M is for MALICE

by Sue Grafton

  I let a beat pass. “Uhh, sorry. I didn’t mean to breach anybody’s confidence. Forget I said anything. I just assumed you knew.”

  “Why bring it up at all? Is there a problem?”

  “Well, nothing huge. He’s just so paranoid about Jack. He actually sat there and accused me of undermining Jack’s credibility, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Lonnie and I are working our butts off for him.”

  “Really.”

  “Then he turned around and called Lonnie. I think he’s probably on another phone rampage, hounding everyone he knows with those wild stories of his. Ah, well. It doesn’t matter. I’m sure he means well, but he’s not doing anybody any favors.”

  “Is that what you wanted to talk to Bennet about?”

  “No, that was something different. Lonnie wanted me to verify Bennet’s whereabouts Tuesday night.”

  “I’m sure he’ll be happy to talk to you. I know he’s told the police and they seem satisfied. I can leave him a note.”

  “Perfect. I’d appreciate that. Can I ask you about something? You remember the file I borrowed?”

  “With all the clippings?”

  “Exactly. I wondered about the label. Did you type that yourself?”

  “Not me. I never took typing. My mother warned me about that. Bader probably typed the label or he gave it to his secretary. He thought typing was restful. Shows how much he knew.”

  “That must have been a while ago. I don’t remember seeing a typewriter in his office when I was there.”

  “He got himself a personal computer a couple of years ago.”

  “What happened to the typewriter?”

  “He passed it on to Bennet, I think.”

  I closed my eyes and stilled my breathing. Christie’s attitude had changed and she was sounding friendly again. I didn’t want to alert her to the importance of the information. “What’d Bennet do with it? That’s not the one he’s using at the restaurant, is it?”

  “Nuhn-uhn. I doubt it. It’s probably in his room. What’s this about?”

  “Nothing much. No big deal. Just a little theory of mine, but I’d love to see it sometime. Would it be all right with you if I stopped by to take a look?”

  “Well, it’s all right with me, but Bennet might object unless he’s here, of course. His room is like the inner sanctum. Nobody goes in there except him. We’re just on our way out. We have an appointment at eleven. Why don’t you ask Bennet when you talk to him?”

  “I can do that. No problem. That’s a good idea,” I said. “And one more quick question. The night of the murder, could you really see Donovan? Or did you just assume he was watching television because the set was turned on in the other room?”

  Christie put the phone down without another word.

  The minute I hung up, I wrote a hasty note to Dietz, put a couple of pieces of blank paper in the file, and shoved it in my handbag. I headed out the side door and took the stairs down to the street, skipping two at a time. I wasn’t sure which “we” had an appointment at eleven, but I was hoping it was Christie and Donovan. If I could get to the Maleks’ before Bennet came home, I could probably bullshit my way upstairs and take a look at the machine. It had occurred to me more than once that Jack or Bennet might be behind the letters and the leak to the press. I couldn’t pinpoint the motivation, but getting a lock on the typewriter would go a long way toward shoring up the connection. I was also thinking teehee on you, Dietz, because I’d told him whoever wrote the letters wouldn’t trash the machine. It’s the same way with guns. Someone will use a handgun in the commission of a crime and instead of disposing of the weapon, he’ll keep it in his closet at home or shove it under the bed. Better to pitch it in the ocean.

  I reached the Maleks’ in record time, burning up the route I’d driven so many times before. As I approached the estate, I could see the front gates swing open and the nose of a car just appearing around the curve in the drive. I slammed on my brakes and slid into the nearest driveway, fishtailing slightly, my eyes pinned on my rearview mirror for a moment until the BMW sped past. Donovan was driving, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. I thought I caught sight of Christie, but I couldn’t be sure. I heard a car horn toot and looked out through my windshield. The Maleks’ neighbor, in a dark blue station wagon, was waiting patiently for me to get out of his driveway. I made lots of sheepish gestures as I put my car in reverse. I backed out of the driveway and pulled over to let him pass. I mouthed the word Sorry as he turned to look at me. He smiled and waved, and I waved back at him. Once he was out of sight, I pulled out, crossing the road to the Maleks’ entrance gates.

