“Excuse me, dear.”
I turned. The woman to my right handed me her empty glass, which I took without thinking. While she was clearly speaking in my direction, she managed to address me without direct eye contact. She was a gaunt and gorgeous fifty with a long flawless face and blownabout red hair. She wore a long-sleeved black silk body suit and blue jeans so tight I was surprised she could draw breath. With her flat tummy, tiny waist, and minuscule hips, my guess was she’d had sufficient liposuction to create an entire separate human being. “I need a refill. Gin and tonic. Make it Bombay Sapphire and no ice this round, please.”
“Bombay Sapphire. No ice.”
She leaned closer. “Darling, where’s the nearest loo? I’m about to pee my pants.”
“The loo? Let’s see.” I pointed toward the sliding glass doors that opened into the dining room. “Through those glass doors. Angle left. The first door on your right.”
“Thanks ever so.
I set her empty glass in a potted palm, watching as she tottered away on her four-inch heels. She did as directed, passing through the glass doors to the dining room. She angled left to the first door, tilted her head, tapped lightly, turned the knob, and went in. Turned out to be a linen closet, so she walked right out again, looking mildly embarrassed and thoroughly confused. She spotted another door and corrected for her error with a quick look-around to see if anyone had noticed. She knocked and went in, then did an about-face, emerging from a closet filled with stereo equipment. Well, darn. I guess I know as much about the loo as I do about high-priced gins.
I eased my way through the crowd, intercepting Stewart, who was returning with my wine. The next time I saw the woman, she avoided me altogether, but she’d probably drop a hint to Dixie about having me removed. In the meantime, a young woman appeared with another tray of hors d’oeuvres, this time halved new potatoes the size of fifty-cent pieces, topped with a dollop of sour cream and an anthill of black caviar. Within minutes, everybody’s breath was going to smell like fish.
Eric’s conversation with Mark had come to an end. Across the room, I caught Mark’s attention and he moved in my direction, pausing to shake a few hands en route. By the time he finally reached me, his public expression had been replaced by a look of genuine concern. “Kinsey. Terrific. I thought that was you. I’ve been trying to reach you,” he said. “When’d you get here?”
“A few minutes ago. I figured we’d connect.”
“Well, we don’t have long. Laddie committed us to another party and we’re just about to leave. Judy passed along the news about Mickey. What a terrible thing. How’s he doing?”
“Not well.”
Mark shook his head. “What a shitty world we live in. It’s not like he didn’t have enough problems.”
“Judy said you talked to him in March.”
“That’s right. He asked me for help, in a roundabout way. You know how he is. By the way, I did talk to Detective Claas while I was down in L.A., though I didn’t learn much. They’re being very tightlipped. ”
“I’ll say. They certainly don’t appreciate my presence on the scene.”
“So I hear.”
I could just imagine the earful he picked up from the LAPD. I said, “At this point, what worries me are Mickey’s medical bills. As far as I can tell, he lost all his coverage when he was fired from his job.”
“I’m sure that’s not an issue. His bills can be paid from funds from Victims of Major Crimes, through the DA’s office. It’s probably been set in motion, but I’ll be happy to check. By the way, I stopped off at Mickey’s on my way back from L.A. I thought I should meet his landlady in case a question came up.”
“Oh, great. Because the other thing I’m concerned about is his eviction. The sheriff’s already been there and changed the locks.”
“I gathered as much,” he said. “Frankly, I’m surprised to see you take an interest. I was under the impression you hadn’t spoken to him for years.”
“I haven’t, but it looks like I owe him one.”
“How so?”
“You know I blamed him for Benny Quintero’s death. Now I find out Mickey was with Dixie that night.
“I heard that story too, but I was never sure how much credit to attach.”
“You’re telling me they lied?”
“Who’s to say? I’ve made it my practice not to speculate. Mickey didn’t confide and I didn’t press him for information. Fortunately, we never had to defend the point one way or the other.”
I saw him glance in Laddie’s direction, gauging their departure, which was imminent. Laddie had, found Dixie and she was proffering regrets. Hugs, air kisses, and niceties were exchanged.
Mark said, “I better catch up. Give me a couple of days. I’ll let you know about his bills. Glad we had a chance to chat.” He gave my shoulder a squeeze and then joined Laddie and Malcolm, who were waiting in the dining room. Dixie followed them out, apparently intending to see them as far as the door.
Meanwhile, Eric had wheeled around and his face seemed to brighten at the sight of me. He pointed to a corner chair and then pushed himself in that direction. I nodded and followed, admiring his physique. His knit shirt fit snugly, emphasizing his shoulders and chest, along with his muscular arms. He looked like an ad for a fitness supplement. When he pivoted his chair, I could see the point where his thighs ended, six inches above the knees. He held a hand out to me. I leaned down and bussed his cheek before I took a seat. His aftershave was citrus and his skin was like satin. He said, “I didn’t think you’d come.”
“I probably won’t stay long. I don’t know a soul here except for Mark and his crew. The kid’s attractive.”
“And bright. Pity about his father. He’s a waste of time.”
“I thought you liked Mark.”
“I do and I don’t. He’s phony as all get out, but aside from that he’s great.”
“That’s a hell of an endorsement. What’d he do to you? ”
Eric gestured dismissively. “Nothing. Forget it. He asked me to do a film clip for his ad campaign. Primary’s only ten days off, and there’s nothing like a cripple to pick up a few last-minute votes.”
“Ooh, you’re a cynic. You sound worse than I do. Did it ever occur to you he might see you as a shining example of success and achievement, overcoming the odds and similar sentiments?”
“No. It occurred to me he wants me on his team in hopes other Vietnam vets will follow suit. Prop Forty-two is his pet project. The truth is, he needs a banner issue because he’s floundering. Laddie’s not going to like it if he’s trounced at the polls.”
“What difference does it make? I didn’t think he had a chance anyway.”
“It’s one thing to lose and another thing to lose badly. He doesn’t want to look like a has-been right out of the gate.”
“Easy come, easy go. They’ll survive, I’m sure.”
“Possibly.”
“Possibly? I like that. What’s that supposed to mean?”
I saw his gaze shift and glanced up in time to see Dixie return. “Things aren’t always as they appear.”
“The Bethels are unhappy?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Incompatible?”
“I didn’t say that, either.”
“Then what? Come on. I won’t repeat it. You’ve got me curious.”
“Mark has places to go. He can’t do that divorced. He needs Laddie’s money to make it work.”
“What about her? What’s her stake in it?”
“She’s more ambitious than he is. She dreams about the White House.”
“You’re not serious.”
“I am. She grew up in the era of Jackie 0 and Camelot. While other girls played with Barbies, she was making a list of which rooms to redo.”
“I had no idea.”
“Hey, Mark wants it too. Don’t get me wrong, but he’d probably be content with the Senate while she’s longing for a place in all the history books. He won’t make it this round, the competition’s too fierce, but in four years, who knows? As long as he can rally support, he’s probably got a shot at it one day. Meanwhile, if he starts looking like a loser, she might bump him and move on.”
“And that’s enough to keep their marriage afloat?”
“To a point. In the absence of passion, rampant ambition will suffice. Besides, divorce is a luxury.”
“Oh, come on. Couples get divorced every day.”
“Those are the people with nothing at stake. They can afford to set personal happiness above all else.”
“As opposed to what?”
“The status quo. Besides, who wants to start over at our stage in life? Are you eager to fling yourself into a new relationship?”