Obsession

“A barter,” said Petra.

“Inspired,” said Bedard.

“What did looking after Mr. Jordan consist of?”

“Checking in on him, making sure he had food, coffee. Patricia was mannish but she knew her job. There were at least three instances where Lester might have fallen more seriously ill but for her presence.”

“What did she do?”

“Revived him, walked him around, whatever you do in those situations. One time she did have to call an ambulance but when they arrived, Lester was already on his feet and didn’t need to be taken to the hospital. Don’t get the wrong idea, dear. It wasn’t only those kinds of problems. When Lester came down with a cold or a flu, she was there.”

“Did she ever provide him with drugs?” said Milo.

“Of course not.”

“Of course not?” said Petra.

“She told me she detested drugs. At first she didn’t even want the job because of the nature of Lester’s illness. Which I thought was a bit huffy, considering her own lifestyle issues.”

“What convinced her?”

“Free rent and one thousand dollars a month in cash. Which I’m sure she didn’t declare to the IRS. Why are you asking so many questions about her?”

“Her name comes up when we ask around about your brother.”

“I don’t see why it would. But if you want evidence of Myron’s hateful nature, go ahead and talk to her. After the old man’s stroke, Myron announced that his father’s priorities outweighed Lester’s and that Patricia was moving to Hudson. Needless to say, I was furious. She was an excellent caretaker and Lester had gotten used to having her around. You’d think she might have been loyal, but there was Myron, with his forty pieces of silver.”

“He gave her a raise?”

“An additional thousand dollars a month and free use of the guest room. If you people have connections with the IRS, there’s a tip for you.”

Petra said, “You mentioned Mr. Bedard renting to disreputable types who paid cash. Anyone in particular?”

“Minorities,” said Iona Bedard. “That kind of thing.”

“Your brother didn’t associate with any other tenants?”

Bedard ground out her second cigarette and placed her glass on the floor with exaggerated care. “You really don’t understand, do you?”

“Understand what, ma’am?”

“Lester was ill. That doesn’t make him one of them.”

“How did he fare after Ms. Bigelow left?”

“Not well,” said Iona Bedard. “Myron refused to pay for another nurse or for any additional treatment. One time, Lester had to be taken to the county hospital, which I understand is a snake pit. Myron relished the I-told-you-so. The names he’d call Lester I won’t repeat.”

“Lester had some legal problems, as well.”

“All due to his illness.” Iona Bedard flicked ashes in the general vicinity of the tray. Most of them landed on the carpet. “Shortly after the old man died, my marriage finally accomplished what it should have accomplished years ago. Disintegrated. Circumstances forced me to beg Myron to allow Lester to stay at Cherokee and I don’t take well to begging. After the divorce I insisted on-and got-the building and that was that. Lester never beat his problem but his need for drugs did seem to be winding down a bit.”

“That can happen with addicts, if they live long enough,” said Petra. “Where did Lester’s financial support come from?”

Iona Bedard poked her chest. Waved dismissively. “Go on, you people, I’ve done your work for you. All you have to do is find the bastard.”

We didn’t move.

“Please,” said Bedard, making it sound like an order.

Petra said, “Does the name Robert Fisk mean anything to you?”

“There was a Bobby Fisk in my class at Atherton Prep. Flight surgeon in the navy.”

“What about Rosie?”

“The Riveter?”

“Blaise De Paine?”

Iona Bedard patted her coiffure. Laughed.

Petra said, “Something funny, ma’am?”

“That, young lady, is not a real name. Now go on, do your job.”

CHAPTER 21

On the ride down, we had the elevator to ourselves. Petra fanned herself and laughed. “That must’ve been one lousy prenup.”

Milo said, “If voodoo worked, ol’ Myron would be frying in oil.”

“She gives us no evidence he has anything to do with Lester, but on her say-so we’re supposed to track him down in Europe.”

“Hatred’s a great motivator.”

“I’m sure he adores her, too. After fifteen minutes, I’m ready to strangle her. But so what? For ten years Jordan’s been out of his life.”

I said, “As opposed to all those disreputable ‘minority’ types who shared Jordan’s lifestyle but were nothing like him.”

“Talk about denial,” said Petra. “One thing she’s probably right about. ‘De Paine’ is a moniker.”

We crossed the lobby in silence. Milo and I had parked in the hotel lot but Petra had left her Acura on Walden Drive across Wilshire, and we walked her over.

She unlocked the car and tossed her purse onto the passenger seat. “Any parting thoughts, guys?”

“It was me, I’d keep it basic,” said Milo.

“Concentrate on Fisk, anything else is a distraction. In terms of your Ms. Bigelow, I’m not seeing any stunning link. Even if she did channel hospital dope Jordan’s way, that’s also ancient history.”

“Seems to be,” said Milo.

“You have doubts?”

“The only sticking point is one day we’re talking to Jordan about Patty and soon after he gets dead.”

“The only possible connection would be he tipped someone off about some secret so big and bad he had to be silenced. Like what?”

Neither of us had an answer.

“Either way,” she said, “the key is finding Fisk.”

Milo said, “Dancing hit man. There’s a network show for you.”

I said, “Jordan was an ex-horn player. It keeps coming back to music.”

Petra said, “Jordan hadn’t played for years. The only music connection I can see is dope.”

“Or an anti-dope thing. As in Jordan pushing product on the wrong person.”

“Who’s the wrong person?”

“How about a music-biz honcho’s kid.”

“Daddy puts the hit on Lester for supplying his prodge? Great, I’d love to haul in more suspects, maybe Fisk will fink once we have him in custody. I got DMV on his wheels, from the lapsed files. ’Ninety-nine Mustang, red at the time, registration fees six months overdue. I also put in a rush subpoena on his phone records, let’s see what comes up. If I’m lucky maybe I can haul him in before Cruella phones the brass and trash-talks about us middle-