Bones

Havershams, from England, licensed to the royal family, Simone doesn’t eat much more than water biscuits but when she does… I’ve seen her go through two boxes. Later she… expels them. Her throat bleeds, it looks like strawberry porridge.”

I said, “You went over to her house.”

“I wanted a loving surprise. She didn’t answer my knock. I went out in back, Simone likes to be outside. All kinds of weather, she takes off her clothes… outside is where she bleeds herself. There are stains on her furniture. Teak furniture. It’s a tiny backyard, overgrown, steep hillside in back, a little gazebo where she sleeps. Before I got there I heard it. Simone and someone. My brain understood but my legs kept moving. I found a stalker spot. Watched. There was no reason, I already knew what was…”

Catching his breath, he studied the ceiling.

I said, “What did you see?”

“Licking each other. Cats. Grooming, licking, licking, grooming.” Moistening his own lips. “Licking, growling. Laughing, talking brutality.”

“Simone and…”

Long silence.

“Who was with her, Travis?”

“The wig.”

“Give us a name.”

“Him,” said Huck. “The-wig-the-smile-Weir-the-lawyer. A nightmare. She told me she hated him, he was corrupt, stealing from Simon, she was going to tell Simon, I shouldn’t do it, she would do it, shit would hit the fan, teach those scumbags a lesson, then we’d be free…”

“But in the backyard…”

“Licking. No hatred. Except what they shared.”

I said, “They shared hatred.”

Silence.

“Hatred of who, Travis?”

Huck’s breathing quickened. His eyes jumped.

“Who, Travis?”

“Licking laughing, that disgusting word.”

“What word?”

“Gook.”

“Nadine?” I said. “Because she’s Asian?”

“They spewed it out like vomit gook-lover gook-sucker gook-fucker gook bitch slant-eyed gook scum-spawn.” Clenched fists turned burn scars into pearls. “My head-hearing it, I wanted to burn myself up. Went home, found more matches. Soaked them in water. Called another sponsor.”

Tears filled his eyes. “I never told Simon.”

“Simone hates her family.”

“More than hatred,” said Huck. “It-she-there’s no word for it.”

“Had Simone ever shown resentment about Simon remarrying?”

“No, no, no, no, just the opposite. She loved Nadine, Nadine was smart, stylish, beautiful, not like her mother. I know Kelly, Kelly’s good people, but she wasn’t there for Simone, okay, I understand that, we all understand that, but…”

“Simone claimed she loved Nadine.”

“She said she wished Nadine had raised her. They hugged, they kissed, Nadine treated Simone like a sister. When Simone came to the house, she played with Kelvin’s hair. Beautiful hair, she always said. She kissed his cheeks. So cute, Travis. I love him, Travis. A genius, I love him, Travis. Hands of gold, I love him, Travis.”

“Hands of gold.”

“Gold, diamond, platinum, magic hands. She said his music was pure love and his hands went straight to his soul.”

“No love that day in the backyard.”

“My world flamed,” said Huck. “I crawled back in my cage.”

Wallenburg said, “You didn’t say anything to the Vanders because you had no proof. Why would anyone believe you?”

Huck smiled. “Objection overruled.”

“Travis-”

“I didn’t say anything because I’m a coward.”

“That’s ridiculous, Travis. You have more courage than most.”

I said, “She may be right.”

Moe Reed arched a brow. Milo still didn’t stir.

I said, “It was a tough choice, Travis. Lance the boil and hope you can dodge the pus stream, or pray that it stays at the verbal level.”

“Excuses,” said Huck. “Average German.”

“Oh, for God’s sake, Travis,” said Wallenburg. “We’re not here to be cosmic and philosophical, these are legal matters. There was absolutely no way for you to know what they had planned and you had absolutely no obligation to divulge what you heard.”

One of Milo’s eyes opened. “Unless he was involved.”

Wallenburg said, “Oh, please. Have you been awake for the last ten minutes?”

“Oh, yeah. Heard a good story.”

Travis Huck said, “It’s logical, Debora. I killed someone, I pay for sex-”

“Be quiet, Travis!”

I said, “Let’s talk about the other victims.”

Huck said, “Three women.”

“Sheralyn Dawkins. Lurlene Chenoweth. DeMaura Montouthe.”

No flicker of recognition. No tell, whatsoever.

Huck said, “I heard about them on the television. That’s when I ran.”

“Why then?”

“What they did for a living. I go to women like them. I started to feel I knew them. Maybe I did do something.”

“Did you?”

“Sometimes it’s hard to know what I do.”

I repeated the names.

He said, “No. I don’t think so.”

Wallenburg’s teeth clenched. “Travis. That is not. What you. Told me.”

“Deb-”

Reed fished out three mug shots.

Huck studied them for a long time. Shook his head.

Wallenburg said, “He had nothing to do with it. He panicked and fled.”

I said, “Have you ever picked up women near the airport?”

“No.”

“Where do you cruise for them?”

“Sunset Strip.”

“Why not the airport?”

“I have to stay close to home, in case Simon and Nadine need me.”

“Need you for what?”

“Errands, takeout from all-night places-sometimes Nadine gets hungry late at night. Sometimes I get a CD for Kelvin at Tower Records on Sunset. Used to. It closed, now I go to Virgin.”