Indigo Slam

CHAPTER 2

Teresa Raines's Saturn turned south past the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station, then east onto Melrose. I didn't careen through oncoming traffic to cut her off, and I didn't shoot out her tires. Teri Haines was driving just fine, and I wasn't sure what to do if I stopped them. Hold them at gunpoint for the police?

Fairfax High School was just letting out, and the sidewalks were dotted with boys toting book bags and skateboards, and girls flashing navel rings. Most of the kids were about Teri's age, some younger, some older, only these kids were in school and she wasn't. Charles leaned out of the passenger-side window and flipped off a knot of kids standing at the bus stop. Three of the kids gave back the finger, and somebody threw what appeared to be a Coke can which hit the Saturn's rear wheel.

Teri cruised along Melrose past hypermodern clothing outlets and comic-book shops and tour groups from Asia until she turned south onto a narrow residential street. Modest stucco houses lined the street, and the curbs were jammed with parked cars. Some of the cars probably went with the houses, but most belonged to people who'd come to shop on Melrose. I stopped at the corner and watched. The Saturn crept halfway down the next block, then turned into the drive of a yellow bungalow with an orange tile roof and a single royal palm in the yard. The three Haines children climbed out of the car and disappeared into the bungalow. Retreating to familiar territory after an unsuccessful meeting with the detective.

I cruised past their house, found a parking space on the next block, and walked back. Screams weren't coming from within, no music was blaring, and no smoke was rising from either windows or roof. Charles had probably passed out.

I stood on the sidewalk in front of the house next door and thought about things. When I was following them I had known exactly what I would do: I would locate their residence, then call one of my friends at Children's Services or the LAPD, and that would be that. Only the house and the yard, like the car and the children, appeared well maintained, and now I wasn't so sure. Maybe these kids were fine, and all calling the cops would get me was a house full of frightened children. Still, all I could see was the outside of the house. Inside, there might be rats. Inside, there might be squalor and vermin. Only one way to find out. When in doubt, snoop.

I slipped past the Saturn and walked up the drive and climbed atop their gas meter to peek into the kitchen. I couldn't see the kids, but the kitchen was neat and orderly and clean. No rats, no flies, no towers of unwashed dishes. I moved to the next set of windows, chinned myself on the sill, and peered through a little dining room to the living room. It occurred to me that Charles might see me peeking in the window and bean me with a brick, but these are the chances you take when you're a world-class private eye. Life is risk. The TV was on, and Charles and Winona were watching Aeon Flux. No one was pushing, no one was shoving. Like the kitchen, the living room was neat and orderly and in good repair. Eleven days without an adult, and everything looked fine.

I dropped back to the drive, then went to my car. I watched the house and tried to look unthreatening so that nervous neighbors wouldn't call the cops. A black guy in a gray LeBaron cruised past. I smiled and nodded, but he looked away. Maybe I wasn't unthreatening enough.

Two hours and ten minutes later I started the car and left to pick up Lucy Chenier. I wasn't sure that I was doing the right thing by leaving them alone, but I wasn't sure it would be best to have them scooped up by a herd of social workers and put into a foster home either. Of course, they might be safer in such a home, but they didn't look particularly endangered where they were. Maybe I should stop advertising in the Yellow Pages.

The KROK studio and corporate offices are on Olympic Boulevard, just west of Doheny Drive along the southern edge of Beverly Hills. It's a large, modern building of steel and glass in an area of chain grocery stores and expensive high-rise apartments and upscale health clubs. Twentieth Century-Fox isn't far away, and neither is Century City.

Olympic was jammed with rush-hour traffic, and the valet parking attendants at the health club across the street from KROK were running double time to keep up with the incoming flux of agents and lawyers and studio execs anxious to pump iron and shoot hoops after a hard day telling the truth. Four guys in Versace suits were standing together outside the health club, staring toward KROK, only they weren't staring at the building; they were staring at Lucy Chenier. Lucille Chenier is five inches over five feet, with light auburn hair and green eyes and the rich, healthy tan of someone who spends a lot of time outdoors. She had attended Louisiana State University on a tennis scholarship, and she still played regularly and was serious about it. You could see it in the way she carried herself, and in the way her muscles worked beneath her skin. I pulled to the curb and felt myself smile as she climbed into my car. 'Did you take the job?'

