by Sue Grafton
The house was cold and I could feel a breeze stirring. I crossed to the kitchen and flipped on the light. The back door stood open, creating a cross-ventilation that had drained all the heat from the rooms. I lifted my head and scanned the silence for any hint of sound. I remained where I was and did a visual survey. The back door was intact—no splintered wood, no shattered framing, and no broken glass. The windows were shut and the latches turned to the locked position. The kitchen counters were crowded with canned goods, boxes of cereal and crackers, packages of paper napkins, toilet tissue, paper towels, and cleaning products. It looked as if the dishes hadn’t been done in a week, though all she seemed to eat was cereal and soup. The trash can was overflowing, but aside from the mess, it didn’t appear that anything had been disturbed.
I glanced over at Medora, chilled by the notion of how vulnerable she was. Anybody could have walked in, robbed her, assaulted her, killed her where she lay. If a fire had broken out, I doubt she’d have been aware. I closed the back door and locked it. I toured the rest of the house, which comprised no more than one small, dingy bathroom and two small bedrooms. Her housekeeping habits, such as they were, made it impossible to tell if anyone else had been in the rooms doing a quick search.
I returned to the living room and leaned toward her. “Medora, it’s Kinsey. Are you all right?”
She didn’t stir.
I placed a hand lightly on her arm, saying, “Hey.”
Nothing. I shook her gently, but the gesture didn’t seem to register. She was submerged in the murky depths of alcohol, where sound couldn’t penetrate and no light reached. I shook her again. She made a grunting noise, but otherwise remained unresponsive. I didn’t think I should leave her in her present state. I looked for a telephone and finally spotted one in the kitchen, mounted on the wall near the hall door. I searched one drawer after another until I found the phone book. I looked up Justine’s number and called her. She answered after four rings.
“Justine? This is Kinsey. I’m really sorry to bother you, but I stopped by your mother’s house just now and found both doors standing open. She seems to have passed out. I think she’s okay, but I’m having trouble rousing her. Could you come over here? I don’t think I should leave her until you’ve seen for yourself.”
“Damnation. Oh, hell. I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
She hung up abruptly. I was sorry I’d annoyed her, but such is life. I returned to the couch and perched on the edge of the coffee table. I took Medora’s hand and slapped it lightly. “Medora, wake up. Can you wake up?”
Groggily, she opened her eyes. At first, she couldn’t seem to focus, but she finally coordinated her eyes and looked around the room, disoriented.
“It’s me, Kinsey. Can you hear me?”
She mumbled something I couldn’t understand.
“Medora, did you take something for the pain? Let’s get you up, okay?” I slid an arm under her head, trying to lift her into a sitting position. “I’m going to pull you up here, but I need your help.”
She seemed to gather herself, pushing up on one elbow, which enabled me to haul her upright. Her gaze settled on mine with an expression of confusion. “What’s happening?”
“I don’t know, Medora. You tell me. Let’s get you on your feet and take a walk. Can you do that?”
“What for? I’m fine. I don’t want to walk.”
“Well, sit then and let’s talk. I don’t want you falling asleep again. Did you take something?”
“A nap.”
“I know you took a nap, but your doors were wide open and I was worried about you. Did you take any pills?”
“Earlier.”
“How many? Show me what you took, was it this?”
“And the other ones.”
I checked the labels on the bottles: Valium, Tylenol with Codeine, Percocet, Xanax. “This is not a good idea. You’re not supposed to take all of these at the same time, especially if you’ve had a drink. It’s not safe. Are you feeling okay?”
“Dr. Belker gave me those.”
“But you shouldn’t take them when you drink. Didn’t he explain that?”
“That case I couldn’t take ’em at all. I drink every day.” She smiled at my goofiness, having settled that point.
We went on in this fashion, with Medora offering short declarative sentences in response to my continued questions. While it was hardly scintillating conversation, it did serve its intended purpose, which was to keep her in contact with reality. By the time Justine arrived, fifteen minutes later, Medora was more alert and in control of herself.
Justine shed her coat and tossed it on the back of a chair. “Sorry it took so long, but I was waiting for Cornell. I finally called my next-door neighbor and she came over to watch the girls.”
Medora had focused on Justine with an air of humility and embarrassment. “I didn’t tell her to call you. I wouldn’t do that.”
Justine sat down beside her mother and took her hand. “How many times have we been through this, Mother? You can’t keep doing this. I have a life of my own.”
“All I had was one drink and a pain pill.”
“I’m sure you did. How many?”
“The usual.”
“Never mind. Just skip it. I shouldn’t waste my breath. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. You didn’t have to leave the girls and come over.”
“She says the doors were wide open. What was that about?”
“I closed them. I did. I remembered what you said.”
“Let’s just get you into bed. We can talk about this later when you’re more yourself.”
“I’m myself,” she said blearily, as Justine assisted her to her feet. Medora was a bit tottery.
“You need help?”
Justine shook her head, intent on maneuvering her mother around the sharp-cornered coffee table, across the room, and into the short hallway that led to her bedroom. I could hear the two of them murmuring, Medora apologizing while Justine went about the business of getting her to bed.
