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.An aging beachboy who'd preservedwell.The interior walls of the house had been torndown to create a thousand square feet of skylitliving space.The furniture was bleached wood, thewalls oyster white.The scent of lemon oil was inthe air.There were maritime lithographs, a saltwateraquarium, a small but well-stocked kitchen, apartially folded futon bed.Everything in its place,neat as a pin.In the center of the room was a sunken areahalf-filled by a bottle green velvet modular couch.We stepped down and sat.He offered us coffeefrom a pot that had already been set out on thetable.He poured three cups and sat across from us, stillsmiling, still scared."Detective Sturgis " he looked from me to Milowho identified himself with a nod--"over the phoneyou said this had to do with Nona Swope.""That's correct, Mr.CarmichaeL""I have to tell you at the outset, I'm afraid Iwon't be of much help.I barely know her--""You messengered with her several times." Milopulled out his pencil and pad.Carmichael laughed nervously."Three, maybe fourtimes.She didn't stick around very long.""Uh huh."Carmichael drank coffee, put the cup down, andcracked his knuckles.He had iron-pumper's arms,each muscle defined in bas relief and roped withveins."I don't know where she is," he said."No one said she was missing, Mr.Garmichael."-"'Janabout She said you took m3"Does that bother you, Mr.'eYes, it does.It's private and Ihas to do with anything." He was trying to asserthimself but despite the muscles there was somethingpreternaturally meek and childish about him."Mr, Carmichael, you were pretty keyed up overthe phone and you're just as nervous inperson.Want to tell us why?" Milo sat back-and crossedhis legs.It's always pathetic when someone physically impressivestarts to fall apart, like watching a monumentcrumble.I saw the look on the blond man'sface and wanted to be somewhere else."Tell us about it," said Milo."It's my own damned fault.Now I'm going topay." He got up, went into the kihen, and cameback with a bottle of pills."B-twelve.I need R when I'm stressed out." Heunscrewed the lid, shook out three capsules, swallowed,and washed them down with coffee."Ishouldn't 'be taking in so much caffeine but it calmsme down.Paradoxical reaction.""What's on your mind, Doug?""My working at Adam and'Eve has been a asecret.Until now.I knew all alon it was rfiky,that I might run into someone who knew me.!don't know, maybe that was part of the thrill.""We're not interested in your private life.Just inwhat you know about Nona Swope.""But if it leads somewhere and ends up in courtI'm gonna be subpoenaed, right?""Could happen," admitted Milo, "but we're a' long way from that.Right now we just want to find144 Jonathan Kelhrrnm-Nona and her parents so we can save a little boy's'life." -.,-The detective went on.in great detail about'Woedy's lymphoma.He'd retained everything I toldhim and was throwing it back in Carmichael's handsomeface.The biond man tried hard not to listenbut failed.He took all of it in, obviously pained.Heseemed a sensitive one and I found myself likinghim."Jesus.She told me she had a sick brother butshe never said how sick.""What else did she tell you?""Not much.leally.She didn't say much aboutanything.Talked about wanting to be an actress--theusual delusional stuff you hear from most ofthe girls.But she didn't seem depressed like you'dexpect with a brother that sick."Milo changed the subject."What kind of gigs did you two do?"Returning to the topic of his work made Car-michaelanxious ag 'aim He tangled his fingers togetherand twisted.Knots rose on the heavy, ams."Maybe I should get an attorney before we go anyfurther.""Stiit yourself," said Milo, pointing to the phone.Carmichael sighed and shook his head."No.Thatwould only complicate things even more.Listen, Ican give you some insights into Nona's personalityif that's what you're after.""It would help.""But that's all I've got: Insights, no' facts.Howabout you forget where you got them from?""Doug," said Milo, "we know who your father isand we know all about, the bust, so stop dancingaround, okay ?"Carmichael looked like astable, ready to bolt despite"Don't panic," said Milo."We couldn'about that stuff.""I'm not some kind of pervert," Carmichaelinsisted."If you traced me that far back you knowhow it happened.""Sure.You were a dancer at Lancelot's.After theshow one of the ladies in the audience picked youup.Sex for money was discussed and she bustedyOU.""She entrapped me.The cunt!"Lancelot's was a male stripper joint in west L.A.catering to women who thought liberation meantaping the crudest aspects of male behavior.Theclub had long been the object of neighborhood complaintsand a couple of years 'back the police andthe fire inspectors had paid it lots of attention.Aharassment suit by the owner had ended that.Milo shrugged."Anyway, daddy got you off, thefile was closed, and you promised to behave yourself.""Yeah," said Carmichael, bitterly: "End of story,right? Only it wasn't that simple." The blue eyesburned."Dad commandeered my trust fund--moneyleft to me by my mom.It was illegal, I'm sure of it,but the lawyer in charge of the trust is one of Dad'sCalifornia Club buddies and before I knew it theold man had all of it under his control.And me bythe balls.It was like being a kid again, having to askpermission for everything.He forced me to go toschool, said I had to make something of myself.Christ, I'm thirty-six and I'm in junior college! If Iget good grades there'll be a place for me at Car-michaelOil.What a crock.Nothing's gonna change146Jonathan Kellermaame into someone I'm not.What the hell does hewant from me?"He looked at us beseechingly, wanting support [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]