  The security guard had been relieved of his duties. I leaned out toward the call box and punched in the gate code Tasha had given me. There was a happy peeping signal. The gates gave a little wiggle and then swung open to admit me. I eased up the driveway and around the curve. Vaguely, it occurred to me that Christie might have stayed home. I’d have to think of a whopper to account for my arrival. Oh, well. Often the best lies are the ones you think up in a pinch.

  There were no cars in the courtyard, a good sign I thought. Two of the three garages were standing open and both were empty. I had to leave my vehicle out front, but there didn’t seem to be any way around that. If my purpose was legitimate, why would I bother to conceal my car? If the Maleks returned, I’d find a way to fake it. I bypassed the front door and hiked around to the kitchen, pulling the file from my handbag as I rounded the house. Enid was visible through the bay window, standing at the sink. She spotted me and waved, moving toward the backdoor to let me in. She was still drying her hands on a towel when she stepped back, allowing me to precede her into the room.

  I said, “Hi, Enid. How are you?”

  “Fine,” she said. “What are you doing coming to the backdoor? You just missed Christie and Donovan going out the front.” She was wearing a big white apron over jeans and a T-shirt and her hair was neatly tucked under a crocheted cap.

  “Really? I didn’t see them. I rang the front doorbell twice. I guess you couldn’t hear me so I thought I’d come around. I can’t believe I missed them. My timing’s off,” I said.

  I could see the ingredients for a baking project laid out on the counter: two sticks of butter with the paper removed, a sixteen-ounce measuring cup filled with granulated sugar, a tin of baking powder, and a quart container of whole milk. The oven was preheating and a large springform pan had already been buttered and floured.

  She returned to the counter where she picked up her sifter and began sifting cake flour into a mountain that had a perfect point on top. While I watched, she used a spatula to scoop more flour. I seldom bake anything and when I do tend to assemble the items as needed, not realizing I’m missing some essential ingredient until I get to the critical moment in the recipe. “Quickly fold in whipped egg whites and finely minced fresh ginger…” Enid was methodical, washing up as she went along. I knew she wouldn’t bake anything from mixes and her cakes would never fall.

  “Where’d everybody go? I didn’t see any cars in the garages,” I said.

  “Myrna’s lying down. I imagine she’ll be up in a bit.”

  “What’s wrong with her? Is she ill?”

  “I don’t know. She seems worried and I don’t think she’s been sleeping that well.”

  “Maybe I should talk to her. Where’s everyone else?”

  “Christie says Bennet’s coming home at lunchtime. She and Donovan went over to the funeral home. The coroner’s office called. The body’s being released this afternoon and they’ve gone to pick out a casket.”

  “When’s the funeral? Has anybody said?”

  “They’re talking about Monday, just for family and close friends. It won’t be open to the public.”

  “I should think not. I’m sure they’ve had their fill of media attention.”

  “Can I help you with anything?”

  “Not really. I talked to Christie a while ago and told her I’d be returning this file. Sh
e said to stick it in Bader’s office. I can let myself out the front door when I’m done.”

  “Help yourself,” she said. “Take the back stairs if you want. You know how to find the office?”

  “Sure. I’ve been up there before. What are you making?”

  “Lemon pound cake.”

  “Sounds good,” I said.

  I trotted up the back stairs, folder in hand, slowing my pace when I reached the top landing. The back hall was utilitarian, floors uncarpeted, windows bare. This mansion was built in an era when the wealthy had live-in servants who occupied nooks and crannies squeezed into wings at the rear of the house, or wedged into attic spaces that were broken up into many small rooms. Cautiously, I opened a door on my left. A narrow stairway ascended into the shadows above. I eased the door shut and moved on, checking into a large linen closet and a cubicle with an ancient commode. The corridor took a ninety-degree turn to the right, opening into the main hall through an archway concealed by heavy damask drapes on a wrought-iron rod.

