Three Complete Novels: A Is for Alibi / B Is for Burglar / C Is for Corpse

by Sue Grafton

  She pointed out his truck in the parking lot and then slammed the trunk lid shut as she rounded the back of the car. I walked over to the truck and let myself in while she started her car. She waited until I was nosing out of the parking lot before she put her car in gear and pulled onto the street ahead of me.

  She drove him to the ER at the hospital where she worked. By that time Foley had settled down, perhaps recognizing the enormity of his sins. Even having his nose broken wasn’t going to be sufficient penance to redeem him in Daisy’s eyes. She put his name on the register, and when he was called she accompanied him into the examining room. I sat in the waiting room, leafing through a magazine while Foley was being worked on. After forty minutes, she came out and sank into the chair next to mine.

  I said, “How’s it going?”

  “He’ll be fine. They’ve called in an ear, nose, and throat specialist to reset his nose. The doctor’s also ordered a CAT scan since he suffered a brief loss of consciousness. They said they’d bring me in again when he’s back from radiology.”

  “Will they keep him overnight?”

  “Doesn’t look that way,” she said as she got up. “Let me see if I can find a pay phone and call the pastor. There’s no way I’m taking him home with me.” She took her purse and headed off down the hall. Less than five minutes later she was back. “Blessings on the man. He asked a few questions and then said he’d be waiting whenever Dad was released. The parish house is right next door to the church, and he says he’s welcome as a guest as long as he needs help. I don’t know where he’d be if it weren’t for that man.”

  Friday night was apparently the equivalent of date night in the ER world, a popular occasion for accidents and mishaps, pain, suffering, and near-death experiences. A kid was brought in with a bean stuck up his nose. There was a woman hacking and feverish from a case of the flu, and a man with a sprained ankle swollen to elephantine proportions. A teen arrived holding his badly broken thumb, smashed by a car door and looking so mangled I nearly passed out.

  Unfazed, Daisy pulled the clip out of her hair and gathered it in a tidy sheaf before she secured it again. Foley’s accusation about Jake’s affair with Violet seemed to hang in the air between us. “All I can say is thank god Tannie wasn’t there.”

  “She’s bound to hear about it,” I said.

  “You bet. My phone would be ringing off the hook if anybody knew she was there.”

  I set the magazine aside. “You have to wonder what went on. Was there really an affair, or did your dad imagine the whole thing?”

  “He’s not famous for his imagination. Tannie’s mother was sick for a good two years. It was ‘female trouble,’ too, so there’s every possibility their sex life sucked.” She shook her head and let out a deep breath. She extended her legs and slouched down on her spine so that her head was resting on the back of the seat. “Was there anyone she didn’t screw? My mother must have been crazy as a loon.”

  “Well, it’s like the fella said. You’re not responsible for what she did.”

  “But I’m responsible for stirring this up. I should have left well enough alone.”

  The big digital wall clock read 10:16. I got up, too restless to sit another minute in the midst of all the medical chaos. “I’m going to see if I can find a cup of coffee. You want one?”

  “Not me. My nerves are jangled enough.”

  The fluorescent lights in the public hallways shone brightly on the gleaming vinyl-tile floors. Most departments I passed were dark; hospital administration, the cardiovascular, EKG, and EEG departments. I turned a corner and followed the corridor until I reached the main lobby. A sign indicated that the cafeteria was one floor down, but when I got off the elevator in the basement, the place was dark and the door was locked. According to the sign, the coffee shop was open from 7:00 A.M. until 7:15 P.M. on weekdays. I’d missed by hours. A maintenance man appeared with a mop and an industrial-size bucket. Together we waited for the elevator, which had stopped on the first floor.

  “Is there a vending machine around here?”

  He shook his head. “Wish there were. I could use a candy bar about now.”

