M is for MALICE

by Sue Grafton

  Chapter 12

  *

  My run that morning had been unsatisfactory. I’d done what needed doing, dutifully jogging a mile and a half down the bike path and a mile and a half back, but I’d never developed any rhythm and the much-sought-after endorphin rush had failed to materialize. I’ve noticed on days when the run isn’t good, I’m left with an emotional itch that feels like anxiety, in this case compounded by mild depression. Short of drink and drugs, sometimes the only remedy is to exercise again. I swear this is not a compulsion on my part so much as a craving for relief. I drove over to Harley’s Beach and found a parking spot in the shelter of the hill. The lot was nearly empty, which surprised me somehow. Usually, there’s an assortment of tourists and beachcombers, joggers, lovers, barking dogs, and parents with small children. Today, all I spotted was a family of feral cats sunning themselves on the hillside above the beach.

  I staggered across an expanse of loose, dry sand until I reached the hard pack at the water’s edge. I would have pulled off my shoes and socks, rolling up my pant legs so I could jog in the surf; however someone had recently given me a small book about tide pools. I’d leafed through with interest, imagining myself in the role of inquisitive naturalist, poking among the rocks for tiny crabs and starfish (though their undersides are completely disgusting and gross). Until I read this colorful, informative pamphlet, I’d had no idea what strange, ugly beasties existed close to shore. I’m not the kind of person who sentimentalizes nature. The outdoors, as far as I can see, is made up almost entirely of copulating creatures who eat one another afterward. To this end, almost every known animal has developed a strategy for luring others within range. Among life forms in the sea ��� some quite minuscule ��� the tactic involves thorny parts or pincers or tiny three-jawed mouths or trailing stingers or vicious suckers with which they latch on to one another, causing painful death and dismemberment, all in the name of nourishment. Sometimes the juice is slurped out of the victim long before death occurs. The starfish actually takes out its own stomach, enfolds its live prey, and digests it outside its body. How would you like to put your bare foot down on that?

  I ran in my shoes, splashing through the surf when the waves came close. Soon my wet jeans clung to my legs, the heavy fabric cold against my shins. My feet were weighted as though with stones and I could feel the sweat begin to soak through my shirt from the labor of the run. Despite the damp breeze coming off the ocean, the air felt oppressive. For the third day in a row, Santa Ana winds were blasting in from the desert, blowing down the local canyons, pulling moisture from the atmosphere. The mounting heat collected, degree by degree, like a wall of bricks going up. My progress felt slow and I forced myself to focus on the sand shimmering ahead of me. Since I had no way to measure distance, I ran for time, jogging thirty minutes north before I turned and jogged back. By the time I reached Harley’s Beach again, my breathing was ragged and the muscles in my thighs were on fire. I glowed to a trot and then geared down to a walk as I returned to my car. For a moment, I leaned panting against the hood. Better. That was better. Pain was better than anxiety any day of the week and sweat was better than depression.

  Home again, I left my soggy running shoes on the front steps. I padded upstairs, peeling out of my damp clothes as I ascended. I took a hot shower and then slipped into a pair of sandals, a T-shirt, and a short cotton skirt. It was now close to four and there was no point returning to the office. I brought in the mail and checked for phone messages. There were five: two hang-ups; two reporters who left numbers, asking me to get back to them; and a call from Peter Antle, the pastor of Guy’s church. I dialed the number he’d left and he picked up so fast I had to guess he’d been waiting by the phone.

  “Peter. I got your message. This is Kinsey in Santa Teresa.”

  “Kinsey. Thanks for being so prompt. Winnie’s been trying to call Guy, but she can’t seem to get through. The Maleks have the answering machine on and nobody’s picking up. I don’t know what Guy’s plans are, but we thought we’d better warn him. There are reporters camped out at the gas station across from his place. We have people knocking on the church door and a pile of messages for him.”

  “Already?”

  “That was my reaction. Frankly, I don’t understand how this got out in the first place.”

