“You’re serious.”
“Unfortunately.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that night? When you first suspected it?”
“I really thought I was letting my imagination get the better of me-there just didn’t seem to be any point. Then Milo told me he’d spotted a tail when we were driving together. He thinks it was Frisk. Or someone else in the Police Department. One arm of the LAPD hydra trying to find out what another was doing. Milo’s not the most popular guy in the Department.”
She said, “Cops love doing that, going after one another. Paramilitary thinking. Destroy the individual. Daddy had all sorts of stories about officers he’d caught with their pants down. His eyes used to light up when he told them.” Pause. “Why would they be following you?”
“Guilt by association. And don’t worry about it- I’ll have an answer soon. I got the license number of the car that followed me today. As soon as I reach Milo he’ll be able to trace it.”
“Don’t worry about it, huh? But you’re afraid to be with me tonight.”
“It’s… I just don’t want to put you in any… jeopardy.”
“From the police? Why would I be in jeopardy from them? All my parking tickets are paid up.”
I said nothing.
She said, “Alex?”
I sucked in my breath again, mentally phrased my words while letting it out, and told her about all of it. Novato, Gruenberg, Crevolin, Bear Lodge.
When I was through she said, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
The chill.
“I guess I was being… protective.”
“And what made you think I needed protecting?”
“It wasn’t that,” I said. “It had nothing to do with you. We were having good times together. I didn’t want to… pollute them.”
“So you kept me in the dark.”
“Not out of any base motives-”
“Okay. Have a good evening.”
“Linda-”
“No,” she said. “Don’t throw any more words at me. I’ve had enough of that. And don’t worry about me. I’m a big girl. I don’t need protecting.”
She hung up. When I tried to call back, the line was busy. I checked with the operator and was informed that the phone was off the hook.
Alone, my thoughts drifted from misery to misery. Bomb factories. Cadres. Political conversions…
The common thread running through all of it:
Latch.
I thought of the sanitation process that had transformed him from Hanoi Harry to public servant. Those years of seclusion with Miranda somewhere in the Northwest.
Years of seclusion after Bear Lodge.
Time and money and an easy smile. What else did a politician need in the eighties? But what would happen to the smile if the money stopped flowing?
Remembering Miranda Latch’s demeanor at the concert, I wondered how long the spigot would stay open. Thought of someone who might be able to tell me.
Superior Court had been closed for hours, but I was pretty sure I had Steve Hupp’s home number in my Rolodex. I went into the library and found it. A Pasadena exchange. A very young, very breathy female voice with a Scandinavian accent answered.
“Judge Hupp’s residence.”
“I’d like to speak with the judge, please.”
“Who may I say is calling?”
“Alex Delaware.”
“One moment.”
A heartbeat later Steve came on.
“Hey, Alex, change your mind about Switzerland?”
“Sorry, no, Judge Hupp. How’s the residence?”
“That’s Brigitta, our au pair. Just brought her over from Sweden. She’s not much on housework but she does like answering the phone- proud of her English. And her legs. Julie hates her guts. So, if you haven’t had a change of heart, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I’d like a little favor- some information.”
“What kind of information?”
“Whether or not a certain party has filed for dissolution recently. Does that violate any canons of ethics?”
“No, it’s all public record, unless we seal the records on an individual- and we’re reluctant to seal. There’s really got to be a good reason for it. Not that we go around just giving out information. Why do you want to know?”
“It relates to a case I’m working on.”
“Meaning you can’t tell me.”
“Well…”
He laughed. “Alex, Alex. Haven’t you learned yet that one-way streets don’t usually go very far? Okay, for you I’ll do it. I remember all the nasty ones you helped me clear. What’s the party’s name?”
I told him.
“You’re involved with them? I didn’t know it had gotten that far. Didn’t even know they had kids.”
“What do you mean ‘that far’?”
“Her attorney did a preliminary filing a couple of weeks ago. They’ve got a long way to go before custody comes up. I don’t expect to see them in court for half a year. Think it’ll be a dirty one?”
“Could be. Lots of money involved.”
“All hers. But I don’t see him asking for alimony. Wouldn’t do much for the old public image, would it? Young man on the rise living off his wife’s dole.”
“He is on the rise.”
“Oh, yeah. The talk around City Hall is he’s bored with things there. Got his eye on the seat Massengil had the good manners to vacate, then onward to something congressional- as in D.C. Anyway, I’m glad you’re involved. Maybe we can keep the shrapnel to a minimum.”
“Hope so, Steve. Thanks.”
“Sure. Any time. See you in court.”
I felt edgy staying at home and decided to leave until I was able to reach Milo and find out who’d been in the tan car. Another drive up the coast seemed like a good idea. Just as I was out the door my service called.
“Dr. Delaware, tsk tsk,” said an operator whose voice I didn’t recognize. “You haven’t called in for your messages since noon and there’s a whole bunch of them.”
“Any emergencies?”
“Let me see… hmm… no, it doesn’t look that way. But Detective Spurgis-”
“Sturgis.”
“Oh. Is that a t? I’m new here. Flo took it- can’t read her handwriting. Okay, Detective Sturgis left a real long one. You want me to put it away or read it to you?”
“Read it, please.”
“Okay, let’s see… He said to tell you things have climbed higher dash capital F capital E capital D. I guess that spells FED- at least that’s the way Flo wrote it. Capital F, capital E, capital D. Or maybe it’s a T. Things have climbed higher. FED. Or TED. But your name’s not Ted, so I guess it’s FED. Anyway, things have climbed higher dash FED. You’ll be contacted. Sit tight. Got all that?”
“Got it. What time did he call?”
“Let’s see… it says here five-thirty on the slip.”
“Thanks.”
“You sure do get some good ones, Dr. Delaware. You must have an interesting life.”
32
I sat tight. The knock on the door came at 11:23. A double rap followed by a single punch of the doorbell.
“Who is it?”
“FBI, Dr. Delaware.”
“Could I see some identification, please?”
“Certainly, Doctor. I’ll hold it up to your peephole.”
I looked through the hole, couldn’t see much, even after switching on the landing light. “How about dropping it through the mail slot?”
Hesitation. Voices conferring in low tones.
“Sorry, Doctor, we can’t do that.”
Keeping the chain on, I opened the door a couple of inches.
“Here you go, Doctor.” A hand holding a small leather case came forward. Gold badge on one side, picture ID on the other. The picture was of a man in his late twenties. Light-brown hair cut short with a right-hand side part. Full face, sharp features. HOYT HENRY BLANCHARD. SPECIAL AGENT, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, U.S. DEPT. OF JUSTICE.