touched so the cans in the car were probably meant
for them. I sent uniforms to check out all of their
offices.”
Richard Moody had ended his tormented life in a
blaze of twisted passion, r
Milo whistled and told Hardy the Delaware-as-victim
scenario. Hardy found merit to it, which did
nothing toimprove my state of mind.
They thanked me for the coffee and stood. Hardy
left the house and Milo lingered behind.
“You can stay here if you want,” he said,. “because
most of the forensic work will go on outside.
But if you want to go somewhere else, that’s okay,
too.” It was intended more as advice than the granting
of permission.
The glen was filled with blinking lights, footsteps,
and muted human conversation. Safe, for now.
But the police wouldn’t be there forever.
“I’ll move out for a couple of days.”
“If you wanna stay at my place, the offer’s still
open. Rick’Il be on call next couple days, it’ll be
quiet.”
I thought for a moment.
“Thanks, but I really want to be alone.”
He said he understood, drained his coffee’ mug,
and came closer.
“I see that gleam in your eyes and it worries me,
pal.”
“I’m fine.”
· “So far. I’d like to see it stay that way.,
236
Jonathan’ Kellerman
“There’s nothing to worry about, Milo.- Really.”
“It’s the kid, isn’t it? You haven’t let go of R,”
I was silent.
“Look, Alex, if what happened tonight has anything
to do with the Swopes, that’s all the more
reason for you to stay Out of it. I’m not saying cut
off’your feelings, just cover your ass.”
He touched my bad jaw gently. “Last time you
were lucky. Don’t push it.”
I packed an overnight bag and drove around awhile
before deciding on the Bel-Air Hotel as a good place
to recuperate. And hide, It was just minutes away,
quiet and secluded behind high stucco walls and
towering subtropical shrubbery. The ambience–pink
exterior, forest green interiors, swaying coconut
palms, and a pond in which flamingos floated–had
always reminded me of the old mythical Holly-wood–romance,
sweet-fantasy, and happy endings.
All of which seemed in short supply.
I headed west on Sunset, turned north at Stone
Canyon ‘Road, and drove past immense gated’estates
until coming to the hotel’s entrance. No one
was parking cars at one forty in the morning; I
slipped the Seville between a Lamborghini and a
Maserati and left it looking like a dowager escorted
by two gigolos.
Thenight clerk was a brooding Swede who didn’t
look up when I paid in advance with cash and
registered as Carl Jung. Then I noticed he’d. recorded
it as Karl Young.
A tired-looking bellman took me to a bungalow
overlOOking a pool, which was lit up like an aquamarine.
The room was understated and comfort-
BLOOD TEST 237
able, with a big sbft bed and heavy dark forties
furniture.
I slid my body between cool sheets and remembered
the last time I’d been there: the previous
July, on Robin’s twenty-eighth birthday. We’d heard
the philharmonic do Mozart at the Music Center
and followed the concert with a late supper at the
Bel-Air.
The dining room had been dark and quiet, our
booth private .and next to a picture window. Be–tween
the oysters and the veal a stately older woman
in a formal gown had glided regally across the palm
court.
“Alex,” Robin had whispered, “look–no it couldn’t
But it was. Bette Davis. We couldn’t have custom-ordered
it.
Thinking of that perfect night helped keep the
ghastliness of this quite imperfect one at bay.
I slept until eleven, dialed room servic and ordered
fresh raspberries, an herb omelette, bran muffins,
and coffee. The food came on china and silver
and was superb I chased images of death from my
mind and ate heartily. Soon, I started fo feel like a
human being again.
I slept some more, woke, and called West L.A.
Division at two. Milo had flown to Washington so I
checked in with Del Hardy. He informed me that
Conl6y was out as a suspect. While Moody was
being blown apart, he’d been on location in SaUgus
for a night shoot on a new TV series. I took the