The evening was balmy, and they sat outside at the Copper Queen Hotel eating pasta and meatballs, linguine and clams.
Malcolm picked up the bottle of Merlot. ‘More wine?’
‘Just a little.’
He poured, poured some for himself.
‘So you were college sweethearts,’ Kate said.
‘No, actually, we weren’t. I got involved with someone else, and she got involved with a series of guys. I didn’t see much of her after a while except from a distance.’ He took a sip of wine. ‘She kind of, I don’t know – in my mind, when I think of her back then, she kind of glittered. Very animated, very—’ He paused. ‘Happy.’
Kate took a very small sip of her wine. She’d already had half a glass to start with, and she didn’t want to lose control. ‘And—?’
‘So we graduated, six, seven years went by, and I saw her again at a bookstore in Scottsdale. We started talking, you know, and it was like the time in between had never happened, except—’ He shrugged.
‘Except what?’
‘We went out to lunch. She was different. That glitter she had seemed diminished. I asked her what was wrong, ’cause, you know, I could tell. She said she’d had a hard time, but she didn’t really explain. But we reconnected, and I helped her through the hard time. She came out of it, thanks to me, the white knight, so I married her.’
The waitress came by, took away their empty plates. ‘Dessert?’
Malcolm shook his head. ‘None for me.’
‘No, thank you,’ Kate said.
‘Just the bill.’ Malcolm handed her his credit card.
They waited in silence for a moment, then Malcolm said, ‘When I think about it sometimes, I wonder if I didn’t marry that memory I had of Cindy when we first met. It stayed with me, all that sparkle, that glitter. That wonderful, wonderful smile. The smile—’ He paused. ‘It was probably what they call mania.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Kate said. She paused then went on. ‘I guess my story’s pretty simple – Hannah showed up, Rick fell in love with her, and bam, it was over between us. No real sadness, no tragedy, you know? Just life.’
‘And your job was over too,’ Malcolm said. ‘I’m sorry for your story. By the way, my friend got nowhere with the cellphone and IP trace.’
‘Big surprise,’ Kate said and shrugged, looked away from him, fiddling with her napkin – folding and unfolding it.
The bill appeared, Malcolm signed, looked at his watch. ‘Time to make that phone call to Cecilia.’
Kate planned to stay at Dakota’s that night, but they walked up to Kate’s house to make the call. Inside, seeing it through Malcolm’s eyes, it was obvious that no one really lived there. Nothing hanging on the walls, nothing personal that said Kate.
‘It’s a dump,’ Kate said. ‘I think it’s the first place I’ve ever lived where I didn’t go overboard fixing it up. It’s like I can’t settle on anything yet. Including—’ she gave a little laugh – ‘my life.’
He could just imagine how Cindy would have handled what Kate had gone through. Or maybe she would have been stronger, more able to deal with her life, had he not cushioned her every move.
‘Before I call,’ Malcolm said, ‘I’d like to take a look around. See how secure this place is.’
‘Sure.
Malcolm went from room to room, looking at the locks on the windows. At one point he laughed.
‘What’s so funny?’
‘Nothing, nothing.’ He checked the front door and the side door and the door to the porch inside and out. Then he came back in.
He started to punch in the number Dan Piper had given him but stopped, went outside where the reception was better. Kate stayed inside.
It rang a few times, then a man answered. Malcolm asked for Cecilia Romero.
‘Hold on.’
‘Hello?’ It was a soft voice, sweet. ‘This is Cecilia.’
Malcolm explained who he was.
‘Yes. Detective Piper told me all about you. I mean, that you’re all right,’ she said. ‘A man in law enforcement too. Otherwise we wouldn’t even be talking. He said it was about Harry Light? Harry and my daughter, Anna Marie?’
‘Yes. You’ve met him, I think Dan said. He and Anna Marie were dating?’
She gave a little sigh, exasperated. ‘Like I told the police and everyone else, what they’re referring to was a while before Anna Marie disappeared. And, besides, they weren’t dating exactly. They were good friends, is all.’
‘You never saw him as possibly a suspect in her disappearance?’
‘No. No, I did not.’
‘Why is that?’
‘He was a very nice man, a gentleman.’
