“Was she on a date?”
“With girlfriends.”
“Pricey dinner for hired help.”
Sean shrugged. “Irina made a decent living. What could she have had for expenses? She lived here rent- free.”
“She has a closet full of Worth Avenue,” I said.
He looked a little shocked. “I didn’t pay her well enough to shop on Worth Avenue.”
Worth Avenue was the Rodeo Drive, the Fifth Avenue, of Palm Beach. The hunting ground of old-money matrons and young trophy wives alike. Lunch on Worth Avenue could cost a day’s pay for the average groom.
“Irina had a life we didn’t know anything about, Sean. She hung out with the polo crowd, the high rollers. And she did some kind of work for a Russian mobster named Alexi Kulak.”
He looked at me, astounded. “A Russian mobster? This is in-sane!
“Do you know Jim Brody?”
“The sports agent? Not really. I’ve seen him at the polo matches, of course.”
“Irina was at his birthday party Saturday night. As far as I’ve found out, that’s the last she was seen by anyone other than her killer. From the photos I saw, she was the life of the party.”
“You can’t think someone from that crowd…” His words trailed off at the look I gave him. “Who was there?”
“Brody, Paul Kenner,” I said. “Polo players, of course. Juan Barbaro.”
“Oh, my God, he’s gorgeous.”
I held my breath for a moment, trying to decide if I should say the next words in my mouth or choke them back.
“Bennett Walker.”
Sean’s face went carefully blank as he watched me. “Oh, El…”
“You had to know he was around, Sean. You have a box at the polo stadium. You have to have seen him. Your social circles overlap.”
“Of course I’ve seen him,” he admitted. “I just… didn’t want you to.”
“Too late for that. I saw him at Players last night.”
“Oh, Jesus… Did he see you?”
“Yes. I was on my way out. He was on his way in.” I didn’t tell him the son of a bitch hadn’t even recognized me. “I was my usual charming self: snide, sarcastic, accusatory, and threatening.”
“And he was…?”
I shrugged. “Not happy to see me.”
There was so much to say, he didn’t say anything. Sean had been there through all of it-my relationship with Bennett, the engagement. He had watched me fall in love and be in love. He had been my only support when Bennett came to me asking for an alibi and my happy fairy tale turned into a nightmare. Sean was the only person on earth who knew the whole truth of that story.
“Sean, he was there the night Irina went missing. I saw photos of Irina sitting between him and Jim Brody. They looked very chummy.”
“Elena, you’re not saying Bennett killed her?”
“He has to be considered a suspect.”
“Why would he kill Irina?”
“Why did he rape and beat Maria Nevin?” I asked.
“That was twenty years ago.”
“What’s your point?” I said, annoyed. “He beat and raped a woman then, why not now? The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.”
“He was what? Twenty-four? Twenty-five?” Sean asked. “He’s a grown man. He’s married. He has responsibilities.”
“Ted Bundy was a Young Republican. What’s that got to do with anything? He has a history of violent behavior toward women; he was seen with the victim the night she went missing.”
“Maybe he has an alibi.”
“Of course he has an alibi,” I snapped. “Bennett always has an alibi. He’s the Alibi Man. There’s always someone willing to lie for a rich man. Juan Barbaro claims they left the party drunk, went to Bennett’s house, and passed out. And I imagine the dog ate his homework too.”
“Did anyone see Irina leave the party with him?” Sean asked.
“Not that I’ve found. That doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”
“And it doesn’t mean that it did.”
I got up from the bench and faced him. “Why are you being such an asshole?”
“I’m not! I just see you getting fixated-”
“Fixated? I was a cop for half my life. I know a viable suspect when I see one. He’s a known violent sexual predator-”
“He committed one crime twenty years ago-”
“I can’t believe you!” I shouted. “He nearly choked that woman to death. Violent sexual predators who commit a crime and get away with it don’t quit while they’re ahead. They get a power rush, and they do it again.”
“And in the last twenty years he’s been a serial killer and not gotten caught or even suspected of any crimes?” he said, also standing up from the bench, gaining the height advantage.
“I didn’t say he’s a serial killer,” I said. “But how difficult is it to imagine him getting away with anything? If Bennett Walker had been a poor minority kid, he would just now be getting out of prison for what he did to Maria Nevin.”
“I understand all of that, Elena. I’m only saying, just because he was at the party doesn’t mean he’s the one. I imagine there were a hundred people there.”
“You know, I don’t know why I’m having this conversation with you,” I said. “I guess I thought I might get a little support from the one person who should understand-”
“I do support you! For Christ’s sake, how can you say I don’t support you?” he demanded. “I’m supporting you now, you’re just too pigheaded to see it. I don’t want to see you get tangled up in something that’s going to upset you and hurt you and take you down a road-”
I held up a hand to stop him. “I think what happened to Irina is a little more important than me getting upset that I have to deal with an old boyfriend. But thanks for your input,” I said with a sharp edge in my voice.
Sean set his jaw and looked away from me, which was what he always did when he couldn’t reason with me. I didn’t want to be reasonable. I wanted to speculate that Bennett Walker had killed Irina, because that theory offered the possibility that he would finally have to pay for what he’d gotten away with all those years ago. And I wanted my best friend to support me in that, whether he thought it was reasonable or not.
One of us should have said something to break the tension, but neither of us did. My phone rang.
“Yes?”
I must have sounded impatient to be bothered. There was a beat of silence before the caller spoke. “Elena, it’s Juan Barbaro. Is this a bad time?”
It took me a second to register and to downshift the tension in my voice.
“Oh. Juan. No. I’m sorry if I snapped at you. I’m on edge with everything that’s happened,” I said, staring at Sean.
“Then you must take some time to escape it, yes?”
“Yes. Absolutely.”
“Come, then, this afternoon. Watch a friendly polo match. We’ll have drinks after. Dinner if you like.”
“Ah… sure,” I said. “Who’s playing?”
“Myself, Mr. Brody, some other friends. Not Bennett Walker,” he assured me. “You have to promise not to accuse anyone of murder,” he added, but in a casual tone. Joking.
“I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“Hmmmm… Now, what fun would that be?” he said, and chuckled deep in his throat. Like the purring of a panther, I thought.
We set a time to meet at the International Polo Club and ended the call.
