'Maybe they picked her up,' I said.
'Maybe,' Susan said. 'Either of them own a car?'
'I don't know,' I said.
'Another thing,' Susan said, 'that makes me wonder, is what I know about girls.'
'You've had some experience at being one,' I said.
'And treating many,' Susan said. 'I think if she were going to visit a movie star in his hotel room, she would go home first and shower and put on clean clothes as appropriate.'
'You think?' I said.
'If nothing else,' Susan said, 'she'd want to shave her legs.'
'Maybe she did all that in the morning, before she went to see the shoot,' I said.
'On the off chance that one of the movie stars would invite her to his room for sex?' Susan said.
I shrugged.
'Ever hopeful?' I said.
'That could certainly be described as optimistic,' Susan said.
'It could,' I said.
'Probably nothing,' Susan said. 'But I'm curious. And I wanted to mention it.'
'I'm curious, too,' I said.
'Good,' Susan said.
I had finished my beer.
'Shall I get us another drink?' I said.
'No,' Susan said. 'I think I need you to take me home, now.'
'How come?' I said.
She smiled at me the way Eve must have smiled at Adam when she handed him the apple.
'I want to shave my legs,' she said.
43
I CALLED THE SMITHFIELD POLICE and talked with a cop named Cataldo, with whom I had done some business years ago. He confirmed that there was no public transportation.
'Cabs?' I said.
'Not in town.'
'Doesn't anyone want to leave?' I said.
'They drive,' Cataldo said. 'And good riddance.'
'If you wanted to get into Boston and you didn't have a car, how would you get there?' I said.
'Why would I want to go to Boston?'
'See a ball game?' I said.
'That's why they make TVs,' Cataldo said.
'Because you are a sophisticated urban guy?'
'Like you?'
'Not that sophisticated,' I said. 'How would you get here?'
'Borrow a car or get somebody to drive me.'
'Thank you,' I said. 'If you never leave town, what do you do there?'
'Write parking tickets, keep the kids from loitering on the common, play softball, drink beer, bang the old lady.'
'What else is there,' I said.
'This about the kid got killed?' Cataldo said. 'Dawn Lopata?'
'Yes,' I said. 'Know her?'
'Sure,' Cataldo said. 'Not a bad kid, really, just a fuckup. Always getting caught for something, like smoking dope in the girls' room at school, or cell-phoning nude pictures of herself that ended up on the Internet, or skipping school, or driving after-hours on a learner's permit. You know? Not evil, just fucked up.'
'How about the family,' I said.
'Old man's a blow,' Cataldo said. 'Big house, nice car, and no cash. You know the type?'
'Sure.'
