Play Dead

26

Mark burst through the door. His breathing was uneven, his chest hitching from the mere effort.

‘What the hell happened to you?’ T.C. asked. ‘You’re a goddamn mess.’

‘Get me something to drink. A vodka, anything.’

‘You don’t drink.’

He collapsed into a chair. ‘I do now.’

T.C. grabbed two cans of Budweiser and tossed one to Mark. ‘It’s the best I can do. Jesus, Mark, your clothes are burned.’

Mark ripped open the can of beer and chugged half of it.

‘You want to tell me what happened?’

Mark stood, the can of beer nearly crushed by his grip. His words came fast, his pitch unsteady. ‘I got to Judy Simmons’s house at seven o’clock just like she said. I parked my car someplace off campus and walked about a mile before I spotted Judy’s house. Then…’

‘Then?’

He swallowed. ‘A taxi pulled up in front of the house. Laura got out of it.’

‘Oh shit.’

‘I ducked behind a tree. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what Judy was up to. She must have figured – ’

‘ – that if she put you and Laura together,’ T.C. finished, ‘the sparks would really fly.’

Mark chuckled sadly.

‘What’s so funny?’ T.C. asked.

‘Nothing is funny,’ Mark answered. ‘Just ironic.’

‘Huh?’

‘You’ll see. Anyway, I’m hiding behind this tree, watching Laura…’ He stopped talking, his mind drifting back to the memory. Laura. His eyes had crawled over every inch of her with a yearning so great he was sure he would die. Just seeing her again, staring at her lovely face turned red from the cold, watching her walk up the path, made his stomach ache with a sense of loss.

‘Mark?’

‘Sorry,’ he said softly. He took a deep breath and continued. ‘Laura knocked on the door and waited. No one answered. She called Judy’s name. Still nothing. So she tried the lock and opened the door. She went into the house.’

‘What did you do?’

Mark looked away. ‘I just stood there frozen in place. I don’t know why. I should have just turned and left. But I couldn’t. I stared and stared – daydreaming, I guess – until I saw smoke.’

‘Smoke?’

‘A fire broke out.’

‘What?’

Mark nodded as if to reconfirm his own words. ‘The smoke started to billow out of the cracks in doors and windows. It couldn’t have happened more than five minutes after Laura entered.’

‘What did you do?’

‘I ran into the house. What a goddamn mess. It was unbelievable. Flames were crawling up the walls.’

‘Jesus.’

‘All I could think about was Laura. Laura is trapped somewhere in here, my mind kept repeating like a parakeet, trapped in the middle of this deadly blaze. Nothing else mattered. It was weird. The fire became nothing more than a diversion to me. I scrambled around desperately, hoping against hope that Laura was still alive.’

‘Don’t tell me – ’

Mark shook his head. ‘I found her and pulled her out. The fire hadn’t reached her yet. She was unconscious so I called 911 and stayed with her until I heard the sirens. I spoke to the hospital a little while later. She’ll be okay.’

‘Thank God.’

Mark swallowed hard. When he had lifted Laura, when he had taken her in his arms, he wanted so much to never let go, to protect her, to tell her everything was going to be okay. Tears found their way into his eyes before he forced them back down. ‘The same,’ Mark continued slowly, ‘cannot be said about Judy. She’s dead, T.C.’

T.C. shook his head. ‘I’m sorry, Mark. I know she meant a lot to you.’

‘Fires don’t burn that fast, do they, T.C.? Somebody set that fire deliberately. Somebody murdered Judy Simmons.’

‘You can’t be sure of that.’

‘I want to find that somebody, T.C. I want to nail that son of a bitch to the wall.’

‘Or daughter of a bitch.’

‘Huh?’

‘Think about it a second. Who would want to silence Judy?’

‘You’re not suggesting…’

T.C. shrugged. ‘Do you remember what Judy said to you on the phone?’

Mark thought for a moment. ‘She wasn’t making much sense. She said something about not knowing what I was doing, about not knowing the whole story.’

