rude. I didn’t mean to grill you.”
“Hey, I understand. Stay and have another drink if you like.”
“Nah, I gotta hit the road. Just tell Reba I’m looking for her.”
“What’s your schedule like tomorrow? Are you at the office all day?”
“You bet. I’ll be waiting for her call.”
Good luck, I thought. I watched him crossing the room, trying to see him as I had at first. I’d thought he was sexy and good-looking, but those qualities had vanished. Now I saw him for what he was, a guy accustomed to having his own way. The world centered on him and others were simply there to service his whims. I wondered if he were capable of killing. Possible, I thought. Maybe not with his own hands, but he could have it done. Belatedly, a warm drop of sweat trickled down the middle of my back. I allowed myself a deep breath, and by the time Cheney showed up, I was feeling calm again and slightly bemused.
He slid in next to me and pushed a folded slip of paper in my direction. “Don’t say I never did you one. Address is a rental. Misty’s been in residence the past thirteen months.”