'Not yet, but they made a very interesting offer.' Her green eyes were amazing. Absolutely without bottom.

'How interesting?'

She smiled wider.

'That's pretty interesting.'

She leaned across the shifter and kissed me, and I kissed her back. 'Did you make a reservation at Border Grill?'

'I did.'

'Fantastic!' She settled back in the seat. 'We can eat, then I'll pack, and then we'll have the rest of the evening to sip champagne and do whatever.'

I smiled at her, and felt an enormous warmth grow between us. 'Whatever.'

Lucy told me the particulars of her interview as we drove toward Santa Monica, and then I told her about Teresa Haines. I told her about Charles and Winona, and how I had followed them back to their home, and as I told it, a vertical line grew between Lucy's eyebrows in a kind of frown. She said, 'They've been alone for eleven days?'

'Yep.'

'With no adult supervision?'

'That's right.' The line grew deeper.

'And you looked through the windows?'

'Everything seemed fine.'

Lucy was squirming so hard that I thought she was going to pop out of the seat. She shook her head and held up her hands and said, 'Seeming fine isn't enough. We'd better turn around.'

I said, 'Huh?'

'Turn around. We're going into that house and make sure.'

I turned. Maternal hormones are awesome to behold.

Twenty minutes later, we left Melrose and once more cruised their house. Everything appeared in order and unchanged, and the Saturn was still in the drive. At least they weren't out joyriding. 'They're fine.' The professional detective makes his pronouncement.

'Stop.'

We parked in the drive behind the Saturn, went to the front door, and rang the bell. Charles threw open the door without checking, and when he saw us his eyes bulged and he tried to slam the door. 'Run! They've come to take us away!'

I pushed open the door and stepped inside, Lucy behind me. He was a game kid, grunting and huffing against the door as he slid across the floor. I said, 'Relax, Charles. No one is going to take you away.'

Teresa Haines said, 'Stop it, Charles.' She said it once, sharply, and he stopped.

Teresa and Winona were in the living room. The TV was off, so they probably hadn't been watching it. Winona was standing behind Teresa, and Teresa looked calm and in absolute control of her environment. She wasn't looking at me – she was looking at Lucy. I said, 'I wanted to make sure you guys were okay.'

Charles said, 'I tol' ya we shouldn't'a said anything! They're gonna put us in a home!'

Teresa crossed the living room, and extended her hand to Lucy. 'My name is Teresa Haines. Who are you?'

Lucy took her hand. 'Lucille Chenier. I'm a friend of Mr. Cole's.'

The house smelled faintly of tomato sauce and garlic. Teri said, 'Are you with Children's Services?'

Lucy smiled, friendly and relaxed. 'Not at all. I don't live in Los Angeles. I'm just visiting.' Lucy released Teresa's hand, but kept the smile as she walked to the kitchen. 'Mr. Cole tells me that you've been without your father for over a week?'

'I'm sure he'll be back soon.'

'I'm sure he will. Do you mind if I look around?' Her smile was warm and reassuring.

Charles said, 'What about a search warrant? You gotta have a search warrant if ya wanna look around!' He was scowling at us from the door, his hand still on the knob as if he might suddenly throw open the door and run for it if we made the wrong move.

Teri said, 'If it will make you feel better.' Ignoring Charles.

Lucy disappeared into the rear. Teresa looked back at me and cocked her head. I shrugged. 'She's a mother.'

'Did you have second thoughts about helping us?'

'I wanted to make sure that you're okay.'

'So you followed us.'

'Sure.' Grilled by a kid. 'I wanted to see your living conditions. Also, Charles stole a figurine from my office.'