T.C. shrugged. ‘Maybe,’ he concluded, ‘we don’t.’

‘Mrs Klenke will be with you in a moment.’

‘Thank you,’ Laura said. She readjusted herself in the seat. The pain from the burns was greater than she had anticipated. Every move felt like sandpaper rubbing against a fresh wound. In the hospital they had given her painkillers. She had no idea how potent they were. Laura had managed to secure some codeine from a drugstore, but it was far from an adequate substitute.

Laura looked at her watch. It took her a good portion of the night convincing Serita and Gloria to help her get to Chicago. They agreed reluctantly in the end, probably because they were afraid she would try to get there no matter what they did.

They were probably right.

T.C., the crafty son of a bitch, would be proud of her in an odd sort of way. She had spent most of the morning in her hospital bed playing detective. She called Brinlen College, got in touch with various professors and staff members, and asked about Sinclair Baskin. No one knew very much about him. Very few professors were left from 1960.

But one call paid off.

‘Have you spoken to Mrs Klenke?’ an older professor had asked her.

‘No. Who is she?’

‘Well, back then she was Miss Engle. She was Sinclair Baskin’s personal secretary and if rumor had it correctly, the word to be emphasized is personal. Get my meaning?’

The college office still had her name and phone number on file. Laura called up and persuaded Mrs Diana Klenke to see her. Now, just a few hours later, Laura was sitting in the woman’s den.

‘Mrs Baskin?’

Laura turned toward Mrs Klenke’s voice. She had learned that Diana Klenke had been twenty-seven years old in 1960. That made her fifty-seven now, but she was still something to behold. Her hair had gone gray but her bone structure and smile made her more than just dazzling. She was very tall and lithe, elegantly dressed in a black Svengali suit. Her every move was graceful and subdued.

‘Call me Laura.’

‘Only if you’ll call me Diana.’

‘Okay, Diana.’

Diana Klenke’s smile turned gentle as she looked at the younger woman in front of her. ‘My goodness, you’re stunning. Pictures do not do you justice, Laura.’

‘Thank you,’ she replied. Laura wanted very much to return the compliment but whenever she had in the past, people thought she sounded phony and somewhat patronizing.

‘Would you like something to drink?’

‘No, thank you.’

‘Anything at all?’

‘Thank you, no.’

Diana Klenke sat on the plush chair next to Laura. The room was beautiful and immaculately kept by what had to be a large staff of servants. The Victorian mansion must have held twenty-five rooms, each done in a style that would have made the Palace of Versailles envious. ‘How was your trip?’

‘Fine,’ Laura replied. ‘You have a beautiful home, Diana.’

Diana Klenke smiled as she nodded. ‘My husband loved this house. It was his pride and joy. He died ten years ago. Killed in a car crash on his way home from the airport. As you might have guessed, he was a very wealthy man and now,’ she paused, laughing lightly, ‘I am a very wealthy widow.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t be. We were never all that close. Besides, I have the older-man market cornered. They all want my money.’

‘I’m sure that’s not true.’

She shrugged. ‘No matter. What can I do for you, Laura? You mentioned on the phone something about Sinclair?’

‘Yes.’

‘I read about your husband’s tragic death. So damn sad. He was so young. Sometimes I think there must be a curse on the Baskin men.’

‘It seems so,’ Laura agreed.

‘So what can I help you with?’

Laura’s leg shook. It would do no good to try and stop it. The leg would only start up again. She leaned forward. Pain shot through the burns on her back as she reached into her purse. ‘Will you take a look at this photograph?’

Diana Klenke took out a pair of reading glasses. Somehow, they added to her looks, making her appear even more stately and beautiful. Sinclair Baskin’s former secretary took the photograph in her hand and studied it for nearly a minute without saying a word. ‘That’s Sinclair all right. The woman’s name is Judy…’

‘Judy Simmons?’ Laura offered.

‘Yes, that’s the name. I remember that one very well.’

‘That one?’

Diana nodded. ‘Sinclair Baskin was a full-fledged womanizer, Laura.’

‘He had affairs?’