  I could see the polished rail of the main stair at the midpoint in the hall. Beyond the stair landing, there was another wing of the house that mirrored the one I was now in. A wide Oriental runner stretched the length of the gloomy hall. At the far end, damask drapes suggested an archway and yet another set of stairs. The wall-paper was subdued, a soft floral pattern repeated endlessly. At intervals, tulip-shaped crystal fixtures were mounted on the walls. They’d probably been installed when the house was built and converted at some point from gas to electricity.

  There were three doors on my left, each sealed with an enormous X of crime scene tape. I had to guess that one door led to Guy’s bedroom, one to Jack’s, and one to the bathroom that connected the two. On the right, there were two more doors. I knew the second was Bader’s suite: bedroom, bath, and home office. The door closest to me was closed. I flicked a look behind me, making sure Enid hadn’t followed. The whole house was silent. I put my hand on the knob and turned it with care. Locked.

  Well, now what? The lock was the simple old-fashioned type requiring a skeleton key that probably fit every door up here. I scanned the hall in both directions. I didn’t have time to waste. Bader’s suite was closest. I did a race-walk to his bedroom and tried the knob. This room was unlocked. I peered around the door. There was a key protruding neatly from the keyhole on the other side. I extracted it and hurried back to Bennet’s room. I jammed the key in the lock and tried turning it. I could feel the key hang, but there was some tolerance to the lock. I applied steady pressure while I jiggled the door gently. It took close to thirty seconds, but the key gave way suddenly and I was in.

  Chapter 21

  *

  I scanned the room quickly, taking in as much as I could. Two table lamps had been left on. This had to be Bennet’s bedroom. He was still in possession of all the paraphernalia from his boyhood hobbies. Model airplanes, model cars, stacks of vintage comic books, early issues of MAD magazine, Little League trophies. He’d framed a paint-by-numbers likeness of Jimmy Durante and a color snapshot of himself at the age of thirteen wearing spiffy black dress pants, a pink dress shirt, and a black bolo tie. His bulletin board was still hanging on the back of his closet door. Tacked to the cork were various newspaper headlines about the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bobby Kennedy. There were photographs of the Apollo 8 spacecraft the day it was launched from Cape Kennedy. A framed movie poster from The Odd Couple still hung above his unmade bed. It wasn’t hard to pinpoint the peak year in his life. There was no memorabilia beyond 1968.

  I flicked on the overhead light and crossed the room, placing my handbag on the floor near my feet. His desk was built-in and ran along the front wall from one side of the room to the other, punctuated by two windows. Bookshelves had been hung on the wall above the desk. Most of the books looked dated, the titles suggestive of textbooks accumulated over the years. I let my gaze skip across the spines. Ring of Bright Water, Maxwell; No Room in the Ark, Moorehead; Stalking the Edible Life, Gibbons; The Sea Around Us, Carson. Little or no fiction. Not surprising somehow. Bennet didn’t strike me as intellectual or imaginative. A personal computer occupied his desk at center stage, complete with an oversized printer. The machine had been shut down and the glassy gray screen of the monitor reflected distorted slices of the light from the hall door. Everything was a jumble; bills, loose papers, invoices, and stacks of unopened mail everywhere. I spotted the typewriter to the left, covered with a black plastic typewriter “cozy” complete with dust. A stack of books had been placed on top.

  I backed up and stuck my head out into the hallway. I did a quick survey, seeing no one, and then closed myself into Bennet’s room. If I were caught, there was no way I was going to explain my presence. I went back to the desk, lifted the stack of books from the typewriter, and removed the cover. The machine was an old black high-shouldered Remington with a manual return. Bader must have hung on to the damn thing for forty years. I reached into my bag and removed a piece of blank paper from the folder. I rolled it into the machine, typing precisely the phrases and sentences I’d typed before. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. The typewriter made a racket that seemed remarkably noisy, but it couldn’t be helped. With the door to the hall closed, I thought I was safe. Dear Miss Millhone. Max Outhwaite. Even at a glance, I knew I was in business. The a and the i were both askew. This was the machine I’d been looking for. I rolled the paper from the machine, folded it, and slipped it in my pocket. Out of the corner of my eye, the name Outhwaite suddenly popped into view. Was I seeing things? I checked the line of textbooks again, squinting as I pulled out the two books that caught my attention. Ring of Bright Water, Gavin Maxwell, was the first in that row. In the middle, about six books down, was Atlantic: History of an Ocean. The author was Leonard Outhwaite. I stared, feeling rooted in place. Gavin Maxwell and Leonard Outhwaite. Maxwell Outhwaite.

