Bones

Both stores were minutes from where Reed had found prostitutes who knew Huck.

“Twenty-four seven availability,” I said.

“It’s my job.”

“Did Simone know you frequented prostitutes?”

Tiny smile, hard to decipher.

“Something funny?” said Reed.

Huck gave a start. “No-it wasn’t frequent. I… I… occasioned.”

I said, “Did Simone know?”

“I confessed to her.”

“Why?”

“We were talking. Filling in dark spaces.”

“Sharing secrets.”

“Yes.”

“What dark spaces did Simone fill?”

“Tasting her blood. Needing to feel. Wanting the perfect body, always feeling huge, hating the mirror, seeing lumps.”

“What did you tell her about prostitutes?”

“I said before her there were only women like that. I said being with her was like landing on the moon.”

“New life.”

“New universe.”

“So discovering her with Weir was-”

Huck clapped his hands together. “Crash-down.”

I glanced at Milo. Back in shut-eyed repose.

“Travis, tell us about Silford Duboff.”

Clouded eyes. “Who?”

“The guy who takes care of the Bird Marsh.”

“I’ve never been to the Bird Marsh.”

“Never?”

“Never.”

I repeated Duboff’s name.

Huck said, “Am I supposed to know him? I’m sorry.”

“Let’s talk about someone you do know. Selena Bass.”

Huck seemed prepared for the question. “Selena is how I knew for sure.”

“Knew what?”

“Simone’s hatred didn’t stop at words.”

“You figured Simone murdered Selena.”

“Selena came from Simone.”

“Came from her how?”

“Simone found her. Said she did it for Kelvin. Simone brought Selena to the house.”

“Finding a teacher for Kelvin.”

“Finding a friend who-guess what-is also a piano genius and a teacher.”

“Simone called Selena her friend.”

“They acted like friends.”

“How so?”

“Happy skinny girls laughing,” said Huck. “Those low jeans they wear.”

“How do you know they weren’t friends?”

“Simone told me. Later. Said she heard Selena play piano at a party. Selena had magic hands, golden hands just like Kelvin, she’d be perfect for Kelvin. Kelvin had a grumpy old teacher, wanted to stop his lessons. Simone told Selena she could make big money. I should’ve known there was more.”

“More what?”

“The first time, I was bringing in groceries and Simone’s car pulled up, she’s got another girl with her, they’re giggling. I went inside. They didn’t. When I came out to get more groceries, they were looking at the ocean. Hands around each other. Simone’s hand went to Selena’s… her butt.”

“Selena and Simone had a sexual relationship.”

“Maybe.”

“This was before you and Simone had a relationship.”

“Yes.”

“It didn’t make you wonder.”

“About what?”

“Simone’s sexual preferences?”

Huck’s eyes turned fiery. “I didn’t care.”

I said, “Later, after you were involved, Simone told you she’d met Selena at a party.”

Nod.

“What did she say about the party?”

“Just a party.”

“Tea and cookies?”

Silence.

He said, “Later, I had ideas.”

“What kind of ideas?”

“In the backyard… after the licking, he got up and Simone stretched on the teak lounge and…” Wincing. “She had a razor blade. He came back, tasted her. He brought things with him. Ropes-beads-big huge plastic… I turned from that, didn’t want to look, but I could hear. He said, ‘Party time.’ She said, ‘Golden hands. Baby. All we’re missing is her and the piano.’ ”

Huck shook his head; dripped sweat onto the desk. Debora Wallenburg saw it, let the spatter sit there.

I said, “Party time. Meaning…”

“Selena was into the same things.” Looking to me for confirmation.

“When you heard about Selena’s murder, you developed a theory about what happened to her.”

“A feeling.”

“When we came to tell you about Selena, you didn’t mention that feeling.”

“I was… I didn’t… you put fog in my head. Finally, it drifted out and I had the feeling. I didn’t know what to do.”

Without opening his eyes, Milo said, “You could’ve picked up the phone.”

Wallenburg said, “And told you what? He had an intuition.”

Milo favored her with an avuncular smile. “On whodunit cases, Counselor, we take anything we can get.”

“Oh, sure. You would’ve believed him.”

Huck said, “I was going to tell Simon. If.”

I said, “If what?”

“I told anyone.”

Reed said, “If. Longest word in the dictionary.”

“I thought about it,” said Huck. “Telling Simon. But she’s his daughter, he loves her. I do errands.”

“So you did nothing,” said Reed.

“No, I… I phoned him, to hear his voice, maybe his voice would tell me what to do. He didn’t answer. I kept trying. He didn’t answer. I e-mailed. He didn’t answer. I switched to Nadine’s e-mail, she didn’t answer. Then I started worrying. Then those other women got… I heard about them and said, ‘Those are the women you go to.’ ”

I said, “So you ran.”

“I killed someone, I pay for sex. I knew Selena. Everyone else is