She laughed. ‘Dozens. Blondes, brunettes, redheads – it made no difference as long as they were beautiful. He changed them in a blur. One day, this one. The next day, another. You see, Sinclair Baskin was a handsome, smooth-talking man. He fooled around with co-eds, with school colleagues, with married women. I remember when he slept with the department chairman’s wife.’ She stopped, smiled. ‘He even fooled around with his own secretary.’

Laura was not exactly sure how to continue. ‘You say there were dozens of other women?’

‘At least.’

‘Do you remember most of them?’

She shook her head. ‘Hardly any.’

‘But you said you remembered Judy Simmons.’

‘Yes.’

‘Why?’

‘Because she was something special. For one thing, she was not his type.’

‘Why not?’

‘Just look at her photograph. Don’t get me wrong. Judy was pretty. But Sinclair did not go after girls who were merely attractive. He wanted gorgeous. After all, he was looking for some extra-marital thrills. He already had a wife. Looks were all he cared about.’

‘I see.’

‘I mean, it would be normal for him to try to bed her once maybe, but not more than that.’

‘And that’s why you remember her?’

Diana Klenke shook her head. ‘That’s only part of it. The main reason I remember her so well is that she lasted. They were together for more than two months. It was the first time I had ever seen Sinclair care about a woman – myself included. He was as close to helplessly in love as a man like Sinclair Baskin becomes. He even considered divorcing his wife so that he could marry Judy. Thoughts of other women disappeared from his mind. It was all highly irregular for him.’

‘So what happened?’

‘Happened?’

‘What went wrong?’

Diana stood. She walked over to the window and drew back the curtain. The backyard was as magnificent as the house. There were statues, gardens and fountains. Laura could see a swimming pool, a tennis court and a gazebo. Diana stared out, inhaling deeply as if the sight alone would make the air fresher and better to breathe. ‘Sinclair broke it off.’

‘Just like that?’ Laura asked. ‘He was madly in love with her and he just let her go.’

Diana nodded, her eyes still looking out the window. Outside, a branch cast a thin shadow over her face. ‘One day it was love. The next… it was over.’

‘Was that normal? I mean, did Sinclair Baskin do that sort of thing a lot?’

‘Like I said before, Judy Simmons was an unusual case. I was surprised… at first.’

‘But why did he break it off? His family? His kids?’

She still did not face Laura. ‘Not because of his family and not because of his kids.’

‘Then what?’

A tight smile slowly came to Diana Klenke’s lips. ‘My husband loved this yard, Laura. When the weather was nice, he would come home from work early and just putter in the garden. Enjoying the fruits of his labors, he would say. He found gardening to be very therapeutic. Me, I hate gardening. But I do love the results, don’t you?’

Laura nodded. ‘It’s beautiful.’

‘I’m sorry. You were asking me about Sinclair and Judy.’

‘Yes,’ Laura said. ‘What ended their romance?’

Diana closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, she slowly turned away from the window, her gray eyes locking on to Laura. ‘His weakness. His weakness destroyed his relationship with Judy.’

‘His weakness?’

‘Beauty, Laura. Beauty came back and blinded him again.’

‘You mean he found somebody else?’

Her smile chilled Laura. ‘Not just somebody else. Like I said before, Judy Simmons was attractive enough, but his last girl…’

‘Yes?’

‘She was incredible to look at, a woman sculpted by the gods. Her kind of beauty could twist a man’s mind, Laura. A man’s soul. And this woman did just that. Her beauty tore at Sinclair until the pain became unbearable. My God, she was gorgeous, nearly as gorgeous as – ’

Diana’s words stopped so suddenly that Laura jumped. The color ebbed away from her face.

‘What is it?’ Laura cried. ‘What’s the matter? Diana?’ The older woman’s whole body trembled, her eyes wide and out of focus. ‘Mother of God.’

‘What? What is it?’

‘… as gorgeous,’ Diana said slowly, ‘as gorgeous as you.’

Laura’s eyes narrowed into thin slits. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘The woman who stole him away… she looked just like you, Laura. You’re the spitting image of her.’

