- I've never met her, I answered judiciously. But I've spoken to Warren Vaughn, and we've had a few words with his son. I don't think they take women seriously in that family. Wade clearly inherited his father's ambition-if she inherited it too, she must suffer from an acute inferiority complex about her own gender. And a person like that is incapable of a healthy relationship with a sexual partner.
Ruell and Alison disappeared from my sight, and I turned back to the monitor.
- I think Ruell is letting her dominate their relationship, I continued. It might allow him to manipulate her. I don't think it would take him more than ten minutes to crack the hottie.
A noise erupted from the speaker, and the couple got caught by the camera's eye. Craig hesitated to the side, with his back to the room, obviously closing the door. His companion put her hands on his shoulders.
- My knight in shining armor, I heard Alison's purring voice. I could see her better now.
- It's been a hectic day, my queen, Ruell's face played with another smug smile. He knew the room was bugged.
Alison Vaughn turned to him. Her large eyes were owl-like in her wide face with a small, predatory nose in the middle.
- Come here, my faithful knight, she said.
- How ridiculous people act when they don't know they're being watched, Heidi whispered. I hope I don't behave like that?
- Wait, Alison, Ruell gently pulled away from the girl and took her by the shoulders. We must talk.
- We can talk later, Alison hugged him. Right now, I want you.
- Did you tell him about the camera? Heidi asked anxiously.
- No, I snapped, keeping my eyes on Ruell. I didn't think you had a voyeur inside you, Heidi. Come on, Craig, be a good boy.
- You're too beautiful, Alison, for me to find the strength to start a business conversation in your arms, said the faithful knight. I thought he was being a little sarcastic here, but Alison didn't pay attention. A guttural laugh came out of her mouth.
- Okay, my faithful knight, what do you have to say to your queen? She took a step back and, in a calculated motion, sank back into her chair.
I cast a nervous glance at the tape recorder, wanting to make sure the conversation was really being recorded. If Alison answers the lesson correctly, the case is in the bag.
- I want to ask you about Rowan's stock, Craig said. Do you want them to be yours, my queen?
- Yes, Alison Vaughn put her hands on the armrests of her chair and threw her head back as if she were actually sitting on the throne. There was something wrong with that girl's head.
- And I'm supposed to put them in your name as soon as they're mine? Ruell looked down at her. He and felt himself towering over her.
- Good for you, I whispered. Maybe I'll even buy you a ticket to the next baseball game.
- Of course, my knight, Alison's voice was perplexed. Why do you ask?
- You see, Alison, Ruell's smile was as honest and open as the one of the new mayor of New York City. I'm worried about you. What will your father say when he finds out? He looked at her like a vet at a sick monkey. Because he'll have more votes on the board of directors. If you come to him with your new stock, he'll know you're the one behind Davis's death and his nephew's blackmail.
Alison laughed gutturally again and began unbuttoning her dress.
- My old man could never appreciate me, she said. But when he finds out the truth, he will be proud of me. I know him. But first we'll take away Wade's stock and the small shareholders. I've thought of everything, my hero. Maybe not all the small holders will give me their shares let them, she made a graceful gesture with her hand, and her breasts shuddered, I'll still have more votes than the old man. Besides it's time for him to retire. Don't worry, my faithful knight. Your queen thinks carefully before she sends you into battle.
I thought I'd heard similar words a short while ago. Sam Cooper said to them.
- You're a dangerous woman, Craig Ruell's teeth were big and straight they matched his smile perfectly. If he thought he might actually be in any danger from Alison, she was clearly the kind of woman who was easily eliminated with a condom. He walked over to her, and she stood up.
I leaned back in the seat and took a deep breath. The few hours spent in that pencil box with wheels had not been in vain. The tape recorder continued to record everything that went on in the room, but it was just an extra precaution.
- Not enough for a jury trial, I yawned, but the court wouldn't consider evidence obtained this way. But for a loving father, it's more than enough. Tomorrow we'll be able to nail Alison to the wall and set her conditions.
My finger touched the intercom button.
- We're leaving, Don. I'll leave the equipment with you. Try not to spill coffee on it, okay?
Don said a few words about me and my errands, but I don't see much point in quoting them here. The work was done, and I did my best to stretch out. Naturally I couldn’t get anything done in such a tight space, but that couldn't spoil my mood.
- If you haven't worked up an appetite for fruit marmalades yet, I said, turning to Heidi, you're welcome to Le Dora's. It's about time we celebrate our victory.
At that moment I noticed that Heidi's face had grown pale and her deep gray eyes were sad.
- Come on, if that's what you want, she said wearily. I raised my left eyebrow.
- What's wrong, Heidi? Are you offended? I thought I acted like an angel.
- It's not you, she sighed. I couldn't keep my left eyebrow raised, so I lowered it. My companion was silent, staring sadly into space. I wanted to give her a good shake on the shoulders, but I knew, from long experience with her, that I should just wait.
- I wish we'd watched them while they were having sex, she finally exhaled sharply, as if to draw a fat line under her thoughts. -Let's go.