  “Long story. I’m still in the process of looking into it. I know the family was contacted by the local newspaper first thing this morning. The reporter here had had a letter delivered to him at the paper. I guess something similar was sent to the L.A. Times. I haven’t seen the news yet, but I have a feeling it’s going to get bigger before it goes away.”

  “It’s even worse up here. The town’s so small, none of us can manage to avoid the press. Do you have a way to get in touch with Guy? We’re here for him if he needs us. We don’t want him to lose his footing in the stress of the situation.”

  “Let me see if I can find a way to get through. I guess this is his fifteen minutes of fame, though frankly, I can’t understand why the story’s generating so much attention. Why should anyone give a fat rat’s… aa… ah… ear? He doesn’t even have the money yet and who knows if he’ll ever see one red cent.”

  I could almost see Peter’s grin. “Everyone wants to believe in something. For most people, a big windfall would literally be the answer to all their prayers.”

  “I suppose so,” I said. “At any rate, if I reach him, I’ll have him give you a call.”

  “I’d appreciate that.”

  After we hung up, I flipped on the TV set and tuned in to KEST. The evening news wouldn’t air for an hour, but the station often ran quick promos for the show coming up. I suffered through six commercials and caught the clip I’d suspected would be there. The blond anchorwoman smiled at the camera, saying, “Not all news is bad news. Sometimes even the darkest cloud has a silver lining. After nearly twenty years of poverty, a Marcella maintenance man has just learned he’ll be inheriting five million dollars. We’ll have that story for you at five.” Behind her, the camera showed a glimpse of a haggard-looking Guy Malek, staring impassively from the car window as Donovan’s BMW swung through the gates of the Malek estate. I felt a pang of guilt, wishing I’d talked him out of coming down. Given his bleak expression, the homecoming wasn’t a success. I picked up the phone again and tried the Maleks’ number. The line was busy.

  I called the number every ten minutes for an hour. The Maleks had probably taken the phone off the hook, or maybe their message tape was full. In either event, who knew when I’d get through to him.

  I debated with myself briefly and then drove over to the house. The gate was now closed and there were six vehicles parked along the berm. Reporters loitered; some leaning against their car fenders, two chatting together in the middle of the road. Both men were smoking and held big Styrofoam coffee cups. Three camera units had been set up on tripods and it looked as if the troops were prepared to stay. The late afternoon sun slanted between the eucalyptus trees across from the Malek property, dividing the pavement into alternating sections of light and shadow.

  I parked behind the last car and went on foot as far as the call box near the front gate. All activity behind me ceased and I could feel the attention focus on my back. No one answered my ring. Like the others, I was going to have to hang around out here, hoping to catch sight of one of the Maleks exiting or entering the grounds. I tried one more time, but my ringing was greeted with dead silence from inside the house.

  I returned to my car and turned the, key in the ignition. Already, a dark-haired woman reporter was ambling in my direction. She was probably in her forties, with oversized sunglasses and bright red lips. As I watched, she fumbled in her shoulder bag and pulled out a cigarette. She was tall and slender, decked out in slacks and a short cropped cotton sweater. I marveled she could bear it with the heat sitting where it was. Gold earrings. Gold bracelets. A daunting pair of four inch heels. For my taste, walking in high heels is like trying to learn to ice-sk
ate. The human ankle does not take readily to such requirements. I admired her balance, though I realized when she reached me that in bare feet she’d probably be shorter than I. She made a circling motion, asking me to roll down my car window.

  “Hi. How are you?” she said. She held up the cigarette. “You have a light for this?”

  “Sorry. I don’t smoke. Why don’t you ask one of them?”

  She turned, her gaze sliding back to the two men standing in the road. Her voice was husky and her tone was dismissive. “Oh, them. That’s the boys’ club,” she remarked. “Those two won’t even give you the time of day unless you have something to trade.” Her eyes flicked back to me. “What about you? You don’t look like a reporter. What are you, family friend? An old sweetheart?”