Five minutes later, Justine returned, rubbing her arms reflexively. “I swear she’s getting worse. I don’t know what to do with her. Geez, the place is freezing.”
“It’s warmer than it was.”
She went over to the thermostat. “It’s turned off. What’s she doing, trying to save money on the heating bill? No wonder she gets sick. She had pneumonia two months ago.” She adjusted the lever and within seconds, I could hear the furnace click on.
She sat down on the couch with a sigh that was laden with irritation. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talked to her about this. She takes out the garbage or goes to pick up the newspaper from the drive and then she either locks herself out or forgets to latch the door again. On a windy night like this, the doors bang and blow open. She never even knows.”
“I’m not sure that’s what happened here, but it’s giving me the creeps. Could you take a look around and make sure nothing’s missing? Suppose someone’s been here.”
“Why would anybody bother? There’s nothing worth stealing.”
“I understand, but I don’t like the feel of it. Can you make a quick circuit for my sake?”
“All right. You might as well follow me. This won’t take long, but you can see for yourself.” She leaned over and picked up the whiskey bottle from the coffee table. “Here.”
I took the bottle and waited while she snagged the highball glass and the pill bottles lined up nearby. “Her doctor’s out of his mind. I’ve had this discussion with him a hundred times. They’re old friends, so she comes along right after me and talks him into it.”
She gave the kitchen a cursory look while she poured her mother’s whiskey down the drain. She emptied all the pills into the trash, where I heard them rattling toward the bottom like a cupful of BB’s. She tossed in the empty whiskey bottle. “I’ll take care of this later,” she said, referring to the overflowing trash can and the pile of dishes in the sink. “Thi
ngs look fine in here. The place is a pigsty, but no more than usual.”
I trailed after her while she looked into the bathroom and the second bedroom. The latter must have been her room as a kid, the one she’d been forced to share with Charisse. The twin beds were still in place, but most of the remaining space was taken up with piles of clothing, boxes, and miscellaneous junk. I nearly confided my suspicion about someone having entered my room, but I thought better of it. I didn’t have proof and I didn’t want to sound completely paranoid. Besides, it would only encourage her to ask questions I didn’t want to answer.
As we were returning to the living room, she said, “I heard about Pudgie. It’s horrible.”
“News travels fast.”
“Trust me, everybody knows by now.”
“Who told you?”
“Todd Chilton called. He’s a deputy—”
“I met him. Why did he call you?”
“Oh, right. He remembered I dated Pudgie and he thought I should know. From what he said, it was gross. At least I got that impression reading between the lines. He says you’re the one who figured it out.”
“Someone would have noticed before long,” I said, thinking about the smell. I filled in a few brush strokes, avoiding anything of substance. I was certain Detective Lassiter would limit the information that reached the public.
“Why’d you stop by?”
“I had a question for your mom. I know this seems minor, but I was curious. The first time I talked to her, she said she’d gone to the police the day Charisse disappeared. But according to the police report, she waited a week. I was hoping she’d explain the discrepancy.”
“She didn’t tell you about the note?”
“From Charisse? Not that I remember.”
“She probably forgot to mention it. Her mind’s completely shot from all the crap she takes. The note said she’d decided to go see her mother and she’d be back in three days. We thought she’d show up, but a week passed and Mom started getting worried. That’s when she talked to the police.”
“You saw the note yourself?”
“Sure. She’d left it on the bed.”
“And the handwriting was hers?”
“As far as I could tell.”
“Did your mother save it?”
“I doubt it. Why would she do that?”
“Could you ask her please?”
“Right now?”
“I’d appreciate it.”
She left the living room and returned to her mother’s bedroom, where I could hear her insistent questioning and Medora’s foggy response. I heard drawers being opened and shut. Moments later, Justine returned. “I don’t believe this. She says she saved the note because she didn’t want Social Services blaming her when Charisse took off. She thought if they ever asked, she could show the note as proof that Charisse left of her own accord.”
“Amazing. That’s great. I’d love to see it.”
“Well, that’s just it. She can’t remember where she put it. She thought it was in the chest of drawers, but it’s not there now. Knowing her, it could be anywhere. She’s such a slob.”
“Maybe we can look again when she’s on her feet.”
Justine gave me a look. “Yeah, right. Listen, I need to get back to the girls. Cornell must be home by now, but just in case. Let me turn off some lights and I’ll walk you to your car. It’s dark as pitch out there.”
I waited while she double-checked, making sure the back door was locked. She turned off the lights, except for one in the hall. She tested the thumb lock on the front door, flipped it to the locked position, and pulled it shut behind her. She took her keys from her coat pocket and crossed the yard to her Ford sedan, which was parked in the driveway behind Dolan’s car.
“Did you guys go down and have your fingerprints taken?”
“Edna went Monday, but I haven’t had a chance. I’ll pop in tomorrow while I’m out running errands.”
“What about the others?”
“Adrianne said she’d try later in the week.”
“What about Ruel and Cornell?”
“Don’t look at me. I don’t want to be the one to nag them. It’s not my job.”