  I slipped the cover over the typewriter and put the stack of books back in place. I heard a low rumble, like thunder. I paused. Empty coat hangers began to ring, tinkling together in the closet like wind chimes. All the joints in the house began to squeak quietly and the window glass gave a sharp rattle where the putty had shrunk away from the panes. Nails and wood screws chirped. I put a hand on the bookshelf to steady myself. Under me, the whole house shifted back and forth, perhaps no more than an inch, but with a movement that felt like a sudden gust of strong wind or a train rocking on a track. I didn’t feel any fear, but I was alert, wondering if I’d have time to clear the premises. An old house like this must have survived many a temblor, but you never quite knew what was coming with these things. So far, I pegged it in the three ��� or four ��� point range. As long as it didn’t go on and on, it shouldn’t do much damage. Lights flickered faintly as if wires were loose and touching one another intermittently. The strobe effect sparked a series of jerky pale blue images, in the midst of which a dark shape appeared across the room. I peered, blinking, trying to see clearly as the shadow moved toward one corner and then blended into the wall.

  I made a small sound in my throat, paralyzed. The trembling gradually ceased and the lights stabilized. I clung to the bookshelf and leaned my head weakly on my arm, trying to shake off the frosty feeling that was creeping down my spine. Any minute, I expected to hear Enid calling from the kitchen stairs. I pictured Myrna on her feet, the three of us comparing notes about the earthquake. I didn’t want either one of them coming up to search for me. I snagged my handbag and crossed the room. I moved out into the hall, looking quickly in both directions. I locked the door behind me, cranking the key in the lock so hard it nearly bent under my hand.

  I ran down the hall on tiptoe, making a hasty detour into Bader’s room. I put the key back in the door where I’d found it, then crossed swiftly into his home office. I opened a file cabinet and shoved the folder between two unrelated files where I could find it later. I crossed the room again and went out into the corridor. I walked quickly toward the hea
vy drapes at the end of the hall, pushed my way through the arch, and hurried along the back corridor. I clattered down the stairs and into the kitchen. There was no sign of Myrna. Enid was calmly pouring a thick yellow batter into the springform pan.

  I put my hand on my chest to still my breathing. “Jesus. That was something. I thought for a minute there we were really in for it.”

  She looked up at me blankly. I could tell she didn’t have the faintest idea what I was talking about.

  I stopped in my tracks. “The temblor,” I said.

  “I wasn’t aware of any temblor. When was this?”

  ‘Enid, you’re kidding. Don’t do this to me. It must have been at least four points on the Richter scale. Didn’t the lights flicker down here?”

  “Not that I noticed.” I watched her use a rubber spatula to sweep the last of the batter from the bowl into the pan.

  “The whole house was shifting. Didn’t you feel anything?”

  She was silent for a moment, her gaze dropping to her bowl. “You hang on to people, don’t you?”

  “What?”

  “You have trouble letting go.”

  “I do not. That’s not a bit true. People tell me I’m too independent for my own good.”

  She was shaking her head before I reached the end of the sentence. “Independence has nothing to do with hanging on,” she said.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Ghosts don’t haunt us. That’s not how it works. They’re present among us because we won’t let go of them.”

  “I don’t believe in ghosts,” I said, faintly.

  “Some people can’t see the color red. That doesn’t mean it isn’t there,” she replied.

  When I reached the office, Dietz was sitting in my swivel chair with his feet up on the desk. One of the sandwich packets had been opened and he was munching on a BLT. I still hadn’t eaten lunch so I reached for the other sandwich. I removed a soft drink from the refrigerator and sat down across from him.