Laura’s face froze in confusion. A stray thought, an awful, unforgivable thought, stabbed at her chest with a pointed edge. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be. ‘She looked like me?’

Diana nodded.

Without thought Laura reached into her purse. Her mind and body were numb. She took out her wallet and thumbed through it. With trembling fingers she plucked out a photograph. ‘I know it’s been thirty years,’ she began in a voice that had no tone, ‘but could this be the woman?’

She passed the picture to Diana Klenke, who once again slipped her reading glasses onto her face. She stared at the picture for a very long time. ‘Yes, that’s the woman.’

‘How can you be sure? It’s been – ’

‘I’m sure,’ Diana interrupted. ‘You don’t forget a woman like that.’

Laura snatched the picture back, almost defensive now. She held the picture against her chest as if it were more than just an image on paper. After a few moments, her hand pulled the picture back, her gaze studying the woman in the photograph as if for the first time.

Her mother.

‘Mary,’ Diana said suddenly. ‘Her name was Mary.’ Laura felt drained, helpless, like a shaken prize fighter who was not sure where the next punch was coming from.

‘And one other thing,’ Diana added.

‘Yes?’ Laura managed.

‘That woman was the last person to leave Sinclair’s office before his suicide.’

Graham knew he would have to make the call. There was no real reason to put it off. Besides, he had no idea what had happened in room 607 when David went up there. Baskin may have just been on the receiving end of a chewing-out from his mother-in-law. Wouldn’t be the first time a mother-in-law butted in to where she didn’t belong. Graham’s, for example, was a full-time nag. She probably wouldn’t fly across the Pacific just to nag him, but Graham wouldn’t put it past her either.

He picked up the phone and dialed Laura’s number. Graham was a pure procrastinator, been that way since he was a kid. He liked to put things off, especially delivering bad news. He wasn’t lazy, mind you, and yes he knew he would have to do it eventually, but if he put it off, maybe it would just disappear altogether or the world would blow up or reality would change. That was why Graham felt relieved when he heard the answering machine pick up.

He left a message asking Laura to call him and then took another swig of whiskey.

Richard Corsel loved to watch ice hockey. Players would gently glide across a floor of glacial grandeur, lost in the bliss of free-skating, only to be on the receiving end of a bone-crunching wallop from some gargoyle with more facial scars than Michael Jackson in bright sunlight.

What a game.

Naomi was not so crazy about the sport, nor was she particularly happy about the way the twins had taken to their father’s passion. ‘You might as well have gotten them into professional wrestling,’ she had scolded him.

‘Come on, honey, it’s not that bad.’

‘I don’t want my boys playing hockey, do you hear me?’

But Richard was not worried. After all, he had never played ice hockey. In fact he didn’t even know how to ice-skate. But the game was the perfect spectator sport. Richard became so involved in the banging and hitting and, yes, the artistry of the battle that thoughts of the bank and the bills and his own mortgage disappeared.

TV 38 was his station. They carried the Boston Bruins games, though that expensive cable station was starting to eat up a lot of the hockey schedule. He would probably have to break down and order SportsChannel soon, but he hated the idea of paying to watch hockey on television. There was something blasphemous about it.

So Richard turned on the television and settled back in his old recliner. Roger and Peter were on the carpet in front of him, alternating between watching the game and imitating the action. The Bruins were leading the Oilers by a score of 7-5. It should have been a moment of pure diversion for Richard, a moment when his mind was completely at ease. Instead he was plagued by a small blurb he had read in the newspaper. He tried to clear his mind, tried to think of his wife and children.

His thoughts came drifting back to Laura – Laura and that fire at Colgate College.

Of course there was no evidence in the newspaper that the fire had anything to do with the missing money. There was nothing in the article to suggest that the psychopath who placed a knife against Richard’s throat had decided to torch Laura and her aunt. None whatsoever. The article merely stated that the fire was being ‘investigated’. That was hardly reason to start jumping to conclusions and pointing fingers.