‘That’s not what I hear.’
‘From who?’
‘An old girlfriend. She’s scared of him.’
‘Really.’ There was a pause. ‘You know, people have bad spells and good spells. Maybe she just knew him at the wrong time.’
‘Maybe.’
‘Who is this old girlfriend?’ Cecilia asked.
‘I’m sorry. I just don’t feel comfortable saying.’
There was another pause, longer this time. Malcolm wondered if she’d hung up in disgust, but then she said, ‘I can’t talk to you like this on the phone. Are you far from Phoenix? Could you come here maybe tomorrow or the day after, and we can talk in person.’
‘I could do that,’ Malcolm said.
‘And bring the old girlfriend too,’ said Cecilia. ‘I could tell her some things in person I can’t say on the phone.’
‘I’ll talk to her about that,’ said Malcolm.
‘Me? She wants to talk to me? Why?’ Kate said. ‘You told her about me?’
‘Not really. I just mentioned an old girlfriend, and she said to bring you, that she could tell you some things in person she couldn’t say on the phone.’
‘Really? Like what, I wonder?’
‘She didn’t say. But the two of you can compare notes about Harry.’
‘Did she say anything at all about Harry? I mean, does she suspect him of – you know.’
‘She said, and I quote – “He was a very nice man, a gentleman.”’
‘What?’
‘Maybe someone was listening to the conversation and she was covering up. I’m going up there tomorrow. I think you should come along. She might be more forthcoming with you there.’
Kate nodded, a little doubtfully.
‘Mesa is my old stomping grounds, just outside of Phoenix. My brother Ian lives close by in Tempe. We could go up the day before, stay at his place.’
‘At your brother’s?’
‘It’s fine. He’s an attorney, and so’s his wife, Sally. They have a five year old, Shawn.’ He spread his hands wide. ‘Utterly respectable. You could sleep in the spare bedroom. I’d sleep on the couch. We could go to a nice restaurant. A movie, maybe.’
‘Actually,’ said Kate, ‘it sounds nice.’
‘And you could use a vacation.’ He paused. ‘I mean, a real one. I was a cop in Mesa, so I know the Force—’ He waved his arm in a wide sweep, as if by knowing the Force they were all at his command. ‘You’ll be safe. I have to be honest with you, I don’t feel you’re safe now. Are you staying at Dakota’s again tonight?’
‘Yes.’
‘Good. At this point anyone can get into your house if they want to. When we come back from Phoenix, we can talk about making it more secure.’
THIRTY-TWO
The traffic thickened. They’d left Dudley after lunch so Kate could put in some time at the Co-op, and now it was nearly time to start thinking about dinner. It had been a long drive, more than three hours, the I10 to Tucson then on to Phoenix, through a barren landscape of red dust, with giant lumbering trucks to the left and giant lumbering trucks to the right, the sky above bright blue and cloudless.
Malcolm had called Cecilia back last night, and they had arranged to meet her tomorrow morning at ten o’clock at a Denny’s in Mesa.
&nbs
p; ‘A Denny’s?’ Kate had said in surprise.
‘Well, why not?’
Now, in the present, Kate turned her neck from side to side and up and down to loosen up.
‘Almost there,’ Malcolm said. ‘Want to stop and stretch?’
‘No. Let’s just do it.’
The landscape changed; shopping malls appeared, motels, endless developments of low stucco buildings with red tiled roofs and lots of palm trees.
‘That’s the motel,’ Malcolm said suddenly. ‘Over on the right.’
‘What motel?’
‘Where Cindy died.’
‘How did you say?’ Though he never had.
‘She took a bunch of pills.’
Kate stared out the window. It looked like all motels – like the motel where she’d stayed in New Jersey, for instance. Then it was behind them. There had been nothing to distinguish it from all the other motels they had passed on the crowded freeway going into Phoenix.
She tried to imagine Cindy – hadn’t Malcolm mentioned once that she was a blonde? – checking into the motel. When you made a decision like Cindy had, what happened to vanity? What would you wear at a time like that – would you care how you looked when your body was found? What about make-up? Would you freshen up a little before you took the pills?