  The elevator doors opened and we got on. When we emerged on the first floor, I glanced to my left and spotted Liza Clements sitting in the lobby. Her complexion looked washed out and her jeans and T-shirt were wrinkled. I called out to her and moved in her direction. “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “My granddaughter was born a few minutes ago. I’m keeping out of everybody’s hair until she’s cleaned up. Kevin’s upstairs with Marcy, and both of her parents are here. Six pounds, six ounces. She’s absolutely beautiful.”

  “That’s great. Congratulations.”

  “Thanks. It’s been pretty intense. What about you? I didn’t expect to see a familiar face.”

  I gave her a quick rendition of Foley’s nose-busting adventure, neatly omitting the remarks that had gotten him tossed out of the Moon.

  “Is there any way to get a cup of coffee at this hour?” she asked.

  “Nope. I tried. I guess we could find a water fountain but that’s about it.”

  We ended up sitting together in the main lobby for lack of any place better. It was a small cheerless area clearly not intended as a waiting room. At least the ER had offered a television set and a few live green plants. I said, “You heard about the car?”

  “That’s all anybody’s talking about. I guess there’s no doubt it’s hers.”

  “Not in my mind. I mean, what are the chances another car would be buried out where hers was last seen?”

  She shifted in her chair. “I’m going to ’fess up to something, but I don’t want to hear you scream. You promise?”

  “Scout’s honor.”

  “As it so happens, I saw Foley at the Tanner property that Friday night.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Tinkering with a bulldozer that was parked near the road. I heard him start it up.”

  “You’re positive it was Foley?”

  “I couldn’t swear it was him, but who else could it be?”

  “Just about anyone,” I said. “In the as-it-so-happens department, what were you doing there?”

  “Ty and I had gone out to the house. We weren’t supposed to be dating, and it was the only place we could think of where we wouldn’t be seen. We were in that second-floor bedroom in front when we heard him drive up.”

  “And you were…what—smoking dope? Making out?”

  She rolled her eyes, tucking a strand of blond hair behind one ear. “Oh, please. None of us smoked dope in those days. We’re talking about the ’50s. We were square as they come.”

  “So you were doing what?”

  “Okay, we were necking if you must know the truth. When the car pulled up, we thought it was a security guard coming to check on the house, so we hightailed it out the back and waited until we heard the ’dozer start up. Ty figured that would cover the sound of the truck.”

  “So you didn’t actually see Foley face on?”

  “I just told you that. The point is, if it was him, he had plenty of time to dig a hole.”

  “What kind of car? I’m assuming you’d have recognized the Bel Air.”

  “Of course. Most of the time I can’t tell one kind of car from another, but I know it wasn’t Violet’s. Her car was pale and it would have stood out. There was enough of a moon that it would have been obvious.”

  “What do you remember about the car? Two-door? Four-door? Light? Dark?”

  She made a face, shaking her head in the negative. “I saw it, but I didn’t really look. I was scared we’d get caught and that’s all I cared about. And before you even ask, no, I didn’t tell the guys from the sheriff ’s department.”

  “Because you didn’t want to admit you were trespassing?”

  “Because at the time, it didn’t mean anything. Violet wasn’t even missing. When we saw the guy—Foley, or whoever—it wouldn’t have occurred to me he’d be doing an
ything like that. Digging a grave. God, it gives me goose bumps. I’m only telling you now because we know the car is buried there.”

  “You remember anything else?”

  “No. Well, yes. The guy was smoking. I remember that because we could smell it through the open window all the way upstairs.”

  “Height? Weight? Anything like that?”

  “Nope. It was dark and I only caught a glimpse. You think I should talk to the detective?”

  “Absolutely,” I said.

  “Even if it gets Foley in more trouble?”

  “You can’t even claim it was him. All you can say is there was a guy out there working on a bulldozer. The detective’s name is Nichols. He needs to know.”