‘Goal!’ the announcer yelled.

‘Goal!’ Peter and Roger mimicked in unison.

The Bruins had increased their lead to 8-5. Pete and Rog stood up and celebrated. ‘Wasn’t that an incredible shot, Dad?’

‘Great shot, Pete.’

‘Are you going to take us to a game again this year? How about when they play the Rangers?’

‘I’ll try my best.’

The children went back to their hooting and howling while Richard’s mind remained anchored to Laura Baskin. Suppose for a second that the fire was not an accident. Suppose it was connected with David Baskin’s missing money. The voice of Laura’s father, who had visited him yesterday, floated across his mind:

‘I suspect that there might be something more to this money transfer than meets the eye. There could be something else at stake here, something very dangerous, something that could hurt my daughter.’

He wished he could just turn his back on the whole thing, but that was no longer an option his conscience would allow. Why had he let Phillipe Gaillaird at the Bank of Geneva tell him who had the money? And why had he listened to him?

Curiosity not only killed the cat, Richie, it kept him awake nights.

If Richard had never heard the damn name, then he would be free to sleep, eat and even watch the Bruins with a clear conscience. Now a decision had to be made. Should he keep his mouth quiet? Or should he tell Laura the name? When Phillipe first told Richard who had the money, the name meant nothing to him. A few weeks later, that changed. Boy, did that change. Now he knew the name too well. It had become a household word in Boston. And frankly, the whole situation had become more than just dangerous. It had become downright eerie.

Richard felt a frosty breeze slide through the room, as if it were he who was standing on the ice rather than the hockey players. What to do? What the hell to do? Should he keep his mouth shut, or should he tell Laura the shocking truth, a truth even Richard had trouble believing? Should he just mind his own business, or should he tell her that the man who had stolen David’s money had also stolen his position, his scoring average and his nickname, that the man who had stolen David’s money was none other than the Celtics’ newest scoring sensation?

Mark Seidman.

Serita steered Laura into the elevator. Neither spoke. For that matter, Laura had barely opened her mouth since Serita picked her up at the airport. Serita had seen Laura in every kind of mood – joyous, sad, wacky, conservative, serious, goofy, love-struck, angry – but never had she seen her friend like this. Laura’s pupils were dilated, her eyes glassy and dull. She stared out dumbstruck at a world that had suddenly decided to ravage her mind, only asking one question the whole ride home:

‘Has Estelle called you?’

‘Your secretary?’ Serita had replied. ‘Why would she call me?’

‘Before Judy died,’ Laura explained with no emotion in her voice, ‘she handed me that photograph I showed you and four keys. I know what three of them open. Estelle is up at Colgate right now trying to learn something about the fourth. I told her to call you if she hears anything.’

‘Sorry. She didn’t call.’

For the remainder of the ride, the only sound came from the car radio.

The elevator stopped at the eighteenth floor, depositing its two beautiful passengers in the corridor. Serita took Laura’s key and guided her into the darkened apartment. The only illumination came from a small flashing red light indicating that a message had been left on Laura’s answering machine. Serita flicked on a light switch while Laura collapsed onto the couch.

‘Are you feeling okay?’ Serita asked. ‘You sure you don’t want to go to a hospital?’

‘I feel fine.’

‘Yeah, I can see that. You grimaced the whole ride home. Every time I hit a bump I thought you were going to scream.’

‘Never felt better.’

‘Uh, huh. So do you want to stop bullshitting me and tell me what happened in Chicago?’

‘It’s too fantastic. You won’t believe it.’

‘I’m all ears. What did you learn? Did your aunt and David’s father have the hots for one another?’

‘Seems so.’

‘While he was still married?’

‘Yep.’

‘Tsk, tsk.’ Serita rubbed her hands. ‘Go on, girl. You know I love good gossip.’

While Laura was well aware of Serita’s love for gossip, she was also well aware that Serita would give up her life before she would ever betray Laura’s trust. ‘It gets worse,’ Laura continued. ‘They were serious – so serious that Sinclair Baskin considered divorcing his wife.’

