“Happened? Another mess?” He sounded more sad than surprised.
“It’s possible.”
“Anything I should know about?”
“Not unless you had something to do with the school–the Corrective School, founded by a psychologist named Andres de Bosch.”
“Nope,” he said. “Well, I hope you clear it up. And as far as Meredith’s concerned, I think she still lives in L.A. Something to do with the film business.”
“Is her name still Bork?”
“Hmm, don’t know–if you’d like I can call Mo and find out. She’s still pretty involved with the hospital–I can tell her I’m putting a mailing list together or something.”
“I’d really appreciate that, Rube.”
“Stay on the line, I’ll see if I can get her.”
I waited for fifteen minutes with the speaker to my mouth. Pretending to look busy each time someone came by to use the phone. Finally, Rube came back on the line.
“Alex?”
“Still here.”
“Yes, Meredith’s in L.A. She has her own public relations firm. I don’t know if she ever married, but she still goes by Bork.”
He gave me the address and phone number and I thanked him again.
“Sure bet. .. another mess. Too bad. How’d you get involved, Alex?
Through a patient?”
“No,” I said. “Someone sent me a message.”
Bork and Hoffman Public Relations, 8845
Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 304.
The eastern edge of Beverly Hills. A five-minute ride from the library.
The receptionist said, “Ms. Bork is on another line.”
“I’ll hold.”
“And what was the name again?”
“Dr. Alex Delaware. I worked with her father at Western Pediatric Medical Center.”
“One moment, sir.”
A few minutes later: “Sir? Ms. Bork will be right with you.”
Then, a smoky female voice: “Meredith Bork.”
I introduced myself.
She said, “I specialize in the entertainment industries, doctor –movies, theater. We do a few doctors when they write books. Have you written a book?”
“No–” “Just want to beef up your practice, a little press exposure?
Good idea in today’s economy, but it’s not our thing. Sorry. I’ll be happy to give you the name of someone who does medical publicity, though–” “Thanks, but I’m not looking for a publicist.”
“Oh?”
“Ms. Bork, I’m sorry to bother you, but what I’m after is some information about Andres de Bosch and the Corrective School, in Santa Barbara.”
Silence.
“Ms. Bork?”
“This is for real?”
“Some suspicions have come up about mistreatment at the school. Things that happened during the early seventies. An accident involving a boy named Delmar Parker.”
No answer.
“May, nineteen seventy-three,” I said. “Delmar Parker went off a mountain road and died. Do you remember hearing anything about him?
Or anything about mistreatment?”
“This is too much,” she said. “Why the fuck is this any of your business?”
“I work as a consultant to the police.”
“The police are investigating the school?”
“They’re doing a preliminary investigation.”
Harsh laughter. “You’re putting me on.”
“No.” I gave her Milo as a reference.
She said, “Okay, so? What makes you think I even went to this school?”
“I worked at Western Pediatric Medical Center when your father was chief of staff and–” “Word got around. Oh, I’ll just bet it did.
Jesus.”
“Ms. Bork, I’m really sorry–” “I’ll just bet it did. .. the Corrective School.” Another angry laugh.
“Finally.”
Silence.
“After all these years. What a trip. .. the Corrective School. For bad little children in need of correction. Yeah, I was corrected, all right. I was corrected up the ying-yang.”
“Were you mistreated?”
“Mistreated?” Peals of laughter so loud I backed away from the receiver. “How delicately put, doctor. Are you a delicate man? One of those sensitive guys really tuned in to people’s feelings?”
“I try.”
“Well, goody for you–I’m sorry, this is serious, isn’t it. My problem–always was. Not taking things seriously. Not being mature.
Being mature’s a drag, isn’t it, doc? I fucking refuse. That’s why I work in entertainment. Nobody in entertainment’s grown up. Why do you do what you do?”
“Fame and fortune,” I said.
She laughed, harder and louder. “Psychologists, psychiatrists, I’ve known a shitload of them. .. how do I know you’re for real –hey, this isn’t some gag, is it? Did Ron put you up to this?”