Remember Me, Irene

little.

He decided I could see the fax ribbon under three conditions. First, I would see it only if it was not confidential accounting information-Allan’s or the city’s. Second, Ray would get to look at it first, and could withhold it, if it was something that might make the city look bad. Third, I swore not to reveal my sources.

Although I could live with the third one, I didn’t like the first one much and the second one not at all. But he wasn’t going to budge, so I took the best I could get. Charlotte asked me to stop by in an hour.

I went back to the faxes Ivy had sent to me.

It was totally illegal for a college employee to give me access to Nadine’s transcripts, of course, and I was very protective of any sources (in this case, Ivy and her friend) who took this kind of risk. I was sparing in my requests of such sources, having once-in younger days-cost someone their job over information that didn’t seem so important after all. There were other reporters in that newsroom who would have loved to learn who my source at the college was, how I got my hands on protected records. Most understood I’d never let them know, and that was that. They might be envious, but they’d live with it. In a few of my more aggressive, competitive colleagues, it inspired a near-rabid desire to turn their investigative talents on me. It gets tiresome. I’ve learned a few tricks for avoiding them when they are in that sort of mood.

That’s why, when Lydia came to tell me I had a call, I was sitting-fully clothed-on a toilet in a closed stall of the women’s room, going over Nadine’s transcripts and registration records.

“Keene Dage is on the phone,” she said.

32

IFOLDED THE FAXESand stuffed them into the same big manila envelope that held Ben’s calendar pages before unlatching the stall door. When I got to my desk, I kept my elbows on top of the envelope while I talked to Keene.

The connection was noisy, with the sound of a motor in the background.

“I just picked up your message from my machine,” he said. “I’m here in Las Piernas. I had to come up here today.”

“So you want to get together and talk?” I asked.

Silence.

“I’m learning more about this every day, Keene. I now know enough to have a pretty good idea about what has been going on.”

“So you say.”

“You think I’m bluffing? Okay, fine. I’m picturing a boat with a group of men on it. You’re one of them. There’s a young woman named Nadine Preston.”

“Shit.” Afraid, not angry.

I pressed my advantage. “Oddly enough, this isn’t about fishing. It’s about buildings. And about a man being cheated out of his future. And other things. It hasn’t been easy on you to be a part of it, has it Keene?”

“No! It hasn’t!” He paused. “I’m surprised you still think enough of me to figure that out.”

“I do have faith in you, Keene, or I wouldn’t be trying to get you to tell me your side of the story. Sooner or later, someone is going to talk to me. It can be you, or it can be someone else. But the first one to get this off his chest has the best chance to tell it his way. You want one of the others to give me his version instead?”

“No.”

“You want to talk to me, Keene?”

Even over the noisy connection, I could hear his sigh. “Believe it or not, yes, I do. This has gone far enough. Moffett just called me a few minutes ago. Madder than a wet hen. Bastard thinks I’ve already talked to you.”

I thought of how quickly word seemed to pass between the members of this group. “Are you on a cellular phone?” I asked, wondering if I was acting a little paranoid.

“Yes, I’m in the car. Are you having trouble hearing me?”

“No, and I’m afraid someone else might not be having any trouble hearing us. Cellular phones aren’t very secure.”

“Oh, I see what you mean. But the odds-”

“Too many people around here have been unlucky lately.”

“I’ll call back from a pay phone.”

He called back just when I was sure he had been mugged or shot or dispatched by some other means. “Goddamn, it’s hard to find a public phone that works around here!” he said.

“Just glad to know you’re safe. What are you doing in town?”

“Had to check up on a property I just acquired.”

“The Angelus?”

He grunted. “I shouldn’t be surprised that you already know that, but I am. Yes, the Angelus. I was going to talk to you about it anyway. I saw my kids today and-well, never mind, I’ll explain all that later. Do you believe me?”

“Yes.”

“I have to do this my own way.” There was a silence, then he said, “Why don’t you meet me at the little park on the corner of Twentieth and Laguna?”

I wasn’t too familiar with that area, but I had seen the park and supposed I could find it easily enough. “When?”

“Two-thirty okay with you?”

I looked at my watch. It was one o’clock. I figured I could make a phone call, get over to Ray Aiken’s office, and still have plenty of travel time to spare. “Sure.”

“See you then.”

ICALLED FRANK, told him about my morning, and gave him Nadine’s Social Security number. When he’d asked the coroner about heart medications, Carlos had told him yes, they’d thought of that, and to be patient, the toxicology work would take at least another week.

“Jeff McCutchen?”

“It’s really weird, I know, but sometimes these guys at the police department-my lieutenant, people like that? They like to look over at my desk and see me doing work on the casesthey’ve assigned to me.”

“Sorry. I know you’re busy. Thanks for all you’ve done-I’ll leave you alone for the rest of the day.”

“Don’t you dare. I’m just saying it might take a little time, okay?”

“Okay. And I do appreciate it. I’ll try to think up some suitable reward for you.”

“Extra innings?”

I laughed. “Sure. But what are we going to do for you?”

We talked for a while about household matters-what was needed from the store, who would pick up the dry cleaning, and was the bank deposit made.

“I called a couple of repair places,” he said, and quoted a range of prices, naming the two shops which were most reasonable. “Which one do you want to take your car to?”

“You didn’t have to do that on top of everything else you’ve got on your plate,” I said.

“I knew you’d put it off,” he said with annoying accuracy. “They’re saying there’s a chance of rain tomorrow. Let’s get your window fixed today.”

“Don’t know if I’ll have time.”

“Take the car in. I’ll pick you up after work.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

That didn’t make him happy, but he got another call, so we said good-bye with the understanding that I’d phone again a little later in the afternoon.

My phone rang a few minutes later. As soon as I picked it up and identified myself, I got an earful.

“Are you trying to kill him? I don’t know what the hell you think you’re up to, but I won’t stand for it!”