taste. The guy has a serious dope record and they figured him for an
unreliable witness. So they let him off easy, not enough questions. I
got hold of his number, spoke to his girlfriend, and found out he got a
job at another club nearby, over in Newton Division.
Thought I’d go over and talk to him. Thought you might be interested
in a tag-along. But you’ve obviously got better things to do.”
Robin looked up. I realized my fingers had tightened around hers and
eased my grip.
“When are you going?” I said.
“Hour or so. Figured I’d make it over there after midnight, when the
scene just starts. I want to catch him in his element, but before it
gets too intense. Anyway, enjoy your bliss.”
“Wait. I’ve got a few things for you. Got time?”
“Sure. Nothing here in this alley but us cats. What’s up?”
“I got buttonholed by Grandpa Chuck today, just as I left the
hospital.
He gave me a one-big-happy-family speech-defending the clan’s honor,
just like we discussed. Topped it off by offering me a job.
The implication I got was I should behave myself, not dig too
deeply.”
“Not very subtle.”
Actually, he managed to do it quite subtly. Even if it had been taped,
he could never have been pinned down. Not that the offer was worth
much, because a job at Western Peds isn’t likely to have much
security.”
I recounted Plumb’s newspaper interview, and the financialscheme
hypotheses that had led me to look further into Laurence Ashmore’s
research. By the time I got to the Ferris Dixon Institute, Robin had
put her puzzle down and was listening intently.
“Virginia,” said Milo. “Been there a couple of times for fed training
seminars. Pretty state, but anything down there always spells
government to me.”
“The institute’s listed in a roster of private agencies. I figured it
for some kind of corporate front.”
“What kind of grant was it?”
“Pesticides in the soil, Ashmore analyzing his old data. Way too much
money for that kind of thing, Milo. I thought I’d call the institute
tomorrow morning, see what else I can learn. I’m also going to try to
contact Mrs. Ashmore again. Find out if Huenengarth the Mystery Man’s
dropped by.”
“Like I said, Alex, keep your distance.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t get any closer than the phone. Afternoon I’ll be
doing what I went to school for over at Chip and Cindy’s. Who may not
be in a state of domestic” I reviewed my suspicions, including the
caveats Robin had raised. “What do you think?”
“I think, who the hell knows? Maybe she did have a leaky faucet, or
maybe she’s the Hester Prynne of the San Fernando Valley.
Tell you one thing, if she is stepping out on the Chipper, she’s being
pretty sloppy about it, wouldn’t you say? Letting you hear Lover Boy’s
voice.”
“Maybe she didn’t mean to-I caught her off guard. She sounded
antsy-covered the phone almost immediately. All I actually made out
were a few low tones. And if she’s a Munchausen type, flirting with
another kind of danger would be right up her alley.”
“Low tones, huh? Sure it wasn’t the TV?”
“No, this was a real-life conversation. Cindy talked and the guy
answered. I assumed it was Chip. If he hadn’t called me later, I’d
never have known it wasn’t.”
“Hmm,” he said. “So what does it mean? In terms of Cassie?”
I repeated my motive theory.
He said, “Don’t forget Chip’s dough-that’s one hell of an incentive.”
“One hell of a family embarrassment, too, if it blows wide open and
there’s a nasty divorce. Maybe that’s’ what Chuck’s trying to keep me
away from. He talked about Chip and Cindy creating something
solid-called Cindy a lovely girl. Even though she doesn’t seem like
the girl a guy in his position would have wanted for his only
daughter-in-law. On the other hand, from the look of his teeth, he
came up the hard way himself. So maybe he’s not a snob.”
“His teeth?”
“They’re crooked and discolored. No one ever shelled out on
orthodontia on his account. Fact is, his entire manner’s pretty
rough.”