Evidence

Milo looked at me.

I said, “Where’s that, Professor Holman?”

“In the common parlance, no-tell motels,” said Holman. “Washington Boulevard, near the Marina, any of four classy establishments. I station myself across the street. Used to convince myself I was doing it for Marjie’s sake. So she’d be safe. Of course, that’s rubbish, I do it for the illusion of control, though I will say I’m tiring of it. Perhaps someday Marjie will tire, as well.”

I said, “Four motels, but there was an exception.”

Holman’s bright blue eyes fixed on mine. “I’m rambling along and you already know the punch line. Yes, there was an exception, I’d decided not to say anything but then it bothered me and I felt incumbent to tell you.”

“We appreciate that.”

“I hope so… I’d already known about him and Marjie. I’m referring to Backer, of course. How did I know? Because I’m not an unperceptive dolt. There was an office get-together for the firm, cheap wine and stale crackers. Marjie thought it would be good for me to get out. While nibbling, I caught her and Backer exchanging a glance. Nothing flagrant, but I’ve had training in picking up nuance and men who’ve been with Marjie get a certain look. Does that sound paranoid?”

I said, “There’s paranoia and there’s reasonable anxiety.”

“Yes… well, I’m not anxious. Not anymore. The game’s become part of our domestic routine and I find it calms me… comfort of the familiar. In any event, I know a meaningful glance when I see one. I won’t say it didn’t surprise me, Backer was younger than Marjie’s usual… companion. That I found a bit disconcerting but as I thought about it, what difference did it make? This isn’t about her feelings for me, it never is, it’s about physicality and who better than a younger man? So when she told me the following week that she’d be staying late at the office, I said to myself, Aha, and followed. And sure enough, Backer’s car was out back and she’d parked right next to him. The parking lot was small, I clearly couldn’t stay there, and finding parking on Main Street, even with a handicapped sticker, isn’t easy. Plus, my hot rod’s not exactly inconspicuous-could I trouble one of you to fetch water from the van? It’s in a holder just right of the arm-brake.”

I went over and retrieved a black plastic squeeze bottle. The van’s interior was spotless, but stale smelling. No obvious evidence of extreme cleanup. When I got back, Holman was saying, “… so I decided to circle-thank you.” Swigging and licking his lips. “It didn’t take long for Backer’s BMW to pull out and head north. I followed, made sure to allow several car lengths-something I’ve picked up from police shows. Am I right?”

Milo smiled. “Good technique, Professor Holman.”

“Professor emeritus, Lieutenant. That’s Latin for has-been. Be that as it may, when Backer reached Wilshire and kept going, I was surprised. He turned east and continued beyond Westwood, didn’t turn until Comstock, then headed north, again, to Sunset. You see where I’m going with this.”

Milo said, “Borodi Lane.”

“When I saw the news this morning, I was stunned. Mulled for a while and decided I needed to call you. Good citizen, and all that.”

“We really do appreciate it, sir.”

“Do I get extra points for humiliation? A psychic Purple Heart, perhaps?”

Neither of us replied.

Holman said, “Back to Borodi Lane. You’ll be wanting to know exactly when this occurred, correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And I can tell you precisely. April second. Right after April Fools’, at nine twenty-eight p.m. I keep a log of Marjie’s adventures. But this turned out not to be Marjie’s adventure. I should’ve known, she really is a creature of habit, no reason for her to break the pattern.”

She already had, behind a construction trailer in Santa Monica. No sense stomping her husband’s toehold on dignity.

Milo said, “Backer was there with another woman?”

“That woman,” said Holman. “The one whose face was in the news. And yes, I’m certain, because she and Backer went out to eat afterward and I got a good look at her.”

“Not your wife, but you continued following.”

“Because in the beginning I was pretty sure but couldn’t be certain. It was dark when they left, they hustled quickly into Backer’s car. The woman appeared shorter than Marjie, different hair, different walk, but I wasn’t close enough to be confident of my judgment, so I stayed on their trail.”

“Where’d they go for dinner?”

“Beverly Hills. Kate Mantilini, Doheny and Wilshire. Fortunately, they got a window seat and I was able to cruise by and felt tremendous relief. Then I realized Marjie was still out there and suddenly I needed to know where she was. So I called her landline at the office and she answered, said she was working on a proposal that would probably end up nowhere because Helga never followed through on anything.”

Milo said, “Backer’s car was at the office but you didn’t see the woman back there.”

“But she must’ve been nearby, Lieutenant, because she wasn’t inside the office with Backer and Marjie.”

“How do you know?”

“This morning Marjie and I were watching the news and the woman’s face came on, Marjie didn’t react in the least. I know my wife, gentlemen. If she’d met her, she’d have said something. And she’d also have told you when you questioned her. So my guess is the woman was either waiting outside the office, not in the lot or near it, or she was already at Borodi when Backer arrived.”

“Was another car parked nearby?”

“If there was,” said Holman, “I didn’t notice. But I wasn’t paying attention to cars.”

He turned to watch the diminishing form of the beachcomber.

Milo said, “What else can you tell us about Backer and this other woman’s behavior?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re sure it was the woman you saw on TV?”

“I’m absolutely certain. The image on TV was a line drawing, but to my eye, a rather good resemblance. She’s-was a good-looking woman. Young-thirty, thirty-five, to me that’s young. Good figure. Great figure, voluptuous but taut. As if she worked out. Not too tall, I’d say around five four, well below Marjie’s five seven.”

I said, “When you saw her and Backer in the restaurant window, what was their demeanor?”

“They didn’t seem particularly enthralled. Nor were they miserable. Two people reading menus. I guess I’d say bland.”

“Did you ever see the woman again?”

“Never.”

“What about Backer?”

“Him I saw a few times,” said Holman. “At the office, coming and going.” Blinking. “I have to say, Marjie having anything to do with him surprised me. He didn’t seem her type.”

“How so?”

“Shallow.”

“How so?”

Holman’s jaw set. His beard bristled. “No doubt my opinion is informed by the fact that I’m fairly certain he boffed my wife. But I’d like to think I’m also a decent judge of character. I don’t want to talk ill of the dead but to be frank, he struck me as a superficial little twit. The type who spends too much time at the mirror.”

Milo said, “You didn’t like him.”

“I didn’t know him well enough not to like him.”