  I had to admire the placid way she eased right into it, casual, unconcerned. She was probably wetting her pants, hoping I’d provide a little tidbit so she could scoop her competition. I started rolling up my window. Quickly, she raised her handbag and turned it sideways, inserting it into the space so the window wouldn’t close all the way. There was now a seven-inch gap where her leather bag was wedged.

  “No offense,” she said, “but I’m curious. Aren’t you that private investigator we’ve heard so much about?”

  I turned the key in the ignition. “Please remove your bag.” I cranked the window down about an inch, hoping she’d pull the bag free so I could be on my way.

  “Don’t be in such a hurry. What’s the rush? The public has a right to know these things. I’m going to get the information anyway so why not make sure it’s accurate? I heard the kid spent a lot of time in jail. Was that here or up north?”

  I cranked the window up a notch and put the car in gear. I pushed my foot down lightly on the gas pedal and eased away from the berm. She held on to the bag by its strap, walking beside the car, continuing the conversation. I guess she was accustomed to having the driver at her mercy once she used the old handbag trick. I increased my speed sufficiently to force her into a trot. She yanked the strap, yelling “Hey!” as I began to accelerate. I couldn’t have been driving more than two miles an hour, but that’s a tough pace to maintain when you’re wearing heels that high. I inched my foot down on the gas. She released the bag and stopped where she was, watching with consternation as I pulled away. I passed the two guys in the road who seemed to enjoy the rude comment she was yelling after me. I couldn’t hear the words, but I got the drift. In the rearview mirror, I saw her flip me the bird.

  She removed a high heel and flung it at my rear window. I heard a mild thump on impact and saw the shoe bounce off behind me as I picked up speed. The long strap of the handbag dangled and flapped against the car door. About a hundred yards down the road, I paused long enough to roll down my window and give the bag a shove. I left it there in the road, curled like a possum, and drove to my apartment.

  There were two newspapers on the sidewalk when I got home. I picked up both and left one on Henry’s back doorstep before I let myself in. I turned on some lights and poured myself a glass of wine, then sat at the kitchen counter and spread the paper out in front of me. The story was in the second section and the tone was odd. I’d expected a fairy-tale version of Guy’s life to date, his estrangement from the family and his subsequent spiritual transformation. Instead, Jeff Katzenbach had patched together, in excruciating detail, an inventory of all the sins from Guy’s youth: countless episodes of reckless driving, vandalism, drunk and disorderly conduct, assault and battery. Some charges dated back to his juvenile record and should have been purged or remained sealed by the courts. Where had Katzenbach gotten his information? Some of it, of course, was a matter of public record, but I’d wondered how he’d known to look. He’d obviously been tipped off by Max Outhwaite’s reference to Guy’s earlier scrapes. I thought back uneasily to the file of news clippings Bader Malek had kept. Was there any way he could have seen that? This would have been a second leak of sorts. The first was the fact of Guy’s return; the second, this detailed criminal history. I noticed Katzenbach had couched his revelations in typical journalistic fudging. The word alleged appeared about six times, along with confidential sources, informants close to the family, former associates, and friends o f the Maleks who asked to remain anonymous. Far from celebrating Guy’s good fortune, the public was going to end up resenting his sudden wealth. Reading between the lines, you could tell Katzenbach considered Guy Malek an undeserving scoundrel. Somehow his current church affiliation looked self-serving and insincere, the convenient refuge of a culprit hoping to make himself look good in the eyes of the parole board.

  For supper, I made myself a hot hard-boiled egg sandwich with lots of mayonnaise and salt and perched at the counter eating while I scanned the rest of the paper. I must have been more absorbed than I thought because when the telephone shrilled, I flung my sandwich sideways in response. I snatched up the receiver, heart thumping as though a gun had just been fired in my ear. If this turned out to be a reporter, I was going to hang up. “Yes.”

  “Hey.”

  “Oh shit. Guy, is that you? You scared the hell out of me.” I leaned down and gathered up the remains of my sandwich, popping the crust in my mouth while I licked at my fingers. There was mayonnaise on the floor, but I could tend to that later.