‘Juicy with a capital J,’ Serita shot back. ‘Do tell, Laura. What happened to this happy couple?’

‘He dumped her for another woman.’

‘Ah, damn him,’ Serita said with a disappointed shake of her head. ‘Men are such shits sometimes.’

‘The other woman,’ Laura continued, ‘was my mother.’

Serita’s mouth dropped to her knees. ‘You’re shitting me.’

‘Nope.’

‘Your mother stole a guy from her sister?’

‘And cheated on my father at the same time. Nice, huh?’

‘Holy shit,’ Serita said. ‘But what does it all mean, Laura? What does it have to do with the fire?’

Laura stood, her shoulders shrugging in helpless wonder. She walked over to her answering machine and pressed the rewind button. The tape sped backwards with a scratching noise that sounded like a Cuisinart. ‘I still have no idea. The more I learn about the past the less I see the connection to the present.’

The tape came to a halt. ‘So what do we do now, Laura?’

A loud beep interrupted their conversation. Graham’s gruff voice blared through the speaker. ‘This is Graham. When you have a chance, luv, give us a call, will ya? I may have found out who David visited at the Pacific International. I’ll be at my home number all night.’

His voice… so sad, so defeated. Why? What had Graham learned? Laura checked her watch and lifted the phone. ‘Now,’ she answered Serita, ‘we call Australia.’

Stan woke up from his nap with a jump. Another bad dream had plagued his sleep, another nightmare filled with wicked spirits that vanished from sight and memory once Stan opened his eyes and truly awoke. Then only the pounding of his heart, the shortness of his breath, and the frightening aftertaste in his mouth reminded Stan that once again his slumber had been beset by the evil demons of his past.

He threw on a robe and headed toward the kitchen. Tonight was the big meeting. Tonight Stan would see his father’s killer for only the third time. The first time had been when he was ten years old. The second, when he was at the Boston Garden. And now the third, to receive his first payment. One hundred thousand dollars. It was a staggering amount of money and would go a long way to giving him…

Giving him what?

Stan stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked at Gloria. She was unloading the dishwasher, just putting away some dishes, but Stan remained hushed and watched. The delicate curves of her body under the silk blouse, her soft gentle smile, the concentration in her eyes as she set about her simple task… it just made him stop and think. What did he need all that money for? He had stopped gambling. He was bright. He could get a job now, a real job, and stop running away for good. When Stan stopped and looked at Gloria, he thought he could do all those things.

But when she was not around him, when he was alone, he could still feel what B Man had called ‘the itch.’ He knew then that this talk about settling down was nothing but a pipe-dream, that he was never meant to live that kind of domestic life. And besides, who needed it? Who wanted it? Gloria was after all just a woman, another scheming, deceitful bitch who would disappoint him eventually. She may be a little more subtle than most, and her venom may be gentler, but make no mistake: Gloria was a woman like any other.

The one hundred grand was his protection money. When he finished feeding off Gloria he would have a nice little nest egg to carry him until he found his next mark. He would be on his way. He would be free.

But when Stan’s eyes gazed upon Gloria, as they were doing right now, his suspicions broke apart and disintegrated before her warm beauty. He no longer merely lusted after her; he longed for her, to hold her, to comfort her, and yes to make mad, passionate love to her. Something about their relationship was… complete. Yes, complete. It was the only word that he could come up with to describe how he felt. What was this strange power Gloria held over him? And where would it lead?

She turned and saw him standing in the doorway. Her face lit up. God, he loved the way her face brightened whenever she saw him. ‘Hi,’ she said.

He returned the smile. ‘Hi.’

‘Have you been standing there long?’

‘A couple of minutes. I just wanted to watch you.’

Her cheeks turned red. ‘Did you have a nice nap?’

‘Very nice.’

‘You must be starving. Do you want some dinner?’

‘No, thanks. Are you feeling any better now?’