There are two kinds of women with whom you never know what they're going to say to you in the next moment. The first one is a round-headed fool, whose thoughts sporadically materialize in her head from time to time. Once expressed, they roll along a couple of times in a wide straight line and disintegrate into corpuscles, after which new ones take their place. And since there is no thought process generally, it is impossible to trace it.
It is different when a woman thinks very quickly and about several things at once. Then you have a chance after a couple of hours to reconstruct the chain of associations and guess why in response to the phrase "Look, it started raining" you get something like "How unwise she was".
So I raised my left eyebrow again and said:
- You didn't like the fact that he was cheating on the girl he was sleeping with? Heidi sighed.
- Michael. It's too complicated and too long to explain. She trusts him. He might even be the only person in the world she truly trusts. And he's using her. Okay, Michael, let's go to dinner.
If you're a fool, you can improve her mood with a bouquet of flowers or something similar. Otherwise, it seems completely hopeless.
I knew that dinner was completely spoiled, and Heidi would be upset all evening, poking her fork thoughtfully past her plate. But a true expert always knows when he has no chance of making things right.
As we drove to the restaurant, I pondered why Heidi always sees deep problems where there are none. Probably because she reads too many books.
26
- Mr. Vaughn is waiting for you, Felix's face had a welcoming smile, the kind you see on an expensive plastic doll.
- How nice of him, I grinned amiably.
Bright streaks of light were strewn neatly across the polished parquet. The butler sailed forward through the round Spanish-style doors, I and Heidi followed him.
At breakfast, neither of us touched on the issue of the shattered illusions of Alison Vaughn, who had not yet suspected that her dollhouse had been ruthlessly trampled on by her own father's hired help. To tell you the truth, I didn't understand how anyone could feel sorry for a girl who had cold-bloodedly planned a brutal murder, Amber had been beat
en to death, and, I suppose, not under anesthesia-and had done it only to frame her own cousin. If we also remember that the same fate the owl-eyed woman was preparing for her brother and father, the only thing to regret here was the difficulty of putting her in the gas chamber. Maybe old Vaughn wouldn’t have survived such a blow. And then, who knows?
But as much as the question of the young schemer's impending fate preoccupied me, I did not raise it, for fear that my companion would fall back into a minor mood. I could have understood Heidi if it had been an act of sentimentality. but it wasn't. Sometimes I even think that Heidi just likes to suffer by the imperfection of the world around her.
I should add at once that this circumstance has not in any way impaired my appetite. Especially since I knew how greedy our client was about snacks.
The old banker was standing by the fireplace, kicking the grate thoughtfully, against the bottom rod of the grate. Evidently he thought better that way. A greeting ceremony ensued, and here I could have given Felix a hundred points ahead of him.
- The investigation is almost over, Mr. Vaughn, I said anxiously. I sat down on the couch. Sometimes I think it would be a lot easier to carry my own armchair, then I wouldn't have to suffer the twists and turns of the imagination of modern furniture makers. -Now you must be specific about your wishes.
The banker looked at me puzzled and Heidi explained:
- We've come to see you, Mr. Vaughn, to see if you want Davis's murderer to receive the punishment he deserves. It is now in our power to gather the necessary evidence to do so and bring it to justice.
- That way, your nephew's innocence will be fully proven, I continued with a frown. It seems to me that to inform a client of a successful case with an extremely serious expression is important. Ask me, why. But at the same time, the trial will inevitably put your family in the middle of a major scandal. Your nephew, and perhaps you too, will have to testify.
I spread my hands and put my fingertips together.
- On the other hand, there are other ways to punish these people, Heidi said. Warren Vaughn sat, leaning slightly toward us, and listening intensely. There must be other crimes on their conscience. If you wish, we can continue the investigation and make sure the girl is avenged without dragging your family into a noisy case of murder and blackmail.
- There are three alternatives before you, Mr. Vaughn, I said. Either you insist on prosecuting Miss Davis's murderers and rehabilitating Rowan altogether, but then the newspapers will be blurring your name for at least six months. You can also make sure that the criminals are punished for some other offenses, then your name won't be mentioned. After all, a person can be put in the gas chamber many times, but only the first one will be remembered for a long time. Implementing this option will require time and money. Finally, the third option - you can just leave everything, as it is. The police will close the case sooner or later for lack of evidence, and all you'll lose is a slightly diminished sense of justice.
With those words I glanced at Heidi, but she was looking at Warren Vaughn. I also wanted to add something like, "And if you call us right now, as a special incentive, you'll get an extra package."
The banker gritted his teeth predatorily in a good-natured smile.
- And you can guarantee that these crooks, whoever they are, will no longer attempt to defame my nephew and take his shares?
I shrugged.
- As soon as you make a decision, Mr. Vaughn, we'll take action. Either way, they'll be up against the wall. Whichever course of action you chose, neither your nephew nor his stock will be in any danger.
Warren Vaughn interlocked his fingers and contemplated. His forehead smoothed and his eyes no longer glittered with anxious fire. He was in his element now, controlling people's destinies.
I tried to lean back on the couch, and, to my surprise, I succeeded. The banker rested his head in his hand and remained silent. At that moment he looked very much like the man depicted in the portrait hanging above the fireplace.