  “Yeah, it’s me. How are you?” he said. “I tried calling a while ago, but you were out, I guess.”

  “Thank God you called. I was just over at the house. but I couldn’t get anyone to answer my ring. What’s happening?”

  “We just finished dinner. Have you seen the news?”

  “I have the paper in front of me.”

  “Not so good, huh.”

  “It’s not that bad,” I said, hoping to cheer him up. “It does look like somebody’s really got it in for you.”

  “That’s my assumption,” he said lightly.

  “Are you all right? Peter called earlier. He’s been trying to get in touch, but all he’s managed so far is the answering machine. Did you get his message?”

  “No, but why would I? Everybody here is pissed at me. They think I notified the paper, trying to get attention. There’s a powwow on for later, after Donovan gets home. He’s got a meeting until nine. The delay’s making me sick. Reminds me of that old business, ‘You wait until your father gets home and he’ll give you the what for.’ “

  I found myself smiling. “You want me to come get you? I can be there in fifteen minutes.”

  “Yes-no-I don’t know what I want. I’d like to get out of here, but I don’t dare take off with things as they are.”

  “Why not? The damage is done. Whoever spilled the beans, made it look as bad as they could. If you’d leaked the news, you’d have put a different spin on it.”

  “How would I manage that? You can’t put a different spin on the truth.”

  “Of course you can. It’s called politics.”

  “Yeah, but I did all those things. This is just payback time. I told you I was bad. At least, now you know the worst.”

  “Oh stop that. I don’t care about that stuff. All I care about is getting you out of there.”

  “You want to come for a visit? I could sneak out for a few minutes. Jack and Bennet are downstairs and Christie’s in the office, going through some of Dad’s old papers.”

  “Sure. I can pop back over there. What do you want me to do? Shall I ring from the gate?”

  “No, don’t do that. I’ll meet you out on Wolf Run Road,” he said. “If the side gate’s locked, I can scale the wall. I’m an expert at getting out. When I was a kid I used to do it all the time. That’s how I managed to get in so much trouble back then.”

  “Why don’t you bring your backpack and let me spirit you away,” I said. “I’ll drive you to Marcella and you can hire an attorney to handle your interests from here on.”

  “Don’t tempt me. Right now, all I need is civilized conversation. Park in that little grove of trees just across from the gate. I’ll be out there in fift
een minutes.”

  I took a few minutes to tidy up the kitchen and then I changed into jeans, a dark shirt, and my Reeboks. The evening air felt uncharacteristically warm, but I wanted to be prepared for night maneuvers if need be. Once at the Maleks’, I took a quick swing by the front gate. There were now two more news crews and the gathering had taken on the feel of a vigil outside a prison. Portable lights had been turned on and a man with a microphone spoke directly to a camera, making gestures toward the house. I saw the dark-haired reporter, but she didn’t see me. She seemed to be bumming a light for her cigarette from a poor unsuspecting “source.”

  I followed the wall, circling the property as I turned left on Wolf Run. I spotted the gate, a dark blot in an otherwise unbroken expanse of wall. I pulled off onto the berm across the road, gravel crackling under my wheels. I shut down the engine and sat there, listening to the tick of hot metal and the murmur of the wind. There weren’t any street lamps along this section of the road. The high night sky was clear, but the moon had been reduced to the merest sliver, a frail curve of silver in a sky pale with stars. The dust in the air was as fine as mist. In the ambient light, the pavement was a dull, luminous gray. The stucco wall enclosing the Malek property had been robbed of its pink luster and stretched now like a ghostly band of drab white. June and July were traditionally dry and I associated the Santa Ana winds with the end of summer ��� late August, early September, when the fire danger was extreme. For years, January had been the rainy season, two weeks of rain that we hoped would fill our annual quota. Yet here we were with the dry wind tossing in the treetops. The bend and sway of tree boughs set up a hushed night music, accompanied by the rustling percussion of dry palm fronds, the occasional snap of tree limbs. By morning, the streets would be littered with dead leaves and the small withered skeletons of broken branches.