“You’re right. Thanks anyway. I’ll bug them myself.”
I drove to the motel with an eye on my rearview mirror. The wide streets were deserted. Businesses were shut down and most of the houses were dark. Once in my room, I spent a few minutes assuring myself everything was exactly as I’d left it. My book was facedown on the bed where I’d placed it, the bedspread still rumpled where I’d pushed it aside. The table lamp was on and the warm light made the room seem cozy. The windows were latched and I made sure the drapes were properly closed. Didn’t want any boogeymen to peek in at me. After that, I stripped out of my clothes and into the oversize T-shirt I use as a nightie. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and slid into bed. I thought my paranoia might keep me awake, but since I’m a person of no depth whatever, I fell asleep right away.
At 2:06, the phone rang. I reached for the handset automatically, noting the time as I placed it against my ear. “What.”
“Kinsey?”
“What.”
“This is Iona.”
“Okay.”
“Frankie wants to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“Pudgie.”
“Put him on.”
“In person.”
I leaned over and flipped on the table lamp, which made me squint painfully and probably put permanent wrinkles on my face. “Why are you calling me in the dead of night? I’m asleep.”
“I would’ve called earlier, but he just got here.”
“Got here where?”
“Quorum. He wants you to meet us at the all-night diner. Know the one I mean? On Main Street. It’s called the Chow Hound.”
I closed my eyes. “No offense here, but there’s no way I’m going out at this hour to talk to Frankie Miracle, so scratch that idea.”
“What if he comes there? We’re calling from a pay phone. We’re not far.”
“Like how far?”
“A block.”
“Why isn’t he on the phone instead of you?”
“He’s afraid you’ll say no.”
I laughed. “He’s worried about me? Iona, the guy’s a killer. He stabbed a woman fourteen times.”
“But he’s paid for his crime. He went to prison and now he’s out.”
“Oh, crap. Why am I arguing with you? If you want to come over, I’ll open the window and talk to him through the screen. That’s as much as I can offer.”
“Okay.”
I hung up and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth. This was not the kind of hotel that offered complimentary robes (hell, I felt lucky they offered complimentary toilet paper!), so I pulled on a sweatshirt. I thought about it briefly and pulled on my jeans. By then, I could see headlights arc across the drapes. I turned off the lamp and crossed to the window, peering out as Frankie’s white pickup pulled into a slot two doors down. Iona was at the wheel. She waited in the truck with the engine running, probably trying to keep warm, while Frankie got out on the passenger side and slammed the door. I said, “Great. Wake everybody up. I’ll feel safer that way.”
I watched him check room numbers until he got to mine. As soon as he was close, I slid the window open a crack. “Hello, Frankie.”
“Hi. Can I come in?”
“No.”
“Come on. I can’t stand around out here. It’s fuckin’ cold.”
“I don’t need a weather report. I know it’s cold. You want to talk, I’m listening, but get on with it.”
“All right,” he said, irritably. He paused to light a cigarette. Despite the low-watt outside lighting, I could see him clearly—the brown wavy hair, the smooth baby face. He peered over his shoulder, his manner embarrassed. “I heard about Pudgie. I just wanted you to know I had nothing to do with it.”
“Good for you.”
“Don�
�t you want to know the rest?”
“Sure.”
“The cops have already been around—Lieutenant Dolan and some pal of his. I thought my landlord was talking about you, but he said it was an old guy.”
“Stacey Oliphant.”
“That’s him.”
“They’re good guys. They’re fair. You should be talking to them.”
“I hate cops. What pigs. I’d rather talk to you.”
“What for? I’m just going to turn around and ask you the same questions Lieutenant Dolan would have asked.”
“You want to know where I was Friday night, right? I was in Santa Teresa, working my regular shift. Eleven to seven. And that’s the truth.”
“I thought you were down here with Iona.”
“Who told you that?”
“Weren’t you with her when she called and talked to Pudgie Thursday night?”
“Sure, but I left Friday morning and drove back to Santa Teresa.”
“Anybody see you at work?”
“Two-thirty in the morning, I’m moppin’ floors, not entertaining the troops. Reason I like the job is it’s quiet and nobody’s there to hassle me.”
“You were completely alone.”
“At that hour? Of course. Who’s going to be there? The place’s all locked up.”
“I don’t know. Someone else on the cleaning crew? A lawyer working late? A building that size can’t be empty.”
“For starters, there’s nobody else on the crew. I’m it. And second, even if there was someone in the building, how would I know? Six floors is tough. I got a lot of ground to cover. Some lawyer’s workin’ late, he’s not going to stop and make small talk with the likes of me. So. Nobody saw me. You’ll have to take my word that I was there all night.”
“You drove all the way down here to tell me this?”
“Hey, I could’ve had her alibi me, which she’d’ve done in a heartbeat, but I wanted to play straight.”
“Good boy. Now what?”
“Iona thought you might put in a good word for me.”
“Frankie, come on. You know better than that. No one gives a shit what I think. My opinion carries no weight at all. It’s like Iona thinking I had the clout to offer Pudgie a deal. It’s ridiculous.”