  By the time I got back to the emergency room, Foley had been released. He emerged from the examining area, clutching a head trauma precaution sheet and the pain pills he’d been given to take home with him. His eyes were already looking bruised, and I imagined that by the next day, the purple would be intense. He had a splint taped over the bridge of his nose, and it made his eyes seem as close together as a collie’s. Both nostrils had been packed with half-inch-wide strips of white cloth, and I could see sutures across his chin. I had to guess there were others on the inside of his mouth. Luckily for him, the pain medication was wiping out the ill effects of his drinking binge. He looked subdued. His eyes were fixed on Daisy’s with the mute, pleading look a puppy lays on you when there are table scraps at stake.

  Daisy drove him into Cromwell, me trailing along behind in his truck as I had before. When she pulled into the driveway of the parish house, the porch light came on. The pastor pushed a curtain aside and peered out, then opened the front door in his slippers, pajamas, and a soft flannel robe. I parked in front, locked the truck, and crossed to Daisy’s car, where I handed Foley his keys. He wouldn’t meet my eyes and I could feel the embarrassment rolling off him like sweat. The pastor held open the screen door and Foley disappeared inside. Daisy had a few words with the man and then returned to her car.

  We got in. For a moment, she sat staring through the windshield, her hands on the steering wheel.

  “You okay?”

  “I’ll tell you what’s weird. You know when you see a movie they have those previews of coming attractions? This feels like a preview of past attractions. I don’t remember seeing my father drunk, but this has to be what he was like when he was married to my mom. Not nice.”

  “Yeah, and I’ll bet he looks about like she did when he beat the hell out of her.”

  She turned the key in the ignition. “At least now you know why I’m so screwed up.”

  “You know something, Daisy? You’re not that screwed up. I’ve seen a lot worse.”

  “Oh, thanks. I feel much better now that you’ve said that.”

  We drove to Santa Maria in silence. The two-lane road was deserted at that hour, dark agricultural land stretching out on both sides as far as the eye could see. We passed a corrugated metal building sitting in a sea of asphalt and surrounded by chain-link fencing. The area was awash in a cold, silver light, but there was no sign of life. To the west, concealing the sight of the ocean beyond, a swell of low-lying hills formed a scalloped silhouette against the night sky. Daisy checked her rearview mirror as a set of headlights popped into view. I glanced over my shoulder, expecting the car to speed up and pass. Daisy was cruising at a sedate sixty miles an hour, but drivers on country roads get impatient.

  The car behind us maintained the same distance for a mile and then began closing the gap. Daisy flicked another look in the mirror. “Shit. I recognize the Mercedes. That’s Jake.”

  “How’d he know where we were? You think he was waiting in the ER parking lot?”

  “I didn’t see him if he was.”

  We reached Santa Maria and turned down Daisy’s street with Jake right behind us. He wasn’t doing anything threatening and he made no attempt to conceal himself, but in the wake of the violence, I wasn’t crazy about seeing him again. BW might have delivered the kick, but Jake had been the catalyst. Daisy pulled into her driveway and doused her headlights. I checked the house. An overhead fixture burned in the kitchen, but the living room and guest room at the front of the house were both dark. Jake eased in behind us and doused his headlights. He killed the engine, as Daisy had, and then he got out and approached us along the drive.

  “You think we ought to get out?” she asked.

  I put a hand on the door handle. “Let’s. I don’t like the idea of his towering over us.”

  She got out on her side and I got out on mine, moving around the front of the car so we were side by side. It was dark and the night was chilly as anticipated, which made me happy I’d accepted the offer of a jacket. I crossed my arms, not feeling the cold so much as residual tension. The neighboring houses were locked and barred for the night. I wasn’t uneasy about Jake, but it did occur to me that if either of us screamed, no one would hear us and respond.

  Daisy said, “Hey, Jake. What can I do for you?”

  “Sorry to bother you. I stopped by to ask about your dad. Is he all right?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far, but the doctor treated him and sent him home so I guess that tells you something. You know you could have called instead of following us home like this.”

  “There’s something else I wanted to talk about and I didn’t think it should wait. I promise I won’t take up too much of your time…”

  “Good because we spent the last two hours at the emergency room and I’m beat. Tannie’s gone to bed if you were hoping to see her.”