Malcolm took a Tempe exit off the I10, headed for his brother Ian’s house. They went down a couple of side roads, turned some more, and they were in a development, but a nice one – upscale beige stucco, the ubiquitous red tiled roofs, desert plant landscaping – the usual Southwestern look, but the houses, at least from the outside, looked big and airy.
They pulled into the driveway of a corner house. A tall sandy-haired man in khakis and a blue polo shirt, accompanied by a little boy in a baseball cap, came out of the front door almost at once, as if they’d been hiding behind the curtains looking out.
Malcolm parked, and they got out of the car.
‘Uncle Malcolm, Uncle Malcolm, Uncle Malcolm, Schmalcom, Halcom!’ the little boy shouted. He wiggled his body around in a little jiggly dance. Then he suddenly noticed Kate. He stopped, turned to his father. ‘Who’s she?’
‘This is my friend Kate,’ Malcolm said. ‘Kate, this is my nephew Shawn and my brother Ian.’
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you,’ Ian said to Kate. ‘Come inside, come inside.’
Shawn walked next to Kate. They went through a short hall and into the living room, Southwest art, Indian pots, nice kilim rugs.
‘Sally, my wife,’ Ian said, looking at Kate, ‘should be back any minute. She’s at the grocery store getting something for dinner. You guys are joining us, I assume?’
‘Actually,’ Malcolm said. ‘I thought Kate and I would just go out to eat.’
‘Why would you want to do that?’ Ian said. ‘When you can stay in and eat a home-cooked meal?’
And you can check out Kate, Malcolm thought. He’d told his brother she was just a friend.
‘What do you think, Kate?’ Ian said.
‘A home-cooked meal sounds wonderful,’ said Kate dutifully, just as she imagined she was expected to.
‘Sit, sit.’ Ian gestured at a big white couch.
Kate sat, and Shawn sat down beside her.
‘Looks like you’ve got a fan,’ Ian said to Kate.
Shawn grinned and ducked his head.
‘Can I get you guys something to drink? Raspberry iced tea, Kate? Beer? Beer for you, Malcolm, right?’
‘Iced tea’s good,’ said Kate.
Ian left the room.
‘Be right back,’ Malcolm said, following him out.
‘Want to see me when I was just a little kid?’ Shawn said to Kate.
‘Sure.’
‘Over here.’
Kate followed Shawn to a table to one side of a white brick fireplace. The fireplace was filled with an arty arrangement of dead branches, the table with silver framed photographs.
‘Here.’ Shawn thrust a frame at her. ‘Me and my mom.’
A pretty woman with dark straight bangs held a baby in her arms and smiled triumphantly, as if she just accomplished a major achievement, and maybe she had.
‘Very nice,’ said Kate. ‘Sally? That’s your mom’s name?’
‘Yes.’
She moved closer to the table. More pictures of Sally with the dark bangs and Ian and Shawn, Shawn in different sizes. Birthday parties and Christmas; picnics and barbecues. One of Malcolm grinning at someone and, aha, one of Malcolm with a blonde woman.
Kate picked up the frame. ‘And who’s this?’ she asked, all innocence.
‘My aunt Cindy,’ Shawn whispered.
Kate held the frame closer: a head shot of Malcolm and Cindy, Malcolm younger looking, Cindy with short blonde hair, well cut, face with classic features, tip of a tennis racket showing by her shoulder. What does a photograph say? – how someone looked at one split second in time, nothing more.
‘She got really sad,’ Shawn confided. ‘My aunt Cindy got sadder and sadder and sadder, and one day she got so sad she went away, and she’s never coming back.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ Kate said.
‘So are you and my uncle getting married?’
The front door opened then, and the woman from the photographs came in, carrying a load of groceries. She smiled. ‘You must be Kate.’
Kate smiled back. ‘And you must be Sally.’
‘So, are you?’ asked Shawn, in a louder voice. ‘Are you? Are you?’
‘What are you going on about, Shawn?’ Sally said.
‘I just want Kate to answer my question.’
‘Not now,’ his mother said. ‘Go find your dad, okay.’
Shawn ran out of the room.
‘What was that all about?’ Sally asked Kate.
‘Nothing.’