Charles yelled, 'I didn't do anything!' He made a big deal out of waving his arms and pulling at his hair. 'Why does everyone blame me?' Drama.

Teri said, 'Charles.' Her eyes narrowed and it sounded like a warning.

I held out my hand. 'Give it over, kid.'

Charles dug the Jiminy out of his pocket and threw it on the floor. 'Frig!'

Teri glared lasers at him. 'Charles.'

Charles scooped up the Jiminy, then skulked over with it, ready to run in case I tried to hit him.

He put it in my hand, then scuttled away. I looked at the Jiminy, then tossed it back to him. 'Keep it.'

Charles looked surprised.

Teresa said, 'You don't have to do that.'

'I know.'

She said, I'm sorry about this.'

I shook my head. It happens.

Teresa Haines took a breath, then said, 'So you've seen that we're fine.'

'Looks like you've got things under control.'

'So you won't have to call the police.'

I looked into the calm eyes, only they weren't so calm anymore. A tiny flame of fear was burning behind the oval glasses. 'You were aware of that possibility when you came to see me, yet you came anyway. You must be very concerned for your father.'

The flame grew brighter and her face worked, and then the flame was gone and the eyes were calm again. She had fought to control herself, and she had won. Some kid. She said, 'Of course I'm concerned. He's my father.'

Lucy came back and headed into the kitchen. 'Your room is very neat, Teresa. Do you share it with Winona?'

'Yes, ma'am.'

The smile. 'Charles's room is a mess.'

Teresa said, 'I know. You can't get him to make his bed.'

Lucy laughed. 'I know what that's like. I have an eight-year-old son who's the same way.'

Charles made the coughing sound, and this time you could make out the word 'Bitch.'

I said, 'Hey.'

Charles skulked into the dining room as far from me as he could get, put the Jiminy on the table, and pretended to play with it.

I could hear Lucy open the refrigerator and the stove and the pantry. A serious inspection was taking place, and it was coming from somewhere very female. Something was happening between Lucy and Teresa and, in a way I didn't quite understand, I was no longer a part of it. 'What do you and your brother and sister eat, Teresa?'

'I cook for us.'

Winona said, 'I cook, too.'

Lucy came back and smiled at Winona. 'I'll bet you're a good cook, honey.'

'We make spaghetti.'

'My favorite. Did you have spaghetti for breakfast?'

Winona laughed. 'We had Cheerios.'

Lucy smiled at Winona again, then glanced at me and nodded. I said, 'Is there food?'

'Yes.'

Teresa said, 'I shop and cook for us even when Daddy's home. It's no big thing.' She seemed affronted that anyone would think otherwise.

I said, 'We just wondered, that's all. It looks like you're in good shape.'

Teresa looked hopeful. 'Then you aren't going to turn us in to Children's Services?'

I frowned at her. 'You're underage. You can't live here alone.'

Lucy hooked her arm through mine, and squeezed. Tight. She smiled warmly at Teresa. 'He won't call them just yet, dear, but we'll have to consider that as we go.'

Now I frowned at Lucy. 'What's this 'we' business?'

Lucy squeezed tighter. 'But don't you worry about that for now, Teri. Right now, he's going to find your father.'

I said, 'I am?'

Lucy turned the warm smile my way. 'Of course you are. If you know what's good for you.'

I said, 'Mm.'

Lucy turned back to Teresa. 'Have you eaten dinner yet?'

'I was about to cook.'

Lucy beamed. 'We were just on our way to a very nice restaurant. Why don't you join us?' She gave my arm a little shake. 'Wouldn't that be fun?'

I said, 'Mm.'

Winona said, 'I want spaghetti.'

I phoned Border Grill and asked if they could make the reservation for a party of five. They could.

The five of us went to dinner – me, Lucy, Teresa, Winona, and Charles. We had to take the Saturn. Winona sat between Lucy and me; Charles threw a sautéed shrimp at the waitress, tried to steal a pepper mill, and ate two desserts. The bill came to a hundred eighty-two fifty.

Mm.