  “It’s you I’d like to talk to. You, too,” he said, with a quick nod at me.

  “Why don’t you come on in the kitchen and we’ll close the door. I don’t imagine you want Tannie hearing this.”

  “Out here is fine. I intend to talk to her myself as soon as I have the chance. My son, Steve, too.”

  “Smart move,” she said.

  Jake ignored her testiness. “I came to apologize for what happened to Foley tonight. We’re fully prepared to pay his medical expenses. You can send the bills straight to me and I’ll take care of them. BW had no right to do what he did.”

  “Shit, really? Kick a guy in the face and bust his nose?”

  “Daisy, I said I was sorry and I mean that. BW was way out of line and I told him so. I’m not saying he was wrong to hustle your dad out of there. Foley had that coming, but not the violence. BW’s a hothead. He tends to act first and think about it later. It wouldn’t surprise me if Foley pressed charges.”

  “Forget it. He’s not going to do that. So what else? I’m sure you didn’t tail us to inquire about his health.”

  “I feel I owe you an explanation.”

  Daisy nearly offered him a smart remark, but apparently decided against it. Better to let him fumble through the conversation on his own.

  Jake kept his gaze pinned on the middle distance, but his manner was otherwise straightforward. “It isn’t true, what he accused me of, but I believe I know how he came by that impression, even if he’s mistaken. I hope you’ll bear with me.”

  “Have at it. I’m all ears.”

  “There was an incident at the Moon…this must have been a month and a half before your mother disappeared. I’d been up at the hospital, visiting Mary Hairl, and I stopped off for a nightcap. Both your parents were at the bar and had been for some time. I think it’s safe to say neither one of them was feeling any pain. By the time I arrived, your dad was in a sulk. Violet started flirting with me—I think to aggravate him as much as anything else. My wife was sick. I was lonely and maybe I gave your mother the wrong impression. We started dancing, which seemed harmless to me, but after a while she was behaving in a way that was an embarrassment. Community’s small. You know how it is. Everybody knows everybody’s business. I couldn’t have her rubbing up against me, or putting her hands on my butt. Anyway, I’ll skip the details out of respect for her. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but I knew I had to set
her straight.

  “Problem was, Violet was accustomed to getting her way and she wasn’t about to take no for an answer. She got mad and said I’d insulted her. About then she walked off the floor and I followed her. I hadn’t meant anything of the sort. I tried telling her it wasn’t my intent. I liked your mother…don’t get me wrong…but I was taken aback. Long and short of it, she ended up throwing a glass of wine in my face.”

  “That was you? I’d heard the story, but I had no idea. Your name was never mentioned.”

  “That was me all right. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of it. She started screaming and cussing. She was hot-tempered to begin with and sensitive to slights. She threatened to tell Foley we’d had sex, that I’d come on to her, and when she turned me down, I’d forced myself on her. Nothing could have been farther from the truth, but what could I do? BW could see something was going on and he got Foley out of there on some pretext.

  “Once he was gone, I tried to reason with her. I hadn’t meant to offend her and I apologized for any misunderstanding. She seemed to calm down. I hoped that would be the end of it, but I couldn’t be sure. I was in a sticky position. I couldn’t go to Foley and tell him what she’d said. If she never mentioned it herself, I’d only be opening up a can of worms. He’d either take issue with me for rejecting her, or else he’d accuse her of screwing around and she’d deny everything, claiming I’d raped her. In that case, I’d end up looking like my only interest was in covering my tracks. At any rate, I thought it best to keep quiet and that’s the last I heard of it until tonight. Clearly, she did what she’d threatened. She must have told him I’d pushed her into something against her will and that’s what he believed.”

  Daisy was quiet. I could see her testing his story in the same way I was. “I don’t know what to say. Dad and I haven’t talked about any of this. He’s a mess right now and I’m sure he’s ashamed of himself for getting drunk. I do understand your wanting to set the record straight. If you like, I’ll tell him what you said.”