While the financier was fiddling with balls, I glanced at my companion. I didn't have to, for two reasons - first, you could never guess what she was thinking about, and second, I knew it anyway. The first thought about the imperfection of the world was now superimposed on the second. The prospect that the murderer might escape justice must have made Heidi deeply despondent. If Warren Vaughn decided to give up on justice, Heidi would walk around with a sad look on her face for days, staring at the stars from the loggia. Personally, I didn't see anything wrong with either outcome. That's probably because I don't like to read serious books.
The banker straightened resolutely, his eyes lit up with bright lights, like a car ready to start.
- I appreciate your work, he said confidently. You can send me the bill. I don't give a damn who whacked that little whore. But I want to know who the bastard behind this blackmail is. Give me a name, and this case is over.
- Of course, Mr. Vaughn, I nodded. You'll recognize him. But as a matter of tactics, it would be better if we spoke to the man first. As you understand, he is one of the people you know. We wouldn't want you to confront him before we demand that he stop the blackmail.
- Are you sure he'll go for it? now there was concern in Vaughn's voice, but this time it was genuine.
- Absolutely, I nodded. I suppose this evening we can forget about the case.
And then I made a mistake. I may have made it years ago when I let Heidi become my partner. The desire for perfection that had been instilled in me at my parents' rich mansion made me choose her, but I had not yet suspected that perfect women caused more problems than any other. True, in most cases it pays off.
More than once or twice Heidi has reproached me for cynicism and disrespect for the feelings of others. To her credit, I must add that she never does this in front of strangers. I knew in my heart that if the old banker decided to wash his hands of it, Heidi would still go through with it, and I would have to follow her like a knight in shining armor. Last night's scene, however, had served as a fertile firewood into which a spark had now fallen.
I should have known that when I saw Warren Vaughn acting like a judge, Heidi would do something. But what could I do? I missed the moment.
She tilted her head slightly to the side, as she always does when she's about to utter some exquisite nastiness. I knew I smelled kerosene when I saw her dark curls fall down her cheek, but it was too late.
- Mr. Vaughn, she said with sweet composure. I think we should ask your nephew for his opinion.
I knew what to expect from my beauty, but the banker was dumbfounded. His lower lip tightened and joined his upper lip, and his cheeks began to puff up slightly, as if he had just swallowed someone flying through the air and was now trying to figure out how it had happened.
- Excuse me? he squawked.
That's probably how God would have felt if on the fifth day of creation he'd been told to turn in an estimate for inspection.
- Your nephew was intimate with this girl, Heidi fluttered her arms slightly. Her head turned gracefully, her eyes sliding over me. Of course, you're our client. But Rowan has the right to make that decision.
The banker's mouth opened, and then his teeth closed again. But he was still trying to smile.
- But, Miss Moss, he finally said, I...
It would have been very amusing to see how the scene developed, especially as I had no wish to interfere with it. At that moment, however, the butler stood in front of the banker and whispered something in his ear.
The funny thing is that this is still considered decent.
I frowned and looked at Heidi. Her absent dreamy look was clearly interpreted as you asked for it. I thought of knocking her down, but I didn't need to.
The hubris was knocked off both of us, and very briskly.
- I see your butler has already informed you of our arrival, Inspector Herrmann's gruff voice was melting with smugness. Good morning, Mr. Vaughn. Oh, I see you're here, too.
The banker straigh
tened abruptly. If he had been electrified at that moment, a pair of good lightning bolts would have flashed from his eyes.
- What the hell, Inspector, he said sharply. I smirked. The banker clearly wanted to yell at someone, but intuitively realized that he shouldn't do that to Heidi.
However, the smirk quickly slid off my face.
- I have a warrant for Rowan Vaughn's arrest, Herrmann grinned.
- And I know he's in this house. Will you get him, Mr. Vaughn?
27
Stephen Karlsen shook the narrow, stiff hand languidly.
- You're very punctual, Doctor, he said somberly, as he settled down on one of the stools in the row at the counter. Have a seat.
His interlocutor took the chair to which the detective had pointed. He did not recline; his body remained perfectly straight. This irritated Karlsen.
- I've come for the papers, Mr. Karlsen, Dr. Bane's voice was like the wind rustling a dry reed.
Fat Steven put his hand under the counter and took out a small folder.
- It's all in here, he said. All of this guy's background.
He had to bend over slightly to pass the papers to the man who came in. Dr. Bane quickly went through the sheets, turning each one over carefully.
Stephen Karlsen looked at him without enthusiasm. This Asian had come a hell of a long way to get to Los Angeles, and it wasn't the dolphinarium that interested him. Stephen's fat nose sensed that there was a lot of money floating around, but it threatened to pass him by, with green tails wagging.
- It says here that he served in Panama, Dr. Bane's voice was now sharper. But you're not sure about that.
- The U.S. government often deploys troops to other countries in an unofficial way, Karlsen snickered. If one of the soldiers dies in the process, the paperwork goes to another country.
It's always good to tell a couple of grim Uncle Sam stories when you're talking to foreigners. They like it, and then they're willing to pay more.
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