It was such a pleasant evening, but then practically every evening in Phoenix was pleasant, once the sun went down. The sky was streaked with orange and blue and indigo, purple mountains in the distance. They ate out back on the patio at a picnic table near the barbecue grill. Along with the steaks, there was roasted corn and roasted portobello mushrooms and roasted eggplant.
‘Ian’s on a roasting kick,’ Sally had explained to Kate. ‘But I can make a salad if you like.’
‘No, I’m fine.’
Earlier, Sally had asked Kate if she’d rather have steak or salmon. ‘I’m so into omega three,’ she said.
‘Actually,’ Kate told her, ‘I’d like steak. I haven’t had steak in such a long time.’
Malcolm had planned for dinner at a restaurant, some place nice, so Kate could see he had good taste, but he saw now this family dinner had been unavoidable from the start. There was an excitement in the air that made Malcolm uncomfortable – Ian and Sally and Shawn all checking out Kate, wondering what was going on. As for himself, he had no idea. But there they were, his relatives, wondering if Kate was The One – the woman who would replace Cindy and give Malcolm a real life.
They’d never liked Cindy, not really. Their condolences, their sympathy had grown more and more strained with each episode: bored with her pain and what seemed like her endless needy drama.
‘So, how’s the steak?’ Ian asked Kate. ‘Rare enough for you?’
‘Perfect,’ Kate said. ‘Everything’s perfect, the eggplant, the corn, the mushrooms.’
Malcolm watched as Kate ate her steak. It was quite large steak; he’d offered to split it with her, but she said no, that was okay, she was pretty hungry. A large, rare steak, oozing blood all over her plate. She ate it with verve, with gusto, and finished it off. She also ate an ear of corn, a few slabs of eggplant and several grilled mushrooms.
‘I love that you’re eating everything,’ Sally said. ‘It makes the cooks feel worthwhile.’
‘Hold still!’ Shawn said. ‘I’m taking a picture with Malcolm’s camera.’
Everyone held very still, grinning: one split second in time, nothing more.
THIRTY-THREE
&
nbsp; ‘Just coffee for me,’ Malcolm told the waitress at Denny’s the next morning. ‘We had a pretty big breakfast,’ he said to Cecilia, ‘at my brother’s house.’
‘I think,’ said Kate as she perused the menu, ‘I’ll have a waffle, just one, with a side of bacon. Oh, and a small orange juice.’
‘Coffee?’ asked the waitress.
‘Yes, please.’
The waitress took the menus and left.
Cecilia smiled at Kate. ‘So thin,’ she said, ‘and such a good appetite. You’re a lucky lady.’
‘Thank you,’ Kate said politely.
Cecilia was plump, ever so slightly, with dark curly hair and skin soft as a crumpled rose. She wore black capri pants and a black T-shirt with a silver moon and silver stars appliquéd on it. She’d already arrived when they got there, sitting in a booth at the back with an English muffin and a cup of tea. She’d waved, as if she had already met them and knew what they looked like.
‘Well,’ Malcolm said as they waited for their orders. ‘Here we are. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Cecilia, and I guess we’re meeting you here in person because there were things you couldn’t say on the phone. What were they, exactly?’
But Cecilia was looking at Kate. ‘Malcolm said you were an old girlfriend of Harry’s?’
‘Yes. Not that old a girlfriend, really; it’s only been close to three months since I left. But we weren’t together very long.’
‘Ah,’ said Cecilia. ‘Then maybe that explains it.’
‘Explains what?’
She sighed. ‘Let me start from the beginning. Maybe you’ve met my Anna Marie? She’s known Harry for over a year.’
‘No.’ Kate flushed, glanced at Malcolm. ‘I just knew of her, is all. It struck me she might be more to Harry than just his student. I saw them talking once outside, after one of his workshops.’
‘She was maybe more to Harry than just a student,’ Cecilia said, ‘but not the way you’re thinking. His workshops were very good. Or so Anna Marie told me. They helped her see things, she said.’
‘Ah,’ said Kate. ‘I took one of his workshops once in Vermont. I thought it helped me see things too, but in the end it didn’t. Not really. Harry’s kind of, I don’t know – a flimflam man.’
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