‘A little,’ she said. ‘I still can’t believe Judy is dead.’ He took her in his arms. ‘I know. It’ll be a while before it sinks in.’ His eyes found the dock behind her head. Seven thirty p.m. In one hour, he would meet his father’s killer in an alleyway in south Boston. There, Stan Baskin would allow his fatherless childhood to be bought off for a few lousy dollars. One hundred thousand – Stan’s going price on a father’s memory.

She looked at him with great concern. ‘Stan, are you okay?’

He held her tighter. ‘I’m fine,’ he said. ‘I’m just fine.’

Serita studied Laura’s face. Her skin was pulled tight around her high cheekbones, her eyes a mix of concentration and bewilderment. Laura was the most beautiful woman Serita had ever known. There was something positively hypnotic about it. There were times it unnerved and frightened Serita. Beauty like that could be dangerous. Beauty like that could be fatal. ‘Do you want me to leave the room?’

Laura located Graham’s number and began dialing. ‘I’d prefer if you stay, but if you want to get out while you still have the chance I’ll understand.’

Serita remained in her seat. ‘I’m here for as long as you need me.’

Laura’s shaking fingers were barely able to dial. ‘You’re a good friend.’

‘The best,’ Serita shot back with a smile. ‘So tell me about this sheriff. Is he cute?’

Laura chuckled, appreciating the distraction. ‘In a grizzly bear sort of way. He’s a real mountain man.’

‘I could use some of that, honey. Earl with all his smooth sophistication is starting to get to me.’

The call connected through. Laura heard the first ring. ‘You love him, you know.’

Serita opened her mouth to protest. Then she closed it. ‘Yeah, I know.’

Third ring. Laura’s leg began to shake. Her hand gripped the receiver. ‘About time you admitted it.’

Fourth ring. Serita smiled. ‘I don’t want to get corny on you, Laura, but whatever happens I want you to know that you’re the best friend I ever had.’

Fifth ring. ‘Same here.’

Finally, the ringing stopped. The receiver was lifted and a gruff voice barked, ‘Hello?’

‘Graham?’

‘Laura, I’m glad you called.’

‘I just got your message. I was away for a couple of days.’

‘Anything wrong?’ the big man asked.

‘Plenty,’ she replied. ‘This thing keeps getting weirder and weirder.’

‘Why? What happened?’

‘My aunt called me the day before yesterday,’ Laura began. ‘She said she had to tell me something about David’s death. The drowning had something to do with the past, she said. I don’t know. She wasn’t making complete sense. She wanted to tell me about it in person.’

‘So did you see her? What did she say?’

‘Nothing. When I arrived, someone had set fire to her house. My aunt died in the blaze.’

‘Sweet Lord. That’s awful.’

‘I want to know what is going on before someone else gets hurt, Graham. Maybe I should just forget about it for the sake of everyone’s safety, but I can’t. David is dead and I want – I need – to know what happened to him.’

‘I understand. He must have been a very special guy.’

Laura felt tears slide down her cheeks, tears for David and now for Judy as well. ‘He was,’ Laura said, ‘very special.’

There was a moment of silence. ‘Yeah, well, Gina Cassler finally got her hands on the passport cards.’

‘And you’ve gone through them?’

Graham paused. ‘Yes.’

‘Was T.C. there?’

‘No,’ Graham replied slowly. ‘Frankly, Laura, none of this makes any sense.’

Laura nervously twisted the phone cord around her hand. ‘Maybe David’s mystery visit can clear this all up. Maybe the person who saw David at the Pacific International can explain what happened.’

‘Maybe,’ Graham muttered.

‘Graham?’

He did not answer right away. ‘Yes?’

‘Who did David see at the hotel?’

‘Your mother, Laura. Before he died, David visited your mother.’

The phone dropped from her hand.

Serita leaped out of her chair. ‘Laura? Honey, what is it?’

Laura’s eyes narrowed in concentration.

‘What’s the matter? What did he say?’

Now Laura knew that there was only one way to get to the bottom of this once and for all. Her line of vision swung toward Serita and locked onto her face.

‘I have to talk to my mother,’ she said. ‘I have to talk to her right now.’