Self-Defense by JONATHAN KELLERMAN

He walked over to the window. “Okay, my thoughts are provoked, but let’s not forget the only reason this came up in the first place is Lucy’s dream. And we still don’t know how much of that is real.”

“Karen Best’s disappearance is real. And there’d be no easy way for Lucy to know that. Unlike the party, it wasn’t covered in the Times. Best said all the major papers shined him on.”

I got the copy of the Shoreline Shopper and handed it to him.

“He paid for this. The paper went out of business shortly after. I doubt it’s catalogued in any library.”

He read as I looked at the gulls. “Says here no one saw her after she left the restaurant at eleven P.M. on Friday, never came home that night. So you’re saying she went up to Sanctum and spent the night?”

“Maybe she had a one-night stand with a guy. A guy who picked her up and hurt her.”

“Trafficant?”

“He was famous.”

“Then what? He offs her Friday night? Or parties with her again on Saturday and then offs her?”

“In the dream, Lucy remembers lights and noise. Maybe that was the staff setting up, but it sounds more like the party itself.”

“The dream,” he said, shaking his head. “So she’s there working on Saturday. Slinging designer hash to hundreds of people and no one remembers her.”

“There’s no indication either the sheriffs or Barnard made any connection to the party.”

“Maybe because Karen wasn’t there.” He waved the clipping. “This is major coverage, locally. You’d think someone around the beach area would have seen it.”

“That piece ran six months after the disappearance. Who’s going to remember a waitress who served them half a year ago? With Lowell and movie stars at the party, who’d notice the staff, period? It would be nice to get hold of Felix Barnard and see if he has any of his old records, but I can’t find a listing on him. Some background on the Sheas would be useful too. Like, have they gotten involved in anything shaky since then? I can pay another visit to the Sand Dollar and try to get more out of Reingold. The chef who catered the party would be another potential source. For old time cards or personnel records that could verify Karen’s presence. Some guy named Nunez. Scones Restaurant.”

“Dead,” said Milo. “AIDS, couple of years ago.”

“You knew him?”

“Rick knew him. Patched up a sliced finger in the ER. We went to his restaurant a couple of times and got comped. Vegetables I’d never seen before and the portions were too small.” He tapped the glass lightly.

“Have you punched Trafficant into the computer yet?”

He nodded. “Nothing on NCIC. Haven’t had a chance to look into his tax returns. Have you called his publisher?”

“No, too late to do it now, I’ll try tomorrow. I may also get a chance to sound out his patron.”

I described my conversation with Lowell.

He said, “Sounds like the asshole Lucy says he is. Why his sudden interest?”

“Good question. Peter phoned him from New Mexico, too, and told him about Lucy’s suicide attempt. Lowell implied it was an attempted guilt trip that didn’t work. He claims he has insights to offer on Lucy, though his tone was more contemptuous than concerned.”

“Insights? After all these years?”

“He’s sure she hasn’t changed much. The only thing I can think of is he’s trying, in a bizarre way, to get some kind of relationship going.”

“By being contemptuous?”

“He’s a real piece of work, Milo. Spews out words nonstop. He made such a point about not feeling guilty, it could mean on some level he does feel responsible.”

“Weird,” he said. “So old Pucko continues to call everyone but Lucy. Guy gives me a definite bad feeling—like that picture on her TV. She’s smiling, but he looks like he can’t wait to get the hell out of there and jam a spike in his arm. And he’s more than a penny-ante addict. Three arrests for possession of heroin and two for selling, all within the last six years. There’s also a sealed juvenile record back in Massachusetts and some misdemeanor stuff with Boston PD. The biggest bust was three years ago. He tried to peddle thirty grand worth of smack to an undercover cop. Got off on technicalities, case dismissed. Gary Mandel was his lawyer. Ever hear of him?”

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